DIED TO SAVE - Earl Strom and Christina Strom Howe

I started this blog on September 20, 2011.  It came about as an offshoot of my work for the website Find a Grave.  I started out just filling requests for grave photos.  Then over time I started photographing any graves I thought were of interest and posted them to the Find a Grave page if there was one, or created a page if there was not.  Under the heading for Under Every Tombstone I wrote, "There is a story under every tombstone."  

Readers of this blog know how much I love Chicago's Rosehill Cemetery.  As a historian, the preservation of the past is very important to me.  I am particularly happy whenever I look around Rosehill, because I see history everywhere.  Like many cemeteries, Rosehill is the final resting place for all kinds of people - the famous and the infamous, politicians and also just plain folks.

Every once in a while I literally stumble over a tombstone that brings a story to light, like the day I stumbled on the side by side graves of Earl Strom and Christina Strom Howe in Section 116:

First I saw his:

Then I saw hers:  

Before we look into the tragic accident that killed Earl and Christina, let's see what we can find out about them.  We'll start with Christina since she was older.

Christina Marie Strom was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 22, 1872.  Her parents were Per Elfström Larsson who Americanized his name to "Peter Strom" (1834-1916), and Anna Elisabeth Jacobsdotter Olsson (1832-1906).  Peter and Anna were married in 1855 in Sweden.  They came to the US in 1870.

Peter and Anna were blessed with nine children.  They are: Peter August (1857-1891), Carl Johan (1860-1864), Erik (1862-1863), Erik's twin sister Mathilda (1862-1893), Oscar (1865-1920), Karolina Wilhelmina (1867-1916), Annie Louisa (1869-1924), Christina Marie (1872-1913) and Elizabeth Marie "Daisy" (1875-1891).  The first seven were born in Sweden; the two youngest in Illinois.  Peter Strom was a carpenter by trade.

Christina makes her first appearance in the 1880 US Census.  The family was living in the "Village of Evanston Lying in Town of New Trier."  The family consisted of:  Peter (45 years old), Anna (46), "Oskar" (15), Anna (10), "Seno" (8), and Eliza (5).  The children, except for Eliza, were all at school.  Anna could both read and write; Peter could only write.  All of the children could both read and write.

The 1882 Directory for Evanston, Illinois shows Peter Strom, carpenter, living at "Brown's subdivision near Central Av."

The 1890 US Census for this area is of course, lost.  But there is good news to report - on November 26, 1891, Christina Strom married Mr. Francis Marion Howe (1866-1938) in Evanston.  The bride was nineteen; the groom was twenty-five.  

Francis Marion Howe was born May 5, 1866 in Essex, Illinois, the son of William Harrison Howe (1821-1901) and Cordelia Sophia Partridge (1837-1920).  Francis Howe was a clerk in the offices of the Chicago and Alton Railroad.  Francis and Christina were blessed with five daughters:  Elizabeth Marie "Daisy"/Mrs. Thomas Amore (1893-1978), Eva Gladys/also Mrs. Thomas Amore (1895-1959), Frances Christina/Mrs. Albert Cowan (1896-1969), Lucille Caroline/Mrs. Axel Henriksen (1904-1974), and Leota Louise/Mrs. Louis Brickse (1908-1968).  

The 1900 US Census shows the Strom/Howe family living in Evanston Township, Illinois.  The family consisted of:  Francis (34 years old), Christina (27), Daisy (6), Eva (5), and Frances (3).  Francis said he was a Carpenter in a Factory.  They rented their home, and Francis and Christina could both read and write.

The 1910 US Census finds the "Hoy" family living at 5139 W. Ainsley (sic) Street in Chicago:

5139 W. Ainslie Street, Chicago

The family consisted of :  Francis "Hoy" (43 years old), Kristine (37), "Lizie" (15), Eva (15), Francis (13),  "Luclay"(6), and "Leola" (15/12).  Also living with the family was father-in-law Peter Strom (75), and nephew Charles Bors (22).  Francis said his occupation was "Manager" of a "Lodge Rail."  Francis and Kristine had been married for 18 years; it was the first marriage for both.  Kristine had given birth to 5 children; all were still alive in 1910.   All of the children except the baby attended school and could both read and write.  

