Alfred Taggart Family History
Taggart family photo taken on wagon trip to Utah.
Back row: Roy Brownlow, Al Taggart, Lawrence Jacobs, Myrtle Taggart, Ben Taggart and Bert Tanner (friend of family).
Front row: Emma (Carle) Taggart, Joe Taggart, Francis Taggart, Alfred Taggart Jr, Addie Taggart, Gertie Jacobs (sister to Al, wife of Lawrence), Edna Taggart and Perry Taggart.
Alfred Taggart, son of Milton and Rachel (Thompson) Taggart, was born 1872. He married Norma Boomer on May 7, 1891 and had one son, Chris. He later divorced Norma and married Emma Carle (July 24, 1899).
Emma Carle was born January 2, 1876 in Germany to Andrew and Henretta Carle.
Alfred and Emma Taggart had 10 children, all born in the hills north of Hay Springs, Nebraska:
Myrtle Rachel Taggart (b. Aug 7, 1900 - d. Nov 1981, Alliance, Nebraska).
Myrtle was married to Frank Brownlow (1902-1961). Myrtle and Frank had 11 children.
Perry Taggart (b. May 28, 1902 - Sept 13, 1991, Rapid City, South Dakota).
Perry was married to Alice Marcheck (b. 1906). Perry and Alice had 6 children.
Joe Taggart (Feb 22, 1904 - Nov 27, 1988).
Joe was married to Rosella Rush. Joe and Rosella had 9 children, 3 of them dying during childhood.
Addie Taggart (b. Dec 21, 1906).
Addie was married to Charley Elger (1899-1966). Addie and Charley had 3 children.
Frances E. Taggart (Oct 24, 1908 - April 15, 1952)
Frances ("Fan") was married to Garold ("Jack") Thomas (1904-1977). Fan and Jack had 4 children. Fan died of a heart attack. (See her obituary).
Edna Mae Taggart, my grandmother (Sept 15, 1910 - July 1, 1998).
Edna married Anton Rasmussen (1896-1976) on Nov 8, 1928. Edna and Anton had 3 children: William, Brant and Eleonora.
Alfred Taggart, Jr (b. Dec 22, 1912).
Alfred married Cecile Caffro and have 5 children.
Gertrude Taggart (Sept 22, 1914 - Mar 16, 1991, Rapid City, South Dakota).
Gertrude ("Gertie") was married twice. First marriage was to Lewis Melbrink (one child was born to Gertie and Lewis) and her second marriage was to William ("Bill") Wright. Gertie and Bill lived in Rushville for a number of years, moved out to Utah for awhile, back to Rushville, then lived in Hot Springs, South Dakota until Gertie's death.
Richard Lawrence Taggart (Nov 27, 1918 - Mar 23, 1995, Hot Springs, South Dakota).
Richard ("Pete") was married twice. First marriage was to Peggy Johnson. Second marriage was to Amelia. Pete had no children.
Edward Taggart (b. Nov 21, 1921).
Edward married Margie Looman. Ed and Margie have 3 children.
Al and Emma Taggart lived in a log cabin in the hills north of Hay Springs, Nebraska, during the time that their children were born. The family farmed, raised chickens and tended garden, and Al operated a sawmill. A new house was build around 1913 (perhaps seven children were too much for a small log cabin!). The house was built with the help of Al's father, Milton Taggart.
Nine of the ten children of Alfred and Emma Taggart.
Back: Edna, Al, Perry, Gertie, Mytle and Addie.
Front: Ed, Richard and Joe
Photo taken at Hot Springs, SD during one of the Taggart reunions, circa 1975.
In the spring of 1915, the family decided to move to Utah. Before leaving for Utah, a sale was held. and The 160 acres and 2 year-old house brought $1400. The next morning, May 8, 1915, they loaded the dog and the last of the chickens from the chicken coop and headed out with two canvas-topped wagons. They used a tent (about the size of two wagons) and camped out along the way. Fort Collins was the goal for the first leg of the trip, meeting two uncles that had previously traveled there. Unfortunately, one of the uncles contracted spotted fever and died 10 days later. The Taggart family spent 1 month in the Fort Collins area. Once leaving Colorado for Wyoming, they traveled through the Red Desert region and crossed the Continental Divide by way of the North Pass and arrived in Utah in September 1915, four months after beginning their journey. The family stayed in Utah for just one year, leaving in the Fall of 1916. Emma and the kids returned to Nebraska on the train. The only time that they got off the train the entire trip (2 days) was to switch from the Burlington to the Northwestern train in Crawford, Nebraska.
Al Taggart died at the age of 77 on October 19, 1947 at Sisters' Hospital in Hot Springs, South Dakota. (See his obituary).
(Left) Emma Carle Taggart photo taken ~1940s.
(Right) Emma Carle Taggart photo taken mid-1950s. Likely taken in her house in Pringle, SD.
Emma Taggart continued living in Hot Springs after Al's death. Emma died August 23, 1959 in the Lutheran Hospital, Hot Springs, South Dakota.
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