Florence HANSELMAN ¹

	Born: 7 Mar 1898, Cannelton, Perry Co., Indiana
	Married (1): 25 Jan 1915, Cannelton, Perry Co., Indiana 16
	Married (2): 6 May 1933, Detroit, Wayne Co., MI
	Died: 11 Jun 1995, Detroit, Wayne Co., MI
	Buried: Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens, Novi, MI

   General Notes:

The following life memories were shared by Florence HANSELMAN Bostwick in interviews with her granddaughter, Marilyn Mildred DENNIS Price-Mitchell, from 1978 till the time of her death in 1995.

A Childhood Remembered

On March 7, 1898, Florence Hanselman was born to Henry and Lydia McGuiney Hanselman. The first of eight children, she was born at their home on River Road in Cannelton, Indiana. Florence lived in this home until the age of ten and clearly remembers the white frame house with its two upstairs bedrooms and lovely yard. The yard had pear, apple, and plum trees and the house was situated on a site with a view of the Ohio River. One of her fondest memories of living on River Road was the closeness she had established with a special neighbor there. William and Pauline Drumb were friends of the Hanselman's and lived a half block away. When Florence was a baby, Pauline would take her to their home and Florence would play with their dog, Joe. Soon, Pauline and William became "second parents" to young Florence and she began to call them Ma and Pa Drumb. She remembers spending long hours at their home where Pa Drumb would often read to her from the comic section of the newspaper. He was the Marshall in Cannelton and one of his jobs was to ring the curfew bell each night at 9:00 PM. This bell would summon all of Cannelton's children to their homes for the evening. Florence would go with him to Washington Street near the Cotton Mill, where the bell was located. Holding her up to grab the rope, she was thrilled to ring the bell each evening. Florence says she got her love of nature from Pa Drumb on their frequent hikes in the country. They would dig up wild flowers and transplant them in the yard. They would also watch different species of birds. Ma Drumb died of cancer when Florence was 13; Pa Drumb followed her about six months later. Florence's friends said that she couldn't have taken her own parent's death any harder. She remembers them fondly as people who gave her much love and attention...probably more than her own parents because they had so many children.

Florence's father, Henry Hanselman was a railroad engineer with the Southern Railroad while she was growing up. He was born near Lucerne, Switzerland and moved to the U.S. at the age of five. He grew up with his brother and parents in Huntingberg, Indiana, before moving to Cannelton with the Railroad. Florence recalls the railroad coming through Cannelton three times each day. Her father went to work at 7:00 a.m. and was back for a 10:00 a.m. break when Florence would deliver hot coffee to him. Then he left again and came home for dinner at 4:00 p.m. After dinner, he would ride the train once more until he was home for the evening at 7:00 p.m. Henry worked on the railroad for 45 years.

Florence speaks very lovingly of her maternal grandparents who lived on Knight Street in Cannelton. Her grandfather, James McGuiney, was " a steam boat man" from Massachusetts. She used to visit with him often and remembers his love of flowers. He died of a heart attack in his back yard when she was eight years old. Her grandmother, Addie McGuiney, lived for several years after that. Florence remembers her as a very sweet person -- a school teacher and musician. She played the organ beautifully and often told Florence and her siblings about history.

The Hanselman's, Florence's paternal grandparents, came from Switzerland. She didn't know them well as Henry died when she was six and her grandmother had died during childbirth. Henry Sr. was a carpenter. They lived in Jasper, Indiana, near Huntingberg. They had eight children, three sons and five daughters. Florence's father was the eldest. All three of the sons became engineers with the railroad. Her uncle Matt was killed in a train accident. Uncle John lived to be 80 years old. He was married twice, being widowed with his first. All together, he had thirteen children. Goldy, his daughter, still lives in Huntingberg and has done a lot of research into the Hanselman family tree.

