Person:Mary Lucy (4)

Biological parents: Michael Lucy and Mary Sullivan; according to her obituary, both died of causes unknown "soon" after her birth. We know only their names from records of Mary's marriage to Franklin Schauweker.

Mary was adopted and raised by John Earle and Ann Trott, immigrants from Northern Ireland and neighbors of John Michael Schauweker in Jefferson Township.

Earle, John Sr., died on Saturday evening. ~ 5-15-1890.

Earle, Ann (Trott) died on the old home farm near Albion Feb. 25, 1892, aged 84 years 6 months and 18 days. She was born Aug. 12, 1807 in County Tyrone, Ireland, being one of 8 children born to Robert and Nancy Trott. She became the wife of John Earle March 29, 1837. Three years later her husband set sail from Londonderry on a vessel bound for Philadelphia. She remained behind one year. In 1841 she took passage for Philadelphia, a trip that is now made in 8 days, it took 8 weeks to accomplish. She had the care of her 2 small children during the journey. In 1847 she came with her husband to Ohio and in 1850 they moved to the farm on which she lived until her death. She was the mother of 5 children, 2 of whom died in infancy. The other 3, William, Anna and John, and one adopted daughter, Mary, besides several grandchildren, survive. ~ Noble Co. Democrat, 3-9-1892.

According to the 1880 census, Mary believed her parents to have been born in Indiana. She wasn't sure in 1900. She responded Indiana again in 1910.

There was a Lucy family living in Jefferson Township, Allen County, Indiana in 1850: Jeremiah (a farmer) and Joanna, aged 49 and 47, immigrants from Ireland with two Indiana-born sons: Timothy, age 10, and Michael, age 8. The same family was intact and living in Jefferson Township, Allen on July 26, 1860. The two sons were now adults: Timothy, 20 and Michael, 18.

Mary Sullivan, an Ireland-born housemaid, aged 22, was living with the Underhill family of Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana in 1860.

The Lucies were living in New Haven, Allen County, Indiana in 1870: Jeremiah, Joanna, and Timothy, now 29. I can find no record of Michael Lucy with or without Mary Sullivan in the 1870 census.

I suspect two things: 1) that the Earles and the elder Lucies were related (or at least knew each other) and 2) that the young couple were unmarried and pursuing a relationship in secret.

It is not unreasonable to theorize, given the scandal an illegitimate child would have generated (especially if Mary Sullivan was single and living with the presumably affluent Underhills before May 1860), that Michael and Mary, or just Mary herself, went to Noble County around April or May, had the baby in Kendallville, gave her over to the Earles in Jefferson Township (Noble), and returned to Allen County before the July census.

Mary Lucy was just 18 when she married Franklin Schauweker, the same age as Michael Lucy of Allen County when he theoretically became a father and disappeared from the record.

Mary spent most of her life in Jefferson Township. Repetition of this fact has been omitted from census data for the sake of readability.

The cause of her early death is unknown.

Mary's grave was visited and documented in May, 2011.

1.   Noble County, Indiana Death Records from the Whan Collection.

   Schauweker Mary L, 5-14-1860, 10-13-1917, A5.

2.   Noble County, Indiana Obituaries from the Whan Collection.

   Schauweker, Mary, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lucy, was born in Kendallville May 14, 1860. Soon after her birth both parents died. She was then taken into the home of John and Ann Earle, who by adoption made her one of their own children. On Nov. 2, 1878 she married Frank Schauweker of near Albion. They had 5 children, all of whom live. She died on Oct. 13 at the old home 3 miles southeast of Albion at the age of 57 years, 4 months and 29 days. She leaves the husband; 3 sons, John W. of Jefferson Twp, Charles L. of Calexico, Cal., and Walter A. of the home (line missing) two daughters, Retha M. Mahnesmith who will reside at the old home, and Alice E. Forker of Fort Wayne; grandchildren, Lavon Mahnesmith and Ethel Schauweker. She was a member of the United Brethren Church in Albion where funeral was held Oct. 16. Burial, Albion Cemetery. ~ 10-13-1917.

3. ↑ Rose Hill Cemetery