The family of Harvey Aldridge 1857-1930

There's something I haven't mentioned about the Aldridges, which I should have mentioned several generations ago.  At some point, many of them were known only, or primarily, by their middle names.  I have generally used the names as given on the first record I located, which may or may not be the name they typically used.  And I haven't included very many middle names, unless I knew that was the name they themselves used.  So, it's a confusing mix and this family of Harvey Aldridge illustrates that well.  

Harvey Homer Aldridge (I've not seen him use the middle name, but it's possible) was born in 1857 to Darlington Dart and Leah Folsom Aldridge in Rush County, Indiana.  His parents moved to Rush County, Indiana, and Harvey met and married Margaret Catherine Dunham, the daughter of Samuel Goodnight and Eliza Matilda Reese Dunham, there in 1880.  Harvey died in 1930, soon after he and Margaret (or Catherine, I usually see both of her names in records) had celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  They had eight children together, with two dying as infants or toddlers.

Bertha was the first born, in 1882.  She married Ora B. Rector, son of Anderson and Ruth McHatten Rector, and they had at least three children: Leona, who was born in 1902 and died the following year, Flossie, and Von Garrett.  Sadly, she died in 1909, of tuberculosis.  Harvey and "Kate", as shown on Bertha's her death certificate, helped raise the two children, as grandparents too often need to do.

Frank (Ralph Franklin, officially) was born in 1885. His wife is Florence Rude, the daughter of George and Mary Jane Starr Rude.  Their children are Mary, Bernice, Lorene, Beatrice, and Paul Max.  Frank died in 1956.

Samuel Newton was born in 1887 and died in 1968.  He married Irene Hyatt, the daughter of Thomas and Evva Trowbridge Hiatt.  Their children are Pauline, Madeline, Ralph, Glen, Herman, Philip, and Chester.

Next was Lula, who was born in 1889 and died in 1890.

Della (I have seen her referred to as Selena Della, but Della is the name she used) was born in 1891.  She married Clyde Harrell, the son of Charles and Delilah Moore Harrell.  Their children are Herman, Ernest, Herbert, Lester, and Dickie.  Della died in 1943.

Dorothy was born in 1894 and died in 1940.  She married Francis Edward Huston, the son of James and Elizabeth Wood Huston.  Their children are Leroy, Guilford, Doris, Walter, Burnetta, Lois, and Marvin.  

Gretta Cleo was known as Cleo, and to her nieces and nephews was known as "Aunt Dutchie".  She was born in 1896 and died in 1980, having said final earthly farewells to all of her siblings.  She married Wilbur Beeks, the son of John and Elizabeth Wise Beeks, and together they had 16 children, eight of whom lived to adulthood.  Their children are Charles, Vivian, Kenneth, Evelyn, Eldon (those being twins), Maxine, James (the first to live to adulthood), Raymond, Anna, Mary, Norman, Norma, Bonnie, Donald, Barbara, and Phyllis.  Two of those who lived to adulthood died at an early age, so Cleo and Wilbur had a lot of sorrow in their lives.  

Harvey and "Kate" had one final child, Roy, who was born in 1899 and died in 1901.  All of the children were born in Tipton County, Indiana, and several were buried there.  Others are buried in Andrews, Indiana, in Servia, and in South Whitley.  The children lived fairly close to each other and, as evidenced by the gossip columns in the Huntington, Indiana, newspapers, saw each other frequently as adults.  

By this count, Harvey and Kate had 43 grandchildren.  43 times they, or later just she, would have answered the phone or received the message of a new member born into the family.  Despite the sorrows of their own losses, and those early losses their children had, they must have had great joy in their lives, as well as much hard work.  

This is the last post in the Aldridge family line, at least for now.  I have found no evidence that any of these Aldridge fathers I've written about worked at jobs other than farming, although Harvey did take occasional other jobs when necessary, and perhaps some of the other men had side jobs.  This family was hard-working, and contributed to the growth of America.  Their descendants have reason to be proud.