An interesting blog post, written by Scott C. Steward at vita-brevis.org entitled “Far afield“, inspired me to share the story of my great great grandmother on my mother’s side, Catherine B. (Tyler) Buchenau.

The gist of Scott’s post is that most folks think their ancestors didn’t move around much. I immediately related to his post because I used to think the same thing – until I learned about Catherine.

Pennsylvania to Ohio

Catherine was born September 18, 1827, in Pennsylvania, to Samuel Tyler (1782-1871) and Lydia Martin (1788-1866)¹.  She was the eighth of ten children. By the time she was born, Catherine’s parents had already moved several times. Their first three children were born in Vermont, the second two in New York, and the next four in Pennsylvania.  And by 1833, when the last child was born, the family had moved on again – this time to Ohio.

Illinois to Missouri to Kansas – back to Missouri, then back to Kansas

In 1848 when she was 20 years old, Catherine married John Buchenau (1817-1908) in La Salle, Illinois².  Their first two children, Anna and Hial, were born in La Salle. Their third and forth children, Ada Cordelia and Alberto, were born in St. Joseph, Missouri.  Their fifth child, John Leone, was born in Wathena, Kansas, in 1864. And by the time their last child Herbert was born in 1867, the family was back in St. Joseph, Missouri.

The 1870 U.S. Census shows the family living back in Wathena, Kansas³.  And in 1871, Catherine’s daughter Ada Cordelia married David Lyman Blacker in Doniphan County⁴ and then moved to Montana Territory.  In 1880, the family was still living in Wathena⁵.

And last but not least – Montana

Here’s where the story takes an interesting turn. Some time after 1880 and before 1890, Catherine left her husband and family – and permanently moved to the Montana Territory  to live with her daughter Ada, who by that time was living with her husband and children in Helena⁶.

I had assumed for many years that Catherine must have left Kansas because John died, but I never located any records to substantiate that assumption. And then several years ago, I came across a 1900 census record showing that he lived with his granddaughter Bertie (McPherson) Groh and her family in Wathena. He was not living with the family in 1910, so I now assume he died somewhere in that 10-year time period. And in a 1908 Helena City Directory, Catherine is listed as the widow of John⁷.

Catherine lived out the rest of her life in Montana and died in Helena on April 21, 1923⁸. She is buried next to her daughter Ada and three of Ada’s four daughters, Muzetta, Katherine and Helen.

It’s always been interesting to me that one of my ancestors lived in so many different locations in the 19th century – and especially interesting because she was a woman. And now the big mystery is – why did she leave her husband behind in Kansas?  Was she worried about her young daughter Ada, raising five small children in the Montana Territory?  Coincidentally, Ada’s 4-year-old daughter Lelia Nina died in August of 1880.  Although Ada’s husband David was doing well financially at that time, perhaps Catherine was concerned for her daughter.  Or did she perhaps leave because John was financially or emotionally unstable?

I suspect this is one of many family mysteries that will never be solved.

Notes