Ancestry Chapter 24
1906-1908 -
The Norek Household and Another Death
(click photos/documents for details)
The Norek Household, Winter 1906-1907, Chicago
Helena has died. Antonia remains in the household. The household is large, but the housework should not have been overwhelming. Both Antonia and Lucy are now 18, and Cecilia is 16. Perhaps we don't appreciate how difficult the housework was.
We do know that laundry was hung to dry. We also know from family stories (several sources) that Mary, now 12, hung out the laundry on a bitter winter day. Or maybe she did that routinely. Mary became ill -- the winter of 1906-1907
Mary Norek's Illness and 1908 Death
I repeat. We do know that laundry was hung to dry. We also know from family stories (several sources) that Mary, now 12, hung out the laundry on a bitter winter day. Or maybe she did that routinely. Mary became ill -- the winter of 1906-1907
Mary Norek died on March 5, 1908, at age 14, of chronic endocarditis complicated by catarrhal pneumonia. She had been ill for eight months. She was buried at St. Boniface cemetery, at the family plot. Her illness was a heart problem typically brought on by pneumonia, and the type of pneumonia shown on the death certificate is brought on by bronchitis.
Mary was the twin of John (Johann Franz). Mary and John were the first of two sets of twins born to Michael and Helena. Mary's death at age 14 is the last death of the four children born as twins. None survived to adulthood. Mary's death, however, might have been avoided if she had not hung out the wash on the cold winter day.
Chicago (Cook County) record of the 1908 death of Mary Norek at age 14. Also, record of Mary’s (Maria’s) March 5th death and March 8th burial at St. Boniface Cemetery, St. Paul’s Catholic church. (Age incorrectly listed as 15. Mary did not reach her 15th birthday. It was not until September.)
Selection by years
