52AncestorsFB

Week 46 Prompt: Poor Man

This week’s 52 Ancestors theme is ”Poor Man.” I decided not to go the monetary route. Instead, I’m going the emotional route; a sad story about my second great-grandfather—poor Philip.

As I’ve stated in this blog before, Philip Rottman is one of my biggest brick walls. I have managed to unravel some of his story and it’s a sad one. Here’s what I know.

Philip and his wife Mary Eva had eight children, two of whom died as infants. After the family finally settled in Linn County, Iowa, Philip was in and out of court on various charges related to “selling intoxicating liquors.”

Two years after their youngest son was born in 1882, Philip and Mary Eva separated, having “made a division of their property and also of their children.” Mary Eva took the three youngest children (Charles, Mabel, and George), while Philip took the oldest three (John, Anna, and Lizzie).

A few months later, Mary Eva took off with four children and headed for Golden, Colorado. It is unclear as to whether they reconciled in the interim. Philip, along with one son (likely John), followed Mary Eva to Golden, where he met his death from an accidental fall out a window.

According to newspaper accounts, Mary Eva fled because “he was cruel to her.” There are still so many questions. But it seems Philip lived a rough life, although this is no excuse for the way he allegedly treated Mary Eva. I wish I knew the whole story, and I continue to work on unraveling it.