Elmer (in turtleneck) with the Whetstones
For the moment, we are going to skip talking about the John Grisham listed as Elmer’s father on his birth certificate. I have found two different men that could be him, but have not reached a valid opinion. Today’s post is going to concentrate on Mr. Winkels. From all accounts, he played a pivotal role in Elmer’s life. I have always wondered how Mr. Winkels got Elmer and took him to Andy and Madge Winkel to raise. I believe I have found that link.
John Andrew Winkels was a resident of Crawford County, Illinois. He was born in 1868, or possibly 1857, but we will explore that a little later. He married Cena F. Chronic in 1881. Cena passed away on February 17, 1920. I found the 1920 census from Crawford County, Illinois where John A. Winkels listed Elmer as his adoptive son. The question is, how did Mr. Winkels come to have Elmer in his custody?
Now, here it gets kind of convoluted. After Elmer passed away, a lady named Reba Whitstone Johnson gave Evelyn a picture of Elmer with one of his foster parents. They were her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Whetstone, and I believe they lived in Illinois. While Elmer was with the Whetstones, Mrs. Whetstone passed away and Mr. Whetstone remarried. His new wife did not like Elmer and was mean to him. A note attached to the picture says Marie Chronic was a Whetstone. Marie was a granddaughter of William Whetstone. Marie married William Chronic, who was the brother of Mr. Winkels’ wife, Cena. In the 1920 Crawford County, Illinois census, William and Marie Chronic were living next door to Andrew Winkel and his first wife, Anna. William was listed as Andy’s cousin.
I believe that was when Mr. Winkels took Elmer until his wife Cena died in 1923. By that time, Andy’s first wife (Anna) and his daughter (Helen) died in a fire. I am inserting a clipping from the Olney, Illinois newspaper from Jun 17, 1920 about their death, the clipping is not the best quality. It is a very heart wrenching account of what happened to Andy and his first family.
Here is a copy of the 1920 Crawford County Census that shows William and Marie Chronic living next to Andy and Anna.
Here is the 1920 Census showing Elmer as John and Cena Winkels’ adopted son.
Andy married Madge Albright on November 4, 1922, and they took Elmer into their home in 1923. They were the best thing that happened in his young life. Their love and influence helped shape him into the wonderful man he became. Years after he was gone, while working at the Daviess Community Hospital, I had patients tell me what a great man he was.
That is hard to read, but what I could read is so sad and heart wrenching!
I never realized Grandpa was burned like that. Grandma told me about how his wife and child died in a fire but I don’t remember her saying anything about Grandpa also being in the fire.