Eva Brooks

EVA BROOKS
BORN          DIED
APR.12       DEC.24
1891.           1903.

12-year-old Eva Brooks died on Christmas Eve 1903. Very little of her and her family are mentioned in the Baldwin City newspapers. Her father, Lewis Brooks, was born a slave in Kentucky and came to Kansas in 1883, settling in Baldwin City--specifically Media (West Baldwin). There is no mention of a wife/mother or siblings and even the one mention of Eva isn't clear if they are the same person.

In October 1903, it was reported that the little child of Lewis Brooks was severely scalded. In January 1904, Lewis Brooks buried his infant daughter. I am just assuming they are the same child and lax reporting contributed to the confusion.

Eva is buried in Oakwood Cemetery. On August 29, 1920, Lewis died. His obituary doesn't mention where he was buried.

William Nottingham

William P. Nottingham was born in Palmyra, New York around 1833. He apparently never married or had children. He served during the Civil War serving in the 111th Regiment of the New York Infantry. He participated in the defense of Harper's Ferry and Washington, D.C. along with Gettysburg, the Siege (and Fall) of Petersburg, and Appomattox Courthouse among many other battles. After the war, Nottingham seemed to just wander the country mostly traveling between Kansas and Oklahoma Territory and living on a small military pension and inheritance allowance.

Nottingham took up residence in the old Curtis House at 216 West Curtis Street but was forced out due to the 1903 floods. He had been staying with J.F. Blake at 2009 Harrison but had returned to his room at the old Curtis house on July 31. Nottingham was found dead in his room later that night. Originally, it was believed death was caused by a combination of old age and alcoholism--Nottingham had sadly been a heavy drinker and taken the habit back up after the flood. Luckily, the coroner thought the death seemed suspicious and saved the stomach. A chemical analysis showed that Nottingham had more than enough morphine in his system to kill him. Focus now shifted on who had done the deed.

Frank Brown could've had a storied life and career. A lawyer, Brown even served as a deputy attorney for the city of Topeka. In 1898, Brown was arrested for passed forged checks and embezzling money. In Topeka alone, Brown passed more than two dozen fraudulent checks. Famed Topeka attorney A.H. "Hib" Case noted that "[Brown] is not insane. But when he is drinking, his mind is gone." Brown also lived in the old Curtis house which was run by his mother, Sarah. Newspaper articles from 1900 to 1913 had several instances of police going to the Curtis house because Brown was bootlegging, gambling, or just contributing to societal nuisance.

William Nottingham and Frank Brown spent July 31, 1903 together drinking and carousing around town. Around noon, Nottingham returned to his room where he ate lunch and retired to bed. Brown returned home shortly after but soon left to go back downtown. Nottingham was found dead around 5 p.m. Brown, meanwhile, appeared over the next day in different saloons and gambling houses with more money than he had ever been seen with. It is known that Nottingham had $200 on him and a search of his room yielded no money. It was theorized that Brown gave Nottingham the morphine while they were riding together in a carriage before Nottingham went home. Brown then disappeared and wasn't heard from in at least two weeks.

Nottingham was buried in the G.A.R. section of Topeka Cemetery.

There is no evidence that Brown was ever arrested or convicted of Nottingham's death. Brown did return to Topeka and, as noted above, continued being a nuisance to the people of Topeka. He continued to pass forged checks occasionally, bootlegged, gambled, and even posted advertisements violating a city ordinance. Even as late as 1921, Brown was arrested for manufacturing 5 barrels of moonshine which his then 84-year-old mother had to bail him out for. Sarah Brown was aunt to Vice President Charles Curtis and lived at 216 Curtis, one of the first houses built along the Kansas River, from 1875 until her death in 1931. She is buried in the Curtis Family Cemetery in North Topeka. Her obituary mentions Frank as living in Washington, D.C.

The Kafton Family

Between 1820 and 1870, only 7,750 Russians immigrated to the United States. Due to land scarcity, poverty, and starvation, more than 10,000 Russians immigrated to the U.S. in 1881. Sometime between 1866 and 1881, the Kafton family arrived in Kansas to start a new life. Raised Lutheran, the Kaftons were said to be very devout.

George Conrad Kafton was born December 3, 1842 in Mariupol, Russia (now present-day Ukraine). His parents were Johann and Catherine. He married Catherina Charlotte on June 15, 1861. They had 15 children, at least four of which were born in Russia and the others born in Kansas.

They came to Kansas with Charlotte's parents, Leonhard and Johnna Philippa. They originally settled in the Hillsboro area in Marion County, Kansas, but George and Charlotte moved to Topeka. Charlotte passed away January 5, 1901 at their home on Lake Street. George moved back to Hillsboro to live with his son, John, where he lived until he passed away September 30, 1920.

