The photo is dated June 20, 1910. Belle is in the center surrounded by her children in the back row left to right Nola and Bertha. The front row left to right are twins Esther and Esker.You may appreciate knowing the Grandmother I had. Belle was an exceptional woman. She was a survivor. She was a hard worker. She was a wonderful mother, wife, grandmother and aunt. She was tender, kind, understanding and loving. She was quick to forgive and forget. She was soft spoken. She was Grace personified. She never laughed out loud. She used a fan on a hot summer's day. We still have her fan. She wore hats and white gloves to church. It was important for her to look ladylike as she always felt she had a large frame, big hands and feet. She had very long hair her whole life. She always wore it up in two separate buns. We still have the large pins that held that elegant hair. When she took it down, she'd let me comb it with the large blue comb she had. Yes, we still have that as well. Her house dresses were starched and so were the aprons she wore on a daily basis. She always had a cookie for you in the pocket of her apron.
She had all the time in the world for me. We would sit for, what seemed like hours, on the sofa or on the swing of the front porch. She always caressed my arms and legs as I was curled up next to her. The touch was gentle and you knew you were loved. At these times she would relate family stories.
One story that she often told was about her little sister. Belle's mother, Elizabeth had gone to get water from the creek. Belle was left at home with her little sister. Her little sister always wanted to play with her Papa's pipe. While Belle was doing chores, her little sister climbed up to the mantle on the fireplace to reach for their Papa's pipe. Her dress caught on fire. Belle tried to get the fire out. Belle was only a child herself. The little sister passed away from the burns she received. This was Belle's first tragic loss. I can only imagine how this affected her. Yet, she survived.
Belle loved her mother and father. She only had good things to say about them. She didn't speak of them often but she would tell how her mother loved to dance. She also related how beautiful Elizabeth was and that she had gorgeous long red hair.
Belle often spoke of Tennessee and what a beautiful place it was to live. She remarked about the wild flowers growing on the hills, mountain sides.
I was able to experience the sight of the wild flowers the first time I was in Tennessee. It was breath taking. The stories immediately connected with the vista. It made me feel very close to her.
Belle was married at a very young age. She told us she was only 12 or 13. She also told us she was so young when she married Russ Miller that she couldn't have children yet.
When she did finally have children, the first two boys, Oscar Miller, born 1897 - died 1898 and Russell Miller, born 1905 - died 1906. These were her next two tragic losses. She survived.
Her first born daughter was Nola Miller, born July 6, 1900. I could write a book about Nola. She was my favorite aunt. The second born daughter was Bertha Miller, born May 1903. My father, Charles Esker and his twin sister, Mary Esther Miller were born July 7, 1908. When the twins were only six weeks old, the family moved from Tennessee to Michigan.
My grandfather, Russ Miller wanted a better life for his children. Coal mining had slowed down in Tennessee. They had lived in Soddy, Daisy, Whitwell, Pittsburgh, moving to where there was work available. He knew the coal mines in Michigan were producing and there was a lot of work there. There would be no more moving around, town to town. The family boarded a train and traveled to Michigan. Some of Belle's family followed. Her brother James Rogers and Henry Rogers came to Michigan as well and worked in the mines.
Belle loved all of her brothers. Family meant everything to Belle. James and his wife and family lived near Belle and Russ as noted by the Census record in 1910. My Uncle Jim was a quiet man much like Belle. He worked in the coal mines with my grandfather, Russ. Jim's wife, Aunt Em (Emma) was a kind and loving woman. Our family kept in contact with this James and Emma and their family Ellen, Hayden and Navelle (also known as Lovella later in life) after they moved to Ohio. Ellen was close in age to Nola and Bertha Miller. I have several photos of these three girls all together as youngsters and as they grew up to be young ladies.
Henry (apparently, Henry at some time in his life changed his name to "Harry") lived with Belle and Russ when he was quite young. The 1900 Census shows Henry living with Russ and Belle. Henry was 12 years old on that census. This could have been after Elizabeth passed away. When Henry and his wife, Elsie lived in Ohio, he too, was a coal miner. He did suffer the loss of his arm, from the elbow down, to a coal mining accident. Henry would come to Michigan for visits before and after he was married. My mother and father took Belle to Ohio to visit Henry, Elsie and their family. This visit took place before I was born but my sister Shirley remembers the trip to Ohio and has stories of that visit.
Belle often spoke of her other brothers, John and Jesse Moore. They were born to Elizabeth during her second marriage. Belle made a trip to Tennessee for the funeral of Jesse Moore. She returned home with the flag that draped Jesse’s casket. My sister still has that flag.
