The Lowe Family Tree

George Frederick Rogers, Jr.

Georgie, brother of great grandmother Edna Rogers, left home at 20 and joined the Army during WWII against his family's wishes. He was assigned to the 91st Cavalry Recon Squadron where he took part in the Africa, Sicily & Italy Campaigns. Even though Georgie was wounded twice he kept returning to the front lines and, according to his brothers in arms, showed no fear. On his way back to base at the end of a night recon mission behind enemy lines in northern Italy, Georgie was struck by pistol fire and killed in the line of duty. He had achieved the rank of Corporal and was a purple heart and bronze star recipient for his heroism and conduct.

Sarah Short

Sarah was born in 1818 in Ivinghoe, England. It's in Ivinghoe where she grew up. Sarah lost her mother at the age of 2 following the birth of her younger sister and her father at 17. She met her husband George Simons within the next 2 years and the couple was married at St. Mary's Church in 1837. Five years later they immigrated to America and settled in North Royalton, Ohio where they raised their 6 children. In 1860 the family picked up again and headed west into the wild frontiers of Iowa. They settled down in Dehli, Delaware County, Iowa where Sarah died of heart failure in 1881 at the age of 63.

George Simons

George Simons was born 25 Dec 1817 to parents Jesse & Mary in Buckinghamshire, England.1 His parents operated Vicarage Farm in Ivinghoe. He married Sarah Short in 1837, immigrated to America with his sister in 1842 and settled in Ohio for 18 years. In 1860, the family moved to Delhi, Iowa. George joined the Union Army and fought in the Civil War where he was wounded 3 times. After his wife died in 1881 and his health started to fail, he returned to England where he died.

Rufus Dodge

The origins of Rufus H. Dodge are muddied. He was born in 1825 in what is believed to be Harpersfield, Ashtabula, Ohio. Nothing else is known about him until he marries Sarah Bryant in 1844 in Pennsylvania. The couple lived in Parkerburg, Ohio and then moved to North Ridgeville following his wife's family. Rufus was a stagecoach driver and later a teamster, hauling goods instead of people. The couple had 3 daughters together but lost 2 of the to illness. After his wife died in 1897, Rufus moved in with his daughter's family in Cleveland and then followed as they relocated to Medina. Rufus died in Granger, Ohio, not far from the family home in Weymouth in 1907.

Maria Simons

Maria was born in 1841 in the area of Great Gap in Ivinghoe, England. At 10 months old, her family immigrated to North Royalton, Ohio aboard the ship Philadelphia. Here she was raised with her five siblings. At 16, Maria met a local tailor named Ed Christian from the village of Berea who was also an immigrant from the British Isles. The couple married in 1857 and Ed became a prominent figure in the community (and thus Maria did as well). The couple had 9 children together during their 53 years of marriage. Maria died in Berea in 1911 at the age of 70.

Edward Christian

Born in the parish Rushen on the Isle of Man, Ed was the youngest son to an agricultural laborer. As a teenager he apprenticed with a tailor and immigrated to Berea, Ohio at the age of 19. He set up a tailoring and furnishing store on the historic Front street section of the Berea "Triangle" which he operated for 56 years. Ed was also a councilman, township treasurer, founding member of the masonic lodge, president of the Board of Education, and held the office of Mayor while somehow finding time to marry and raise 9 children with his wife Maria.

Elizabeth Collier

Born to a saddler and farmer father at Amerton farm, Lizzie, as she was known, was raised on the outskirts of Stowe-by-Chartley. She married Samuel Rogers in Stowe in 1887 and five years later at the age of 30, they immigrated to Columbia Township, Ohio where they would live out the rest of their lives. Lizzie gave birth to 9 children and they were always very poor, struggling to provide for their children. Lizzie died in Berea, Ohio at her daughter's home.

Samuel John Rogers

Born to a corn miller father at Newinn Mill, Samuel was raised in Trentham, Staffordshire, England. He married Elizabeth Collier in Stowe-by-Chartley in 1887 and five years later at the age of 35, they immigrated to Columbia Township, Ohio where they would raise their children and live out the rest of their lives. They had 9 children in total and spent the majority of their lives in extreme poverty, constantly struggling to provide for their children. Samuel died in Berea, Ohio at the community hospital in 1930.

Caroline Marie Mortensen

Marie was born in 1864 in Aarestrup, Denmark to a single mother and seemingly uninterested father. Her father's sister took a far more active role in Marie's early life (as her godmother) and raised Marie until her mother married and was able to care for Marie herself; which happened at age 7. This tug-of-war lifestyle seemed to play heavy on Marie, who never officially married herself, yet gave birth to nine children. She posed as a married woman with her live-in boyfriend to immigrate to America at age 35, started American life Racine, Wisconsin, but eventually settled in Euclid, Ohio where her boyfriend ran off with her daughter (unrelated) after a string of family tragedies and left Marie to raise the family herself. Marie died in Euclid in 1925.

Elna Wilhelmina Mortensen

Edna, as she was known, was born in the city of Aalborg, Denmark to a single mother who worked as a maid/cook and her carpenter boyfriend. She was raised south of the city in the rural village of Aarestrup by her grandparents along with her brothers and sisters. Edna immigrated to America with her mother at 5 years old and eventually settled in Nottingham, Ohio on the east side of Cleveland. Here Edna worked as a maid until she met and married a butcher named George Rogers in 1913. The couple would have 2 children, a boy and a girl and build a happy life and successful family business around the butcher shop. Edna and George almost completely fell apart after the loss of their son to WWII, but family helped them find their footing and recover. The couple celebrated 59 years of marriage together before George's passing. Edna lived to be 99 years old and welcomed 4 generations into the world.

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