Thirteenth Generation

712. May Isabell "Mabel" GRIGGS (~) was born on 1 May 1889 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.^192,226,324 (In a letter from her father to his cousin, Elton Griggs, on 31 December 1918, he states: "Her name is May Isabell and we called her Maybell for short." Other sources spell her name as "Mae Isabelle." She apparently shortened it to "Mabel."

. She appeared in the census in 1895 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.²⁰⁵

. She appeared in the census in 1900 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.²¹³

. She appeared in the census in 1905 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.³¹³ Her occupation was "Student."

. She appeared in the census in 1910 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.³¹⁴ She was living with her parents.

. She appeared in the census in 1920 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁰² She and her children were living in the household of her parents at 1308 Stoughton Avenue.

. Between 1925 and 1929 she was a restaurant and boarding house operator in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.^434,435 Her restaurant was named "The Daisy Eat Shop."

. She appeared in the census in Apr 1930 in New Lisbon, Juneau County, WI.⁴³⁶ Her household consisted of her children, Merle, Mildred, Milo and Lucille Koopman. She was listed as Mabel Thompson, a "Widow," with an occupation as a "Housekeeper." They lived on Pearl Street.

. She lived at her home in New Lisbon, Juneau County, WI in Jul 1931.¹⁸⁹ Her father's obituary listed her as "Mrs. Mabel Thompson, New Lisbon."

. She lived at her home in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI in Nov 1936.¹⁸⁹ Her mother's obituary listed as her as "Mrs. Mabel Thompson," living in Tomah.

. She lived in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI in Apr 1938.²³¹ A letter dated 21 April 1938 that she wrote to Elton Griggs lists her return address as "2903 W. Mich St., Aprt 1, Milwaukee, Wis." She also listed her name as "Mrs. Mabel Koopman."

. She lived at her home in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI in Nov 1939.^386,398 Gary Griggs has a copy of a letter that she wrote to her cousin Blanche Griggs in October 1939, as well as a letter that she wrote to her cousin Elton Griggs in Missouri, in November 1939, and the return address on the envelopes was 737 South 34th Street.

. She died of cancer of the lymph glands on 15 Feb 1949 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI.^{192,226,437,438}

Obituary Notes: "Mrs. Mabel Griggs Koopman was born in the Town of LaGrange, Monroe County, Wis., May 1, 1889, daughter of Clarence and Carrie Griggs. She passed away at the home of her eldest daughter, Mrs. Ignis Mack, in Milwaukee, Wis., on Feb. 15, 1949, at the age of 59 years.

She was united in marriage to Edward Henry Koopman in April 1912. To this union four children were born: Merle E. of Tomah, Mrs. Ignis (Mildred) Mack of Milwaukee, Milo R. of Eagle, and Mrs. Gordon (Lucille) Reisenauer of Milwaukee.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Griggs, four brothers, Ben, Carrol, Sam and Claire Griggs, and her husband, Edward Koopman.

She is survived by her four children, seven grandchildren and her only sister, Mrs. Rollie Vandervort.

She lived in and around Tomah until 1937 when she went to Milwaukee, where she resided until the time of her death.

Funeral services were held at the Methodist Church at 3 P.M. on Friday, February 18, the Rev. C. Kilde officiating. Burial was in the Oak Grove Cemetery beside her husband, who preceded her in death on Dec. 2, 1918."

(Note: She was also survived by a fifth child, Marge Rettammel Crawford, whose birth father was believed to have been Floyd Thompson and who was later adopted by Edward and Eva Rettammel. No formal record is known to exist of Mabel's marriage to Floyd, and it was not mentioned in her obituary. However, she was listed as "Mrs. Mabel Thompson" in the obituaries of her father, who died in 1931, and of her mother, who died in 1936.)

. She was buried on 18 Feb 1949 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^192,439 in the Oak Grove Cemetery.

.

May Isabell "Mabel" GRIGGS (~) and Floyd Horace THOMPSON were married before 1921.^{423,434,436,440} Blanche Griggs wrote an autobiography when she was a student in high school, in which she referred to her "Uncle Floyd." It was written in about 1927, so Mabel and Floyd may have married before then.

