She was the daughter of George & Ruth (Coon) Tutterow. She grew up near Richards Road and Lick Creek Road. Her father was a farmer and gold and diamond panner and likely did some logging as well. According to Census records, she never received any schooling and was illiterate. As a consequence her name is listed as "Francis" on various records; but, the feminine form is usually spelled "Frances".
She married first to Charles Allen Reichard on March 12, 1882, Brown County, IN. In 1864, "Charlie" was born in Zionsville, IN, where his father was a cooper or barrel maker. He grew up on Carmel Ridge in Brown County and received some schooling. There were three children from this marriage: William Archibald "Archie" Reichard, Joseph "Joe" Alonzo Reichard, and Martha Mae (Reichard) Fleener. After marriage, they briefly lived in Montgomery Co., IN before returning to Brown Co. Charlie died of a heart attack at the young age of 23 in 1887. It is thought that Frances stayed with her parents for a few years until she remarried in 1890.
She married Lewis Jackson Merriman on December 6, 1890, Brown County, IN. They were the parents of four children: Harvey Merriman, Clarence Merriman, Edgar Merriman, and Roy Merriman (infant).
After the marriage in 1890 they moved to an area east of Mahalasville and lived there during the mid-1890's. Two children were born in Morgan Co.: Harvey and Edgar. Sometime before December 1898 the family moved back into Brown Co. where Clarence was born. They lived in a cabin at the end of an old fire trail off of the north end of Carmel Ridge Road. To the west of this location is the mysterious Booger Holler. According to local lore a traveling shoe salesman vanished in the holler and nothing was found of him save for a heap of smoldering shoes at the bottom of a dark ravine....
The 1900 Census shows the family in Jackson Twp., Brown Co., IN. However, Lewis is not listed with the family. It is unknown where he was staying at this point as he has not been found in the Census at all. This may have been the first separation between Frances and Lewis. Lewis is listed on a poor relief record in 1900 and was living with the family at that point.
The marriage was somewhat tumultuous and there was often heated sparring. Frances and Lewis were divorced in 1903. They remarried in 1907 but separated again sometime in the next decade.
In spite of everything, a letter from Lewis's niece says that Frances shed buckets of tears at his funeral.
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By ancestry Frances was a mixture of Italian, Swiss, German, English, Austrian, French. She may have had a few other nationalities as well. While the Tutterows came from Germany (formerly the Holy Roman Empire), y-DNA results show an Alpine origin for the family. Early progenitors likely lived in what is now Switzerland or Italy.
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According to a neighbor and friend of the family, Mabel (Richards) Logsdon, "Frances never set foot in a church". Perhaps, Mabel was specifically referring to Bear Creek Church. Indeed, the membership rolls do not mention Frances even though she lived nearby. It is said that the Coons were members of the United Brethren Church. It is known the Coons and Stauffers were Mennonites in the early 1700's. According to Wikipedia, the United Brethren Church grew out of the Mennonite Church. Stauffer is a common Mennonite surname. Frances may have attended church earlier in life before moving to Bear Creek in 1912. The beliefs of Bear Creek Church members may have been at odds with what Frances was taught earlier in life. Nevertheless, she is buried in the church cemetery.
Partially updated May 27, 2022.
She married first to Charles Allen Reichard on March 12, 1882, Brown County, IN. In 1864, "Charlie" was born in Zionsville, IN, where his father was a cooper or barrel maker. He grew up on Carmel Ridge in Brown County and received some schooling. There were three children from this marriage: William Archibald "Archie" Reichard, Joseph "Joe" Alonzo Reichard, and Martha Mae (Reichard) Fleener. After marriage, they briefly lived in Montgomery Co., IN before returning to Brown Co. Charlie died of a heart attack at the young age of 23 in 1887. It is thought that Frances stayed with her parents for a few years until she remarried in 1890.
She married Lewis Jackson Merriman on December 6, 1890, Brown County, IN. They were the parents of four children: Harvey Merriman, Clarence Merriman, Edgar Merriman, and Roy Merriman (infant).