Before Belle and Russ moved to Michigan, Belle was a midwife. She attended many births in and around Hamilton County. When I would ask her how many babies she helped bring into this world, she'd respond with, "More than I can count honey." Her grandmother, Sallie Penney worked for a physician. I think this is where Belle's training came into play, through Sallie. Belle attended the birth of my sister, Shirley as she was born at home as well as several others in the family, not to mention neighbors.
Belle's husband, Russ Miller died on June 27, 1927 at the age of 53. He passed away at the University of Michigan Hospital with pneumonia, complicated with Black Lung Disease, which most coal miners suffered with. Belle was left to make a living on her own, still with some of her children living at home. This was her fourth tragic loss. She survived.
At the time of Russ' death, the family was living in Bay City, Michigan; they no longer lived in the rural community of Auburn, Michigan. (Within the same county) The family made the move to Bay City to enable Mary Esther to continue her education into high school, as the schools in Auburn only went through the ninth grade.
Belle worked as a nurse at the Women's Home in Bay City. This was a great time of adversity for her but something she understood without question. My father, still at home, gave my grandmother his gym shoes so that she would have shoes to walk to work. There was no money for transportation. Belle was a proud woman, very proud but she did what she had to do. That last line sums up the Foundation of this family so please read it twice. Hard work was Belle's life, in Tennessee and in Michigan. She worked at the Women's Home, which housed several elderly women who were from well to do families in Bay City. She did everything from administering medication, injections to emptying slop jars. (If you are not familiar with that last term, you should be.) Belle's children, that were still at home, all helped out to support the family. Everyone did their share. At this time, my father married my mother. They all lived together in Belle's home for about one year.
Belle continued to work till late in life. She finally moved in with her daughter, Nola at Nola's farm. Belle had the entire upstairs of the farm house. It was her apartment. This was after years of helping care for grandchildren while her children held down jobs. Nola and Martin Ruffertshofer had a large working farm. This is when you used horses to plow the fields. There were pigs, chickens and horses to raise and tend. They raised beans, corn, etc. They butchered hogs and chickens to sell. They raised their own produce from the garden and fruit trees. Belle was ever ready to help. No one had to ask her for help. She was there working every day.
Belle enjoyed being busy. Belle loved to sew. She sewed all of her children's clothing as well as her own. She crocheted all the lace on the dresses you see in the photos. She sewed many quilts that she gave to all the family members. I have several of them, all done by hand. There were quilting bees at Nola's house. Nola had big quilt stretchers. All the women would sit in front of the quilt stitching and visiting. They would relate stories of the day or of years gone by. I so loved those times as I would play near by and listen to old stories being told. Belle also loved getting grocery bags full of old clothes that she could cut into strips for "carpet rags." She would then sew all those strips together in a long chain and then roll them into balls. Rag rugs would be made from all those balls. Belle had a good eye for color coordinating the fabrics in the strips. They would produce beautiful rugs.
My grandmother taught me how to peel apples and potatoes. She peeled slowly and deliberately. If you could peel the whole apple or potato without the skin breaking and you had one complete long peel, you would find your true love. I believed it to be true; it was.
My grandmother knew how to make things happen. My mother called her the iron hand in the velvet glove. That was not a slur; it was a compliment. I learned at an early age you can get more bees with honey.
My grandmother took my brother, Jerry out behind the barn. He was ten - twelve at the time. As she stood with him, she spoke some special words and then gave him some pennies. She told him never to speak of the ritual. He was told that if he shared this it would not work. She had bought the warts off his hands that he so disliked. The warts left and never returned. My brother never told this story until our Grandmother died.
Belle was very superstitious. Some things were superstitions. Some things were not. There were the typical things: if you drop silverware, company is coming. As I stated earlier, Belle never laughed out loud. If her lips parted as if to laugh, she would gently place one hand up to her mouth but her shoulders would move up and down as if she was laughing. At this point, Belle would state, "We better stop laughing or something bad will happen." Perhaps, this was from all the loss she suffered and didn't want another one to occur. Perhaps, she and her little sister had been laughing before the little sister's dress caught on fire. But, she associated laughing too much with bad things coming forth.
Later in my life, I came to recognize what some of Belle's abilities were. I think she had a gift for premonition. I think she had abilities that she did not recognize. She would say if she talked about death, it happened. If she spoke of sickness, it befell someone. She thought she made these things happen. She wasn't aware they were premonitions of things to come.
When my mother was pregnant for my sister, Shirley, the family would go to the show on Saturday. There was an actor/comedian by the name of Ben Turpin who took on the role of a cross-eyed man in most of his movies. My grandmother would tell my mother not to look at him while he was on the screen. If she looked at him, the baby would be born cross-eyed. It would "mark" the baby. I have found this same type of thing in Cherokee lore. Cherokees believed certain events and/or actions would "mark" an unborn child. I found that quite fascinating. I have done a significant amount of Cherokee research. Everything that I have read in regard to Cherokee philosophy resonates with Belle's essence as well as her children.