Gary Griggs has a picture of Blanche Griggs, Lucille Koopman, and Helen and Freda Vandervort that was taken in about June 1928 in front of Mabel's restaurant--The Daisy Eat Shop--in Adams, WI. The front window of the restaurant has the lettering, "Mrs. Thompson, Prop."

No formal record of Mabel's marriage to Floyd or of their divorce, if any, can be located.

. Floyd Horace THOMPSON (son of Lucien G. THOMPSON and Jenna A. "Jennie" WEAVER) was born on 29 Jun 1878 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.^178,213,391 He appeared in the census in 1880 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁷⁸ He appeared in the census in 1900 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.²¹³ He was living with his father and his occupation was "Farm Laborer."

. About 1906 he was a rural mailman in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁶³ He appeared in the census in 1910 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³¹⁴ His household on Glendale Avenue consisted of Floyd; his wife, Myrtle; their son, Lyle; Floyd's father, Lucien; and his sister, Myrtle. He appeared in the census in 1920 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁰² He was listed as a "Widower" and lived with his sister, Myrtle, and his son, Lyle. He appeared in the census in 1930 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.^315,441 He was a "Boarder" at the home of Roll and Mattie Vandervort and was listed as a Widower. He is believed to have later married Mabel Griggs, Mattie's sister; she listed her name as "Mabel Thompson" but no record of their marriage can be located.

(His gravestone cannot be located in any of the Monroe County cemeteries.)

. May Isabell "Mabel" GRIGGS (~) and Floyd Horace THOMPSON had the following children:

+849

i.

Marjorie Violet "Marge" RETTAMMEL.

May Isabell "Mabel" GRIGGS (~) and Edward Henry KOOPMAN were married on 12 Apr 1913 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^192,226,312

Newspaper Article: "Marriage ceremony conducted by Rev. Slater. Married at the home of the Bride's father and mother. The best man was Ben Griggs and the bridesmaid was Erma Martin of Ridgeville. Susan Griggs was a witness." Ben Griggs was a brother of Mabel, but the identity of Susan Griggs is not known.

. Edward Henry KOOPMAN (son of Nicolaus "Nick" KOOPMANN and Gesche SANDKAMP) was born on 2 Aug 1887 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^192,442 He appeared in the census in 1895 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.²⁰⁵ He appeared in the census in 1900 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.²¹³

. He appeared in the census in 1905 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.³¹³ He was living with his parents and his occupation was "Farm Laborer."

. Between 1910 and 1918 he was a City Clerk in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.

. He appeared in the census in 1910 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.³¹⁴ He was living with his parents and his occupation was listed as "farmer."

.

He died on 2 Dec 1918 in LaGrange Township, Monroe County, WI.^192,443

Obituary Notes: "Edward Henry Koopman, a young farmer of the town of LaGrange, died on Monday, Dec. 2, of pneumonia following the influenza. Funeral services were held at the farm home on Wednesday afternoon, conducted by Rev. J. G. Glaeser, and burial was in Oak Grove cemetery.

Mr. Koopman was born in Tomah on August 2, 1887, and lived all of his life in this vicinity. He was an industrious and successful farmer. Last summer during an electric storm he was seriously injured by a shock of lightning, from which he had not fully recovered.

He leaves his wife Mabel (nee Griggs) and four small children, aged five, four, two and one year; also his mother, Mrs. N. Koopman, and one sister, Mrs. Carl Wegner."

Cherry Valley Newspaper Article: "We are all very sorry to hear of the death of Ed. Koopman and we all extend sympathy to his family."

. He was buried on 4 Dec 1918 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^192,439 in the Oak Grove Cemetery. May Isabell "Mabel" GRIGGS (~) and Edward Henry KOOPMAN had the following children:

+850	i.	Merle Edwin KOOPMAN (~).
+851	ii.	Mildred Lauretta KOOPMAN (~).
+852	iii.	Milo Robert KOOPMAN (~).
+853	iv.	Lucille Esther KOOPMAN (~).