After the marriage in 1890 they moved to an area east of Mahalasville and lived there during the mid-1890's. Two children were born in Morgan Co.: Harvey and Edgar. Sometime before December 1898 the family moved back into Brown Co. where Clarence was born. They lived in a cabin at the end of an old fire trail off of the north end of Carmel Ridge Road. To the west of this location is the mysterious Booger Holler. According to local lore a traveling shoe salesman vanished in the holler and nothing was found of him save for a heap of smoldering shoes at the bottom of a dark ravine....
The 1900 Census shows the family in Jackson Twp., Brown Co., IN. However, Lewis is not listed with the family. It is unknown where he was staying at this point as he has not been found in the Census at all. This may have been the first separation between Frances and Lewis. Lewis is listed on a poor relief record in 1900 and was living with the family at that point.
The marriage was somewhat tumultuous and there was often heated sparring. Frances and Lewis were divorced in 1903. They remarried in 1907 but separated again sometime in the next decade.
In spite of everything, a letter from Lewis's niece says that Frances shed buckets of tears at his funeral.
*************
By ancestry Frances was a mixture of Italian, Swiss, German, English, Austrian, French. She may have had a few other nationalities as well. While the Tutterows came from Germany (formerly the Holy Roman Empire), y-DNA results show an Alpine origin for the family. Early progenitors likely lived in what is now Switzerland or Italy.
**************
According to a neighbor and friend of the family, Mabel (Richards) Logsdon, "Frances never set foot in a church". Perhaps, Mabel was specifically referring to Bear Creek Church. Indeed, the membership rolls do not mention Frances even though she lived nearby. It is said that the Coons were members of the United Brethren Church. It is known the Coons and Stauffers were Mennonites in the early 1700's. According to Wikipedia, the United Brethren Church grew out of the Mennonite Church. Stauffer is a common Mennonite surname. Frances may have attended church earlier in life before moving to Bear Creek in 1912. The beliefs of Bear Creek Church members may have been at odds with what Frances was taught earlier in life. Nevertheless, she is buried in the church cemetery.
Partially updated May 27, 2022.
She was the daughter of George & Ruth (Coon) Tutterow. She grew up near Richards Road and Lick Creek Road. Her father was a farmer and gold and diamond panner and likely did some logging as well. According to Census records, she never received any schooling and was illiterate. As a consequence her name is listed as "Francis" on various records; but, the feminine form is usually spelled "Frances".
She married first to Charles Allen Reichard on March 12, 1882, Brown County, IN. In 1864, "Charlie" was born in Zionsville, IN, where his father was a cooper or barrel maker. He grew up on Carmel Ridge in Brown County and received some schooling. There were three children from this marriage: William Archibald "Archie" Reichard, Joseph "Joe" Alonzo Reichard, and Martha Mae (Reichard) Fleener. After marriage, they briefly lived in Montgomery Co., IN before returning to Brown Co. Charlie died of a heart attack at the young age of 23 in 1887. It is thought that Frances stayed with her parents for a few years until she remarried in 1890.
She married Lewis Jackson Merriman on December 6, 1890, Brown County, IN. They were the parents of four children: Harvey Merriman, Clarence Merriman, Edgar Merriman, and Roy Merriman (infant).
After the marriage in 1890 they moved to an area east of Mahalasville and lived there during the mid-1890's. Two children were born in Morgan Co.: Harvey and Edgar. Sometime before December 1898 the family moved back into Brown Co. where Clarence was born. They lived in a cabin at the end of an old fire trail off of the north end of Carmel Ridge Road. To the west of this location is the mysterious Booger Holler. According to local lore a traveling shoe salesman vanished in the holler and nothing was found of him save for a heap of smoldering shoes at the bottom of a dark ravine....
The 1900 Census shows the family in Jackson Twp., Brown Co., IN. However, Lewis is not listed with the family. It is unknown where he was staying at this point as he has not been found in the Census at all. This may have been the first separation between Frances and Lewis. Lewis is listed on a poor relief record in 1900 and was living with the family at that point.
The marriage was somewhat tumultuous and there was often heated sparring. Frances and Lewis were divorced in 1903. They remarried in 1907 but separated again sometime in the next decade.
