Fannie Vonier Aeschliman

What is wrong with this picture? It is the grave marker of Enos's parents, taken at the Pettisville Cemetery.

Answer: Fannie was not born in 1863.

The assumption always was that Fannie was born in Etobon, Haute-Saône, France on November 20, 1863. However, in the summer of 2015, Joe Springer of the Mennonite Historical Library in Goshen found the record of her birth. It turns out that she was born in the village of Magny-Vernois, also in Haute-Saône, on November 23, 1862. The family lived in Magny-Vernois for about three years but otherwise lived in Etobon.

Even this family Bible has the incorrect birthdate:

Unfortunately, my photos of Fannie are of her older years. It would be interesting to see what she looked like in her younger years.

 

Prior to November 1932 in son Enos's front yard.

 Taken in 1950's in Enos and Dora's living room.

Closer up, we see her cane, rickrack around her polka dot apron (it was probably a week day), black covering strings, handkerchief, and sweater to keep warm. 

Fannie in summer 1953, after attending the Sunday worship at West Clinton Mennonite Church. The great granddaughter is under 4 years old but quite tall in comparison to the stooped Fannie. Fannie wore her heavy woolen coat and her black bonnet even in mid-summer.

Somewhere, Fannie learned to knit. She knitted these mittens for Judy and me. I think other families received mittens also.

If you want to read more, here is Fannie's obituary. Note that there are errors, such as her birthday, birth place, age at immigration, age at death, but it is still interesting. Instead of being 92 years old, she reached 93!

FANNIE (Vonier) AESCHLIMAN
Fannie (Vonier) Aeschliman, daughter of Andrew and Catharine Vonier, was born in Etoben, Alsace Loraine; *Franche, November 20, 1863. After being bedfast for four weeks she peacefully fell asleep at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Henry Richer of Wauseon, Ohio, Jan. 13, 1956, at the age of 92 years, 1 month, and 24 days. When she was 9 years of age she came with her parents to this country and settled near Archbold, Ohio. On Apri1 10, 1883, she was united in marriage to Theophilus Aeschliman. This union was blessed with 5 children, 2 sons and 3 daughters: Jemima (Mrs. Aaron Klopfenstein), Mary (Mrs. Henry Richer), Lucinda (Mrs. Samuel Richer), and Enos Aeschliman, all of Wauseon, Ohio, and Ben Aeschliman of Archbold, Ohio. Her companion preceded her in death 23 years ago; also 1 daughter, Jemima, who passed away about a year ago. She leaves to mourn her
departure: 4 children, 25 grandchildren, 14 great-grand-children, and 1 great-great-grand-child; also 3 sisters: Mrs. Ida Fether, Mrs. Cora Leininger, Mrs. Hulda Lauber, and 1 brother, Mr. Otto Vonier, and many other relatives and friends. In her younger years she accepted Christ as her personal Saviour and united with the Defenseless Mennonite Church, and later transferred her membership to the, Old Mennonite church of which she was a faithful member until death. She was a patient, kind and loving Mother and was interested in the spiritual welfare of her family.
'Tis hard "to part with 'Mother, dear,
No more to have her with us here;
But yet we're glad,-if God saw best
To take her home and give her rest,
In Heaven to reign with angels fair,
May our name, too, be written there.
Card Of Thanks
The family expresses. their heartfelt thanks for prayers, sympathies and flowers, and to all who assisted during the sickness, death and-burial of Mother. Fannie Aeschliman Family.

From SAGA (Swiss Anabaptist Genealogical Association) http://saga-omii.org/, transcribed by Burkholder, Rose Clark (I'm not sure of the actual source, perhaps the local newspaper.)

*****