      

Now we will take a look at the other victim of the drowning tragedy, Christina Strom Howe's nephew, Earl Strom.

Earl Oscar Strom was born in Evanston, Illinois on November 12, 1895 to Oscar Strom (1856-1920) and Emily Charlotte Johnson (1864-1951). 

Oscar Strom came to the US from Sweden in 1879; Emily came to the US from Sweden in 1887.  Oscar and Emily had been married in September 24, 1892 in Illinois. In addition to Earl, Oscar and Emily had four daughters:  Vivian/Mrs. Raymond Oetzel (1894-1987), Florence Helen/Mrs. Albert Meeker (1898-1975), Theolinda/Mrs. James Torbet (1904-1990) and Mabel Vivian/Mrs. Alonzo Mosley, Jr. (1906-1968).  Oscar Strom was a Cement Mason by trade.  

Earl's father Oscar was the brother of Christina Strom Howe, making her Earl's aunt.   

Other than his birth certificate, Earl Strom makes his first appearance in the 1900 US Census.  The Strom family is living on Bryant Avenue in Gross Pointe Village, New Trier Township.  The family consists of:  Oscar (35 years old), Emily (37). Vivian (5), Earl (4), and Florence (2).  Oscar and Emily said they had been married for seven years.  Emily said she had given birth to three children, and all three were still alive in 1900.  Oscar reported his occupation as "Laborer."  Oscar said he came to the US in 1870; Emily in 1887.  Oscar was a Naturalized Citizen.  Oscar could read and write; Emily could not.  All the family could speak English.  They rented their home on Bryant Avenue.       

The 1910 US Census shows the Strom family living on Ridge Avenue in Gross Point Village, New Trier Township.  The family consists of:  Oscar (45 years old), Emily (46), Vivian (15), Earl (14), Florence (11), Lina (5), and Mable (4).  Oscar and Emily said they had been married for seventeen years, and that it was the first marriage for both.  Emily said she had given birth to five children, and all were still alive in 1910. 

That brings us to that fateful day of  July 20, 1913 when Christina and Earl were to lose their lives.

The Chicago Inter-Ocean newspaper on July 21 reported that a total of five people had drowned in Chicago in a "Raging Lake."  "High Waves and Undertow Take Heavy Toll of Life Among Sunday Crowds at Beach." 

 

There was a dual wake and funeral for Christina Marie (nee Strom) Howe, and her nephew, Earl Oscar Strom on June 21-23, 1913 inside the May Chapel, at Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago, IL.  Here is a photo from that wake.  You will note the two flower covered caskets standing side by side:

Photo courtesy Steven J. Brickse

   

Here is a closeup of the two caskets:

 

They were buried side-by-side in Section 116 of Rosehill Cemetery:

Earl Strom

Christina Strom Howe

Oscar Strom and Christina Strom Howe - each gave their life trying to save another.  May they rest in peace.

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What about Eva Howe - the relative they were trying to save?  In 1918 she married Thomas Francis Amore, a mechanic and stationary engineer.  They had four daughters.  Eva Howe Amore died October 29, 1959 at the age of sixty-four.  

Eva Howe Amore

Christina's husband and Eva's father, Francis Marion Howe remarried twice.  First to Harriet A. Birdsall (1864-1923) on July 27, 1921.  

The second remarriage was to Nellie Maecs (1904-1977) on Christmas Day, 1936.    

Francis Marion Howe died April 13, 1938 in Chicago.  He was seventy-two years old.  here is his Death Notice from the Chicago Tribune of  April 14, 1938:

He was cremated at Acacia Park Cemetery in Chicago, and then his ashes were buried May 20, 1938 at rt.-top-corner of footstone of his father, William Harrison Howe at the Oakwood Cemetery in Braidwood, Illinois.