Ramcharan-Crowley

After the death of the mother the family remained in Peoria about two years I think. Then they went to St. Louis or in that vicinity. There the father caught the gold fever for California and in 1852 prepared to go there with a wagon train. It seem s that in that part of St. Louis, a French village called Carondolet, a woman looked after the girls, and when the father told her about the plans to be ready a certain day to go to Independence, also in Missouri, to start for the west, the woman decided that Ann was too young to stand such a trip, so she sent her away to a friend in Booneville, some distance away, and when the father came after them, little Ann was not to be found. But the father was told she was in good hands and could be sent for when the family got fully settled. Apparently there was not much argument, as the father was in a hurry to get to the gold fields. ... How long before they went back to Peoria I cannot tell, but it seems to me they must have both been married at the usual age. Theresa to Joseph Burger, and Ann to John Thome. Strangely enough, misfortune seemed to be with Ann, if I remember correctly she lost four children by Diptheria. ... It seemed that Ann had been through enough. But the final blow was loss of health and total blindness. Aunt Theresa brought her down to our house for a few days. She had to be lead around, - she was a small, good looking woman with a gentle voice. It was cherry time and every day I picked some nice ripe ones for her. I remember those days so well. Your grandfather Thome was not a very good dispositioned man at any time, and trouble did not improve him. So he got Katherine Wolschlag, fifteen or sixteen years old, as a hired girl and she later became his second wife. The girl was at the right age to be smartly and that, I think, is where she was mean to your mother, and the blind mother. Well, talk flew around thick and fast and finally, the poor sick and blind mother was taken to St. Francis Hospital to spend her last few days there (years there), finally passing away. ... Now in closing I can say that my Aunt Ann and your grandmother was a quiet, gentle woman and not given to quarreling.