Beatrice Eggebrecht 1877

Rachel Beatrice Shepard Eggebrecht

1877 – 1963

(Mary Rachel) Beatrice Shepard was born in Muskegon, Michigan on February 20, 1877 and died in Chicago, Illinois on April 23, 1963.

Her parents were Joseph Shepard and Rachel Stuart Winters.

Her siblings included:

· John Henry Winters, a step brother, named after his father, was born on September 4, 1859 in Michigan. When he was quite young, he married Matilda (Tillie) who was 16. After his mother died, John and Tillie tried to keep the family together. However, Tillie and Josie were about the same age and did not get along well. They did raise his brother, Edward. John and Tillie had seven children. John died in Muskegon, Michigan on May 31, 1945 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery.

· Annie Putnam was born in 1862.

· Josephine Lord was born in 1867. Josie raised her sister, Mayme’s child, Frederick. She went to New York for a while and was a child nurse. When her father was in his 90s, she took him to Detroit, Michigan to live with her until he died. Josephine died on May 2, 1928.

· Isabella was born on April 1, 1868 and died on August 19. 1868.

· Frances A. was also born on April 1, 1868. She died before the 1870 census.

· Alice was born on December 21, 1869.

· Lillian Cruse was born in 1870. She had two children; Marguerite and Eugene. Lillian died in 1928.

· Edward was born on February 22, 1872 and died in Duluth, Minnesota on January 12, 1957. He and his wife, Catherine, had four children.

· Marey was born in 1874.

· Mayme Cooper was born in 1878. She had a boy, Frederick, and died when her long hair caught fire while standing in front of a heater.

· Infant born in 1879.

It has been reported that Beatrice was the thirteenth child. When she was 2 years old, her mother died in childbirth, along with the child, and the family was split up. Beatrice spent some time in a Convent/Orphanage where she picked up the name Mary. She ended up with the Piero family who owned a farm on Maple Island near Muskegon. When Mr. Piero died, his wife married a man named Tart who had several daughters.

Beatrice made her First Communion when she was twelve. She wore a borrowed veil, had no white shoes and did not want her picture taken. When Beatrice lived with the Piero/Tart family, she played with Ella Harkness and the nine Rames boys. Beatrice and Ella came to Chicago when they were sixteen years old. Ella got married, had a little boy, got divorced and moved back to Muskegon with her little boy.

At age twenty, Beatrice married Robert Eggebrecht on March 13, 1897. From 1897 through 1899, Beatrice and Robert lived at, what is now, 625 – 627 Waller Avenue. Their first two children, a girl and a boy were born there. In 1900, they moved to 5812 Cedar Street (currently 5819 Superior) in Chicago. Robert appears in all of the Chicago City Directories from 1900 through 1917 and in 1923. (All other years after 1918 are not available).

The 1900 Census shows Beatrice and Robert and their two children living at 5812 Cedar Street. Robert was a railroad switchman. They lived there until the fall of 1902 and had another boy and another girl at that location.

In the fall of 1902, they moved to 5956 Augusta Street in Chicago where they lived until May of 1908. The City Directories showed Robert as a switchman through 1906 and a yardmaster in 1907 and 1908. They had three more daughters at that address.

In May of 1909, they moved to 927 N. Park Avenue (currently 1030 N. Parkside Avenue). The 1909 City Directory showed Robert as a laborer. The 1910 Census shows Robert, Beatrice and their eight children living at 1030 N. Park (Parkside) Avenue. The 1910 and 1911 City Directories showed Robert as a watchman. The 1912 through 1917 City Directories showed Robert as a yardmaster. Two boys and two girls were born at the Parkside address (one girl died at birth).

On July 3, 1919, they purchased a house at 714 N. Long Avenue. The 1920 Census shows Robert, Beatrice and their ten children living at the Long Avenue address. The 1923 City Directory showed Robert as a switchman living at 714 N. Long Avenue.

The 1930 Census shows Robert, Beatrice and eight of the children living at the Long Avenue address. Robert was a railroad switchman. The two youngest children were in school and the older six had various jobs and occupations.

In 1936, Beatrice was reunited with her brother, Edward Shepard. They had not seen each other for 57 years. See Beatrice and Edward Reunited.pdf for details.

Robert worked for the Chicago and NorthWestern Railroad for 47 years and retired on September 30, 1939. The 1940 Census shows Robert, Beatrice and three of the children living at the Long Avenue address. Robert had lived in Austin for 53 years when he died on June 13, 1941. See his Death Certificate for additional details. He is buried in Mount Emblem Cemetery in Elmhurst, Illinois.

Robert and Beatrice had eleven children: seven girls and four boys. They had thirteen grandchildren. After Robert died, Beatrice continued to live on Long Avenue with her son, Elmer, her daughter, Ruth, and son-in-law, Arthur Andersen. She enjoyed playng Bunco with her girlfriends.

Beatrice died on April 23, 1963. See her Death Certificate for additional details. She is buried in Mt. Emblem Cemetery in Elmhurst, Illinois. Also buried in Mt. Emblem Cemetery are her husband, Robert, and seven of her children (all except Gladys, Marceline, Leona and the infant born in 1911).