Gertrude Cunningham

Other Events:

• Parents: Death certificate names parent as Willia Cunningham and Libby Ives. [Her bio parents.] Gertrude's Social Security Application and Claims record names her parents as David Logan and Ava Dake [her adoptive parents].
• RESEARCH: Internet sources assign a husband with surname Warttman. This seemed plausible, although she did not appear with her family at age 13--could have been "working out" with a family? However, a March 1910 newspaper article in Waterloo, IA, indicates the death of Joseph Warttman, leaving a widow whose maiden name was Gertrude Logan and daughter Pearl Warttman. Additionally, a 14 February 1910 artile "Search for Sister Proves Fruitless," details the search of Louise Logan for her sister Gertrude Logan, age 17, believed to have been lured from Des Moines into "white slavery" and held by Chicago police. The article mentions that the parents of the Logan girls live in Waterloo. Gertrude Warttman appears as a widow with daughter Pearl in the 1920 Lake Co IL census, living in the home of the widowed Ava Logan, age 60, her likely mother. However, a Gertrude Warttman appears in the death index for Pierce Co WA, naming parents as William Cunningham and Libby Ives. So Gertrude Cunningham DID marry a Warttman. Marriage records for Black Hawk Co IA indicate the marriage of Joseph Warttman to Gertrude Logan on 26 December 1905. The bride was born about 1881, according to the record--the appropriate age for Gertrude Cunningham, but not for the Gertrude Warttman of the white slavery article. Have a Gertrude Logan and a Gertrude Cunningham been conflated? Was Gertrude Cunningham adopted by a Logan family? (She was the youngest child when her mother died, so this seems possible.)
• Census (State): 1885, Lincoln township, Wright County, Iowa, USA; 1. Cunningham, William,township 92, range 24, section 16, SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4, 36, male, married, farmer, born in Indiana, father and mother natives of the U.S., subject to military service, registered to vote 2. _____, Lydia, 26, female, married, born Michigan 3. _____, Mary, 7, female, born Hardin County, Iowa 4. _____, Maud F., 5, female, born Hardin County, Iowa 5. _____, Robert H., [0?], male, born Franklin County, Iowa 6. _____, Gertrude, 3, female, Hardin County, Iowa
• Census: 1895, Etna township, Hardin County, Iowa, USA; 1. Logan, David W,m 58, male, married, born in Pennsylvania, served Co. A, 105th Pennsylvania, [captain?] 2. _____, Ava E., 36, female, married, born in [Vermont?] 3. _____, John A., 14, male, Nebraska 4. Cunningham, Girti [Gertie], 12, female, U.S.
• Census: 21 Jun 1900, Etna township, Hardin County, Iowa, USA; 1. Logan, David W., head, white, male, November 1836, 63, married 15 years, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, farmer, can read and write, owns farm with mortgage, form schedule 89 2. _____, Ava E., wife, white, female, June 1857, married 15 years, 3 children 1 living, Wisconsin, Vermont, Vermont, can read and write 3. _____, John A., adopted son, white, male, January 1881, 19, single, Nebraska, Vermont, Wisconsin, farm laborer, can read and write 4. _____, Gertrude, adopted daughter, white female, March 1882, 18, Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, can read and write
• Residence: 1905, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa, USA
• NEWS: 27 Dec 1905, Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa, USA; "A license to wed was issued yesterday afternoon to Joseph Wrttman, 39, and Gertrude Cunningham Joyce, 23, both of Cedar Falls."
• NEWS: 25 Sep 1906, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa, USA; "A daughter arrived Friday at the Jos. Warttman home."
• NEWS: 19 Mar 1910, Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa, USA; Obituary of husband Joseph Warttman, The Courier, Waterloo: "Sudden Death of Cedar Falls Man Joseph Wartman [sic] Expires at Supper Table Leading Young Coal Merchant Died Early Last Evening Cedar Falls, March 19 ? (Special) Joseph Wartman of the firm of Logan & Wartman died suddenly last evening at 7:15 while sitting at the supper table, death being due to heart failure. Mr. Wartman was laughing and talking at the close of the meal when he was stricken and he died before the doctor who was summoned could arrive. The death is a shock to the many friends and business associates of Mr. Wartman, for he was a comparatively young man, only forty-two years of age, and had attended to his coal business as usual during