As the oldest of eight children herself, Florence remembers siblings being born about every two years, with the exception of a miscarriage between the sixth and seventh sibling. In chronological order they are: Elmore, 1900; Henry, 1902; Evelyn, 1904; Earl 1906; Dwight, 1908; Margurite 1912; and James 1914. After the fifth child, the Hanselman's moved to a larger home on 4th Street for a few years, then purchased a home on 6th Street where they lived for many years. This house was quite large with 4 bedrooms, a large kitchen, and two double parlors. Florence remembers its big basement with a furnace, an amenity that not everyone had in those days.

Florence has many good memories of her childhood with her brothers and sisters. She especially remembers Christmas' in their big house with candles burning on the tree. The family would trim the tree on Christmas Eve, then on Christmas morning would open their presents. Sleigh and bobsled rides were a big part of the Christmas and winter season in Cannelton. Florence would go with her friends to the top of the hill behind the Catholic Church and sled down Washington Street all the way to the Ohio River. Horses would pull the sleds back up the long hill.

Cannelton Grade School was the sight of Florence's early education. She was a good student, with spelling, history, and geography being her favorite subjects. She didn't like arithmetic as it was difficult for her. She decided to quit school after the eighth grade so that she could make money to buy clothes. Her father was furious at her decision as he had hopes she would go on to attend college in Evansville. However, despite her father's objections, Florence went to work at the Cotton Mill in the Spool Room. Her job consisted of knotting threads from the bobbins which were put on spools and sent to the Weaving Room. She only worked there for six months when her mother asked her to quit and help at home with the children. Her home with seven brothers and sisters was a very busy one. She would help bath the babies, dress and feed them. She remembers her brothers having pillow fights before bedtime and asking her mother, "How can you put up with that?"

Outside the home, Florence participated in many activities with her friends. She was crazy about dancing and attended dances frequently. Her Father, however, objected to dancing, so Florence would have to sneak out of the house to attend them. During the summer, she especially remembers the show boats on the Ohio River. They would play the calliope with steam from the boat. She and her Mother would go on the boats to watch plays, musicals, etc. One boat, in particular, was the "Cotton Blossom" -- it would dock at the foot of Washington Street. Florence also recalls the medicine shows which came to town selling cure- alls as well as the circus and carnival. She also enjoyed hiking with her friends...they would walk to Tell City and back, a total of about six miles. Together, they would explore local caves, climb up and down surrounding hills, pick flowers, etc.

For many years, the only form of transportation in Cannelton was walking, horseback riding, and the train. Florence remembers the first automobile was purchased by Dr. Wedding in 1910. It was called a "huppomobile" and was a one-seater with a top. Shortly afterwards, Salesman Krager bought a Studebaker and then more families came to have them. Florence's family never had an automobile, but they would occasionally go for a ride with friends. Florence's favorite memories of early transportation was when her Dad would rent a horse with a surrey and take them for rides in the country. She sadly remembers the night when the Sun Light Stables, one of Cannelton's biggest, burned down and all the horses were killed.

Religion played a prominent role in the Hanselman family. From the time she can remember, they attended the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cannelton. She was confirmed there in 1911 and her father, Henry, is still in the Church's record book. He married at this church to her Mother, Lydia, on April 29, 1897. Florence remembers attending Sunday School each week and going to parties organized by the Church. She loved the music and speaks of the beautiful choir, although she never sang herself.

Her First Love

Florence met Wilbur Latimer at a party when she was sixteen. They soon began to "go steady" and were married on January 28, 1915. On January 30, the Cannelton Enquirer reported the following story:

"As the Enquirer reporter was scanning the legal records at the court house at the 11th hour before press time yesterday morning, the following entry was taken from the clerk's office marriage record: "Wilbur Latimer to Florence Hanselman." The contracting parties are well-known and popular young people of Cannelton. The groom is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Latimer, and is one of the town's best young men. His bride is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hanselman, and one of Cannelton's prettiest young ladies. Their marriage was a surprise to their friends. Rev. Bierbaum, of St. John's Evangelical Church, performed the ceremony at 9 o'clock Thursday night. For the present, the young people will reside with the groom's parents on East Seventh Street and in the Spring will go to housekeeping in this city. The Enquirer joins the friends of the young couple in the wish for a long, prosperous and happy married life."

