Perry B. Eneau Obituary

According to his death certificate, Perry B. Eneau passed away on July 14, 1955 at St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri of Thrombophlebitis due to gangrene in his left leg.  He is buried at the Ashland Cemetery, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri in Lot F-11, Location 2W, according to the cemetery record.

I have two (2) newspaper clippings for Perry B. Eneau.  Both are from unknown newspapers which I someday hope to identify.

Perry B. Eneau

The body of Perry B. Eneau, who died last night, is at the Meierhoffer-Fleeman funeral home.

Mr. Eneau, 82, died at his home, 418 North 29th street.  A lifetime St. Joseph resident, he had been a gardener at the William Albrecht home until six years ago and prior to that, for 35 years, had been an employee of the old Noyes-Norman Shoe Co.

Mr. Eneau is survived by his wife, Mrs. Carrie A. Eneau of the home; a daughter, Mrs. Harry Modrell, Dearborn, Mo.; two half sisters, Mrs. Sophia Wiscamb, Denver, Colo., and Mrs. Priscilla Lavelette, Colorado Springs, Colo.; a grandson and a great-grandson.

Eneau Services

Services for Perry B. Eneau will be held Monday at 1:30 p.m. at the Meierhoffer-Fleeman chapel, the Rev. E. C. Hunt officiating.  Burial will be in Ashland Cemetery.  Mr. Eneau, a lifelong resident of St. Joseph died Thursday night at his home, 418 North 29th street, at the age of 82.

Who Are The Parents?

Perry B. Eneau is a man that has confused me to no end.  The brick wall with him is so tall I can’t even see to the top.

Perry was born August 15, 1872 in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri, according to his death certificate.  He married Carrie A. Young on October 28, 1898 in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri, according to his marriage license.  They are the parents of Maxine W. Eneau (my paternal grandmother).

I believe Perry was actually born with the last name of Heneault, which was shortened at some time to Eneau.  I don’t know when, why or how.  I find records under both names and his siblings and possible parents records always refer to Heneault (with various spellings, never Eneau like his records).

I need to look at the christening record from Immaculate Conception which is indexed at FamilySearch.org that shows his name as Perier Eduardum Eneau, however, I have a note handwritten by my father (Jerry Eneau Modrell), which states his name is Perry Baptiste Eneau with the same date of birth as above and also states he was born in the French Bottoms of St. Joseph, Missouri.  His death certificate and marriage license both show his name as Perry B. Eneau, as well as his obituary and tombstone.

His death certificate states his parents are Stephen Eneau and Victoria Lavelette.  There are several issues with this theory:

·         Victoria Lavelette married Xavier Lavelette on January 7, 1879 and they had no children (still trying to figure out if they were related – cousins maybe?).  This is according to FamilySearch.org, so will need to look at the record for this to see if there is any additional information.

·         Stephen Eneau married Victoria Didlo November 29, 1883 which is 11 years after Perry was born.

·         Victoria Didlo was born January 18, 1865 which puts her at 7 years old having Perry as a child which is not likely to have happened.

·         Stephen Heneault obituary from the Catholic Tribune states he leaves a brother, Perry Heneault in St. Joseph.

·         Victoria Didlo obituary from the Catholic Tribune states she leaves two (2) sons, Edward and David.

His christening records states his parents are Stephano Eneau and Victoria.  Again, only the above records and issues were discovered.

The 1880 US Federal Census states he is the son of Sylvester Henault and Lucinda Henault.  Following is a synopsis of the information found on Sylvester/Lucinda:

·         Sylvester Henault was 56 years old in the 1880 Census which would have put him at 48 years old in 1872 when Perry was born which is more likely than 7 year old Victoria.

·         Lucinda was 59 in the 1880 Census which would have put her at 51 years old in 1872 when Perry was born – is that likely?  I am not sure.

·         The 1900 US Federal Census shows a Sylvan Eneau living with his daughter, Victoria Richart. Most likely her maiden name was Eno, was she the Widow in the 1880 US Federal Census?  Was she married before Richart?

