A Rather Large Lost Gem

Last week I was visiting my in-laws in Wisconsin, when I decided to start asking questions that could further my research on my husband's family.  Actually to be honest, the idea of talking about ancestors had not even entered my mind since I have been focusing on my college classes, until my father-in-law, Eb, asked if I had found anymore information on his side of the family.  So what started as an innocent question on Eb's part, ended up being a catalyst for adventures to two graveyards and discussion starters with both of my husband's grandmothers. 


Ebenezer Cyrus Warner (III) feeding his donkeys.

Needless to say, since returning from Wisconsin, I have positively identified eight unknown relatives on my father-in-laws side of the family.  Growing up Eb's father, who happens to have the same name as him, Ebenezer Cyrus Warner, rarely spoke about his family, so my father-in-law and I stayed up one night over Christmas break until 2:30 in the morning searching for his family gems.  Just this week, I found enough information to verify that my father-in-law's grandfather, who was also Ebenezer Cyrus Warner (we refer to him as the first), was actually married three times.  During his first marriage to Louise C. Kramer, he had four children: George Henry, Frances, Elizabeth, and Mary Annette.  Louise passed away after only eight years of marriage in 1882. 

Ebenezer (I) then married Mary N. Smith in 1884.  He then had four more children: May, Elsie, Bert, and Steven L. before his second wife passed away in 1892.  Ebenezer I then waited ten years before marrying for the third and final time to Adella Campbell.  With Adella, Eb (I) fathered two more children: Margaret Pearl and Ebenezer Cyrus (II) before he passed away at the age of 69.

Shortly after Eb (I)'s death, tragedy struck his younger family with the death of Eb (II)'s older sister, Pearl.  The story goes that somehow Pearl's clothes caught fire while outside the family farm.  Being only eight years old she immediately jumped into a cow trough to prevent the flames from spreading.  She died within a few days either from complications from the burns she received or because of her weakened heart.

At the age of 12, Eb (II) moved away from home and into the home of a neighbor.  The only thing I can think that would make him move away from his mother is the stress that developed in their household as a result of the death of a husband and a child, and then adding on top of that the marriage to a new man (and maybe not so nice of a man). 


Ebenezer Cyrus Warner (II) Gravestone in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.



Eb (II) life was leveled out for a few years.  He fathered three children with his wife, Nathalyn Nehrbass: James (Jim), Carol, and Eb (III) or Butch as the family calls him.  He owned a cow farm in the outskirts of Milwaukee, where tragedy once again struck on a foggy night in 1988 when Eb (II) and his wife were returning for a fish fry.  Eb (II) was hit by a car as he crossed the road from his mailbox to his driveway.  With him the untold stories of Ebenezers also became lost forever- or at least we thought!