Elizabeth Ann "Bettie" Gough
1877 - 1976 (98 years)
-
Name Elizabeth Ann "Bettie" Gough [1, 2, 3] Birth 11 Apr 1877 Uniontown, Union County, Kentucky 
[1, 2] Gender Female Death 1976 Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas [1, 2] Burial Mount Calvary Cemetery, Kansas City, Wyandotte County, KS Patriarch & Matriarch 
Stephen Gough, b. Abt 1630, County Gloucester Englandd. Between 22 Oct 1700 and 2 Jan 1701, St. Bernards, Newtown Hundred, St Mary's Co., Md. (Age 70 years) (5 x Great Grandfather) 
Mary Emily Shanks, b. 27 Feb 1825, Washington County, Kentuckyd. 16 Aug 1892, Union County, Kentucky (Age 67 years) (Grandmother) Person ID I3196 1665 GOUGH/GOFF (US-MD-STM/US-VA-LOU) I-Y6902-A Last Modified 20 Oct 2023
Father George Benjamin Gough, b. 17 Nov 1848, Union County, Kentucky d. 1882 (Age 33 years) Mother Alice Frances Gough, b. 12 Dec 1854, Uniontown, Union County, Kentucky d. 12 May 1885 (Age 30 years) Marriage 24 Nov 1874 Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois [1] Notes - GOUGH, GEORGE S GOUGH, ALICE 11/24/1874 00C/0040 GALLATIN
Family ID F1685 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family William Virgil Girten, b. 16 Dec 1868, Union County, Kentucky d. 24 Dec 1934, Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas (Age 66 years)
Marriage 11 Feb 1899 St. Agnes Church, Union Town, Kentucky [1, 2, 4] Children 1. William Doris "Doy" Girten, b. 4 Mar 1902 d. 1984 (Age 81 years) 2. Joseph Crafton "Hap" Girten, b. 10 Sep 1903 d. 1964 (Age 60 years) 3. Harris Sylvester "Dutch" Girten, b. 1 Aug 1905 d. 15 Jun 1989, Baptist Memorial Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri (Age 83 years)4. Bertha Girten, b. 1 Aug 1907 d. Yes, date unknown 5. Infant Girten, b. 1 Jan 1910 d. Yes, date unknown 6. Leona Agnes Girten, b. 23 Mar 1912, Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas d. 18 Apr 1986, St. Joseph Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri (Age 74 years)▻ Lloyd Warner Hawver m. 5 Jun 1935▻ Lloyd Warner Hawver m. 5 Jun 19357. William Francis (Buster) Girten, b. 1 Mar 1914 d. 31 May 1920 (Age 6 years) 8. Mary Girten, b. 2 Sep 1916 d. Yes, date unknown 9. Vivian Girten 10. Raymond Girten Family ID F1657 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 20 Oct 2023
-
Notes - In the 1900 Union County Census, Bettie A. Gough and Josie Gough were living with their widowed uncle, Henry Sherman Gough.
[george benjamin gough.FTW]
Birth documented in the St. Agnes Baptismal Records, Uniontown, Kentucky, 1869-1878, p. 18.
At Elizabeth's baptism on July 11, 1877, in St Agnes Church's Baptismal Records, page 18, Uniontown, Kentucky, her sponsor was Mary M. Alvey.
1877: July 11th baptized, Elizabeth Ann, daughter of George Gough and Alice Gough. Born April 11th, 1877, sponsor Mary M. Alvey. It is fairly conclusive that Alice's maiden name was Gough since it is listed in that manner on the baptismal records as the wife's maiden name which was always given. Now need to begin searching where her Gough records are.
The family celebrated Elizabeth Ann Girten's 100th birthday in 1976 at the Knights of Columbus Hall on north 55th St., Kansas City, Kansas. The following information is synthesized from the notes read that evening. Leo Harris, husband of Mary Girten Harris, daughter of Elizabeth, read notes compiled and written by Leona Agnes Girten Hawver, daugher of Elizabeth Girten.
