 1869 - 1955 (85 years)
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| Name |
Elizabeth Bertha Fritschie |
| Birth |
19 Nov 1869 |
Stillwater, Minnesota  |
| Gender |
Female |
| Death |
14 Apr 1955 |
Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington |
| Notes |
- Some more insights into the lives of Ellis Baker Grinstead and Rachel May Bingham were provided to the author by Virginia Lea Grinstead, their youngest daughter. She wrote in April, 1999.
Dave (John David Grinstead) told me that you are interested in some family history. I sent Bob (Robert Lawrence Grinstead) most of these letters, but I wasn’t sure you had them. I am enclosing Grandma’s letters (Elizabeth Bertha Fritschie), one letter from Grandpa (Adelbert Decolia Bingham), some of her poetry and a letter from Aunt Ruth (Ruth Amelia Evans Bingham) to Grandma written before she married Uncle Lee (Elmer Lee Bingham). I copied some of the originals so you can see her writing. I have some great pictures from this time I would be glad to copy for you if you would like. When Auntie Becky (Rebecca Fern Grinstead) was dying I copied some of Darlene’s pictures so I may have some that Bob doesn’t have.
A little history on these letters:
When Mom and Dad married in Oct. of 1926, Grandma came to live with them. When Charmie was born, Dad and Grandma delivered her and Dad gave her her first bath. Grandma did live in an apartment for a short while (which burnt down) but most of her life she lived with Mom and Dad. She visited her other children from time to time. These are the letters she wrote to Aunt Ruth and Uncle Lee. Aunt Ruth saved them and gave them to me. She also had more letters that were found when she died and he has promised to copy them for me. Grandpa and Grandma were estranged for most of the time after Mom and Dad were married, but Grandpa lived with them from time to time. Grandpa died lon before I was born, but I remember Grandma quite well. She started suffering from dementia in the early 1950’s and Mom and Dad put her in a nursing home sometime about 1953-54. Mom said Dad cried when he carried her to the car to take her there. I used to catch the bus after school and go visit her. Mom used to give me 15 cents to buy her grapes. She died in April of 1955. She had broken her hip and died of complications. Grandma was a very interesting lady. She was an artist, played the piano and was very well educated. She was a suffragette and wrote some articles to the papers on women’s rights that I can copy for you if you like. Uncle Lee used to tell me “you are just like Ma” and that was not a compliment! You might enjoy a book by Wallace Stegner called “Big Rock Candy Mountain” that I think really has a lot of parallels to Grandma and Grandpa’s life.
I am writing this at our house in Longview, and miss our computer and spell check. Please ignore my numerous errors. My memories are, of course, my own and you Dad may see them differently. By the way, much to Dave’s delight, he said you had my birthday in 1940 – it is really 1946, although after the year I have had I feel at least 60.
Give our love to your family and come see us when you can.
Love
Ginny
The
Fritschies
Rudolph Frederick Fritschie was born at Canton Arragen Taufertahl, Switzerland on 17 APR 1840. He was raised as an orphan in a Swiss institution as both of his parents had died. He married Elizabeth Maurer in Basel, Switzerland. Together they emigrated to New York. Together they had two children.
1.Rudolph A. Fritschie
Born 1863 in New York
Married Francis Bates 21 FEB 1899
2.Elizabeth Fritschie
Born 19 NOV 1869 in Lilly Lake, Minnesota
Married Adelbert Decolia Bingham 25 FEB 1899
Had children Lawrence Frederick, Adelbert William (Clyde), Clarence Miles, Elmer Lee, Rebecca Fern and Rachel May
Rudolph Fritschie was a direct descendant of a line of Swiss silk manufacturers from the time silk was introduced into Switzerland. He was a member of the Masonic Order having been initiated in Garnet Lodge # 166 on 12 APR 1894 in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Rudolph Fritschie got his start as an accountant . He moved to White Bear Lake where he engaged in the lumber business until he died 18 APR 1896.
