Bauers

Mary (BAUER) HAUSLEIN (1859 - 1894)

my gg-grandmother

Maria "Mary" BAUER/BAUERS/BOWER/BOWERS was born 31 May 1859, and died 17 Aug 1894, after childbirth, in Elgin, Kane, IL. She married Fred HAUSLEIN on 20 Sep 1881 in Elgin, Kane, IL. See the Fred HAUSLEIN page for more information. Here I would like to investigate her life before marriage, and find her parents.

The birthplace of Mary was reported by her daughters in later censuses. Unfortunately, there is no consensus. She is reported 4 times to have been born in France (counting Alsace-Lorraine), Germany 1 time, Illinois 10 times, and Missouri 2 times out of 17.

The marriage record of Mary BOWER and Fred HAUSLEIN says that Mary's parents were Jacob and Sarah BOWERS. That record seems to have a few inaccuracies. HAUSLEIN is spelled HANSLEIN, and SASS is spelled GOSS. However, this is the only definite connection I have seen between Mary and her parents. See the Fred HAUSLEIN page. Sarah's marriage license (below) also says her father was Jacob BAUER, so it's not clear whether Mary got the BOWER/BAUER name from her father or mother, or both.

There were 2 likely candidates for Mary in the 1870 US Census for Kane County, IL. Both were 11, thus born about 1859. One was born in IL, but she lives with A. and Sophia BAUER, not Jacob and Sarah. The other lived with Jacob and Sally BOWER, but she was born in Luxembourg.

This Mary BAUER was born in IL, about 1859. A. BAUER was a Draughtsman, owner of real estate valued at $2,500, and personal estate $100. He was born in Darmstadt, a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. Sophia was born in England. The boy, George ETHOR was probably a relative, from Canada.

Jacob BOWERS lived in Elgin Township, Kane County, IL in 1870. His nearest post office was Clintonville, a.k.a. South Elgin. He lived with Sally BOWERS and Mary BOWERS, all born in Luxembourg. Sally was much younger than Jacob, but she could have been his wife, and the mother of Mary BOWERS.

My best guess is that the Mary who later married Fred HAUSLEIN is the one who lived with Jacob and Sally in 1870. I think that Sally was Sarah, and Jacob was Sally's father, not husband. Mary got the name BAUER/BOWER from her mother. Mary's father may have been named Jacob, or there may be some conflation of her grandfather, Jacob BOWERS, with her father.

The second Mary is more likely because Sarah's marriage record says that Sarah's father was Jacob BAUER, and because the newspaper article (below) calls Adam DUMERAUF's wife Sallie BOWER, and says that "The couple [Sallie and Adam] live together in the little cottage which belonged to Sallie Bower before she married Adam Dumerauf." So Sallie/Sarah lived in Elgin before 1880.

Sarah "Sallie" BAUER (1833 - 1914)

It seems that my 3g-grandmother was called by several names. She was Sarah/Sally/Solomea/Aaline BAUER/BAUERS/BOWER/BOWERS. Her place of birth is also recorded variously, as mentioned above. The records may all refer to different people, but I don't think so. She was blind since age 27, and perhaps that partly explains the discrepancies.

Sarah BAUER, born about 1834 to Jacob BAUER and Anna M. BRIGHT, married Adam DUMERAUF, born about 1842 to Michael DUMERAUF and Joanna HONIGN. The marriage took place in Kane County, IL, on 10 Feb 1880, according to the Illinois Marriage Index.

This marriage record gives slightly different names for the mothers. Adam's mother is Johanna HORNGER, not Joanna HONIGN, and Sarah's mother's middle name is Mary. Also, Adam was much younger, which conflicts with the 1880 Census, below.

Adam and Sarah DUMERAUF were both totally blind, and married within the past census year. Mary BOWERS was single, born in France. The cause of blindness for Adam was inflammation, at age 30, and for Sarah it was typhoid fever, at age 27. Adam had spent 3 years as an inmate in an institution for the blind, in Jacksonville, IL. Since Sarah lost her eyesight at age 27, that would be about 1860, the year after Mary was born.

Adam DUMERAUF (1841 - 1923)

Adam DUMERAUF was Mary's stepfather. He has been easier to keep track of than Sarah. In fact, the way to keep track of Sarah is to follow Adam.

The 1900 US Census has Solomea instead of Sarah. It says that she had had 0 children. The census says that Adam had immigrated in 1866 (could be 1868), had been in the US 32 years, and was naturalized, but those fields are left blank for Solomea. Adam and Solomea had been married 20 years, so Solomea must be Sarah.

In 1910 Solomea has become Aaline, although the name is hard to read. Adam and Aaline had been married 30 years, the 1st marriage for each. As in the previous census, she had no children. Adam and Aaline immigrated in 1886 and 1866 - the former must be a misprint. Adam owns the home, free of mortgage, and he is able to read and write - also undoubtedly a mistake. The address seems to be on South Elgin Blvd, near Mill St and Oak St. This is on the northeast side of South Elgin, on the east side of the Fox River.

In 1920, Adam is a widower. He owns his home, free of mortgage. He immigrated in 1870, and is a naturalized citizen. He is able to read and write. Maybe his eyesight returned?