the day. He had a slight attack of heart trouble a week ago but that was the first intimation of the disease. The first attack caused little anxiety and the second, which caused his death, comes therefore as a keen schock to the wife and other realtives. Deceased had lived in Cedar Falls for several years and had been associated with his father-in-law in business for four years. His wife's maiden name was Gertrude Logan. They have one little girl, four years old. Mr. Wartman was a member of the Maccabee lodge and of the German Lutheran church. He was a man admired and respected by all. Mr. Wartman has one brother, Sam Wartman, who is on a homestead in South Dakota west of the Missouri river. As it will be difficult to communicate with him the funeral will not be held until some time next week. Rev. E. B. Jones of the Baptist church will conduct the services."
• Census: 21 Apr 1910, 2125 Main St., Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa, USA; 1. Logan, David W., head, male, white, 73, second marriage, married 24 years, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, proprietor, coal yard, own account, can read and write, owns home with mortgage 2. _____, Ava E., wife, female, white, [52], second marriage, married 24 years, 3 children 1 living, Wisconsin, Vermont, Vermont, can read and write 3. Warttman, Gertrude, adopted daughter, female, white, 27, widowed, 1 child 1 living, Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, can read and write 4. _____, Pearl, grand daughter, female, white, 3, Iowa, Unknown, Iowa
• NEWS: 6 Apr 1918, Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa, USA; "Gertrude Logan asks for a divorce from Tony Logan on grounds of desertion. Mrs. Logan asks the court to allow her $500 permanent alimony."
• NEWS: 18 May 1918, Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa, USA; "Gertrude Warttman to Wilbur Bolivia, lots 1 and 2, block 1, Normal add, Cedar Falls. Gertrude Warren, guardian of Pearl Warttman to Gertrude Warttman, int of minor in lot 2, block 1, Normal add, Cedar Falls."
• Census: 14 Jan 1920, 640 Carmel Blvd, Benton township, Lake County, Illinois, USA; 1. Logan, Ava, head, owns with mortgage, female, white, 60, widowed, can read and write, Wisconsin, Vermont, Vermont, no occupation 2. Warttman, Gertrude, boarder, female, white, 36, widowed, can read and write, Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, [packer?], [illegible industry] 3.Warttman, Pearl, boarder, female, white, 13, can read and write, Iowa, Iowa, Iowa
• Census: 5 Apr 1930, 620 Carmel Blvd., Zion, Lake County, Illinois, USA; `1. Logan, Ava, head, owns, $3000 value, not a farm, female, white, 70, widowed, can read and write, Wisconsin, Vermont, Vermont, no occupation 2. Warrtman [Warttman], Gertrude, daughter, female, white, 48, widowed, can read and write, Iowa, unknown, unknown, nurse, private home
• NEWS: 3 Sep 1936, Zion, Lake County, Illinois, USA; "Lady Finds Long-Lost Sisters Mrs. Gertrude Wartman of Carmel Boulevard has just spent three months in a happy reunion with three sisters whom she had not seen or known the location of since childhood. The family was somewhat broken up because of the untimely death of the mother, and Mrs. Wartman had been adopted by the late Mrs. Logan, who died at her home in Zion some years ago. This childhood separation, added to the various removals of the members of the family, as time passed, so caused it that Mrs. Wartman had not seen one sister for forty-two years and another for forty-nine years, and had to call on a deceased brother's wife, whom she had never seen before, to get the location of the farm home of the sister in North Dakota. The Dakota farm furnished the scene of this strange but happy reunion of the five sisters, one from Los Angeles, one from San Francisco, one from Montana, one from Zion--a family that were like strangers getting acquainted again at the "halfway place". [sic] It took persistent effort on the part of Mrs. Wartman to search out her far-flung kin, but the desire was happily rewarded."
• Directory: 1954, 5404 South K, Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington, USA; "Warttman Gertrude (wid Jos) r5405 South K" [This piece of data makes it clear that the Gertrude Warttman who died in Pierce County, Washington, was the one married to Joseph Warttman.]

Gertrude married Joseph Warttman on 30 Dec 1905 in Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa, USA. Joseph was born in May 1866. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]