Harry Renshaw - I479 - Individual Information -

Harry Renshaw (I479)

Name:
Harry Renshaw

Source: Renshaw Family Ancestors

AKAs
Name:
Harrison Renshaw
Media Type: _VARN

Source: Renshaw Family Ancestors

Quality of Data 3

Sex: Male

Birth 24 September 1869 -- Lima, Allen County, Ohio, United States
Death 8 October 1945 -- Sacred Heart Hospital, Spokane, Washington, United States

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Personal Facts and Details	Notes	Sources	Media	Close Relatives

Birth	24 September 1869 3026 Lima, Allen County, Ohio, United States Source: Renshaw Family Ancestors
Birth	25 November 1870 3127 Source: "Do Not Destroy" Book Quality of Data 1
Birth	March 1871 3127 Ohio, United States
Occupation	1900 (Age 29) Saw Mill Laborer Spokane, Washington, United States Source: population schedule Citation Details: Deer Park Pct, Page 129, 7 of 10 Quality of Data 3
Marriage	15 April 1902 (Age 31) Amelia Prueter - ‎[View Family ‎(F478)‎‎] Saginaw, Michigan, United States
Occupation	1910 (Age 39) Logger for the Lumber Mill Spokane, Washington, United States Source: population schedule Citation Details: Page 278a Quality of Data 3
Death	8 October 1945 (Age 74) Mitral Regurgitation Sacred Heart Hospital, Spokane, Washington, United States Source: Renshaw Family Ancestors
Burial	Kelly Cemetary, Deer Park, Washington, United States Source: Renshaw Family Ancestors
Last Change	6 April 2006 - 17:00:08

Note:

