©2009-2016 Becky Higgins

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Looking for Margaret (Ruch) Fell

Much of my research over the pass few weeks has been tracing the children of Charles & Salome Ruch. Since they had nine, including three sets of twins, this is no small feat. However, with the help of Family Search's pilot database for Cook County, Illinois, records, the Social Security Death Index, miscellaneous military records and the good old Chicago Tribune, much progress has been made.

As is normal, however, I do have one problem-child. Margaret Ruch, the twin of Alice who died at the age of 17, was born 24 March 1882 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. She married A. Oscar Fell, 05 March 1902, also in Chicago.

To my knowledge, they had only one child: Elva Fell born about 1904 in Chicago. Elva married William K Colum before 1925 and they had one child, Laverne. William died 29 June 1929 and Elva died in January 1961.

My problem is I can't find a death record or obituary for Margaret "Maggie" Fell. She was still living in 1961 according to Elva's obituary in the Chicago Tribune of 02 January 1961:
Elva B. Colum, beloved mother of Laverne Stricker; loving daughter of Margaret Fehl; mother-in-law of Richard; grandmother of Patricia, Lois, and Richard. Funeral Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., from John V. May Funeral home, 4553-61 Milwaukee avenue, to St. Tarcissus church. Interment St. Adalbert's.
You may notice the spelling of Margaret's surname "Fehl"; I have searched using that spelling as well as Fell. In fact, searching the surname "Fell" can be very difficult. You might be surprised how many people "fell" the their deaths.

If there is anyone out there with information about Margaret, I'd love to hear from you. Maybe Patricia, Lois, or Richard, or their children, are working on their genealogy. You know the Ruch family is connected to the Column and Stricker families now:)

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