In spite of everything, a letter from Lewis's niece says that Frances shed buckets of tears at his funeral.
*************
By ancestry Frances was a mixture of Italian, Swiss, German, English, Austrian, French. She may have had a few other nationalities as well. While the Tutterows came from Germany (formerly the Holy Roman Empire), y-DNA results show an Alpine origin for the family. Early progenitors likely lived in what is now Switzerland or Italy.
**************
According to a neighbor and friend of the family, Mabel (Richards) Logsdon, "Frances never set foot in a church". Perhaps, Mabel was specifically referring to Bear Creek Church. Indeed, the membership rolls do not mention Frances even though she lived nearby. It is said that the Coons were members of the United Brethren Church. It is known the Coons and Stauffers were Mennonites in the early 1700's. According to Wikipedia, the United Brethren Church grew out of the Mennonite Church. Stauffer is a common Mennonite surname. Frances may have attended church earlier in life before moving to Bear Creek in 1912. The beliefs of Bear Creek Church members may have been at odds with what Frances was taught earlier in life. Nevertheless, she is buried in the church cemetery.
Partially updated May 27, 2022.
She married first to Charles Allen Reichard on March 12, 1882, Brown County, IN. In 1864, "Charlie" was born in Zionsville, IN, where his father was a cooper or barrel maker. He grew up on Carmel Ridge in Brown County and received some schooling. There were three children from this marriage: William Archibald "Archie" Reichard, Joseph "Joe" Alonzo Reichard, and Martha Mae (Reichard) Fleener. After marriage, they briefly lived in Montgomery Co., IN before returning to Brown Co. Charlie died of a heart attack at the young age of 23 in 1887. It is thought that Frances stayed with her parents for a few years until she remarried in 1890.
She married Lewis Jackson Merriman on December 6, 1890, Brown County, IN. They were the parents of four children: Harvey Merriman, Clarence Merriman, Edgar Merriman, and Roy Merriman (infant).
After the marriage in 1890 they moved to an area east of Mahalasville and lived there during the mid-1890's. Two children were born in Morgan Co.: Harvey and Edgar. Sometime before December 1898 the family moved back into Brown Co. where Clarence was born. They lived in a cabin at the end of an old fire trail off of the north end of Carmel Ridge Road. To the west of this location is the mysterious Booger Holler. According to local lore a traveling shoe salesman vanished in the holler and nothing was found of him save for a heap of smoldering shoes at the bottom of a dark ravine....
The 1900 Census shows the family in Jackson Twp., Brown Co., IN. However, Lewis is not listed with the family. It is unknown where he was staying at this point as he has not been found in the Census at all. This may have been the first separation between Frances and Lewis. Lewis is listed on a poor relief record in 1900 and was living with the family at that point.
The marriage was somewhat tumultuous and there was often heated sparring. Frances and Lewis were divorced in 1903. They remarried in 1907 but separated again sometime in the next decade.
In spite of everything, a letter from Lewis's niece says that Frances shed buckets of tears at his funeral.
*************
By ancestry Frances was a mixture of Italian, Swiss, German, English, Austrian, French. She may have had a few other nationalities as well. While the Tutterows came from Germany (formerly the Holy Roman Empire), y-DNA results show an Alpine origin for the family. Early progenitors likely lived in what is now Switzerland or Italy.
**************
According to a neighbor and friend of the family, Mabel (Richards) Logsdon, "Frances never set foot in a church". Perhaps, Mabel was specifically referring to Bear Creek Church. Indeed, the membership rolls do not mention Frances even though she lived nearby. It is said that the Coons were members of the United Brethren Church. It is known the Coons and Stauffers were Mennonites in the early 1700's. According to Wikipedia, the United Brethren Church grew out of the Mennonite Church. Stauffer is a common Mennonite surname. Frances may have attended church earlier in life before moving to Bear Creek in 1912. The beliefs of Bear Creek Church members may have been at odds with what Frances was taught earlier in life. Nevertheless, she is buried in the church cemetery.
Partially updated May 27, 2022.
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