·         The 1880 US Federal Census shows a Victoria Eno as a widow living with Michael and Priscilla Lavlett.  It states Delia and Edward as daughter and son respectively, supposed relationship to head of household, however, Victoria Lavelette and Stephen Heneault were parents of Delia according to her marriage license to Julius Henry on September 9, 1918, not to mention Victoria Didlow (who married Stephen Heneault) also had a son named Edward.  Are these the same women?  Due to supposed age at birth of children, I doubt it, but I can’t find any other references to a Victoria Heneault, Eno, or Lavelette.

So, as you can see, I am so confused.  I can’t seem to find a record that will straighten all this out and provide me the information I need to move forward (or backward in the case of genealogy).  If anyone out there has any ideas, please feel free to let me know.

Sympathy Saturday

Following are the newspaper notices of the deaths of my father’s parents.

Harry Modrell

            Harry H. Modrell, 78, formerly of the 400 block of N. 29^th St., died Thursday afternoon at a Kansas City medical center following an illness of several months.

            A native of St. Joseph, he had lived most of his life here prior to moving to Grandview, Mo., in 1972.

            Mr. Modrell was an industrial engineer, having worked for Swift & Co. in St. Joseph and Pratt & Whitney in Kansas City before retiring in 1972.

            He was preceded in death by his wife, Maxine W. Eneau, in 1967.

            Survivors include one son, Jerry E. Modrell, Grandview, and two grandchildren.

            The body is at the Meierhoffer-Fleeman funeral home.

St. Joseph Gazette, January 22, 1982

Mrs. Maxine W. Modrell

            Funeral services 3 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, Meierhoffer-Fleeman chapel, the Rev. Arthur W. Ballard officiating, Internment Ashland Cemetery.

St. Joseph Gazette, September 18, 1967

Tombstone Tuesday

This is the Tombstone of my grandparents on my father's side.  The grave is located in Ashland Cemetery, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.  I apologize for the glare - I have got to return soon and take a better picture!

MODRELL

Harry H

Oct. 24, 1903

Jan. 21, 1982

Maxine W.

May 24, 1907

Sept. 17, 1967

Grandparents Harry H. and Maxine W. Modrell
Ashland Cemetery, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri

Grandma Modrell

Maxine W. Eneau was the only child of Perry B. Eneau and Carrie Alice Young.  She was born May 24, 1907 according to the St. Joseph, Missouri Record of Births.  My father had told me her middle name was Wilhelmina, however, he had told my stepmother it was a different middle name so I guess there is some debate there.  I have nothing stating what her middle name is.  I will update my information when I find something (if I ever do).

She graduated in 1926 from Lafayette High School in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri in 1926.  Her High School Yearbook states “Humor is my philosophy of existence”.  It went on to say “Maxine is a prominent member of the orchestra.  She says she is going to be a stenographer but we are inclined to believe she will be a musician and maybe a professional.  Glee Club, ‘Gypsy Rover’ and ‘College Days’.”  I can only assume the latter two (2) are plays she was in.  I have a violin that she had played, but I am unsure if it was one she played in High School or one she acquired thereafter.

Harry House Modrell and Maxine W. Eneau
in front of our house in Grandview, Missouri

She married Harry House Modrell on July 8, 1927 in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.

I don’t have any memories of her other than they used to have a bird in a cage (maybe a parakeet).

She died September 17, 1967 and is buried at Ashland Cemetery, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.

Grandpa Modrell

Harry House Modrell was born October 24, 1903 in St. Joseph, Missouri according to the St. Joseph Record of Births, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.  He was the only child of Arthur Ernest Modrell and Hattie Catherine House.

He used to tell a funny story about growing up across from a graveyard and having to check on the animals on their land on the other side.  It was a very dark night and he couldn’t see much.  He said he heard a noise behind him and turned around to see eyes staring back at him.  He was so scared that he doubled up his fist and hit the thing between the eyes.  After it stammered away, he realized it was a donkey he had just hit.  I can’t do this story justice, he was the only one who could tell this story to both keep you on the edge of your seat and, at the end, laugh until it hurt.  I hope to someday discover where this land was that he lived on.