The 1920 directory for Elgin and surrounding communities has Adam DUMERHOFF, on Woodbury Street, South Elgin. This street runs north and south, near the east bank of the Fox River.

BLIND BROOM MAKER

ONE OF SOUTH ELGIN’S INDUSTRIOUS RESIDENTS

Twice a Candidate for Political Office and Nearly Elected Both Times—Lives Happy with His Sightless Wife in a Neat Little Cottage.

From Chicago Chronicle: A little weather stained cottage perched high on a bank of the Fox river not far from the Northwestern railway station at South Elgin—or Clintonville, as the railway time card calls it—is the home and workshop of “Blind Adam” Dumerauf. He has been “Blind Adam” only about half his life, but his present friends and acquaintances never knew him when he possessed sight and among them he has always been called by the nickname.

Within the last two or three years “Blind Adam,” who is a broommaker, has become one of the best known residents of Kane county, and politics has been the cause of his increase in fame. Three years ago Dumerauf’s friends induced him to run for the office of county collector. He was defeated by a small majority. His opponent was elected by so small a margin that Adam again entered the race the next year for the collectorship. His wily opponents, not to be taken at any disadvantage by Adam’s physical misfortune, also nominated a blind man. Adam’s sightless opponent had at one time been an employe in the big watch factory in Elgin across the river and his former fellow workmen stood by their old associate at the ballot box, and the broommaker was again defeated by a few dozen votes.

Adam’s wife, like himself, is blind. The couple live together in the little cottage which belonged to Sallie Bower before she married Adam Dumerauf. The house has a double front. The west room is used as a living apartment, and the east room is Adam’s broom factory. Mrs. Dumerauf is said to be just as able to get along in the world as her worthy husband. She takes care of all household duties without the least difficulty, and without any assistance. And when it comes to sewing she threads a needle as quickly as anyone, and can darn a patch to a queen’s taste.

Mr. Dumerauf’s most entertaining story is his courtship and engagement to Miss Bower.

“You see, it was like this,” said the broommaker. “I had been coming around here selling brooms for several years and I knew most everybody pretty well. One of my best friends was John Dietrich, who has long since passed away. One day John said to me: ‘Adam, why don’t you get married?’ ‘Well, John, I never thought about it before,’ I replied. ‘I don’t suppose any girl who could see would want to marry a man who couldn’t.’ ‘Well, now, I know just the girl for you,’ John went on. ‘She is blind, like you, and she owns a little house and lot over here on the railroad. I’ll take you over to see her, and we’ll see if we can’t fix it up.’ ‘All right,’ said I, and over we went.

“Miss Bower was at home, and John and I went in. Miss Bower and I were introduced and she said she had heard of me before. Then pretty soon we arranged what I guess was the quickest engagement on record. John says: ‘Now, Miss Bower, you and Mr. Dumerauf are both blind, both single, and both perhaps more or less lonely in the world, I suppose. You have some property, Miss Bower, and Adam has accumulated some by making and selling brooms. Now,’ says John, ‘why wouldn’t it be a good plan for you two to get married? That, Miss Bower,’ says John, ‘is what we have come over here to see about.’

“Miss Bower said if all the good things she had heard about me were true she guessed it would be all right. So we were engaged there and then, and a little later we were married at her brother-in-law’s, in the big white house next door.

“Blind Adam” roams around South Elgin with almost as great ease as if he could see. He gets up on the rails of the Northwestern tracks and walks to the station or to the crossing with perfect accuracy. With the assistance of his cane and nothing more he goes to any spot in the town, in which he never lived until after he lost his eyesight. He makes just as good brooms as are made by broommakers who can see, and he makes them almost as fast. Expert broommakers can construct about three brooms in an hour. “Blind Adam” can make two an hour without unusual effort.

The blind man is a musician as well and brings a little additional revenue into the family coffers by playing his flute at parties, dances and receptions. Mr. Dumerauf briefly recounted events of his life as he continued work at his bench.

“By birth I am Bavarian German,” said Adam. “I came to this country an unskilled laborer when I was about 26 years old. I came to Illinois and went to work on a farm in McHenry county. The man for whom I worked was a sheep raiser and I assisted him in caring for them. Once when sheep shearing came around I waded into the river and cut off the wool from the sheep. There were a great many to be shorn and it took a good while. I stayed in the water too long and caught a terrible cold. The cold settled in my eyes and I lost the sight of both of them. That was over twenty five years ago.

“Soon after I lost my eyes I went to the blind asylum and school at Jacksonville. There I learned broommaking and also learned to play the flute and accordion. I couldn’t afford to return to the school for a second term, so I went to the town of Huntley in 1872 and began work. I stayed there until about ’79, when I came here to South Elgin, got married and settled down.”

The Times (Streator, IL) Monday, 27 Dec 1897, page 4

An interesting hint from the article above is that Adam says "we were married at her brother-in-law’s, in the big white house next door." Since she is called "Miss Bower," this must be the husband of Sarah's sister.

[SE] South Elgin: 150 years of heritage, 1835-1985 (1989) by Ralph Tredup

Updated 2 Oct 2022 by William Haloupek. Contact haloupek at gmail dot com