Individual Details

Eleanor Elizabeth "Ella" SCHROYER

(21 May 1865 - 5 Jun 1946)

Ella was separated from her first husband by the time of the 1893 census of Story County, in which she is listed with her children, using the surname of Schroyer. It is not clear when she was divorced, but it seems to have been some time after she began living with John Farrell. He was also still married, and was not able to marry Ella until after the death of his first wife in 1913. The first child of John Farrell and Ella Schroyer Shaffer was born in January of 1895.

Events

Birth21 May 1865Monroe, Green, Wisconsin, United States
Marriage1884Iowa, United States - William Arnold SHAFFER
Residence1893Nevada, Story, Iowa, United States
Residence (family)1 Jun 1900West Union, Fayette, Iowa, United States - John S. FARRELL
Residence (family)15 Apr 1910West Union, Fayette, Iowa, United States - John S. FARRELL
MarriageMay 1913Iowa, United States - John S. FARRELL
Residence (family)1 Jan 1920West Union, Fayette, Iowa, United States - John S. FARRELL
Residence (family)1 Apr 1930West Union, Fayette, Iowa, United States - John S. FARRELL
Death5 Jun 1946Decorah, Winneshiek, Iowa, United States
BurialWest Union Cemetery, West Union, Fayette, Iowa, United States

Families

SpouseJohn S. FARRELL (1856 - 1931)
ChildWanetta Marjorie FARRELL (1895 - 1982)
ChildVera E. FARRELL (1899 - 1984)
ChildEunice A. FARRELL (1901 - 1974)
ChildTherold Michael FARRELL (1903 - 1968)
ChildTheodore Patrick FARRELL (1905 - 1969)
SpouseWilliam Arnold SHAFFER (1857 - )
ChildRetta Mae SHAFFER (1885 - 1980)
ChildWilliam James A. SHAFFER (1886 - )
FatherEmmanuel SCHROYER ( - 1919)
MotherEunice Adelaide SOPER (1842 - 1919)
SiblingFrancis Marion "Frank" SCHROYER (1863 - 1930)
SiblingJohn Allen SCHROYER (1867 - 1949)
SiblingEdward Emanuel SCHROYER (1871 - 1948)
SiblingLaura A. SCHROYER (1874 - )
SiblingSeth Lorenzo SCHROYER (1877 - 1955)
SiblingThelma Martha Ida "Mattie" SCHROYER ( - 1957)
SiblingOscar Stanley "Yank" SCHROYER (1881 - 1935)

Notes

Marriage

Info from family tree of icnieman1 on Ancestry.com.

Residence

Ella Schroyer, age 28, is listed with Retta, age 8, and James (Jas), age 6. It is significant that they are listed under their mother's maiden name, Schroyer, rather than her married name (and the children's legal surname), Shaffer. Immediately following is the listing for Roy Schroyer, age 60. Other Schroyers follow on this sheet, including the families of Frank Schroyer and Emanuel Schroyer.

http://interactive.ancestry.com/1084/IA_125-0156?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d1084%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=IA_125-0208

Residence (family)

This census record is a rather patched-up portrayal of a non-traditional family. Ella was listed as widowed, although her first husband was still probably living, and her current common-law husband, John Farrell, was listed as a boarder. (He could not marry Ella until his first wife, who was in a mental institution, died.) These are the family members enumerated:
-- Ella Shaffer, a widow, age 35, born March 1869 in Wisconsin
-- her daughter, Reta M. Shaffer, age 15, born May 1885 in Iowa
-- her son, James A. Shaffer, age 13, born Dec 1887 in Iowa
-- her daughter, Wanetta Shaffer, age 5, born January 1895 in Iowa
-- her daughter, Vera Shaffer, age 1, born January 1899 in Iowa
-- John Ferrell, a boarder, married, age 43, born October 1856 in Ireland
-- Tommy Ferrell, a boarder, age 15, born April 1885 in Iowa.
Wanetta and Vera were the daughters of Ella and John Farrell. Tommy was presumably the son of John and his first wife, and Reta and James were children of Ella's first marriage, to William Shaffer.

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11594-144291-35?cc=1325221&wc=MMPJ-GKZ:757555083

Residence (family)

John and Ella were still unable to marry as of 1910, so their children are listed with the surname of Shaffer. Enumerated with this family were: John Farrell, age 50, a cement worker (sidewalks); Elanore Shaffer, age 44, a laborer at odd jobs; and children: William A. Shaffer, age 23, a laborer; Wanetta Shaffer, age 15; Vera Shaffer, age 14; Unice Shaffer, age 8; Thorold Shaffer, age 7, and Theodore Shaffer, age 5. John was married once, and had been married for 34 years. Elanore also had been married once, and had been married for 27 years.

http://interactive.ancestry.com/7884/31111_4328297-01091?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d7884%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=31111_4328297-01096

Marriage

According to the family tree of "Icnieman1" on Ancestry.com, John and Eleanor had been together as far back as 1894, but they could not marry until John's first wife died (she was in a mental institution). Presumably, Ella was divorced from her first husband, William Arnold Shaffer.

Residence (family)

Enumerated with this family were John S. Farrell, age 63, a section head for the railroad; his wife, Ella E. Farrell, age 54, a domestic; and children: Eunice A. Farrell, age 18, a telephone operator; Therold M. Farrell, age 16, a laborer; and Theodore P. Farrell, age 14.

http://interactive.ancestry.com/6061/4300691_01160?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d6061%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=4300691_01181

Residence (family)

Enumerated with this family were John S. Farrell, age 74, a farmer; his wife, Ella E. Farrell, age 65, a laundress; and sons: Throl (sic) Farrell, age 26, a waiter; and Theodore Farrell, age 24, a laborer. Also another son, Wm. A. Farrell, age 44, a section man for the railroad.

http://interactive.ancestry.com/6224/4584411_00120?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d6224%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=4584411_00146

Endnotes

1. , Find A Grave, photographs and extracted information (findagrave.com : accessed 3 December 2017), Eleanor Elizabeth Schroyer Farrell; memorial ID 155539848.

2. Ella Schroyer and children, 1893 Iowa Census, Davis, Franklin, and Story Counties, population, , Story, Nevada, image 48; http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1084, Ancestry.com, .

3. 1900 U.S. Federal Census, , population, Iowa, Fayette, West Union, enumeration district (ED) ED 86, sheets 12B-13A, images 24-25, dwelling 301, family 310, lines 95-100 and 1, Ella Shaffer and family; digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1325221 : accessed 24 November 2013); National Archives and Records Administration.

4. 1910 U.S. Federal Census, , population, Iowa, Fayette, West Union, enumeration district (ED) ED 100, sheet 10B, image 6, dwelling 238, family 240, lines 70-77, John Farrell and Elanore Shaffer and family; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7884 : accessed 24 November 2013); National Archives Records Administration.

5. 1920 U.S. Federal Census, , population, Iowa, Fayette, West Union, Ward 2, enumeration district (ED) ED 106, sheet 11B, image 22, dwelling 316, family 317, lines 95-99, John S. Farrell and family; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 November 2013); National Archives and Records Administration.

6. 1930 U.S. Federal Census, , population, Iowa, Fayette, West Union, Ward 2, enumeration district (ED) ED 33-35, sheet 14A, image 26, dwelling 337, family 343, lines 14-18, John S. Farrell and family; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=6224 : accessed 24 November 2013); National Archives and Records Administration.

7. , Find A Grave, photographs and extracted information (findagrave.com : accessed 3 December 2017), Eleanor Elizabeth Schroyer Farrell; memorial ID 155539848.