Our Darling

MARY ELIZABETH

Dau. of

W.E. & M. SEQUINE

1900 - 1903

OUR DARLING

Mary Elizabeth died of pneumonia at two and a half years old.

The Grote Children

Edwyn and Merwyn Grote were the twin sons of Edward F. and Lotta Mae Grote. E.F. was a grocer with a store at 17th & Kansas. Lotta passed away shortly after the birth of her sons in February 1897. E.F. would remarry to Elizabeth Munn. Both are buried in Mount Hope Cemetery. Lotta and the twins are in Topeka Cemetery.

Edwyn Grote, aged 9 months, son of Mr & Mrs. F.E [sic] Grote of 1328 Tyler Street, died this morning. The child was one of twins, the other still survives. The funeral will be held at the family residence tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock." -The Topeka State Journal, July 7, 1897. According to the Topeka Daily Capital, Edwyn died of "dropsy of the brain."

Merwyn, who passed away in January 1898, did not receive an obituary that I could find.

Anna Faidley

Anna M. Faidley was born in Evansville, Indiana in March of 1846. She married John Peter Faidley on August 21, 1895 in Topeka, Kansas and moved with him to Wakefield, Kansas, where he worked on the railroad. John would die in 1918 after being hit by a train while sitting down to rest on the tracks.

Anna practiced as a "mental scientist and magnetic healer" while in Wakefield. She promised to cure any disease without drugs and her ads were prominent fixtures in the local newspaper.

From the Hutchinson News, February 5, 1923: "Declaring in a long note that she had read her Bible through carefully and found nothing advising against suicide, Mrs. Anna M. Faidley, 77, ended her life early today by gas asphyxiation. 'It seems there is no place in the world for old persons,' she wrote." Outliving most of her close family and faced with the possibility of homelessness due to who she was living with planning to move, Mrs. Faidley decided to "end it all."

If you or someone you know is having emotional distress or suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Hotline at 988.

Chang Kim

Chang Wha Kim immigrated to Topeka, Kansas around 1900 to work for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. He was killed April 4, 1913, while cleaning an engine that was being turned on and was crushed between the engine and the wall of the Santa Fe Round House. His fellow employees took a collection to save him a pauper's burial and got him buried in Mount Hope Cemetery with a simple stone to mark his grave. Kim's death didn't even make the local newspapers until June 10, 1913 when Frank E. Forbes sued the Santa Fe Railroad for Kim's death on behalf of Kim's wife, Song.

Chang Kim came from what is now Cherowon County in Kangwon Province in South Korea. I am not positive about this because newspapers would just spell foreign place-names phonetically. In the Topeka Daily Capital, Kim's home is phrased "Whagaichon, Dawiree, Chull Won county, state of Kang Won, Korea." His marriage to Song consisted of bowing in front of witnesses followed by a feast. Song had to admit her marriage certificate as evidence when she was brought to Kansas for the lawsuit. Chang would send some money back home to Korea for his wife and elderly parents. Apparently, he didn't send very much and never wrote a letter to accompany the money. He was also apparently going to bring his family over to America when he was killed.

The lawsuit was asking for $10,000 to Mrs. Song Kim and, according to the Daily Capital, she was "an uncivilized native" from the "mountain wilds" of Korea and "had to be tamed" before going to trial. Her lawyer was Frank Drenning and a Korean student attending the University of Kansas was brought in as a translator. At the end of it all, Song Kim was awarded $2,000 and, presumably, returned to Korea.

Charles Junod

Charles F. Junod was a confectioner in Topeka, Kansas, known for ice cream, cakes, and candies, with his brother Frank. The Junods came to Topeka in 1878 and opened a confectionary and catering business at 606 Kansas Avenue. Charles married Margaret "Madge" Reese in 1881.

Charles and Madge went to Colorado and then California for his health. It's assumed he had tuberculosis, but it didn't help and he quietly passed away on February 7, 1887 and was interred in Topeka Cemetery. Frank sold the business a few months later.

Charles and Madge were only married six years. Madge returned to Topeka and ended up remarrying to Henry Dowding, an old school mate of hers, in 1889. Mr. Dowding would pass away in 1894 after only five years of marriage. Madge returned to her home in New York, never marrying again.

Rest. Sweet Rest.

Agnes Lawrence

"Miss Agnes Lawrence, an unusually attractive and pretty girl, who was employed as a nurse in Stormont hospital, committed suicide between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. last evening, by drinking two ounces of carbolic acid. The only explanation of the suicide was an unsigned note left by the girl which read: '𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒏.'" -Topeka State Journal, July 30, 1909.

