Two Babies Named Eli

            Several years ago I was at a dinner at my great Aunt Amelia’s house. There were several cousins from my mother’s generation there and as we talked someone mentioned that they remember something about two babies born with the same name and that one died at a young age. The thought was that Grandma Charlotte Boche (my 2-great grandmother and Amelia’s mother) had two boys with the same name. Something about she had one and he died and then named the second one the same name, but no one could remember any details.

            While I was looking at a microfilm of Pennsylvania births, I came upon a possible answer to the question; “Were there really two babies with the same name?” I found that there were two Joseph Eli’s born in October of 1902. On 2 October 1902, Charlotte Ducley Boche had a son, who lived to have a family. The second Joseph Eli was born to my grandmother Orpheline Mary Boche Bionaz, my great-grandmother and Charlotte’s oldest daughter, who was born 7 October 1902. This Joseph Eli died at a young age. I still do not know when he died, but I do know he died before the 1910 Census. He is not listed in the 1910 Census and the census states that Orpheline was the mother of 3 children, with only 2 still living. A picture taken about 1908 of Orpheline’s children only has Charlotte and John, the two children listed in the 1910 Census, and no Joseph Eli in it. Also, John E. Bionaz, Orpheline’s husband, Petition for Naturalization dated Sep 1908, does not list a child named Eli, it only lists Charlotte and John as his children. I do not know if these are the two babies with the same name that was mentioned that day so many years ago, but they could be.

Elizabeth Grace Hawk Bionaz Birth

We've been unsure about my grandmother Betty's birth day. Most people would say just ask her, but that is where the confusion comes in. She always thought she was born in Dec 1910, but when she went to apply for Social Security, she had to have a copy of her birth certificate. When she wrote for her birth certificate, it came back with the birth date of 8 Nov 1911, an eleven month difference in age. Okay, but to add a little more question the birth certificate had the name Margaret Hawk. It had the correct parents, but not the birth date she always thought was her birth date and it had another name also!

We were hoping the 1920 census would help clear up the birth date, but if we figure her age, she would have been possibly born in 1912. Well, Lisa had a chance to get to Harper County, Kansas and maybe helped clear this mess up (or possible added to the confusion). I heard somewhere that Grandma's brother was adopted and Margaret's birth certificate said that Mabel Martin Hawk (grandma Betty's mother) that Margaret was the 6th child. Now I know of Lucille, Ruth, and Crystal, because they were alive when I was born. I had found a Eleanor in the Ohio birth records that also belong to this family, but she apparently died before the 1910 Census and none of the girls remembered an Eleanor. That makes 4 children and now we have proof that there was a boy born in Harper County, Kansas in February 1910. Lisa found a newspaper announcement for a boy born to Mr & Mrs H.C Hawk on 21 February 1910. Now we know of 5 children and Margaret would make 6. Now all the children are accounted for and Margaret could be grandma Betty. Before, if William was adopted then there was 4 girls by 1910, William adopted and that would have made Margaret the 5th child, which would mean that maybe Elizabeth was born before Margaret. However, now with a boy being born in 1910 there is not another baby born before Margaret.

Now the question is "Is William adopted or is he the boy born 21 Feb 1910?" William's birth date is listed as 22 February 1910 in the Social Security Death Index as well as that's the date everyone else in the family had for him. So, is this just an error in when he was born or is he adopted and the boy born 21 February died shortly after birth. That's the next Question to figure out with this family.