Willard B. Eldridge

ELDRIDGE, HEPNER, SCHROEDER, COOLBAUGH, HARTER, BEEKMAN, RODDEWIG

Posted By: Carol Bawden (email)
Date: 8/8/2007 at 14:20:31

Willard B. ELDRIDGE (Joseph H4, John M.3, Josiah2, William1) born 20 December 1877 in Davenport who, with brother Harry, also worked with father Joseph Mullen as a hostler (groomer) for the family livery business, Joe Eldridge & Son, on 3rd St. After Joe's death, Willard continued as a teamster for various hauling companies in Davenport.
On 1 April 1901, Willard and Anna Hepner were married by a justice of the peace in Davenport. She was born ca 1876 in Davenport dtr of Henry and Louise Schroeder Hepner.
About 1905, Willard married Mary Anna Coolbaugh born ca 1875 to Michael and Abigail Coolbaugh of Burlington, IA. (no disposition on marriage with Anna).
In teh 1910 Iowa federal census, Willard and Mary Anna have dtr Alice age 13 - relationship to Willard is "stepdaughter".
According to Alice, she was discovered in 1897 as an infant, under the seat of a railroad car with a laudaman-filled nipple in her mouth. Alice married David Harter of Davenport, and after the death of her father, moved with her mother to Waterloo, IA.
In 1927, a notice in the Davenport Democrat asked the whereabouts of the baby left under the seat of a train in 1897.
The article instructed Alice to contact Davenport's Mayor Roddewig who directed her to Mr. Beekman in Petersburg, IL
According to Alice, she visited Mr. Beekman and corresponded with him for many years, however, the relationship of the baby on the train was not made known to her.
Willard died 31 October 1925, age 48, of a stroke, and is buried in Davenport's Oakdale Memorial Gardens Sec 12 Lot 34. They attended Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Davenport city directories list Mary as working in the Ozark Cafe as a cook in 1928.