The second child was James H. Lawrence, then George W. Lawrence Jr., then Julia C. Lawrence (named after her mother). In one census there was, as near as I can make out the name, a three-year-old little girl called Clanisda. The last child was Douglas Lawrence. In 1870 a 74-year-old woman was living with them; I am thinking that this was probably Julia's mother. Her name was Mary Andrews. George W. Lawrence was a cattle dealer and was very wealthy. In 1870 his house in Lowell was worth $25,000.
My great-grandmother was Mary Adeline Lawrence, who had ten children. Her first child (with her husband Peter Hess) was Emma J. Hess. Peter Hess died young in a farm accident, and his widow later married George F. Peterson. They had nine children. Mary Adeline Lawrence Hess Peterson's second child was James Henry Peterson. He always went by the name of Henry, and I just found out his first name was James. The next child was Owen, then Harry, then my grandmother Elizabeth Theresa Peterson. She was born Jan. 5, 1881, and died in 1971. My Aunt Emma was so happy to finally get a baby sister, she told me she just jumped up and down on the bed. "I got a baby sister!"
The sixth child, Edward Peterson, was born in 1884 and died in 1959. I think he was sometimes referred to as "Eddie." He married Anna (do not know the maiden name), and they adopted two children -- Shirley and William Frank Peterson. Frank was a nephew, the son of Edith Peterson.
Georgie Peterson was born in 1883 and died in 1890, just seven years old. I don't know what he died of. Edith Peterson Britton was the mother of William Frank. She was born in 1888 and died in 1919. I don't know what she died of; some said T.B. William Peterson was born in Aug. of 1890 and died of the influenza. The last child in the family was Gertrude Peterson Rodgers Sanders. She was born April 2, 1895, and died Mar. 24, 1919, at 24 years of age. She died of childbirth complications and left three children behind -- Lorraine Rodgers, age 6, Thelma Sanders, age 3, and George William, age 12 days. She was married to Claude Sanders.
NAME | BORN | DIED | MARRIED | SPOUSE |
Emma J. Hess | 1871 | 1966 | 1. 2. July 1926 |
1. Mortimer B. "Mort" Slocomb (1863-1922) 2. Ambrose Bennett (Aug.12, 1865-May 7, 1947) |
Peter Hess died young in a farm accident. His widow later married George F. Peterson, and they had nine children. Cemetery records at the Lowell Public Library show that Mary A. (1851-1936) and George F. Peterson were buried in row C32 of the Lowell Cemetery. No dates were given on Mr. Peterson's headstone, but he was listed as having been in "Co C 35 Ind Inf." Cemetery records also show a Peter Hess, buried in row R2 at the Creston Cemetery, who also served in the Civil War in "Co G 9th Ill Cav." His stone was also undated.
NAME | BORN | DIED | MARRIED | SPOUSE |
James Henry Peterson | Feb. 15, 1873 | July 29, 1943 | -- | Mary E. "Molly" (1874-1973) |
Owen Peterson | Aug. 1875 | Aug. 1944 | -- | Lydia (May 24, 1874-Nov. 1948) |
Harry Peterson | Sept. 1878 | Apr. 1935 | -- | -- |
Elizabeth Theresa "Bessie" Peterson | Jan. 5, 1881 | 1971 | Oct. 4, 1900 | Charles John Bisig (Apr. 4, 1974*-Jan. 1952) |
George McDonald "Georgie" Peterson | 1883 | 1890 | -- | none |
Edward Hartford "Ed" "Eddie" Peterson | Apr. 3, 1886 | Nov. 3, 1959 | -- | Anna Lillian Larson (1890-1960) |
Edith E. Peterson | 1888 | 1919 | -- | Frank Britton |
William D. "Will" Peterson | Aug. 22, 1890 | Oct. 14, 1918 | -- | -- |
Gertrude Peterson | Apr. 2, 1895 | Mar. 24, 1919 | 1. 2. Sept. 21, 1914 |
1. ______ Rodgers 2. Claude Sanders |
* NOTE -- Although Mrs. Gereg puts the birthdate of her grandfather as April 4, 1874, his obituary lists his birth date as April 11, 1875. Cemetery records at the Lowell Public Library indicate that his headstone, in row C46 of the Lowell Cemetery, also lists his dates as 1875-1952.
Cemetery records at the Lowell Library provided the following information about the family of Mary Adeline Lawrence Hess Peterson:
NAME | BORN | DIED | CEMETERY | ROW |
George W. Lawrence, Sr., father | 9-13-1813 | 1-19-1901 | Lowell Cemetery | B16 |
Julia C. Lawrence, mother, wife of George W. | 11-15-1816 | 3-21-1888 | Lowell Cemetery | B16 |
Julia C. (Lawrence) Morgan | 1859 | 1926 | Lowell Cemetery | B6 |
Wesley Morgan | 1859 | 1949 * | Lowell Cemetery | B6 |
Albert Morgan, son of Wesley and Julia | 2 y | 12-07-1884 | Lowell Cemetery | B16 |
Julia Morgan, dau of Wesley and Julia | 8 d | 12-02-1886 | Lowell Cemetery | B16 |
Emma Bennett | 1871 | 1966 | Lowell Cemetery | C32 |
Mortimer B. Slocomb | 1863 | 1922 | Lowell Cemetery | C34 |
Ambrose Benentt | 1865 | 1947 | Lowell Cemeter | C32 |
Paul A. Bennett | 1902 | 1965 | Creston Cemetery | R1 |
Blanche Bennett | 1903 | 1965 | Creston Cemetery | R1 |
Sherley Ann Bennett, dau of P and B | 1925 | 1925 | Creston Cemetery | R1 |
Owen Peterson | 1875 | 1944 | Lowell Cemetery | C46 |
Lydia Peterson | 1869 | 1948 | Lowell Cemetery | C46 |
Charles J. Bisig | 1875 | 1952 | Lowell Cemetery | C46 |
Elizabeth Bisig | 1881 | 1971 | Lowell Cemetery | C46 |
George McDonald Peterson, son of George & Adeline | -- | 10-03-1890 | Cedar Creek Cemetery | R20 |
Edward Peterson | 1886 | 1959 | Lowell Cemetery | C29 |
Anna Peterson | 1890 | 1960 | Lowell Cemetery | C29 |
Edith E. Britton, wife of Frank | 1888 | 1919 | Lowell Cemetery | C37 |
Gertrude Sanders | 1895 | 1919 | Lowell Cemetery | C37 |
* NOTE The cemetery records at the Lowell Public Library list Wesley Morgan as having died in 1949, but his obituary appeared in the Dec. 16, 1948, Lowell Tribune.
Go to Mary A. Peterson, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
Return to Lowell Biographies.
Contact referenc@lowellpl.lib.in.us