Gibbens Family History

Nell Fruin Gibbens: Her Autobiography

Transcribed April 26, 2008

My dear little granddaughter, Deirdre Gibbens wishes me to write my autobiography. She is handicapped at present with a broken right arm and must write with her left hand (she is very thoughtful).

A blizzard was blowing thru the country on the day I was born in a big white house two miles east of El Paso, Ill. (Feb.1, 1881) For some reason our priest was at our home that day and it was decided I should be christened the same day. (She was named Ellen, two previous babies by that name had died in infancy. – This note may have been added by Elizabeth, who apparently typed the original version of this.) At that time bad raods and winter weather made it unwise and difficult to take a little baby out to church.

My parents were John and Mary Doherty Fruin. My father was 10 years older (Grandma’s word) when he came from Ireland to America. My mother was born in Brooklyn, NY. My brothers and sisters were: Edward, Josephine [often known as Jose], Jerry, then me, Frank, Richard, Mary, Mark, and Bess.

When we reached the age of 6 we went to school a mile from home. When winter snows were very deep my father drove us to school in a bobsled. We all were covered with warm blankets. Our lunch pails were placed on shelves near the north window of the school and by noon were frozen, but they tasted good by noon anyway. School began at 9 am, recess at 10:30 and 2:30 and an hour or so at noon.

We always enjoyed the summer. We rode our ponies, hunted the turkeys’ nests, climbed trees, and picked cherries. My cousins and aunts from Chicago visited us in the summer. They brought us books and marvelous candy, we loved their visits.

When we went to high school we drove a horse and buggy. The horse stayed in a barn near school; my brother fed and watered him at noon recess. After high school I went to college in Valapariso, Ind., where my sister and cousins had also attended. It was a very happy life – meeting so many fine girls and boys. Being used to level land in Illinois, I loved the hills and valleys around Valapariso. Also I loved the fine faculty, all the good programs and th recreation connected with the college. Those were among the happiest days of my life, tho, it seems my life has been filled with happiness.

During the summer I attended summer school at Valapariso or at Normal, Ill. The first year when I tried to find a job at a rural school to teach the school board would not believe I was old enough, so I stayed in Chicago with my grandfather, aunts and uncles for ten months. My Chicago relatives were lovely to me and took me to see many interesting things and acquainted me with the city. All were well read and amusing the ten months I lived with them were fun. I went with my grandfather to the flower gardens at Garfield Park and the Art Insitutute. I worked in the office of Pitkin & Brooks, a fine store that sold china and cut glass and it gave me a love of beautiful things. Also, this office was near the city library and some of the large stores such as Marshall Fields, so I could spend part of my lunch hour seeing much beauty.

My first school was three miles from home. I rode my pony except for 4 weeks in the winter when I boarded near school. Those were rural schools, most of the time I had pupils in all grades from 1 - 8. The second year I kept house for my brother, Jerry, and taught at the Fishburn school one mile from his home. After he was married I continued to live there and teach at Fishburn. Those were pleasant years, m students were fine children. My first school when I lived away was at Sshkim (?? – maybe a typo??) Illinois, a very lonely year as I did not get home often and didn’t have an exciting life. Then my Mother persuaded me to quit teaching rural schools and teach in town.

So then I taught at Foosland, Illinois. That is where I met my dear husband and where I learned to love music because of Rob’s love for it. But I could seldom get to Mass while at Foos. Next year taught in Roanoke, a mining town with a variety of loveable pupils. I had 50 so it was very busy. After that I taught two years in Chatsworth, living with my sister Jose. We had fine times at the girls club. Rob could come by train and visit when he had time between his music and farming. All this time while I was in El Paso and Chatsworth I went with my brothers of boy friends to many dances which was the most enjoyable of all recreation.

In 1912 Rob and I were married at St. Mary’s in El Paso and lived in a new house built especially for us at Foosland, Illinois. In this community lived a great many of Rob’s uncles, aunts and cousins; all were good to us. We brought our own farm near Piper City and lived there until Rob worked for a year with the Illinois Agriculture Association. During that time we had five sweet children: Mary Ruth [she was born in 1914; for a letter to Grandma Gibbens in 1915 from her mother, Mary Doherty Fruin, see the end of this story], Elizabeth, Josephine and Robert, and Stephen. With Rob away it was lonely for us at the farm, although he was usually home on weekends. A year following that, Rob became a manager of State Farm Bureau Insurance at Kalamazoo, Michigan. We moved to Michigan on October 26, 1926; the children and I came in March, 1927 and were glad to be together again.

Now the children could attend a Catholic school and local colleges. We had many advantages not available on the farm. But we always felt the farm years were a wonderful place for development of character. Here we enjoyed the new life, new occupation and so on. We made many and lasting friends. Rob retired with high honors and many presents in 19__. Since then Rob has been absorbed in his fine greenhouse.

Our children have received grand educations. We are blessed with 25 grandchildren – isn’t that amazing and joyful. I thank God for a life full of blessings, for my happy childhood, education and faith, for my husband and children. Now my grandchildren have come for a visit except for 3 boys in the service and Deirdre is going to write the story of my life!

Nelle died June 30, 1974, a lady, a woman of refinement and gentle manners. She was much loved by her children.

El Paso, Illinois, May 19, 1915

Dear Nell,

Your card just received. You have no doubt read the account of the Storm in the pantagraph (pantograph) by this time. Mary and I left Chicago Saturday Eve in a pouring Rain it came down in Torrents. But when we got here we found things down. The town was in darkness and leaves and limbs of trees everywhere. On our block Kingdons & Simpsons have broken windows.

Lots of people started from town when the Storm was coming up. Steve F.[Fruin?] had two rigs the older children stopped at Tipplers& were all right. Steve & the others went on; they had no curtains or coats and the horses were unruly. So the hail Beat them up. So it was necessary to call a doctor to attend to their Bruises. But nothing serious.

Pat Welsh’s team Ran away and left the carriage and they were hurt some too. But no one badly. Jim Hays & Family were near a fence with their car (??). Jerry Sadie Emmett and the Baby with a one horse Rig got as far as Sedecoms and drove down into the Ditch as the wind could not have such a sweep. And there they staid while the [wind] blew. The hail Beat and the Rain poured down. We told Sadie it was a good thing she was in the Buggy or it would have gone over. She said it would not have been Bad if the horse did not want to get in too.

Telephones were all out of commission and there was a wild rumor that Jerry was lost and could not be found. But he got here in the morning shortly after we heard it. When they could get home they found the Smoke house moved from the West of the house to the East set on the Roof and the meat still in it. Chimney of the house. Windmill down and broken. We must have a new one. Four new windows and many panes of glass at [??Jus??]. We had to get the blinds out of the barn crib and put them on for some shelter.

But the home place looks like desolation. Ella had just got home from town & tied Belle to the fence. The Buggy blew over and the horse sood there while trees crashed around her. Ella was glad to find the boys in the house, and when Johnie said to get in the cellar they got on short order.

Not a tree left near the milk house. Many near the Road scattered over the place are taken up by the Roots. Lots of the windows Broken out. Buildings over turned. Roof off the cob house. Crab tree gone. And it took Forty years to grow those trees. But we are glad no one was hurt.

But there were lots of other things you can read in the paper. There are holes in the ground that you could set an egg in, and the gardens are spoiled, and the oats are beaten in the ground. It is very wet and cold today.

I thank you very much for your good wishes and the present you sent for my birthday. The Doctor wanted me to stay a week in Chicago so he could treat my eyes and they feel much better. And he said you should use those Prisms whether you though they hurt your eyes or not. They were what you needed and must have if you wanted Results. We had to scrape the lid of my left Eye there were blisters on it. It was a small Brooch you and Bess got for me. Della Hayward’s mother-in-law was Buried yesterday, and Mr. Strickland the day before.

Dick has gone down to skin a cow that he Paid $52 for a year ago. Them that have must lose. I can’t write any more.

M.E. Fruin