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Early Twentieth Century Ladies

Libbie: A Voice from the Past

Libbie was born on July 27, 1872 in a small county in Illinois.  Her father, James, had been born in Ireland in 1841.  Her mother, Sarah, was born in 1845.  (Her parents were married on January 30, 1871).

At the age of two, Libbie accompanied her parents to Nebraska whereby she would later live with her Aunt Lizzie and Uncle Lemuel until his death in 1877.  She later stayed with another family through high school.  Upon graduation, she became a teacher and resided in Colorado. 

Libbie taught for some time, but then moved back to Nebraska where she became a telegraph operator.   She married her husband Harry on August 20, 1895.  Libbie had four children with her husband: Bessie, Bonnie, and Bernice.  (Another younger child died in infancy).

Libbie was periodically in poor health, fighting the symptoms of tuberculosis.  She spent the summer of 1871 in Colorado for a medicinal respite.  She returned home to her husband and children in September of 1871.  In June 1872, she contracted a severe case of pneumonia and never recovered.  She "seemed to quietly fall asleep and was thus found by her sister."  She died on Monday, February 15, 1909 at 5:00 a.m.  She was 36 years, 6 months, and 19 days old.

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