The Merediths Say "Good-Bye" to William Weekes, Lottie's Father

This necklace belonged to Viola Weekes, mother of Lottie Weekes Meredith (my grandmother).  It says "1891" on one side and "Mother" on the other.  One of Viola's children, Leroy, was born in April and died in August, 1891.  It's likely that William Weekes, Viola's husband, gave this to her.  Another child, Walter, died in 1894 and then Viola herself passed away in 1896.  That left just William, Lottie (9) and Lewis (7).

I don't have a picture of William, though perhaps one day I'll find one.  Born in Wilkes-Barre PA on Aug. 14, 1844, William moved to Chicago in 1872, according to his death certificate.  That was the year after the Chicago Fire, when workmen of all kinds were pouring in.  So William, a carpenter, packed up his tools and moved to Chicago, where there was plenty of work to be had.  The following excerpts from Ruth Meredith's 1928 diary are not in Pieces of a life. 

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 1928  -  "My Grandad (Mama's father) had a stroke & Mama & Papa had to go & take him to a hospital.  He's not expected to live long.  Folks just got back & ate a little supper.  9:50"

Thursday, Sept. 27, 1928 -  "Grandpa is not breathing so hard now.  Isn't expected to live past morning."

Friday, Sept. 28, 1928  - "I am almost sick with a cold & just at present am alone as the folks are at the hospital and Jimmie is at a parade."

Saturday, Sept. 29, 1928 - "Grandpa died at 6:30 this morning.  Mama, Papa & I had a lot to do to arrange matters besides go to register so as to vote."  Ruth also mentions her cold again.

Sunday, Sept. 30, 1928 - "Cold worse.  The whole family including John went to the Undertaker this afternoon for a few hours.  Irene came in the evening.  At lunch we gave Mama her birthday gifts instead of tomorrow on Mama's birthday."

Monday, Oct. 1, 1928  - "Felt terrible all day.  Had the funeral & service at 2:45..  Mama feels quite sad."  Ruth mentions a few friends of her mother's whom came to the funeral.  She also said that her parents were out for a walk that evening.

 Lottie felt very close to her father, who ended his years in a boarding house, working occasionally as a handyman.  Younger brother Lewis died in the 1920s after having been mustard gassed in World War I.  He lost his balance while riding on a wagon and was trampled.

First-born Baby Kenny Arrives Early!

 Ruth and John Kellogg greeted their first baby in September, 1931 when Ruth was 25 and John 32.  The first photo shows Uncle Jimmie Meredith (20) holding Ken on the front porch.  They're  at the Meredith's two-flat at 5458 W. Iowa St., Chicago in January, 1932. You can see the baby buggy behind them.

The second photo is also on the front porch. Taken in March, 1932, it shows Grandparents Jim (51) & Lottie ((45) Meredith with Kenny this time.   Both pictures are in Pieces of a Life, as is the first quote from Ruth's diary.

Sunday, Sept. 6, 1931 - BABY'S BIRTHDAY    
"(Am catching up in these records.)
Pains started 7:15 AM.  Doc Anderson came 9:10 & took us to hospital.  Baby boy born 12:00 noon - Central time.  
Weight 7# 5.5 oz."


Monday, Sept. 7, 1931 
"What a relief; it's all over & 3 days ahead.  Labor Day!  Folks here in afternoon.  John in morning and night.  Stitches bother me. Named baby Kenneth Alan & mailed announcements."

Tuesday, Sept. 8, 1931
"Doc was in & said baby's fine.  Mama and Jim up this afternoon.  Jim saw his nephew for the first time.  John here when Mable & Edith popped in for a while & brought dress and slip.  Irene came just at 8:00 & saw baby at nursery before."

Ruth mentions some visiting girlfriends, Irene, Mable and Edith.  The baby wasn't due until Sept. 9, which is why Ruth says he was "3 days ahead."  I never did know where the name "Kenneth" came from.  No one in the family has it, so perhaps they just heard or saw it in print and liked it.  Odd that it's Scottish in origin and so is Kellogg, though neither of my parents knew that.  (Both knew that their families had some roots in England, but were unaware of the Scottish.)

"Help Me!"

One day Lottie Meredith phoned Ruth, crying hysterically, "Ruth!  Ruth!  Help me - my finger is caught in the sewing machine."
Trying to be calm, Ruth said, "What do you mean 'caught'?"
"The needle came down right into my fingernail.  It's bleeding and it hurts so much!"
"Can't you just release the needle - turn the wheel on the machine so it comes out?"
Still crying, Lottie said, "No, I can't.  I'm afraid I will just make it worse."

I was home so Mom (Ruth) and I ran to the garage, backed her Packard sedan into the alley and drove the two miles to the my grandmother's two-flat on Iowa Street in Chicago.  We had lived there until 1941 when we moved to 1210 N. Euclid in Oak Park.

Ruth was able to turn the wheel on the side of the sewing machine to pull the needle upward out of Lottie's bloody finger. Then she had me put ice in a bowl so that Lottie could put her finger in it.  This was 1949, so Grandpa Meredith (James) had passed away.  Her son, Jimmie, still lived with Lottie, though he was out when this happened.

Was this just a random accident?  Not exactly.  In the Nov. 5, 2013 post I mentioned that Lottie was very poorly coordinated because, as a lefty, her teachers tried to force her to use her right hand.  They tied her left hand behind her back.  It didn't work.  She still used her left hand to write, but was forever after awkward in doing tasks around the house or yard.  It seems barbaric, but tying up the right hand was an accepted practice in the late 1800s when she was a child.

Oddly enough, my father, John, was the first person to notice that our middle daughter, Cindy Pellettiere, was left handed.  When he and Ruth were visiting from Florida, he started to hand food or toys to little Cindy's right hand - until we realized it!  That was in 1968 when she was about a year old.

The picture is not in Pieces of a Life.  Taken in June, 1949, it shows my brother, Ken Kellogg (age 17), dressed for the Senior Prom at Oak Park High, with his mother, Ruth (age 42), and grandmother, Lottie Meredith (62).  They're in the Kellogg living room, framed against swirled plaster walls that were a pale aqua.  Past Ken you can see the arched entry to the dining room and the Danish Modern furniture, quite stylish at that time.