Voices From Our Past...: Mary B. (Kempel) Merline (1866

Mary B Kempel was born on 23 Mar. 1866. She was the first child of Kunnigunde (Stenglein) Kempel and Lorenz Kempel. In 1870 at 4 years old she was living in the second precinct, sixth ward in the city of Detroit. Her father was a "Wagon-maker" and her mother took care of the house and the children. The census confirms that the family was still living in Detroit in 1880, but there is not enough information to determine where in the city they lived. It is likely that Mary lived with the family until she married John Merline in 1888.
John Merline was likely the only son of Vincent Merline and Anna W. (Holtzmeir) Merline. He was born in Bath, Steuben County New York in 1858. At some point the Merline family, including Vincent and Anna and two daughters: Barbara and Caroline, moved to Detroit. John found work as a painter. He married Mary Kempel on 24 Jan 1888. They were married by a pastor (not a priest) and the witnesses were John Schuster and Caroline Merline. Mary gave birth to their first son, Raymond M. Merline on 30 Nov. 1888 in "Wayne" Michigan. Records indicate that the Merlines all lived together at 94 Calhoun street in Detroit.
Unfortunately, John died on 6 Nov 1891. Mary was about seven months pregnant with their second child when he passed away. It is likely that Mary and John suffered the loss of a child between the birth of their first and second sons. (The census from 1910 states that Mary was the mother of three children with two surviving.) John Vincent Merline, their second son, was born on 7 Jan 1892. In 1893 Mary, her two sons, two sisters-in-law, and mother and father-in-law still lived together at 94 Calhoun St. in Detroit. Mary's sisters-in-law Barbara and Carrie had begun a business called "Merline Sisters Dressmakers" that seems to have been run out of the home on 94 Calhoun St.

This photo is most likely to be Mary Merline and Winifred K. Kempel (My Great Grandmother). I am not sure of the date of the photgraph, but Mary seems to be in mourning clothes. If this is true than the photo would have been taken in the 1890's.

Between 1895 and 1899 Mary and her two sons moved with the Merlines to a rented property at 232 Erskine st. between Brush St. and John R. in Detroit. Records indicate that during this time Barbara, Carrie and Mary were all employed as dressmakers - probably still on their own as the Merline Sisters.
The 1900 census shows that Mary and her sons had moved to 578 St. Antoine St. in Detroit. Her father-in-law, Vincent died on 19 Nov 1900 leaving his wife, Anna as a widow. Mary's sons were 12 and 8 and it seems as though she was able to afford to live on her own. The photograph below - I believe it to be Mary, was taken by Chas. Hopp & Co. a photographer in Detroit between 1899 - 1925.

Believed to be Mary B. (Kempel) Merline c. 1899 - 1925

It seems as though Mary was able to live on her own with her sons for about two years. At some point between 1901 and 1903 she moved back to the address at 232 Erskine with her sister-in-law Barbara and her mother-in-law. Mary is listed in the Detroit city directory that year as Mrs. Mary Merline, Dressmaker.

By 1905 Raymond was 17 years old. He had already obtained a position as a clerk for the Detroit branch of R. G. Dun and Co. which was the first credit reporting agency. On 15 Aug 1905 Mary's mother-in-law Anna passed away. Also, during 1905 Raymond changed jobs to work for the American Car and Foundry Co. as a clerk.

Between 1906 and 1910 Mary, Barbara, Raymond and John all lived together at 232 Erskine in Detroit. By 1910 Raymond had begun work at the US Post Office as a clerk, and John was working as a clerk in an auto factory. Mary and Barbara are still listed as dressmakers.

By 1920 Mary had moved to 1291 Helen St. in Detroit. The census indicates that she owned the home, and was still working as a dressmaker. It is unclear if she was still partnering with her sister-in-law, Barbara. John was working as an accountant at Price Waterhouse, and Raymond (who lived at 1293 Helen St.) was also working as an accountant at Monarch Fdy. Co.

At some point between 1920 and 1930 Mary stopped working and on the 1940 census she is listed as being unable to work. She would have been 74 years old. She lived with Raymond, his wife and four children in 1940. There is not much information past this point, and Mary died on 8 Apr 1951.

Photo also believed to be Mary Merline - Date unknown

It seems to me that Mary must have worked hard to provide a comfortable life for herself and her sons. Raymond seems to have maintained steady work as a bookkeeper, even during the depression. He married Cora M. Forton on 15 Nov 1915 and they had four children: Raymond J (1916); Rosalie M (1919); Barbara (1923) and John R. (1929). John also maintained steady work, also in an accounting field. He married Teresa M. Schnoll on 19 June 1918 and they had three children of which two survived infancy: Philip (1919 - 1919); Mary E. (1921) and John V Jr. (1922).

When I was putting together Mary's history over the last few years I could not help but to feel a connection to her. For my whole life I had been interested in fashion and clothing construction and design, and here was someone in my ancestry who had made a living at it. Also, as was probably true for many women of that time - I am sure it was not easy to make a living on her own and provide enough for her sons to be well-educated. Mary also fits a recurring theme I am finding on both sides of my family tree: strong women. She suffered almost unbearable hardship - but she continued on and with the support of her family, she was a useful member of society who contributed through her work and through her sons.
As I was researching Mary I came to a terrible realization, however; there is almost nothing left to attest to her existence. I have put every address that she ever lived at into google maps and came up with either a vacant lot, or a street address that no longer exists. She does not even have a grave stone to mark her grave in Mount Elliot Cemetery in Detroit. She is at least mentioned on her husband John Merline's stone.
This serves as a reminder to me that although we are often times the center of our own world while we are alive, when we are gone, after a long time there may be nothing left but a few photos and some people who wish they had met you.