D - Deaths

All deaths are sad - but some make no sense and leave us wondering, the proverbial "why?" 

April 1932

Throughout history, every family has experienced tragedies that are difficult to fathom in today's world. Michael Hasenstab was my maternal great-grandfather until DNA disproved that family branch. However, he was my mother's grandfather, and his story still intrigues me. It's sad to think that he spent years raising his two young children after his beloved wife, Philomena, passed away due to childbirth complications. It's also believed that he had been ill. In 1922, records show that he was residing at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.

It is interesting to note, in 1958 that his only son, shot himself at the age of 62. 

Scott County News, Fri. 15 Sept. 1933 - 

Ulysses Lewallen aged about 50, residing about three miles east of Glen Mary, was shot to death by his son, Hurstle, last Tuesday night just after dusk. According to reports LEWALLEN and his son had been working in the hay field that day and at about dusk the father had sent his son to the house after a lantern with which to complete some work. LEWALLEN claims that his father reprimanded him for not getting the lantern as quickly as was thought he should and after some difficulty between father and son young Lewallen claims that his father came at him with a pitchfork and he shot in self-defense. The father, according to information, was shot six times and died instantly. Young Lewallen, who was 19-20 was given a preliminary hearing before Squire H. O. Lewallen and bound over to court under a $5000 bond. The funeral was held Wednesday with interment in the family cemetery. A large crowd attended the burial of Mr. LEWALLEN, who was well known in the county and who has a large number of relatives residing in Scott County.

It was later determined to be self-defense. 

His son, Hurst as a young boy 

TEC5 Hurst Lewallen was Killed In Action, During WW II, While Fighting In Europe. 

He fell on the field of Battle while Fighting for Freedom. (Battle of the Bulge) 

WWII SERVED WITH THE 329TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
83RD INFANTRY DIVISION.
HE WAS KILLED ON 01-10-1945
NEAR PETITE LANGLIER, BELGIUM.

My Grandma's older brother - Claude McCart

I've been holding onto this photo ever since my parents passed away. I always thought he was handsome and grew attached to him, but I didn't know much else about him. It turns out that his name was Claude and he worked at the Leavenworth Prison in Kansas as a Provost Guard. Prior to that, he served in the US Army during WWI. Unfortunately, his newly wedded wife, who was only 20 years old, filed for divorce just a day before he was killed. They hadn't been married for very long. There was some dispute over who would receive his pension, and from what I could gather, his wife Dolly was denied, and his mother (my Great-Grandmother) ended up receiving his pension instead.

No one in the family ever talked about this man or any of the events related to him. Back then, it was the mentality that you "suck it up" and move on, which can be fine too, but no one talked about it to the later generations. I believe this is what set off my Great-Grandmother, Sallie. This is just a guess, but after having twins (my grandmother), her husband accused her of being with another man - and she ran off with the other man whom she thought was the father of the twins. It turns out he was not, and her husband was the father of the babies. This added to the confusion for future generations to figure out and thank God for DNA. My Great-Grandfather took off - leaving a large family, and was never heard from again. I am, at this time, unable to find death records or anything. It's like he just dropped off the face of the earth.

Meet Charles Brown. He married my Great-Grand Aunt in 1908. From what I have heard, they were very much in love. Then he contracted Typhoid Fever and died at age 28. My aunt never remarried and lived in the same house by the railroad tracks till she died at age 99.