Florence married Wilbur just before her seventeenth birthday and she remembers how nice it was to "get away from home." She felt burdened with the care of her brothers and sisters and wanted to be on her own. They decided to get married "very quietly" because in those days there was a ritual called "chivalry" where your friends would kidnap the groom the night before the wedding and play all kinds of terrible tricks. Sometimes, they would set him out on a raft in the Ohio River! Big weddings were uncommon and many chose to wed quietly. She and Wilbur lived with his parents for about a year and during that time, Florence became very close with his Mother, Margarite (Maggie) Latimer. She and Maggie would shop together and quickly became very good companions. Florence joined the Rebecca Lodge, which was the ladies group of the Odd Fellows. She and Maggie regularly attended meetings there and Florence became a member of the initiation team.

Wilbur and Florence moved to a little house on Seventh Street, just a short distance from the Latimer home. She remembers the house being small with a nice garden and beautiful flowers. Wilbur, however, began going "out with the boys" very early on in their marriage. He used to attend chicken fights just outside Cannelton, which, of course, were illegal. Often, Florence would have dinner ready but Wilbur would not show up until hours later. He began drinking alcohol at a very early age and Florence didn't realize until much later that he was an alcoholic. She remembers thinking that he "really should never have been married." When World War I came along in 1917, Wilbur reported for his physical. He was put in the 4th Class due to a previous broken arm which had set incorrectly. During this time, most of the automobile companies were being turned into manufacturing factories for guns, ammunition, and supplies for the war effort. One of Wilbur's friends talked him into moving to Detroit where he said there "was big money to be made." So, in 1918, Wilbur and Florence moved to Detroit, Michigan where they shared an apartment with another couple from Tell City. It was very difficult to find places to live in Detroit at that time because of the many people who were moving there to get jobs. They did, however, find a place on Detroit's East side, off of Mack Avenue. Wilbur moved the family's belongings into the house in the summer and Florence followed him several months later.

Florence Becomes A Mother

When Florence arrived in Detroit, she was not feeling in the best of health. Thinking she might be pregnant, she went to the doctor. He said that she wasn't pregnant...perhaps she had the flu. A week or so passed and Florence was still not feeling well. A friend took her to another doctor, where, sure enough, she found out she was pregnant! One of her most vivid memories during her pregnancy was in November of 1918 when the armistice of WWI was signed. She remembers bells ringing everywhere and much celebration. While all this was going one, she had a terrible headache and felt sick to her stomach! Believing that their baby would be born in January, she and Wilbur went home to Cannelton for Christmas and planned to stay there until their child arrived. January came and went...and still no baby! Wilbur returned to work in Detroit, leaving Florence in Cannelton and rejoining them when the baby came. DOROTHY VIRGINIA LATIMER was born on February 21, 1919 in the Latimer home. She was delivered by Dr. Conners (who would, in 1928 marry Wilbur's sister, Vernice). Dorothy was named after a friend's child, Virginia Layman. The name Dorothy was liked by both she and Wilbur and was a popular name in those days. Florence returned to Detroit in July with her new daughter and was joined by her mother-in-law, Maggie. Maggie helped her with the baby for about a month, then returned to Cannelton.

