Ada and Esther Ann Aldrich

Ada Aldrich lived with her mother, Esther, on Oak Street in De Pere, Wisconsin until Esther’s death in 1917.  Ada then continued living alone in the home until her death in 1931.  They were both buried in Greenwood Cemetery, De Pere, Wisconsin.  This was the same cemetery where William H. Aldrich had been laid to rest in 1884.  William’s grave was in the back section of the Cemetery, high on the bank overlooking the Fox River.  During a high flood stage one year, that area of the river bank was eaten away by the raging flood currents of the river and a large section of the cemetery slumped into the river claiming quite a few graves, including William’s.  Esther Ann’s and Ada Camilla’s stone is in a different section and still remains.  The upper photos are of Ada Camilla Aldrich (left) and Esther Ann (Spear) Hill Aldrich (right) in their later years.

TOP RIGHT:  The headstone in the foreground of this picture is that of Esther (Spear) Aldrich’s parents, King and Elizabeth (Haley) Spear in Greenwood Cemetery, De Pere, Wisconsin.  Her brother, Samuel Spear is also buried with them.  From this photo you can see that their grave is close to the edge of a deep, wooded ravine.  This is the very area where Esther’s second husband, William H. Aldrich was buried.  After the flood slumped that section of the cemetery away, his grave was lost down this steep embankment and probably washed out into the river.  His grave had  been just behind her parents’ graves and the river almost claimed theirs as well. In trying circumstances like these, what a comfort it is to be able to declare with Job, “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms [or flood or whatever] destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” (Job 19: 25, 26)

BOTTOM RIGHT:  This is the full print of Esther (Spear) Hill Aldrich that the close-up on the opposite page was taken from.  One of the great-granddaughters, Ruth Ann (Aldrich) Roffers, tinted the print to give it a more up-to-date look.  Thank you, Ruth Ann.