Harry was not comfortable writing. In letters written to his son Gerald, he mentions repeatedly that he was "nervous" about writing. His image in his photograph, and the tone of his letters, strikes me as profoundly sad.
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The following text was written by Carol Anglen about Harry Renshaw:
Harry's birth is documented by his birth record from Allen county, Ohio (HR-1), in which we see that his name was recorded as Harrison Renshaw. Harry moved around with his parents. First from Ohio to Iowa where they lived for quite a few years. Then on to Washington where they arrived about 1890-91 when Harry was about 20.
-- MEANWHILE BACK IN MICHIGAN --
About this same time, back in Michigan, a young German lassie, Amelia Prueter, was beginning her working career. They learn about each other through Nell, a cousin of Harry's, who had worked with Amelia or lived nearby in Saginaw. Nell was divorced with a child, Mildred, and about 1898 she married again. This time to her first cousin, Charles Renshaw, brother of Harry Renshaw. After Nell and Charles Renshaw married they hustled off to Deer Park, Washington, and were there in 1900. Here Nell began singing the praises of lady Amelia back in Michigan so that Harry made the comment in a letter to Amelia, "don't your ears burn". Just when Harry sat down with pen and paper and labored over this letter is not known as he failed to put down the year, but probably between 1898 and 1901. Amelia saved this letter for some reason and in it Harry is contemplating a trip to Michigan, so the friendship must have progressed along somewhat by this time. (HR-2) He writes,
-- THE LETTER --
Deer Park, Oct 1
Dear Miss Prueter
"Nell has talked so much about you that I feel very much acqainted with you and had intended Writting before but so many things prevented. Nell has been farming for a week or so and I was not exactly sure of your address. I am quite anxious to see your city and I think I may make you a call some tim.
Saginaw's praises have been sung to me so often that I about know the town by heart and think I could pick you out among all the girls at freemans. don't your ears burn at times.
"Nell and Charley are going to Spokane to day. I think it a very pretty place, some fine business places and elegant Falls I wish you was here to take in the Fruit fair which commences the 4 of this month and continues until the 17th, That is where one can see everything from fine fruit to freaks.
"Well Miss Emelia you must excuse my scribbling for are there a great many things that I can do better than write but if you can find time to anser I will do the best I know how to keep you posted on the events of our Western Burg. Hoping for an early ....... " (end of letter missing when photocopied)
Harry Renshaw"
Note: Original was in possession of Betty Winey in 2003
-- WORKING AT THE SAWMILL --
Harry was still in Washington in 1900 and lived with his parents and several brothers in Deer Park. He was employed at the local sawmill. We have a picture of a group of men standing in front of the mill. He and his father are included in this picture.
-- HARRY GOES OFF TO MICHIGAN and MARRIAGE --
For some time Harry kept up his correspondence and must have become very well acquainted with one of those "girls at Freeman's" and by 1902 he had made his way back to Michigan where he married his "Miss Emelia" at the parsonage of the pastor, Rev. Folz. The date was April 15, 1902. (#26)
-- THE FAMILY GROWS --
After their marriage the couple moved on to Waters, Michigan, where on January 23, 1904, Gerald Everett Renshaw was born. Gerald was followed by Ivah Frederica in September 1905, still in Waters.
-- 1906 - THE FAMILY SHRINKS --
In 1906 both young people were visited by death in their families. In January Harry's mother, Mary Ann Bowie Renshaw had died back "home" in Deer Park, Washington. Then in November Amelia's mother died down in Saginaw, Michigan. Amelia's father had already died in 1900. That left only one parent - Harry's father, old Samuel Renshaw, a cantankerous cuss by family description.
-- CHEBOYGAN --
By 1908 Harry and Amelia had moved to Cheboygan, Michigan, where on August 23rd of that year my mother, Elizabeth Ruth Renshaw, was born. It may be that even at the time of the birth of Elizabeth that Harry and Amelia were talking of moving out to Washington state where all of Harry's immediate family lived. Amelia's close family ties with Michigan were mostly broken in 1906 when her mother died. Her sister, Minnie, was still living but she had her own family by now and may have moved on to Chicago by 1909. I imagine it still took a lot of discussion to make the final decision to actually move. Maybe it was an economic decision based on the timber industry since Harry's primary employment was in the sawmills, as far as I know.
-- 1909 - WASHINGTON, HERE WE COME !! --
With the death of Amelia's mother and for whatever the reason the Renshaws decided to leave Michigan. A big move across nearly half a continent was made in *September 1909. Harry and Amelia packed all their earthly belongings in Cheboygan and moved to Deer Park, Washington, which was where Harry was from. The kids were Gerald age 5, Ivah age 4, and Elizabeth age 1.
Note: *The moving date was from a little tablet (HR-9) in mother's possession when she died. The tablet had "DO NOT DESTROY THIS BOOK" written on the outside in bold letters. In it Amelia wrote down this little bit of information.
-- MAIN STREET, DEER PARK --
1910 -- Deer Park, Washington -- Harry got a job in the Standard Lumber Mill as a "dogger" and they either bought or built a home on south Main Street, the same house on which they put the pillars*. There are several before and after pictures of their home as they made improvements; adding four pillars on the front porch about 1911 or so. (*The same pillars I purchased when the city tore down their house in the 1990's. I gave Betty Winey two pillars and I kept two.)
1920 (census not done)
-- TIME TAKES ITS TOLL --
1943 - Amelia died suddenly in their yard in January and left Harry a widower (HR-6). Harry hired a housekeeper to help him after Amelia died as his children all lived away from Deer Park.
-- HARRY JOINS AMELIA --
Harry had periods of illness and was treated for years with blood clots in his legs. On a fall day in October 1945 he died at Sacred Heart Hospital from mitral regurgitation? (The question mark was on his death certificate. The doctor was uncertain, I guess.) It was told by Elizabeth and Ivah that during the years the above mentioned housekeeper was with Harry that she took advantage of things in the house. When the girls went to clean out the house after his death they found that many of the Reshaw - Prueter keepsakes were missing.
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-- OBIT -- (HR-6)
Deer Park Union, front page
October 11, 1945
-- HARRY RENSHAW BURIED THURSDAY --
Funeral services for Harry Renshaw, 75, pioneer of this territory, were held Thursday afternoon from the Open Door Congregational church with the Rev. Paul W. Dowty officiating. Interment was in the Woodland cemetery.
A resident of this district for 36 years, Mr. Renshaw is survived by one son, Gerald, of Washington, D.C.; two daughters, Mrs. H.A. Sams of Rathdrum and Mrs. R.E. Enscoe of Seattle; six brothers, Sam Renshaw of Silverton, Oregon; Charles, Irvy, Everett and Edward, all of Deer Park and Alfred* (Albert) of Medical Lake; two sisters, Mrs. Clara Hutchins of Deer Park and Mrs. Jennie Hendershott of Cusick; and 10 grandchildren.
Note: a small death notice was also found in the Spokesman Review, October 11, 1945, p.13, but it gives the same info (HR-6)
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