Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Full Circle 112

This Full Circle began when Iggy left a message at Ancestry with the tree holder for E.E. Rittenhouse.

Hello -

What a pleasant surprise and kind offer. Yes, I would greatly appreciate having Elmer's photo. Please advise me how to receive it and what 'out of pocket' costs may be reimbursed. Again, thanks so much.

George

EE Rittenhouse Craigs Number 1848

Photo Number 1848   E.E. Rittenhouse

Hello George I am happy to mail you the photo.  I hope you will share something about Elmer after you have received the photo. I will get it ready to mail out tomorrow or Monday.

Thanks for the interest in the photo! Connie at Forgotten Old Photos

 

George wrote:

Hello Connie

Thank you very much for sending along the photo of  E.E. Rittenhouse #1848.

I have just sent it to Stuart who is the Grandson of  E.E. R. I included your letter and would expect that he will respond to you.

This is a wonderful task you have taken on!  Just think of the many families who have ‘recovered’ an ancestor!

I assume you do not receive responses from everyone, so I am enclosing a check in excess of what you suggested to cover your costs. 

Again Thank You and Iggy too!

George

Hi George, I received your letter and most generous check today, thank you very much!  ( I will rescue a few more photos!) I look forward to hearing from Stuart, I will write a Full Circle Post after I have heard from him.  Thank you for your assistance getting this photo home to family!  Connie

A few days later I heard from Stuart:

Dear Connie,

I write to thank you for the photo of Elmer E. Rittenhouse that you sent to my cousin George, who forwarded it to me.  I am Stuart and Elmer E. Rittenhouse was my maternal grandfather.

Elmer died before I was born so I never knew him personally but we have a lot of family history about him.  He had an early career in the years around 1900 in Colorado Springs, where the photo was taken, as a railroad telegrapher.  Later he moved his family to Montclair, NJ and built a successful career in New York in the insurance business, before his untimely death in 1920 at the age of fifty-eight.

During World War I he was an early advocate of getting the U.S. to join the Allies in defeating Germany.  The New York newspapers published a number of letters about the war, under the pseudonym ‘Ammi Wright.’

Thanks again,

Stuart

He included copies of Railroad Passes that belonged to his Grandfather.

EE Rittenhouse papers

He also included a check.

Hello Stuart, I received your letter and check this week.  Thank you so much for the Railroad History and the scans of the old cards are wonderful!   I will include them in the Full Circle Post I will write this next week. 

I will use the check to rescue more old photos! 

Thanks again! 

Connie at Forgotten Old Photos

Thanks for stopping by.

George sent me some more photos.  Thank you George!

Rittenhouse RR passes 2 (2)

Adelaide, Elmer Rittenhouse, Gerard R driving, 1913

Adelaide and Elmer in the backseat, Gordon(their son) driving 1913

9 comments:

  1. Those old rail passes are so cool!! It is a shame that Elmer E passed away so young - he must have a bunch of interesting stories to tell - and his grandson didn't get to hear them.

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  2. This is one of the more interesting Full Circles. Thanks for posting the follow-up and the passes.

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  3. Another great circle. Loved those cards. Thank you.

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  4. Great history from the past, the story's are like reading a book.
    Why not do a book bet it would sell.

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  5. Another wonderful full circle! I love it when the families share back and appreciate the efforts made in reuniting photos. Very interesting followup. :-)

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  6. You got to love the "dashing" folks in their "jalopy" photo! I love the son's touring cap!! Thank you George for sharing this charming photo!!

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  7. That was a pretty quick turn around! I remember that dignified portrait and bio. So glad this photograph made it back home!

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  8. Very interesting! He was my great-grandfather I just learned from my mom, Eleanor Hibben Waddell. Apparently, he died from an infected tooth before antibiotics. Any photos or family links would be greatly appreciated!

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    1. Contact me by email captainconnie2001atyahoodotcom and I will look up the info that goes with these photos.

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Hi, Thanks for the comments, your input on these old photos is appreciated! English only please! All comments will be moderated! Connie