Elizabeth Fritschie (Bingham) was born 19 NOV 1869 in a log cabin on a farm near Lilly Lake, Minnesota. She married Adelbert Decolia Bingham 25 FEB 1899 in Washington State. Together they had six children:
1.Lawrence Frederick Bingham
Born 1 DEC 1899 in Whatcon, Washington
Married Ione Buferton Richey 30 SEPT 1927
Had children Donald Lee and Doris Veryl
Died 9 MAR 1986
2.Clyde Henry (Adelbert William) Bingham
Born 1 OCT 1990 in Whatcom, Washington
Died 1 NOV 1918
3.Clarence Miles Bingham
Born 1 JAN 1902 in Whatcom, Washington
Died 8 MAR 1902 in Whatcom, Washington
4.Elmer Lee Bingham
Born 5 DEC 1905 in Bellingham, Washington
Married Ruth Amelia Evans 16 JUN 1928 in San Francisco, California
Had children David Lee and Wesley Evans
Died 23 JUL 1991
5.Rebecca Fern Grinstead
Born 14 OCT 1907 in Jamestown, North Dakota
Married Perry Cannon Anderson
Had children Robert Lee, Harold, Norman Arnold, Lee Armond, Esther Lorraine and Darlene May
Died 18 OCT 1994 in Portland, Oregon
6.Rachel May Bingham
Born 7 APR 1909 in Spearfish, South Dakota
Married John (Ellis Baker) Grinstead
Had children: Charmie Fern, John David, James Richard, Robert Lawrence, Raymond Charles, William Adelbert, Virginia Lea and Donald Edward
Died 18 AUG 1994 in Bellingham, Washington
Later, her father built a large two story house at 427 4th Street, at Pine, near the vicinity of the Courthouse in Stillwater, Minnesota. When Elizabeth Fritschie Bingham was twelve years old, she and her Mother spent a year in Switzerland. While there she studied music and Catholicism, because all of her Mother's relatives were Catholics. One of her Aunts was a Catholic nun
Glimpses of Elizabeth Fritschie Bingham can be found in Elmer Lee Bingham's "Era of Good Feeling's" reproduced in the Chapter on the Bingham's. She also was a very talented, educated individual. Some of her poetry survives today. Several poems follow:
IN THE MEMORY OF MY MOTHER
Whether at dawn of the morning or late at night
She ministers to the needs of the little mite
At intervals, then her slumbers cease
That she may know her babes rest in peace
Tho for months no absolute rest she knows
While with utmost tenderness she bestows
The love that none but a mother can give
To a tiny mite, that it may thrive and live.
Then when it has strength to toddle about
How in bending and lifting she wears herself out.
No being, no element so fierce and wild
But she will step between it and her child.
In the same way, thwn, in later years
All her joys, hopes sorrows and tears
Are all laid as a sacred offering
To the best of life for her beloved offspring
When sons or daughters suffer she suffers, too,
No friend more sincere, no love more true
ARE ORDINARY LIVES ALL LIKE MINE
Oh can it really be!
Then if such a thing were true
There could be nothing good or fine
If all were bound like me
My fate that opposes at every turn
Any initiative whatever it be
There is always a something to hinder me
If we could know the story of each one
There are millions who tried and tried
Who have not the battle won
For they were kept to the extreme
At every turn by the giant poverty
Who steps in between and so much as to say
Surmount me if you dare!
God made all good things to abound
But the wicked rich in some way devise
To manipulate so things won't go around
If there were no want they would have no power
And the world would become a paradise
Elizabeth Fritschie (Bingham) died 14 APR 1955 in Bellingham, Washington.
|
| Person ID |
I00221 |
McKenzie Genealogy |
| Last Modified |
29 Oct 2021 |
| Father |
Rudolph Frederick Fritschie, b. 17 Apr 1840, Taufertahl, Canton Aragon, Switzerland d. 18 Apr 1896, White Bear, Minnesota (Age 56 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Mother |
Elizabeth Maurer, b. 5 Apr 1844, Basil, Switzerland d. 13 Dec 1917 (Age 73 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Marriage |
1863 |
Basil, Switzerland |
| Family ID |
F00211 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Adelbert Decolia (Dell) Bingham, b. 30 Jun 1860, Pottersville, Minnesota d. 8 Jul 1935, Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington (Age 75 years) |
| Marriage |
25 Feb 1899 |
Bellingham, WA |
| Children |
| | 1. Lawrence Frederick Bingham, b. 1 Dec 1899, Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington d. 10 Mar 1986, Seattle, WA (Age 86 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 2. Aldelbert William (Clyde) Bingham, b. 1 Oct 1900, Bellingham, WA d. 1 Nov 1918, Bellingham, WA (Age 18 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 3. Clarence Miles Bingham, b. 1 Jan 1902, Bellingham, WA d. 8 Mar 1902, Bellingham, WA (Age 0 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 4. Elmer Lee Bingham, b. 5 Dec 1904, Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington d. 23 Jul 1991, San Francisco, San Francisco County, California (Age 86 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 5. Rachel May Bingham, b. 7 Apr 1909, Spearfish, South Dakota d. 18 Aug 1994, Bellingham, WA (Age 85 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 6. Rebecca Fern Bingham, b. 14 Oct 1909, Jamestown, ND d. 18 Oct 1994, Portland, OR (Age 85 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
|
| Family ID |
F00043 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
29 Oct 2021 |
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