Edith Anthony

Edith I. Vetterling was born on Thursday, November 20, 1873 in Stockholm, Sweden. Both of Edith’s parents were born in Sweden. Edith came to Leavenworth, Kansas at the age of 19 around 1892. Edith was a homemaker. The locals said she was a lovely lady, but basically stayed home and took care of the children. Her daughter said she barely spoke English. She died on Saturday, January 18, 1930 at St. John Hospital, Leavenworth, Kansas at the age of 56. She had Pneumonia and had been ill for a few weeks. Her physician was Dr. Swann. Her body was taken to the home on Monday January 20, 1930 for the visitation. She was buried on Tuesday January 21, 1930 at 9am from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Church, Leavenworth, Kansas. Father Ahern was the pastor. Burial was at Mount Calvary Cemetery, Leavenworth, Kansas. J.J. O’Donnell Undertakers were in charge of the funeral.

Joseph and Edith had 9 children. All the children were born at home, normally assisted by a mid wife. All attended Grade school at Immaculate Conception, Leavenworth, Kansas.

Prologue - Vetter ling family

John S., my grandfather was born in Wernsmo, Sweden. He was a Swedish draft dodger. He and his brother (my father did not know his name) took their carpentry tools and rowed a boat across the North Sea to avoid conscription in ca.1875. The queen of Sweden was having a love spat with the Czar of Russia; apparently believing a few thousand dead soldiers might reconcile them. Eventually, my grandfather and his brother immigrated to the USA via Germany. My grandfather eventually arrived in Osborn, Kansas. He never was able to speak more than broken English and I was not able to understand him. During the time my grandfather and his brother were together, they brought their sister and younger brother from Sweden. I don’t know the location. His brother joined the Army and went to the Boxer Rebellion in China. My father did know that he returned to the United States, but the two brothers were never able to reunite.

Mary, my grandmother was a half-breed (Sioux & French) girl abandoned and picked up on a cattle trail in north central Kansas by one of the Martin brothers. The Martins were cattlemen and merchants. Mary was left with the eldest brother to work as a live-in maid. She was permitted to marry the itinerant Swedish farmer/cabinet maker and they had Herman Martin, my father, October 27, 1898. Mary died in childbirth in 1903. John S. moved to Oklahoma and leased a farm. My father was left in a foster home. When he was 7 years old, John S. came to fetch his child, "enough book learning, time to go to work," typical of the age, sons were to help work the farm. At age 12, my father ran away from home and became a cowboy on a ranch in western Kansas.

When W.W.I. erupted my father joined the Army, went to France, came home and was discharged in 1918. The post war depression made jobs scarce and short termed (cowboy, logger, Western Union lineman) and so he re-enlisted as corporal in April 1922 and was stationed at Post 19 on the western frontier. In June of that year it was renamed Fitzsimons Army Hospital. In the spring of 1939, he had worked his way up the ladder to Master Sergeant.

When W.W.II started my father was promoted to Captain in the Medical Admistrative Corp and transferred to Camp Hale, Colorado. The transfer meant that we could no longer occupy quarters at Fitzsimons. We could have moved to the nearest town to Camp Hale, Pando, but when my mother looked at the seven log cabins she said we were staying in Denver. June 1942, my mother, sisters Helen and Ann and I moved to 1735 Spruce Street in northeast Denver. It was not a happy move because Ann and I had to change schools. My father was able to come down for a visit once a month. Otherwise we did not see him.

In 1944, my father was transferred to Wurtsburg Germany and was there until his retirement in April 1948. On his return he and my mother bought a small acreage in Jefferson County. He worked a variety of jobs finally ending up with the Air Force Finance Center in Denver. Herman Martin Vetter ling died September 29, 1969 from cancer.