Agnes Lawrence was only 16 and had worked at Stormont only six months. She was discovered on the floor of her room on the third floor after her shift with the note and bottle of acid lying next to her.

On June 1, 1908, she enrolled in Christ's Hospital. She was dismissed after four months, returned home to Perry, then entered Stormont's program. Both programs require girls to be at least 20, which Agnes claimed to be despite only being 15.

Agnes was born to Louis and Eva Lawrence in Lees Summit, Missouri on March 6, 1893. According to the 1900 Census, the family lived in St. Louis, Missouri, and Agnes had a brother, Louis, and sister, Essie. Neither doctors and nurses at Christ's Hospital or Stormont nor Agnes' mother could fully explain why Agnes committed suicide and the identity of the man is unknown.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or emotional distress, please contact the National Suicide Lifeline at 988.

Marvin Would Just Pee on the Couch Anyway

In a lonely corner or Prairie Center Cemetery in Osage County, Kansas, lies the grave of Joseph Dolifka. Born in Hungary, on March 5, 1838, Dolifka married Josephine Groman and they had five children--Agatha, Joseph, Philip, Julius, and Mary. In 1884, the family left Hamburg, Germany for New York City. Their ultimate destination, though, was Kansas. They settled on 80 acres in the Grand Haven neighborhood on the Shawnee-Osage county line where they raised livestock. Grand Haven was just a collection of farms with a post office on the property of W.H. Sears about a mile and a half west of the Dolifkas. Grand Haven was located northwest of Burlingame and southwest of Auburn. The post office, initially established in Osage County, existed from 1875 until 1901.

Dolifka farm in Auburn Township, Shawnee County, Kansas.
From Atlas of Shawnee County, Kansas (1898)

Little is really known about the Dolifkas. On December 15, 1890, Joseph died at the age of 52. No obituaries of Joseph are available if any were printed in local newspapers. A Facebook post mentions that he may have been kicked in the head by a horse or mule but that could just be speculation. His family continued in the Auburn area until about 1895 when they moved to Hanover in Washington County, Kansas. Agatha (1869-1938) married baker Henry Kraushaar but the two divorced and he moved to Kansas City, Missouri and remarried. She is buried in Marysville, Kansas. The younger Joseph (1876-1905) was a photographer in Hanover until moving to Colorado for his health, passing away in Colorado Springs. Philip (1878-1968) was a farmer in the Hanover area. He married Katie Dusch in 1904 and had eight children. He died in Lawrence of bronchial pneumonia and is buried in St. John's Cemetery in Hanover. Julius (1880-1956) originally went to Hanover with his family until about 1904 when he moved to Flagler, Colorado and started a ranch. He married Amy Anna Banner in 1906. He is buried in Akron Cemetery in Akron, Colorado. Mary (1883-1971) married Roy Pangborn in 1906. They also moved to Colorado but after Roy died, Mary moved to California where she was buried.

Josephine Dolifka was born in Vienna in 1843. She had been visiting in Hanover the evening before her death and was feeling fine. The next morning, Philip went to her house to do some work, and upon entering the house, found his mother feeling sick. A doctor was called but she died mere hours later. Services were held at the St. John's Church and she was buried in Pecenka (Bohemian) Cemetery south of Bremen, Kansas.

Joseph Dolifka gravestone in Prairie Center Cemetery.
May his soul rest in peace.

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Ripley's Believe It Or Not

I gotta give some accolades to today's Believe It Or Not of not only opening today's comic with a beautifully detailed illustration of Hitler but also telling us, while we're eating our breakfast cereal before heading to church, that he had rotting gums, bad breath, and fake teeth. This is quite a kneecap for those who love Nazis.

You know who you are.

Marvin

That "couch" doesn't look like it would fit two people anyway.

Blondie

Were Dagwood and Herb out on a date? Are they using Christmas lights as some kind of code? Is this an open marriage scenario or are they on the down-low? Dagwood also looks like they maybe broke up.

Mother Goose & Grimm

Lassie hasn't had a live-action TV show since 1999 and network TV shows haven't had designated sponsors since the early 1980s but sure, go on.

Kitty Korner from Heathcliff

Where the hell is Adelaide and Figaro watching "Heathcliff"? Does she have DVDs? Does she pull them up on YouTube? Is "Heathcliff" on some streaming site I don't know about?

The Born Loser

Going to dinner and a movie isn't special. Although I guess it could be considering Mother Gargle believes they never go out at all. Did Brutus go into the movie thinking it would be good? It's a melodrama, those are never good. The only worse would be if it were a period piece.

