That is the year, 1891, that Viola and William's fourth child, Leroy, was born in April and died in August. I suspect that William gave the necklace to Viola some time during that year to commemorate Leroy's death. More tragedy was to come with the passing of oldest son Walter in Feb., 1894 and the death of Viola herself in Jan.4, 1896.
Yes, at that time there were many deaths of infants and children as well as mothers. Yet it no less sad because it was common. Viola was 38 when, after 6 months of illness, she was taken by "Chronic Catarrhal Gastritis". The dictionary says catarrh means 'inflammation of mucous membrane, usually the nose and air passages." The gastritis is "inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach."
When Viola died, that left just William and the two remaining children, Carlotta Lola Lucretia, who we know as "Lottie" (Ruth's mother) at age 9 and her little brother, Lewis Henry at age 7. The family lived at 325 W. Randolph St., in what is now bustling downtown Chicago. Neither Viola nor William had relatives in Chicago. Viola was 3 when she came from the East Coast with her mother, who must have died years earlier. William traveled from Wilkes-Barre PA after the Chicago Fire in 1871 to find work as a carpenter in the massive rebuilding of the city.
Lottie lived with Mrs. Millard, a family friend, for 4 years, though I am not sure which ones. Perhaps she and Lewis lived with William from 1896-1900. Lottie would have had responsibilities beyond her age during Viola's months of sickness, so she she became a surrogate mother for Lewis from ages 7-11. She is not shown on the census in 1900 with her father and brother.
William was a carpenter. Perhaps by age 11 Lewis could go with his father on jobs when he wasn't in school. Lottie, my grandmother, told me that she had dropped out of school in 8th grade "to keep house." Whose house? Do I wish I had asked more questions of her? Of course!
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