beacon 4-19

Page 2A THE BEACON April 2019
By
Tamara
Taylor
What’s Really
Important?
So many things happen in
our lives- births, baptisms,
communions, graduations,
weddings... you get the picture.
It all boils down to the
creation of memories.
One of my most impactful
memories was from when I
was about five. My family
lived in an old farmhouse, the
floors of which sloped so severely
that I could roller skate
from one side of my room
to the other without flexing
a muscle. My room had that
really cool, old linoleum on
the floor which made skating
even better.
I remember one night sitting
on my bed and thinking about
my aunt who had moved
Clarise Kathryn Stewart was baptized at St. John’s
Lutheran Church in Aurora on October 22, 1911.
far, far away to Connecticut
and wishing so badly that I
could see her more often. At
that moment I realized how
incredibly important family is
to me.
I am very blessed to be in
touch with much of my family
that has scattered across the
country. My relatives have
mentioned many times that
they probably would have lost
touch if it weren’t for me. I
highly doubt that, but whatever
it takes...
I often meet people with big
families and wonder if they
realize the gift they have been
given- the magic of sharing
one’s life and memories with
those who have known them
the longest.
Recently I gathered some
things together for my son,
one of which was a handmade
wooden box that had
belonged to his great, great
grandfather. The family lore is
The naturalization papers for John Henry Bauer, then
aged forty-four, signed by the clerk of Dearborn County
Circuit Court John A. Conwell in 1872.
that his great, great grandfather
kept love letters from his
beloved wife in the box. The
box had been passed down to
my son by his grandmother
when he was baptized.
Before my son came to
visit, I opened the box only to
find papers that I had gotten
at an auction years ago. They
were the personal papers of
Clarise Kathryn Stewart, the
daughter of John and Viola
(Bauer) Stewart
One of the documents was
the naturalization paper for
Kathryn’s grandfather, John
Henry Bauer, dated 1872.
He immigrated from Bavaria
Germany in 1859 at the age of
forty-four. On that day in 1872
John Bauer renounced forever
his allegiance to Emperer William
of Germany as witnessed
by John H. Conwell, the Clerk
of Dearborn County Circuit
Court at Lawrenceburgh (yes,
with an h). How’s that for
dropping names! The handwriting
on Mr. Bauer’s naturalization
paper, while faded,
is impeccable.
According to local historian
Roy Lambert, Conwell Street
in Aurora was named after
John H. Conwell. I am willing
to guess that Stewart Street
was named after Kathryn’s
father, John Stewart.
Another document in Kathryn
Stewart’s personal papers
is a Certificate of Baptism for
Kathryn from St. John’s Lutheran
Church, Aurora, dated
1911. Apparently, Kathryn
had an older sister named
Leonora who was baptized
two years earlier in 1909. Her
Certificate of Baptism is printed
in beautiful gold ink and
is signed by the same pastor,
Geo. J. Fischer.
Kathryn and Leonora both
earned diplomas from the
Miller School of Business in
1928. Their diplomas were
in Kathryn’s personal papers
and were carefully stored
with letters of completion on
the Business and Secretarial
Course of Instruction as well
as membership cards for the
Royal Proficiency Club.
Kathryn Stewart’s Metro
pass from 1980.
I thought about how different
Kathryn’s and Leonora’s
opportunities were to the opportunities
that young women
have today.
Kathryn lived on West
Conwell Street in Aurora. The
area was alive and bustling
back then. I have a feeling
that given her last name and
address that she is a direct descendant
of whoever Stewart
Street was named after.
Given the cultural climate
back in the 1900s, I would
also hazard a guess that Kathryn
never married since she
kept her last name throughout
her life.
Also included in Kathryn’s
personal papers was a card
from the United States Civil
Service Commission stating
that she retired in 1962 and
was granted an annuity. Her
Metro Fare Deal card was
also enclosed.
What is the point of all of
this, you might ask? Two
things.
First, I learned so very
much about Kathryn Stewart
from a few old sheets of
paper. No internet or Google
searches were used in the
creation of this story.
Second, I have always wondered
about Kathryn’s relatives.
Surely a family member
or someone out there remembers
her and would cherish
these papers just as Kathryn
must have.
If you have any knowledge
about Kathryn and her family,
please contact me at editor@
goBEACONnews.com. I
would love nothing more than
to see these heirlooms that
Kathryn so lovingly treasured
be returned to her family
where they belong.
Publisher/Editor
Tamara M. Taylor
Publishers Emeritus
Elizabeth Morris, Celeste Calvitto
Sales Manager - New Accounts
Susan Snyder
Editorial Assistants
Connie Webb, Cherie Maddin
Columnists & Contributors
Debbie Acasio, Melanie Alexander,
Doris Butt, Susan Carson,
Gloria Carter, Susan Cottingham,
Rebecca Davies, PG Gentrup,
John Hawley, Mary-Alice Helms,
Merrill and Linda Hutchinson,
Karis Troyer, Korry Johnson,
Ray Johnson, Laura Keller,
Julie Murphy, Chris Nobbe,
Fred Schmits, Marie Segale,
Logan Seig, Sue Siefert,
Debby Stutz, Nicole Williams,
Debbie Zimmer
Production
FX-Design, Inc.
Over 21,500 distribution & growing! To advertise, call 812-637-0660
THE
BEACON
For advertising rate inquiries
and to submit news and photos:
editor@goBEACONnews.com
Phone: 812-637-0660
website:
goBEACONnews.com
The Beacon is an independent
monthly publication with
distribution in Dearborn, Ripley,
Franklin and Ohio Counties in
Indiana and Harrison, Ohio.
Published since 1994.
Beacon News, Inc.
PO Box 4022
Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025.
Member:
Dearborn County
Chamber of Commerce,
Ripley County
Chamber of Commerce,
Bright Area Business Association,
Batesville Chamber
of Commerce
THE BEACON - Bringing our Community and Businesses Together.