My 2nd Great-Grandmother was born HANNAH B STEWARD, the daughter of Thomas and Catharine (Young) Steward, on 19 Feb 1872 [adoption papers; age at death calculates to a birth of 2/27] in Skowhegan or Solon, Maine. She was the sixth of seven children born to Thomas and Kate, and the family was living in Athens, Maine when their mother died on 13 July 1875. Unable to care for all of his children, Thomas gave Hannah up for adoption. Luther and Lovisa Rowell of Solon petitioned the Somerset County court on 23 Oct 1875, with Thomas Steward signing over his rights. Hannah's name was subsequently changed to ALBERTA ANN ROWELL (she was listed as Annie A on the 1880 census).
 Somerset County Probate, file B-393 | She was married on 2 Sept 1890 in Solon to Charles Frank Leavitt, and they had five children: Fred, Irving, Forrest, Gladys, and Alberta A. Still in the hospital after giving birth on the 9th, Alberta died from puerperal fever on 13 Sept 1901 in Skowhegan, aged 29 years, 6 mos, 17 das (her newborn daughter would also pass away, 5 days later). She was buried in the South Solon Cemetery and, for many years, had only a wooden cross as a grave marker. In recent years, members of my family purchased a stone for her (and now we have a third birth date for Hannah/Alberta!).  |
The 1880 census for Solon, Maine (pg 20) shows the former Hannah Steward, now Alberta A (or Annie A) Rowell, with adoptive parents.
An image from the 1900 census for Norridgewock, Somerset, Maine (pg 9A), showing the family of Charles and Alberta Leavitt (the children number is wrong, as they had another son, Irving, who died young).
Sadly, similar to what happened to Hannah/Alberta, the widowed Charles Leavitt couldn't care for his family, and left young daughter Gladys in the care of others, including her grandfather, Joseph Leavitt of Solon. In 1907, she would be adopted by Amos and Katie Clarke, and took their surname.
See also:
Thomas Steward and Family
See also:
Thomas Steward and Family
RSS Feed