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Beloved Parents

 In loving memory

of beloved parents

Elijah Sims was born in 1839 in Clinton County, Indiana. He served during the Civil War, participating in the battles of Murphreesboro, Munfordville, and Shiloh. He remained in Indiana until 1878 when he came to Kansas and started a homestead where he remained until retiring in 1906 to Topeka.

Jeannetta Sims was born to Peter and Elmira DeMoss in 1846 in Clinton County, Indiana. Peter DeMoss also served in the Civil War. Jeannetta passed away in Turlock, California, where she and Elijah had taken up residence. She was survived by her husband and all 10 of their children.

Mount Hope Cemetery, Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas

The Sherman Plot

Bird D. "B.D." Sherman was born in Ohio in 1855. For a time, he apparently lived in Michigan and moved to Kansas sometime in the late 1800s settling in Hope, Kansas and then outside Solomon, Kansas. He and his family then moved to Topeka. He died of gall bladder complications in 1923 at the age of 68.

Henrietta Fisher Sherman was born in Monroe, Michigan in 1857. She married Bird at the age of 19 and they had 6 children. She died at the home of her daughter Elvira in North Topeka at the age of 86.

Lerue Sherman was born November 28, 1888 and died on his family's farm north of Solomon of rabies after being mauled by a dog while his family was visiting in Michigan. Lerue was originally interred in Prairie Mound Cemetery near Solomon but was moved to Mount Hope Cemetery in 1936. B.D. took the matter of the dog into his own hands.

Mount Hope Cemetery, Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas

Parsonage

 

Philip H. Parsonage was born in March 19, 1846 in Liverpool, England and immigrated to the United States in 1852. He came to Kansas in 1872 and settled in Eskridge on a farm. According to the U.S. Census in 1870, Parsonage was listed as living with William Dooley in Palmyra, Missouri. In 1880, he was listed as living in Wilmington Township in Wabaunsee County, Kansas. Philip married Mary shortly after arriving in Kansas with their first child, Flora, being born in 1875.

Philip retired from farming in 1914 and moved to Topeka to 1013 Morris Avenue, now Mulvane Street. His wife, Mary Southerland, was born in 1849 and spent most of her life in the Eskridge area. They had four children: Flora (1875 - 1929), May (1879 - 1972), and Jennie (1882 - 1971).

Their second child, son Elwood, was born February 25, 1877 in Wilmington Township in Wabaunsee County. He became a carpenter and died July 26, 1962 at a Topeka hospital.

Mount Hope Cemetery, Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas

Charles and Mahala Munns

 

Mahala Munns was born Mahala Silliman in New Genegus, Illinois on July 13, 1872. She then moved with her parents to Nevada, Iowa where she attended school, even attending the State College in Ames where she met Charles K. Munns. They married in Nevada on June 24, 1890 and had two children: Clyde Silliman Munns (1898 - 1936) and Lois (1899-2002).

Mahala had a sister, Alice, who married Alexander Jeffrey. The Jeffrey's lived in Topeka where Mahala would visit often. For several months leading to her death, Mahala suffered from a tumor and had two surgeries in Omaha. She died at her sister's home in Topeka on December 22, 1922, and, surprisingly, Mount Hope Cemetery in Topeka was chosen for Mahala's final resting place.

Charles K. Munns was born in April 1871 in Corning, Iowa. After the death of Mahala, Charles married Cora Alice Hill in 1924. She died in March of 1949. Charles died in Corning on February 17, 1962 and was brought to Topeka for burial.

Mount Hope Cemetery, Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas

It's Time

Byron Edgar Chollar was born in Brooklyn, Connecticut. He served in the Civil War in Co. H of the 15th New York Engineers. In 1900, he moved to Baldwin City from Topeka. His entire family is buried in Prairie City Cemetery.

Of note, Chollar invented and patented a method for purifying gas as seen here. The beautiful angel memorial is for his son, Byron, Jr. and is made of white marble sculpted in Italy.

Laure Celina Chollar

Sept. 28, 1842

Sept. 26, 1911

MAMMA

Byron Edgar Chollar

Mar. 28, 1840

Oct. 24, 1913

PAPA

Helene Lucy

Chollar

Nov. 24, 1874

Jul. 3, 1963

Laura Grace

Chollar

Aug. 31, 1884

June 28, 1975

Our Darling Son

BYRON EDGAR

CHOLLAR

Sept. 23, 1872

June 12, 1892

We shall meet again

HE IS SLEEPING

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"Pop is talking to himself again."

"I know, Wilberforce," Gladys sighed as she gripped her son's shoulders. "I think it's finally time. I'll go get the number to that hospital. Why don't you go in and try to get him away from that reduced fat cream. Try to get him outside to play catch until the men with the giant nets arrive."