During the years that followed, Wilbur began to spend more and more of his time at Jake's Place, a hotel and drinking establishment. He would play cards, drink, and gamble most every week night. On the weekends, he would leave his home on Saturday morning and not return until Sunday night. Florence would occasionally attend parties at Jake's. She did not enjoy the drinking and rowdiness and when she was given a drink, would wander over to the sink and pour it down the drain! The couple who lived next door to the Latimer's frequently invited Florence to dinner so that she would have companionship. One evening, they invited her to a movie, saying that she should get out more and enjoy herself. Florence apparently had had enough of being home alone and said, "Yes, I'll go to the movie with you." She hurriedly wrapped Dorothy in a blanket, put her in the buggy, and took her to Jake's, where Wilbur was playing cards. She walked into the mist of a card game, placed the baby in the middle of the table in front of Wilbur, and said, "Here's your child, you take care of her. I'm going out!" Wilbur was stunned at Florence's action as he quickly got up from the table and returned home with his daughter. When Florence returned from the movie, both husband and daughter were asleep! Not another word was spoken about the incident.

Florence does remember some of the good times with Wilbur, particularly their trips to the lake with friends. She does admit, however, that they never really had much in common and were not very good companions. Wilbur worked most of his life in the tool crib at Chrysler Corporation. He worked each day and drank most every night. Each week, he gave Florence $20 to pay for food, rent, clothes for the children, and other necessary household items. She never saw his paycheck and never knew how much money he made. In the summer of 1920, Florence took Dorothy to Cannelton. She was surprised to find that she was pregnant again in one of only a few times she and Wilbur were together in the months before her trip. She returned to Detroit in the Fall and on April 26, 1921, CHARLES WILBUR LATIMER was born in a bungalow on Bewick Street.

Florence remembers the years that Dorothy and Charles were growing up to be very active ones. The family moved frequently from apartment to apartment as Wilbur wanted to find the cheapest place to live. One apartment that Florence particularly remembers was a three-story converted house. The Latimer family had to share a bathroom with another family and Florence had to walk up and down three flights of stairs to do the laundry. Florence hated the apartment and talks about the day that the furnace broke. She stayed in bed with the two children all day to keep them warm. It didn't take Florence long to go looking for another place to live and they moved again very shortly.

Several years after Charles was born, Florence found herself pregnant again. Wilbur was spending very little time at home and their relationship had deteriorated even more. After serious thought, Florence decided to have an abortion. Although abortions were illegal in those days, she did not feel she could bring another child into the world and live under the same conditions she had been. It was all she could manage to feed and care for the two children she had without the help of a husband to share in the joys and burdens. So, Florence went to her family doctor, who performed the abortion in his office. The procedure was successful but left Florence very ill and hemorrhaging for about three months.

Florence speaks very fondly of her children as youngsters. She worried about them constantly and never left them with a babysitter. Florence recalls that Dorothy was "the adventurous type," always getting into everything. When she was two years old, Dorothy and a neighbor boy wandered off from home and were missing for several hours. Florence phoned the police to help in the search and the two were finally found about ten blocks from home. Dorothy apparently wanted to show her little friend the school yard! Dorothy, she says, was just like a "little old lady" -- very prim and proper. She played well with other children and did very well in school. When Dorothy was eight years old, she fell and broke her arm. The experience was traumatic for everyone, but particularly for Florence who couldn't stand to see her children in pain. Although Dorothy was an "angel" outside the home, she fought with her brother constantly. Florence remembers chasing the children around the dining table trying to make them mind. Charles was a hyperactive child, always very busy with anything that interested him. When he wasn't interested in a subject at school, he would get up and wander around the room. He ran away from home several times, but always returned shortly.

Florence knew that her marriage was over for a number of years before she finally separated from Wilbur in the summer of 1931. She stayed in the marriage, although unhappy, because she wanted to be with her children and knew she could not provide for them alone. Each summer while the children were growing up, she would take them to Cannelton for two months and stay with the Latimer family. She was happy there and glad to have such nice in- laws to visit. It was in 1931, when Florence was in Detroit with Charles and Dorothy was in Cannelton with the Latimer's, that the final "blow" came to her marriage. Wilbur refused to pay the electric bill and the lights in their apartment were turned off. Their home was dark for a week and several pieces of furniture and a rug were repossessed. Florence was furious at Wilbur because he would rather spend his money on drinking and gambling than on his home and family.