[For the sake of accuracy, it must be noted that Elizabeth Ann Gough Girten was born on April 11th, 1877, as recorded in the Baptismal Records of St. Agnes Church in Uniontown, Kentucky. She was baptized on July 11th, 1877. Leona realized that Elizabeth was 99 rather than 100, but continued with the 100th recognition party. wlh]
Born April 11th, 1876 (note above para), on a farm in Uniontown, Kentucky, the Elizabeth (aka Betty Girten) Ann's family raised vegatables and cattle, but the largest product was tobacco. Josie (Josephene Lea), a sister, and a brother, George, went to a Catholic School at Shawneetown, Illinois. They must have crossed the Ohio River each morning and evening. (might wonder if they boarded)
Her parents died when she was eight and she finished school at the 6th grade. She went to live with two aunts (one aunt was Mary Ida Gough Bevins, her father George's sister) was who had a dress shop and they taught her to trim ladies hats. One of the aunts was a dressmaker, the other a tailor who made ladies suits. At 21, she kept house for an uncle whose wife had recently died. He did the cooking and she cared for his three children. Very pretty, she was once voted the prettiest girl in Uniontown. Elizabeth laughed over this many times since there were only nine young ladies of that age to chose from.
At 22, Elizabeth started dating and being courted by Virgil Girten, a man she had known all of her life. He was nine years older and spent a large part of his youth helping to raise his five younger brother and sisters and maintaining the family farm. Elizabeth and Virgil Girten were married on February 11, 1899. He showed his love and devotion to Elizabeth by having her taken to the church in a carriage drawn by two white horses. Her wedding dress was powder blue, trimmed with white lace. Elizabeth and Virgil took a two week honeymoon in Evansville, Indiana.
Three months after the wedding, Virgil and Elizabeth took a hunting trip to New Orleans with another couple, friends. They traveled by houseboat on the Ohio River to the Mississippi and down the Mississippi to an island off the coast of New Orleans where wild animals were numerous. They returned home on a three decker steam boat.
Virgil Girten worked in a distillery in Uniontown, Kentucky until they moved to Kansas City in 1910. Virgil was a maintenance worker for the Board of Education, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools until he died in 1934.
Virgil and Elizabeth had 10 children. The fifth died in infancy in 1910, Francis or Buster died at age six in 1921 and during the same year Raymond was born and died seven months later. In 1923, Bertha died at age sixteen. Doris "Doy," Joseph "Hap," Harris "Dutch," Leona, Mary, and Vivian lived to adulthood, each married and most had children. Doris and Joseph had no children. At this writing in 1998, Mary and Vivian are alive.
Elizabeth Ann Girten, or Grandma Great to us, was given 100 long stem roses at the birthday party and received a telegram of congratulations from President Carter.
After William Virgil died, son Joseph Crafton, or "Hap" supported his mother. Hap owned and ran a tavern, Hap's Tavern, at 11th and Osage in Armourdale, Kansas City, Kansas, about a block from the family home at 1118 Argentine Blvd. Hap also helped his sister Mary through high school. Later, Mary's husband, Leo, worked for Hap in the Tavern.
Elizabeth Gough Girten is buried in Old Section 3, Lot 237, Sp 1, with her husband, William Virgil Girten, in Mount Calvary Cemetery, 38th and State Avenues, Kansas City, Kansas. Her grave is in the first row which faces 38th Street.
bill hawver
Elizabeth Ann Girten lived with her daughter and husband, Leona Girten and Lloyd Hawver (my parents) from about 1950 until she died at 99 in about 75 so I have most fond memories of her. She was a tiny woman, drank at least a six pack of beer a day, said a daily rosary or more, always had a pinch of Garret's snuff tucked in her lip, and was one of the grandest, most dignified, and kind lady I have ever been around. I'm fairly sure that she had but a minimal education, but she read every newspaper and book around. She could talk about the Kennedys and Truman and the politics of the day. Just a delightful grandmother for me. And she made the best pancakes which she must have learned in Kentucky. (April, 2002)
- In the 1900 Union County Census, Bettie A. Gough and Josie Gough were living with their widowed uncle, Henry Sherman Gough.
-
Sources
