Leonard Quetsch's sister Jeanette Quetsch Schaudt wrote up some family lore, but I don't know when, or who she wrote it for.  I've transcribed her handwritten account, with comments along the way. I'll also attach a copy of my copy.  If anyone knows where the original might be I'd like to know.

Interesting Anecdotes?


When the first mentioned Bernard Ruxton (there must be more"history" missing) became a widower, in order to keep his home together, he married his housekeeper.  His oldest son ran away from home because he refused to call his step-mother Mother.  His name was Tom.  He was never heard from again.  There is a street in Manitou Colorado (near Colorado Springs) called Ruxton.  Wonder if he settled there??  The second son, Bernard, became a priest and was assigned to a parish among coal miners.  He died at 37 years of age of pneumonia.  The daughter Ellen Louise was very beautiful.  Every feature was perfect.  I'll show her picture to you if you like.  She played several musical instruments - among them the harp.  At the age of sixteen she married my grandfather who was 36, 20 years older than she.(According to the census of 1880 he was only four years older)  Grandfather was a friend of his wife's father.  Needless to say the friendship ended when grandfather and grandmother left Philadelphia and moved to the terrible city of Chicago!  The marriage seemed a happy one until the death of my grandmother who died in childbirth (her 7th) at the age of 38.  My mother, aged 12, was with her while my grandfather drove frantically for the doctor.  The older three children were being educated in Philadelphia and never returned to Chicago to live.  My grandfather married, two years later, a widow with two boys.  She had been a friend of his wife's.  My mother liked her and was happy about the marriage until gossipy neighbors told her the woman was (words missing) my mother's love for her turned to hatred. Incidentally one of the woman's sons became Rt. Rev. Msgr. Henry Drumcoole who was eventually made head of a seminary in a suburb of Philadelphia.  I met him - very nice priest.  The other son became a wine-taster employed in the White House - good paying job.


My grandfather, James Holden, was an extremely strong willed Irishman.  Arrogant at times but often helped the "underdog" who was timid.  Helen (Jeanette's and Leonard's sister) says he was an architect who built the first two-flat in Chicago.  She may be right but I thought he was a plasterer (correct according to census records) who did very fine fresco work.  He worked in such capacity in the Old Pat's church.  He was 6ft. 1 inch tall and had a brother who was six foot seven!  He wanted to be a lawyer.  He lived with us from age 70-83 and worked until two days before his death.  Lost all his money at age 70 and said it gave him something to live for.  He had about a thousand when he died.  Always wished he could return in fifty years to see the fantastic changes he knew were coming.


I have never seen a more handsome man - not even a movie star than my mother's brother Tom.  He looked like his mother and was a gay bachelor - visited my mother often - always bringing presents to her.  I was in disgrace, at the age of six, when I asked him - in front of a large gathering of people - why he brought so many aunts with different names!  He died of "consumption: in his early forties.  That is why my mother would never allow liquor to be served in her presence - not even at our weddings. 
She was convinced that Irish people could not take it in moderation  Her brother Tom often drank "to excess".


If we knew people's childhood perhaps we would have greater understanding of them as adults.  My mother was a beautiful blonde curly haired child whose health was not good and she required more care than her sisters.  This created jealousy.  Mother was susceptible to a disease (now obsolete because of penicillin) called erisipulous - probably misspelled - (erysipelas) which was often fatal.  She had it three times in her lifetime.  She was afraid of her older sister Mary.


My mother grew up to be a very strong willed person - extremely sensitive and often imagined slight remarks from friends and neighbors which I am sure were unintended.  Because of this she developed an icy tongue.  She was very witty but sometimes caustic.  She had a wonderful way with children but never had a favorite child of her own.   I will never understand the favoritism shown to Leonard Jr.  He arrived when she was very lonely and she had him each time another child arrived.  Their personalities clicked.  It does seem a shame that out of eight grandchildren only one has such happy memories.  I detest favoritism.  I have never had a favorite daughter, grandchild nor kindergartner.  Each child has such different potentials and each is so lovable and interesting.  I have seen and known when favoritism hurt and caused real friction in families.


Just thought you might find a few "behind the scenes" interesting - just destroy these papers after you have read them.  !!!