Their divorce took several years and was very difficult emotionally. Florence says Wilbur would not pay for his half of the lawyer's fees so that the divorce could become final. Wilbur also took the children, saying that he wouldn't support them unless they lived with him. When Florence talked to the Friend of the Court, he said that she could have her children back anytime she felt she could support them. So, Florence moved in with an elderly couple who needed someone to care for the wife, ill with multiple sclerosis. She brought Dorothy there when she returned from her summer in Cannelton, but Wilbur soon came over and took Dorothy home with him. The whole process of divorce was very stigmatizing in Florence's day. She remembers her brother, Henry, saying, "I never thought a sister of mine would ever be divorced." Florence felt embarrassed. For 18 years, she put up with so much unhappiness and loneliness. But this she did happily for her children and because she didn't know of another way out. As difficult as it was, she knew the decision to divorce was the right thing to do. She was definitely ready for a new relationship.

A New Chance At Happiness

Coincidentally, Florence met PERCY RAYMOND BOSTWICK about three weeks before she finally separated from Wilbur. She was waiting by a phone booth with a girlfriend and Percy came up to use the other phone. They began to talk and he offered the two women a ride home. On the way, they stopped for ice cream and went for a drive by the lake. Their meeting marked the beginning of over forty years they would be together. While Florence was caring for the woman she was living with, she became very ill with bronchitis. Florence needed someone to care for her -- Percy was there. It was at this time that Florence began to live with Perc -- a nickname which she began to call him. During the year and a half that Perc and Florence resided together, Florence made daily drips to Wilbur's home to clean it and care for the children. The children would also go back and forth between homes, but there was not enough room for Dorothy and Charles to live with their Mother. Finally, Wilbur agreed to pay his half of the divorce, and a week later, Florence and Perc were married on May 6, 1933. She remembers Perc taking her to pick out their wedding ring, her most cherished piece of jewelry in the world. The ceremony took place at Perc's niece's house in Owosso, Michigan and the couple honeymooned in that area.

About a year after Florence and Perc were married, they moved to a larger apartment which would accommodate Florence's children. Dorothy moved in first, followed by Charles about a year later. These years were Depression years and jobs were hard to come by. You could buy a whole bag of food for $1.00. When Perc and Florence met, he was a salesman with the Becker Roofing Company. He became an independent contractor shortly after and performed such jobs as modernizing houses and beer gardens, building garages and recreation rooms, and doing roofing jobs. Perc's first wife had died. His children were Arlene, then 8, and Elma, Erma, and Jack, who were older. During the early years of their marriage, it always seemed they had children and relatives moving in and out. Arlene lived with them for some years. Dwight, Florence's brother, came to live from Indiana. Margurite, Florence's sister, stayed with them for a year when she left her husband in the late 1940's. She then returned to Tell city to marry Andrew Kress.

The years during World War II have particularly sad memories for Florence. Not only did her son-in-law, Herman, have to fight in Italy but her own son, Chuck, joined the Navy shortly after the war was declared. Florence was very sad when he left and worried day and night about him. Chuck was married to his first wife Jane at the time and they had a beautiful son named Charles. After serving in the Navy for three years, he returned to find she had fallen in love with another man. This was a terrible time for Chuck, and for Florence as well. Their marriage ended with great turmoil and Jane never wanted Chuck to know their son. Because he thought it was best for the boy not to be embroiled in conflict , Chuck agreed to let his son be adopted. In the years since, she always wondered what Charles was like and what kind of man he had become.