He graduated from Central High School in 1924 in St. Joseph, Missouri.  His Senior Yearbook states “Harry has an enviable record, he has attended Central for four years and has never missed a day in spite of the fact that he must drive a long distance. He will attend Junior College.”  This is very impressive to me, and was something my father (Harry’s son) instilled in me.  My dad always said, you will go to school and if you can’t make it (due to illness), I can come and get you.  It sounds to me like my dad and I learned a valuable lesson of dedication from my Grandpa Modrell, one I still follow to this day.

He married Maxine Wilhelmina Eneau on July 8, 1927 in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.  I need to find the marriage record so I can discover where they were married.  I wish I had a wedding photo of them. 

Harry House Modrell and Maxine Wilhelmina Eneau

They had one (1) child, Jerry Eneau Modrell (my dad) who was born April 27, 1928.

In the 1950’s, they owned and operated a Grocery and General Store on Main Street in Dearborn, Platte County, Missouri.  I have a newspaper article dated April 14, 1977 titled “27 Years Ago” from the Dearborn Democrat in which it speaks of them as the owners.  The store was on the bottom level and they lived on the top level of their building.  I need to see if I can find an earlier article from when they opened the store.

At some point after Grandpa Modrell retired, he came to live with me and dad.  I believe it was around 1972.  Dad relocated to Topeka, Kansas in 1973 and Grandpa Modrell did not want to move with us.  We kept our house in Grandview, Missouri and Grandpa Modrell kept his house in St. Joseph, Missouri.  We would drive back to Grandview every weekend to take care of our house, while Grandpa Modrell would drive to St. Joseph every weekend to take care of his house.  Grandpa Modrell had told me he was keeping his house in St. Joseph for me to have someday.  This arrangement continued for many years.  In the latter 1970’s, someone had broken into Grandpa Modrell’s house and he had it boarded up.  He didn’t go to St. Joseph as often after that, but we continued to drive to Grandview every weekend to make sure Grandpa Modrell had groceries, and to pay the bills.

Each year on Memorial Day Weekend, I would go with Grandpa Modrell to lay flowers on the graves of my mother and Grandma Modrell.  I still make that trek as often as possible.  Grandpa Modrell’s health declined over the years and he eventually started walking with a cane, then went to a walker, then was placed in a small house owned by a nurse that would take care of her patients daily when he was unable to walk anymore.  On January 21, 1982, she called trying to get a hold of my dad because she had taken my Grandpa to the hospital.  I gave her his work number and waited for dad to let me know something.  When dad came home from work, I asked about Grandpa and he said my Grandpa passed away that afternoon from complications of Pneumonia.

He is buried in Ashland Cemetery, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.

1967 - Not A Typical Year

I was only five (5) years old, so I can only assume this year started off as a typical year.  However, before the year would end, I would have a few tragic losses.

On May 18, 1967, my parents (Jerry Eneau Modrell and Leona Frances Scott) filed for divorce.  The divorce was granted June 30, 1967.  I have the Kansas City Times newspaper clippings that prove those dates.  My dad had told me that he was granted the “care, custody and control” of us kids.  I need to get a copy of their divorce decree that would prove that statement.  He had said he was one of the first men in the state of Missouri to be awarded that type of custody.  My brother lived with my father, and for a very short time, I lived with my mother (see this post).

On September 17, 1967, my Grandma Modrell (Maxine W. Eneau) passed away.  I was told it was from eating with a dirty fork in a restaurant.  She got real sick and was placed in a hospital and within a short time, she passed away.  I do not have proof of this story and I did not hear this from my dad so I need to see if I am able to find some documentation to prove this statement.  She was laid to rest in Ashland Cemetery, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.

