One
of Nathan Elias Albertson's 1st cousins was Ruthie Joanna Albertson,
so she was my 1st cousin 3 times removed. She was the daughter of
Alpheus and Diana (Moffit) Albertson. Both families came from Indiana
to Hardin County Iowa around 1855. It was about a year and a half
after Alpheus and Diana were married that Ruthie was born in Oct
1857. By then Nathan was 8 years old. I wonder if as a little boy
Nathan was interested in his new baby girl cousin.
When
the 1860 census was taken in Hardin County, the census taker chose to
use mostly initials rather than first names, so Ruthie was listed as
R. J. Alberson [the surname was spelled incorrectly] age 2 with her
parents, A and D as well as her younger sister, R. A. age 9/12.
The
census taker on the 1870 census recorded her name as Rutha J.
Albertson age 12, again with her parents and younger sister, plus now
she had a younger brother also, Ezra age 4. 1870 was the same year
that Nathan Elias married 15 year old Mary Magdalene Hockett on 8 Oct
1870. Within the next 2 years Nathan and Mary had 2 children of their
own, a girl and a boy. I would suspect that Nathan was very
interested in his baby girl when she was born.
But
I am sad to report that Ruthie Joanna died 7 Nov 1872 at age 15 and
was buried at the Honey Creek Cemetery there in Hardin County. I have
no information about her cause of death. What would Nathan and Mary have thought about this as Ruthie was just a few years younger than Mary?
It is always hard to lose a member of the family, but sometimes it
seems harder when they are young.
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