Florence speaks of happy times with Perc. They liked to attend ball games, go fishing together, and enjoyed many similar interests. They doted on their other four grandchildren, David and Marilyn Dennis and Jim and Cliff Latimer. Florence began working with Perc, helping him organize some of his jobs. During the Depression they lived on Lakewood in Detroit. It was very difficult to find work during these years and the times were very hard. They moved to an upper flat on Manistee Road where they stayed for the next 15 years. In 1960, they moved to Bertcrest Apartments at Sanford and Gratiot, where they were the apartment caretakers for the next 15 years. They worked for four different owners and met many interesting people (and some strange ones, too!) They felt fortunate to be able to be productive for so many years. In 1974, they retired and went to Florida to visit with Perc's son, Jack. Later, they returned to Detroit and Walled Lake, where they lived with Dorothy and then, Elma, until Perc died on May 10, 1977 after an eight month battle with lung cancer. In their forty-four years of marriage, Florence says, "I never once felt I wanted to leave him."

The Later Years

In the years following Perc's death, Florence spoke little of her grief but bore much. She cried herself to sleep each night for two years remembering their nighttime ritual of saying their prayers together, scratching each other's backs, followed by a goodnight kiss. Perc was often in her thoughts. When this interview was recorded in 1986, she claimed that the past nine years were the loneliest of her life. She imagined a time when she would once again meet Perc in heaven.

Florence lived for many more years. She enjoyed the companionship of her daughter, Dorothy, and son-in-law Herman until his death in 1990. Continuing to live with Dorothy in Harper Woods, Michigan, until her death at the age of 97, she enjoyed visits with family members, neighbors, and friends of her daughter's. She made numerous trips to California to visit her granddaughter Marilyn, traveling there for the last time at the age of 92 for Marilyn's wedding to Jay Mitchell. Remembering with fondness her many trips to the West Coast during the last 15 years of her life, she often talks about the Joan Baez concert she attended with Marilyn at Stanford University. Sitting on the ground with hundreds of college students, she enjoyed the music and the thrill of the experience. For an encore, Joan Baez sang "Amazing Grace." Moved by her voice and the lyrics, Florence turned to her granddaughter with tears in her eyes and said, "That's the song I want sung at my funeral."

Florence remained in good health until several weeks before her death. During her brief hospitalization, her granddaughter, Marilyn, visited her for the last time. They reminisced about Florence's life and she spoke of her great love for her family. Sometimes Florence was living in the past, calling to her brothers and sisters as if they were children living in Cannelton, Indiana. She would speak to Ma and Pa Drumb, the surrogate parents she cherished. Perc, his deceased children, Herman -- people who had been dead for years -- were in her mind as if they had never died. She visited with them all, remembering the good times and the love she shared. But Florence never lost touch with the present. She visited with both of her children as well as several grandchildren and friends. She knew and loved them all. It seemed a fitting end to the life of a gracious and loving woman whose days, like most people, were filled with joys and sorrows, exhilaration and hardship.

After almost a century of life, Florence died on June 11, 1995 in Harper Woods, Michigan. "Amazing Grace" was sung at her funeral service and she was laid to rest next to Percy Bostwick, the sweetheart of her life, at Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens in Novi. Her memory will live on in the hearts of those who loved her.

Burial: Florence and Percy are buried in Section J.J. in the Garden of the Sermon on the Mount, Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens, Lot 113C, Unit No, 1-2., Novi, MI

   Marriage Information:

Florence married Wilbur LATIMER, son of Charles Washington LATIMER and Anna Margaretta KIESER, on 25 Jan 1915 in Cannelton, Perry Co., Indiana ¹⁶. (Wilbur LATIMER was born on 22 Jun 1893 in Cannelton, Perry Co., Indiana ¹⁶, died on 26 May 1974 in Cannelton, Perry Co., Indiana ¹⁶ and was buried on 29 May 1974 in Cliff Cemetery, Cannelton Indiana ¹⁶.) The cause of death was Carcinoma of Sigmoid.

   Marriage Information:

Florence also married Percy BOSTWICK, son of Silas BOSTWICK and Cornelia CAMPBELL, on 6 May 1933 in Detroit, Wayne Co., MI. (Percy BOSTWICK was born on 29 Apr 1890, died on 10 May 1977 in Walled Lake, MI and was buried on 13 May 1977 in Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens, Novi, MI.)