Caroline Hamilton (Briggs) Mathie   1872?-1967

 

           

Nephew James Locke Neller says, as recollected by his daughter, Patricia Deardorff, “Caroline was the 'aristocratic' type in the family.. she is, I think, the person who did most if not all of the genealogy.. she wanted to trace her DAR and Mayflower roots.  She got to William the Conqueror and got mad because he was a 'bastard.' That's the story.”  He adds that she was always the 'grande dame' of the sisters; very much the proper lady in appearance and manner. 

 

I personally would like to point out the irony that Caroline missed noting herself in her genealogy research.  The Clerk’s office in Appleton does not have an accurate record of her birth date and I have not found any mention of it in all the notes I have from various family members.  The date I have noted below is a best guess.  I got the month and year for her death from the Social Security Death Index.  Pretty sure it is correct, but I wish I had a precise day to go with it.  I also do not know where she is buried.  It is not in Marathon County including Wausau and Mosinee.  It is not in California where Karl appears to have some family.  My best guess is New York state where daughter Cornelia moved with her husband James, which is mentioned in husband Karl Mathie’s obituary.  Jim

 

Born:   April 4, 1872? in Appleton, Wisconsin

Died:   June, 1967. 

 

Spouse:          Karl Mathie m. July 27, 1892 in Appleton, Wisconsin      

Children:         Karl Theodore Mathie

                        Elizabeth Katherine (Mathie) Tippet (m. Earl Tippett)

                        Cornelia Zoe (Mathie) Bell  (m. James Bell)

(There are more details regarding the children listed under father Karl’s page.)

 

Father’s name:          Theodore Wood Briggs                   Birth place:  Ogdensburg, New York

Mother’s name:         Leona Suberville (Dane) Briggs      Birth place:  Lockeport, Nova Scotia

Siblings:         Cornelia Spaulding (Briggs) Burch

                        J. Fred Briggs

                        Jeremiah Briggs (aka: Jay)

                        Curtis Eugene Briggs

                        Mary Elizabeth (Briggs) Brooks

                        Ina Frances Briggs

                        Theodore L. Briggs

 

I have not found any vital records to confirm what Caroline’s date of birth is.  There is a note from a Grandma that suggested April 4, 1889.  If that’s true, then she married at age 3, which is not likely.  The 1880 Census noted she was 8 years old at the time.  So I’ve combined the two and am guessing it may be April 4, 1872. 

 

           

This photo is from A Photo Album of Marathon County: 1850 – 1925, by Malcolm Rosholt.  This is a close up of Boy Scout Troop 2 of Wausau taken in 1915 where I’ve tried to highlight the Mathie family with Scoutmaster Karl on the left, daughter Cornelia in back center, daughter Elizabeth 2nd from right and Karl’s wife Caroline (Briggs) Mathie on far right.

 

 1941 picture with (L - R) friend A. P. Ryan of Neenah, brother Ted, Caroline, and sister Ina.

 

    

The Mathies had a visit from the Nellers, sister Ina’s family, in 1910.  We’re in Mosinee, WI.  In the gazebo Karl plays with 5 yr old Marjorie and 3 yr old

Richard Karl Neller.  On the right, Karl, Caroline and niece Marjorie are buying baskets of apples from a couple street vendors.

Photos generously shared by Krisy Brue, Granddaughter of Ina Briggs Neller, daughter of Marjorie.  She may be contacted at: krisbrue@mhtc.net

 

Caroline and her sister Ina did the research and daughter Marjorie created the artwork for the family tree drawing that is used as a background on my Genealogy Main Page.  Another copy done for the Neller family has on the bottom this note:

“Made for Ina Briggs Neller---Genealogy by Caroline Briggs Mathie---Marjorie Neller Peterson, Artist  1935.” 

My copy is beat, tattered and torn with a side cut off, but you may look at my scan here.  Unfortunately, I can’t get better resolution and I put the gray shade to it to give it an even appearance.  And here is the unaltered version.  If any one knows who has the original, I would love to visit it.  It should be considered a work of art and be framed and protected.  Krisy Brue currently holds the Neller version.  It is my understanding that the sisters did the research as part of their becoming DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) members; that is why there are a couple soldiers stamped onto the lower half.  My research into the family history has shown that every branch and name on the tree is completely accurate.  Considering they worked in the early 1930’s without the aide of computers, modern communications, and travel, it is truly amazing.  Thank you, Ina, Caroline, and Marjorie.

 

 

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