52 Ancestors,
in 52 Weeks
Week 34:
Character
Quite the Character
I did not personally know my great aunt Grace, but those who did often described her as being fun, and full of life. My father said his aunt Grace was “a character,” my aunt Lois would say Grace was “lots of fun,” and my grandmother said her sister “liked to laugh.” Grace’s husband, my uncle Frank, would say “Grace loved her flowers and her family.” From records and family photos, I think Aunt Grace looked for the positive even when life was a challenge. Aunt Grace was a character with character.
Grace Osborne, 1887-1954
Grace was born when her mother, Jennie, was 29 and her father, David, was 39. They had been married not quite 10 months when Grace was born. I wrote about the marriage of Grace’s parents a few years ago, read about it here. [1] Grace was a middle child, she had two younger sisters and two older brothers from her father’s first marriage. Grace’s father was a Civil War veteran, he did interior finishing work for a home builder and he was active in several clubs and associations. The Osborne’s did not have extended family living nearby and the family changed address nearly every year. [2] These are just a few of the family dynamics that may have contributed to Grace being a “character”.
Grace Osborne Flucawa
1943
At left is Grace with her two younger sisters Sadie and Pearl. Above, Grace is having some fun with her two sisters-in-law, Augusta and Nell. Both photos are undated but probably about 1910.
Family and Friends
Grace married in 1903, at age 16, to Gurdon Fithian, he was 12 years her senior. She and Gurdon had one son, Glenn, born a year after the couple wed. By the end of 1910, Grace and Gurdon divorced. Grace and her son Glenn lived with her parents and Grace did a variety of jobs, including as a bookkeeper and as a landscaper. [3, 4] She met her second husband, Frank Takeo Flucawa, through the ME Deaconess Mission and they married in 1912. [5] Grace and Frank did not have children of their own, but they often entertained those of their friends, neighbors and relatives.
Plants and Poultry
Grace took a great interest in growing flowers and raising poultry. She won recognition for both at local flower and poultry shows. [6, 7] She and Frank operated a commercial poultry business in Warren Park on Indianapolis’ east-side for many years. [8] Later they had a commercial flower business on the south-side of New Castle, Indiana, “The Flowerteria” and “Flucawa’s Flower Gardens.” [9]
The photos I have of Aunt Grace, her chickens and gardens are in black and white. But, a few years ago I came across several color slides of the hothouse and flowers. The one’s that are acetate have faded badly and I have attempted to colorize them. But three are glass slides and scanned fairly well.
Hats!
Grace also was keen for hats, as you can see in the photos above. I have found several photo-booth type images of her wearing various hats. Although she is not smiling in some of these, I think she was trying for drama as she modeled the hats.
I made a scrapbook page several years ago featuring some of the hat photos.
Conclusion
I wish I had known my great aunt Grace. She passed away in 1954, a few years before I was born. [10, 11] Although, I did get to enjoy her flower garden when I was a child. The stories told by family, and the photographs I have, lead me to believe she was indeed a character in the best way.
I wish this photo were in color to show the flowers. That’s a 1933 Auburn in the background, it may have belonged to her son Glenn.
SOURCES
- Blog post, Family Finds: The Marriage of David and Jennie Osborne; https://barblafara.com/the-marriage-of-david-and-jennie-osborne/
- Blog post, Family Finds: David L. Osborne: His Indianapolis Homes; https://barblafara.com/indianapolis-addresses-for-david-l-osborne/
- Entry for Martha G[race] Fithian, U.S, Federal Census: Year: 1910; Census Place: Indianapolis Ward 1, Marion, Indiana; Roll:T624_366; Page: 7A ; FHL microfilm: 1374379;
- Entry for M Grace Osborne, “Indianapolis, Indiana, City Directory”, Page: 968, Online at Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995.
- Entry for Martha Grace Fithian, Marion County, Indiana; Index to Marriage Record 1911 – 1915 Inclusive Vol, Original Record Located: County Clerk’s Office Ind; Book: 69; Page: 393; Online at Ancestry.com. Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1941
- Profile of Martha Grace Osborne, ‘Osborn‘ tree, Ancestry.com; https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/13493206/person/-60123978/facts
- Article, “Lewisville Home Demonstration Club,” National Road Traveler, 26 Aug 1954, page 9, col 7.
- Entry for Takeo Flucawa,U.S. Federal Census; Year: 1930; Census Place: Warren, Marion, Indiana; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0252; FHL microfilm: 2340351,
- Entry for Grace Martha Flucawa, Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 1954; Roll: 12; Online at Ancestry.com. Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2011
- Online memorial for Grace Flucawa at Find a Grave, Access Online: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71868064/
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