Thorn School on Textile Road

A reader sends in photos from her mom's scrapbook in response to a recent post on Woodruff School, and comments,

"Attached are copies of Thorn/e School on Textile Road. I really don't know much about it. My notes say it was a German religious school."

"The close up of the circled little girl [below] is Selma Wiederhoft, sister of Bertha Wiederhoft. She was born in 1891. If we assume she is about 5 years old, then the photo dates from about 1896. Her younger sister Marie was born in 1892 and is not in the photo. Not sure what age children started attending school back then."

"The other close up with three girls circled [below] are: left: Ida Wiederhoft born 1883 married Theodore Hand; center Anna Wiederhoft born 1885 married Herman Roggenkamp; right Bertha Wiederhoft born 1886 who married Herman Kruger."

"Minnie Wiederhoft born 1888 is the child circled about 3 rows behind Selma in the front."

"I would really like to learn more about the Thorn/e School. Was it only for German children or did others attend. How long was it open?"

Dusty D does not know, but hopes other readers do. I'll take a look in the Archives this Saturday--our index says we have enrollment info from 1909-1927.

Clara Wiederhoft's Grave in Highland Cemetery

In Highland Cemetery yesterday, Dusty D was startled to stumble upon a grave marked "Clara H. Wiederhoft 1889." Remembering the recent post about onetime Ypsilanti domestic Bertha Wiederhoft and her 1906 letter, DD took some pictures in the slim chance that Clara was related.

Later checking reveals a Clara Hulda Wiederhoft listed on a Wiederhoft genealogy page as Bertha Wiederhoft's infant sister. Clara was one of two of Bertha's mother Eva's children to die in infancy, the other being Martha just four years earlier.

Is this the same Clara? Chances are it is. Bertha Wiederhoft would have been 3 years old, so fortunately she probably never experienced the sad death.

Clara Hulda Wiederhoft is buried in section 50, approximately at the pink spot on the map of Highland Cemetery.