Not to long before Belle passed away, she sang a song for my sister, Shirley. It was a good old song from her childhood in the hills of Tennessee. The song was Wayfaring Stranger.
We were all with Belle when she passed away. She had a very full life and took all the love she received with her to her new home
She had all the time in the world for me. We would sit for, what seemed like hours, on the sofa or on the swing of the front porch. She always caressed my arms and legs as I was curled up next to her. The touch was gentle and you knew you were loved. At these times she would relate family stories.
One story that she often told was about her little sister. Belle's mother, Elizabeth had gone to get water from the creek. Belle was left at home with her little sister. Her little sister always wanted to play with her Papa's pipe. While Belle was doing chores, her little sister climbed up to the mantle on the fireplace to reach for their Papa's pipe. Her dress caught on fire. Belle tried to get the fire out. Belle was only a child herself. The little sister passed away from the burns she received. This was Belle's first tragic loss. I can only imagine how this affected her. Yet, she survived.
Belle loved her mother and father. She only had good things to say about them. She didn't speak of them often but she would tell how her mother loved to dance. She also related how beautiful Elizabeth was and that she had gorgeous long red hair.
Belle often spoke of Tennessee and what a beautiful place it was to live. She remarked about the wild flowers growing on the hills, mountain sides.
I was able to experience the sight of the wild flowers the first time I was in Tennessee. It was breath taking. The stories immediately connected with the vista. It made me feel very close to her.
Belle was married at a very young age. She told us she was only 12 or 13. She also told us she was so young when she married Russ Miller that she couldn't have children yet.
When she did finally have children, the first two boys, Oscar Miller, born 1897 - died 1898 and Russell Miller, born 1905 - died 1906. These were her next two tragic losses. She survived.
Her first born daughter was Nola Miller, born July 6, 1900. I could write a book about Nola. She was my favorite aunt. The second born daughter was Bertha Miller, born May 1903. My father, Charles Esker and his twin sister, Mary Esther Miller were born July 7, 1908. When the twins were only six weeks old, the family moved from Tennessee to Michigan.
My grandfather, Russ Miller wanted a better life for his children. Coal mining had slowed down in Tennessee. They had lived in Soddy, Daisy, Whitwell, Pittsburgh, moving to where there was work available. He knew the coal mines in Michigan were producing and there was a lot of work there. There would be no more moving around, town to town. The family boarded a train and traveled to Michigan. Some of Belle's family followed. Her brother James Rogers and Henry Rogers came to Michigan as well and worked in the mines.
Belle loved all of her brothers. Family meant everything to Belle. James and his wife and family lived near Belle and Russ as noted by the Census record in 1910. My Uncle Jim was a quiet man much like Belle. He worked in the coal mines with my grandfather, Russ. Jim's wife, Aunt Em (Emma) was a kind and loving woman. Our family kept in contact with this James and Emma and their family Ellen, Hayden and Navelle (also known as Lovella later in life) after they moved to Ohio. Ellen was close in age to Nola and Bertha Miller. I have several photos of these three girls all together as youngsters and as they grew up to be young ladies.
Henry (apparently, Henry at some time in his life changed his name to "Harry") lived with Belle and Russ when he was quite young. The 1900 Census shows Henry living with Russ and Belle. Henry was 12 years old on that census. This could have been after Elizabeth passed away. When Henry and his wife, Elsie lived in Ohio, he too, was a coal miner. He did suffer the loss of his arm, from the elbow down, to a coal mining accident. Henry would come to Michigan for visits before and after he was married. My mother and father took Belle to Ohio to visit Henry, Elsie and their family. This visit took place before I was born but my sister Shirley remembers the trip to Ohio and has stories of that visit.
Belle often spoke of her other brothers, John and Jesse Moore. They were born to Elizabeth during her second marriage. Belle made a trip to Tennessee for the funeral of Jesse Moore. She returned home with the flag that draped Jesse’s casket. My sister still has that flag.
Before Belle and Russ moved to Michigan, Belle was a midwife. She attended many births in and around Hamilton County. When I would ask her how many babies she helped bring into this world, she'd respond with, "More than I can count honey." Her grandmother, Sallie Penney worked for a physician. I think this is where Belle's training came into play, through Sallie. Belle attended the birth of my sister, Shirley as she was born at home as well as several others in the family, not to mention neighbors.
Belle's husband, Russ Miller died on June 27, 1927 at the age of 53. He passed away at the University of Michigan Hospital with pneumonia, complicated with Black Lung Disease, which most coal miners suffered with. Belle was left to make a living on her own, still with some of her children living at home. This was her fourth tragic loss. She survived.