Our mother insisted we had a little Spanish blood from somewhere.  Our ancestors seemed to have roamed around a lot (perhaps not from choice) but at least life for them could not have been dull!


Incidentally Mother was only 49 when Dad died.  She had two chances to marry again and in each case would have been financially secure and could have fulfilled her desire to visit Ireland.  Now I understand why she never married again.  For some of us the marriage vow "till death do us part" means forever.  I have not met anyone who could compare favorably with my Frank - for me.





The Paternal Ancestors


Dad's younger brother, my Uncle Will, had his family tree brought up to date but unfortunately I was too young to appreciate it at the time and I do not know whatever became of it.  He was only four when his father (Leonhard) died and his mother (Helene) told him about her childhood in Austria.  She was a descendant of the Royal House of the Hapsburgs of Austria.  Her father was Baron Von Gingrich. (See letter from Austria below. He was not a baron.)  A baron is at the bottom of the totem pole but after visiting Europe, (I think she's referring to her own European travel) the Barons had large - at least twenty room homes and much land.  Their pictures were in the churches and they had special seats reserved - usually a box a few steps higher - like a balcony - than the rest of the people.  They did not have to work but were responsible for the people in their town - that is for their health, housing, etc.  I guess their sons were playboys and their daughters were educated in the arts. My grandmother was Baroness Helen Von Gingrich.  Her sister Maria sang with the opera in Vienna.  I wish I knew how my Austrian grandmother met my French (from Alsace Lorraine) grandfather (see baptismal certificate and letter) who taught languages in the University of Marburg, in Marburg, Germany (see letter from University).  It must have been a beautiful little town but is now quite a large city.  The family came here when Dad was only two years old.  They were constantly together so Dad grew up with no interest in any country but America.  His Dad felt that way too.  When my father was eleven my grandfather Leonard Quetsch died  His mother and her three children lived with relatives until my Dad was sixteen and then he became the head of the family and supported them until he married at 29.  He was eleven years older than my mother who was 18.  She was engaged to an Englishman - Bill Burton.  They were waiting until they had saved some money.  She never told my father she was engaged to anther man when she eloped with him.  Impulsive people we come from - notice any such traits in any of my brother's thirty grandchildren?  (She couldn't possibly mean me!) 


The first year of marriage my father had a strep infection.  It is nothing now that we have penicillin but it was often fatal in those days.  My father survived but was never really healthy after it.  A fever would flare every few months and he would have to stay home from work.  He was never fired but could not make much money (salesman-gas and electric fixtures) because his employer knew Dad couldn't look for other places of employment.  His hours were from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. six days a week.  Two weeks vacation.  He should have been a naturalist for he loved the woods - knew the names of all trees - shrubs - birds - flowers.  His sister married a widower with three children who adored her.  She died before I was born.  My Uncle Will did not look French.  He looked like his Austrian grandfather - not handsome but very distinguished looking, 6 ft and (words missing).  He was in charge of the old Merchants and Loan bank - stocks and bonds department and was in line for the presidency when tragedy struck.  His wife burned to death in the Iriquois fire.  He identified her by her wedding ring.  She was at the theater with a man she had promised never to see again.  I was supposed to be named William but since I was a girl I was named for the unfaithful wife - Jeanette Cecelia Montagne.  See http://www.iroquoistheater.com/jeanette-quetsch-of-france-iroquois-theater-fire-victim.php for more detail.  Thanks to Bob Quetsch! Oh well who wants to be named for a goody-goody??  Uncle Will started drinking and chances of advancement were no more.  I never remember him ever being sick but from 43 on he was sure he would die of cancer.  He never had it and died peacefully in his sleep at 83!


We always called my father by the French term Papa.  Everybody loved him.  He made each one he met feel as tho the day was perfect because of the chance meeting.  He was indulgent with his children which was hard on Mother because she had to do all of the disciplining.  She was remarkable in many ways.  I asked her for ten cents one day and she said, "Could you wait until tomorrow - I couldn't get to the bank today."  I was eighteen before I realized there never was a bank account. (This is identical to a story by Kathryn Forbes called "Mama's Bank Account" popularized as "I Remember Mama") She let me have a feeling of security and I had a very carefree happy childhood.


(It's been fun reminiscing)

                                                                                                                                            Love - Aunt Jean