On November 7, 1967, my mother (Leona Frances Scott) passed away.  She had not been feeling well and called my dad to see if she could get a flu shot (according to my dad, she was still on our insurance since back then the only choices were either a family plan or single plan and since he had custody of us kids, he carried the family insurance).  He let the clinic know she would be coming in for a flu shot.  On the way home, she stopped at friend’s house as she was getting sicker by the minute.  She laid down on the couch and within a few minutes, she had passed away.  She had a reaction to the Streptomycin shot she had received.  My Uncle Bill (one of her brothers) had told me he worked with a man who was in the hospital and received the same shot and died before the needle was out of his arm earlier that year.  I lost my mother twice this year – once to divorce, and then forever when she passed.  She was laid to rest in Green Lawn Cemetery, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri (it is located in Swope Park).

Several people have told me this year is the reason I don’t have a lot of memories of my childhood.  From this point, I can only provide maybe five (5) different memories until I reached high school age.

My Dad, My Hero

My dad, Jerry Eneau Modrell, was born April 27, 1928 in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.  He is the son of Harry House Modrell and Maxine W. Eneau.

My dad’s middle name (Eneau) was the maiden name of his mother.  My Grandpa Modrell’s middle name (House) was the maiden name of his mother.  I have not been able to discover if this pattern continues back in time or not.

He graduated from Raytown High School, Raytown, Jackson County, Missouri in 1946.

I was told he ran away from home when he was around 16 years old but I do not have confirmation of that story and I do not have any documentation showing my grandparents living in Raytown, Missouri, which is where my dad graduated high school.  He had always said things were not good while he was growing up, but would never elaborate.  He just said he wanted to forget, therefore, I have no information about my Grandpa and Grandma Modrell (Harry House Modrell and Maxine W. Eneau) other than the few memories I have of them.

My dad was an only child and both his father and mother were only children as well.  That is another reason that makes researching this family difficult.  I will need to go back several generations, then work forward to find any living relatives that may be able to provide answers.

My dad raised me since my mother passed away when I was five (5) years old and he didn’t remarry until I was 24 years old (more about my mother in a future post).  I was an extremely bad child and put him through the worst agonizing time of his life, but somewhere I grew up (early 20’s) and spent the rest of his life making it up to him.  I once asked him what kept him from literally killing me and my brother, and he just simply said, “because you are my children”.  I relied on him so much over the years until he passed that I was totally incapable of making a decision in life without his input.  Since he passed, every decision I have made was the wrong decision.  To this day, I miss him so much it hurts.

He passed away December 25, 1999.

Jerry Eneau Modrell Senior Picture 1928-1999

I Thought This Would Be So Easy....

I am an avid reader and have read so many books and magazines about genealogy research and genealogy websites and how-to's, so I thought I had a pretty good handle on things.  Genealogy research did sound easy.  You just type a name in a search engine and all sorts of information just pops up!!  Well, maybe it does for everyone else, but not for me.

I remember the first real meaningful document I found on the internet.  I typed my Grandma Modrell's name, Maxine W. Eneau, into Google (yet again!) and RootsWeb appeared in the search results this time.  There were several pages that had just been posted from "The Oak", a School Yearbook from Lafayette High School in St. Joseph, Missouri.  When I clicked on it, I found the page containing her senior photo and (are you ready for this?) she had signed her photo!!!  What a fabulous piece of history to find!  Unfortunately, it only included those pages that contained Class Photos and not any of the other pages.  She was a member of the Orchestra and the Glee Club and, unfortunately, the pages with those photos were not included.  I have yet to find a copy of that yearbook so I can see the other pages, but I still get excited every time I look at this page and remember the feelings I had that day.

I can honestly say this – keep trying.  When I found this wonderful piece of history, it was at least five (5) years after beginning my research and I had typed her name in search engines many times over the course of those years.  Everything you read and hear about the need to be persistent, it really is true.  New information gets added to the internet on a daily basis.

I know I will be continuing to “Search for Ancestors”, and I hope you continue to be persistent.  We will all reap the rewards sooner or later.

"The Oak" 1926 School Yearbook for Lafayette High School, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri