ANNA MAUDE HAMILTON BOLIN

ANNA MAUDE HAMILTON BOLIN

Anna Maude Hamilton was born 27 September, 1875. She was orphaned soon after birth. I have been unable to find any record of her parents, Ed Hamilton and Elizabeth in or near Sullivan, Illinois area. When about two years she was placed with a Presbyterian minister, Mr. and Mrs. Rippey and their son George.

Mrs. Rippey was an invalid and they had a house keeper who cared for her and did the cooking & housekeeping, she had no time to be bothered with a young girl in her domain, therefor Annie was never allowed in the kitchen.

The Rippey's had a son George who was about ten years older than Annie and he was very helpful in her growing up. George looked after her and when she got up into her teen years he and his friends would take her to church and to dances.

One night when she was about 18 years old, George and his friend took her to a dance. Charles Bolin happened to be there and she danced with him frequently. It seems that George's friend became very drunk and Annie let it be known that in that condition he could not take her home. Charles assured her that he would see her home and he did. They began corresponding and dating. He lived at Jonathan Creek and she lived at Sullivan, a distance of about 10 miles. Charles parents became very fond of her. Charles wrote her a letter asking her to marry him and she wrote her acceptance back by letter.

Charles father gave them some land and helped them to build a house. Charles and his step-mother Lousia taught her to cook and keep house. She learned very well and became a very good cook.

Charles 7 Annie were married on Charles' 19th birthday, 25 December, 1894. They lived for a few months on their place with his parents, then moved to Arthur, Illinois where he worked in a saw mill. Being a man of very small stature, just about five feet tall, he soon acquired the nickname of "Runt".

It was here that their first child, Ruth Jeanette was born on 6 October, 1895. She was followed in the next few years by Grace Eleanor, born 29 December, 1896; then Esther, born 22 July, 1900 and Paul Hamilton on 26 November, 1901.

The next year they moved back to Jonathan Creek. In the early winter the community experienced an epidemic of pneumonia. Charles step-mother Louisa and her mother, Mrs. Webb Purvis both died. Ruth and Grace both had pneumonia at the same time. They had improved enough to be dressed and taken into the parlor for the funeral service, when whisked back to bed.

Following a joint service for both of them, Louisa and her mother were buried at the same time at Jonathan Creek Cemetery on the third of January, 1903. (Different cemetery for Mrs. Purvis)

Soon after the funerals, John Bolin moved in with Charles and Annie. About this time Charles developed consumption and his Dr. advised him to seek a higher climate and spend most of his time out of doors. Charles and his father set up two covered wagons an began to travel.

They first went to Missouri where Norman Simeon was born on 2 April, 1904 at Benton City, Missouri. As Norman grew up he did not like the name of Simeon and had it legally chaged to Thomas. We ofter thought it was for his brother-in law thomas Johnson whom he had great admiration.

During their traveling years they would stop for a time and buy a home, raise a garden and whatever crops were apropriate for that area. Charles would work at various jobs, often at a saw mill. After the crops were harvested they would sell the property and move again.

On 10 February, 1907, Pencie Elizabeth was born at Stevensville, Montana. The following 4 February, 1908 a baby was stillborn at Sullivan, Illinois and September 1909 and other baby was stillborn at Doniphan, Missouri.

While they were at Doniphan, Missouri, Ester died of diphtheria on 20, October, 1909.

They then moved back to Sullivan, Illinois where Charles Henry was born 11 June, 1910. Soon after on 4 February, 1911, Charles father John Bolin died.

The family was soon on the road again for what proved to be their last trip ending at Stevensville, Montana in the fall of 1912, more broke than anyone could ever be. They had been in Stevensville seven different times during those years.

On 21 March, 1914 their family was completed with the birth of triplets, Frank Harley, Frances Hortense "Fritz" and John Wesley who was stillborn. The two living babies were very tiny. They each had a box filled with a pillow and hot water bottles for a bed. Their sister Grace cared for them and helped her mother until shortly before she married when the twins were two years old.

They lived at various places in the Stevensville area, often on Bass Creek where they were living when Charles died on 17 February, 1927 of cancer. Her was buried at Riverview Cemetery at Stevensville, Montana.

By this time the older girls were married and in homes of their own, the boys all played musical instruments, along with the neighbor boys and they held community dances at least every Saturday night, most often at the Bolin home. Annie Bolin was eveybody's darling. After a few years when the older ones were married she moved with the younger children into Stevensville where they lived until they were all married and settled in home of their own.

Contributed by Pat Mange-copied from twillastinytreasures.com