At the time of Russ' death, the family was living in Bay City, Michigan; they no longer lived in the rural community of Auburn, Michigan. (Within the same county) The family made the move to Bay City to enable Mary Esther to continue her education into high school, as the schools in Auburn only went through the ninth grade.
Belle worked as a nurse at the Women's Home in Bay City. This was a great time of adversity for her but something she understood without question. My father, still at home, gave my grandmother his gym shoes so that she would have shoes to walk to work. There was no money for transportation. Belle was a proud woman, very proud but she did what she had to do. That last line sums up the Foundation of this family so please read it twice. Hard work was Belle's life, in Tennessee and in Michigan. She worked at the Women's Home, which housed several elderly women who were from well to do families in Bay City. She did everything from administering medication, injections to emptying slop jars. (If you are not familiar with that last term, you should be.) Belle's children, that were still at home, all helped out to support the family. Everyone did their share. At this time, my father married my mother. They all lived together in Belle's home for about one year.
Belle continued to work till late in life. She finally moved in with her daughter, Nola at Nola's farm. Belle had the entire upstairs of the farm house. It was her apartment. This was after years of helping care for grandchildren while her children held down jobs. Nola and Martin Ruffertshofer had a large working farm. This is when you used horses to plow the fields. There were pigs, chickens and horses to raise and tend. They raised beans, corn, etc. They butchered hogs and chickens to sell. They raised their own produce from the garden and fruit trees. Belle was ever ready to help. No one had to ask her for help. She was there working every day.
Belle enjoyed being busy. Belle loved to sew. She sewed all of her children's clothing as well as her own. She crocheted all the lace on the dresses you see in the photos. She sewed many quilts that she gave to all the family members. I have several of them, all done by hand. There were quilting bees at Nola's house. Nola had big quilt stretchers. All the women would sit in front of the quilt stitching and visiting. They would relate stories of the day or of years gone by. I so loved those times as I would play near by and listen to old stories being told. Belle also loved getting grocery bags full of old clothes that she could cut into strips for "carpet rags." She would then sew all those strips together in a long chain and then roll them into balls. Rag rugs would be made from all those balls. Belle had a good eye for color coordinating the fabrics in the strips. They would produce beautiful rugs.
My grandmother taught me how to peel apples and potatoes. She peeled slowly and deliberately. If you could peel the whole apple or potato without the skin breaking and you had one complete long peel, you would find your true love. I believed it to be true; it was.
My grandmother knew how to make things happen. My mother called her the iron hand in the velvet glove. That was not a slur; it was a compliment. I learned at an early age you can get more bees with honey.
My grandmother took my brother, Jerry out behind the barn. He was ten - twelve at the time. As she stood with him, she spoke some special words and then gave him some pennies. She told him never to speak of the ritual. He was told that if he shared this it would not work. She had bought the warts off his hands that he so disliked. The warts left and never returned. My brother never told this story until our Grandmother died.
Belle was very superstitious. Some things were superstitions. Some things were not. There were the typical things: if you drop silverware, company is coming. As I stated earlier, Belle never laughed out loud. If her lips parted as if to laugh, she would gently place one hand up to her mouth but her shoulders would move up and down as if she was laughing. At this point, Belle would state, "We better stop laughing or something bad will happen." Perhaps, this was from all the loss she suffered and didn't want another one to occur. Perhaps, she and her little sister had been laughing before the little sister's dress caught on fire. But, she associated laughing too much with bad things coming forth.
Later in my life, I came to recognize what some of Belle's abilities were. I think she had a gift for premonition. I think she had abilities that she did not recognize. She would say if she talked about death, it happened. If she spoke of sickness, it befell someone. She thought she made these things happen. She wasn't aware they were premonitions of things to come.
When my mother was pregnant for my sister, Shirley, the family would go to the show on Saturday. There was an actor/comedian by the name of Ben Turpin who took on the role of a cross-eyed man in most of his movies. My grandmother would tell my mother not to look at him while he was on the screen. If she looked at him, the baby would be born cross-eyed. It would "mark" the baby. I have found this same type of thing in Cherokee lore. Cherokees believed certain events and/or actions would "mark" an unborn child. I found that quite fascinating. I have done a significant amount of Cherokee research. Everything that I have read in regard to Cherokee philosophy resonates with Belle's essence as well as her children.
Not to long before Belle passed away, she sang a song for my sister, Shirley. It was a good old song from her childhood in the hills of Tennessee. The song was Wayfaring Stranger.
We were all with Belle when she passed away. She had a very full life and took all the love she received with her to her new home
