Bertha Eslick ^{1 2}

   Another name for Bertha was Bertha Estlick.

  General Notes:

The maiden name of Bertha remains a mystery as there seems to be no documents that reference her name. One researcher shows a Bertha Eslick married to an Edgar Allen Howser whose burial location is mentioned below. No other information is available and the one researcher provides no source documentation.

This is the most probable birth information which indicates a maiden name of Eslick (instead of Estlick).

Name: Bertha Eslick
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 03 Nov 1877
Event Place: Union, South Dakota, United States
Gender: Female
Father's Name: Andrew Eslick
Mother's Name: Mary Brown

Citing this Record:
"South Dakota, Department of Health, Index to Births 1843-1914 and Marriages 1950-2014," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKD8-GL9J : accessed 11 February 2016), Bertha Eslick, 03 Nov 1877; citing Birth, Union, South Dakota, United States, South Dakota Department of Health, Pierre; FHL microfilm .

This birth record also indicates a birth location of Union County, South Dakota which was on the Iowa state border. This may explain the two different birth locations of South Dakota and Iowa which show up on possible 1940 US Census records for her. It may be possible that her parents actually lived in South Dakota but the birth physically happened in the state of Iowa which might have been where the closest doctor or hospital was located.
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There are two possible 1940 US Census records for Bertha.

The first one enumerated her on 18 April 1940 and shows her living with her husband Edgar at the home of Edgar's brother, Frank, in Flathead County, Montana. It shows a birth location for Bertha as Iowa instead of the expected South Dakota. What is interesting is that this record shows the symbol (aB) next to her name which was supposed to indicate "temporarily absent" which may explain why she may have been enumerated a second time as living with her husband's brother, John.

The second possible 1940 census was performed six days later and shows her living with a different brother-in-law, John Howser and his wife in a nearby township in Flathead County, Montana. This record shows the birth location of Bertha as the expected South Dakota.

Is it possible that both are for the same Bertha and that she was enumerated twice?
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Possible 1940 US Census:

Name:Bertha Howser
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1940
Event Place: Jocko Township, Flathead, Montana, United States
Gender: Female
Age: 65
Marital Status: Married
Race:White
Relationship to Head of Household: Sister-in-law
Birthplace: Iowa
Birth Year (Estimated): 1875
Last Place of Residence:Same Place
District: 15-15
Family Number: 84
Sheet Number and Letter: 4B
Line Number: 78
Affiliate Publication Number: T627
Affiliate Film Number: 2219
Digital Folder Number: 005461687
Image Number: 00176

HouseholdRoleGenderAgeBirthplace
Frank M. HowserHeadM69Illinois
Edgar A. HowserBrotherM73Illinois
Bertha HowserSister-in-lawF65Iowa

Citing this Record:
"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VB31-KTC : accessed 11 February 2016), Bertha Howser in household of Frank M Howser, Jocko Township, Flathead, Montana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 15-15, sheet 4B, family 84, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 2219.
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Possible 1940 US Census:

Name:Bertha Howser
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1940
Event Place: Flathead Township, Flathead, Montana, United States
Gender: Female
Age: 62
Marital Status: Married
Race:White
Relationship to Head of Household: Sister-in-law
Birthplace: South Dakota
Birth Year (Estimated): 1878
Last Place of Residence: Same Place
District: 15-13
Family Number: 216
Sheet Number and Letter: 10B
Line Number:66
Affiliate Publication Number: T627
Affiliate Film Number: 2219
Digital Folder Number: 005461687
Image Number: 00126

HouseholdRoleGenderAgeBirthplace
John C. HowserHeadM68Illinois
Emma K. HowserWifeF71Austria
Bertha HowserSister-in-lawF62South Dakota

Citing this Record:
"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VB31-2G1 : accessed 11 February 2016), Bertha Howser in household of John C Howser, Flathead Township, Flathead, Montana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 15-13, sheet 10B, family 216, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 2219.
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There is a possible burial location shown as Bertha E. Howser, buried at the Lone Pine Cemetery in Pigfork, Flathead County, Montana. Her birth date was 1877 in Iowa and her date of death is given as 29 Aug 1947.

There is a possible burial location for her husband shown as Edgar Allen Howser, buried in a different cemetery, Conrad Memorial Cemetery, in Kalispell, Flathead County, Montana. His birth date is shown on the gravestone as 10 Apr 1866 and his date of death as 5 Dec 1945.
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  Noted events in her life were:

• She has alternate birth date of 1877 and a birth location of Iowa.

• She appeared on the 1920 US Census in Jocko Township, Flathead County, MT on 26 January 1920. ¹

1920 US Census
Sheet 6B, District 39, Dwelling 134, Family 135, Roll 971
Jocko Township, Flathead County, Montana
Home owned, with mortgage
Bertha Howser..Wife..42..SD

(Living with husband, and 4 children.)
.

• She appeared on the 1930 US Census in Jocko Township, Flathead County, MT on 29 April 1930. ²

1930 US Census
Sheet 12A, District 11, Dwelling 286, Family 286, Roll 1256
Jocko Township, Flathead County, Montana
Home owned
Bertha Howser..Wife..54..IA

(Living with husband and 3 children.)

NOTE - If her birth date was in 1877, then her age should have been 52 or 53 instead of 54.
.

• She was buried after 29 August 1947 in the Lone Pine Cemetery in Bigfork, MT.

Find A Grave Memorial 62640599.

Bertha married Edgar Allen Howser, son of James Morrison Houser and Mathilda Moyer, on 3 November 1912 in Creston, MT.^{1 2} (Edgar Allen Howser was born on 10 April 1866 in Illinois,^{2 3} died on 5 December 1945 and was buried after 5 December 1945 in Kalispell, MT.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1920 US Census in Jocko Township, Flathead County, MT on 26 January 1920. ¹

1920 US Census
Sheet 6B, District 39, Dwelling 134, Family 135, Roll 971
Jocko Township, Flathead County, Montana
Home owned, with mortgage
Edgar A. Howser..Self..55..IL..Farmer
Bertha Howser..Wife..42..SD
Thelma M. Howser..Dau..6..MT
Thomas H. Howser..Son..4y1m..MT
Golda M. McGuire..SDaughter..22..IA
Paul F. McGuire..SSon..19,,IA
.

• They appeared on the 1930 US Census in Jocko Township, Flathead County, MT on 29 April 1930. ²

1930 US Census
Sheet 12A, District 11, Dwelling 286, Family 286, Roll 1256
Jocko Township, Flathead County, Montana
Home owned
Edgar A. Howser..Head..63..IL..Farmer, Dairy Farm
Bertha Howser..Wife..54..IA
Thelma Howser..Daughter..16..MT
Thomas Howser..Son..14..MT
Mary Howser..Daughter..11..MT
.

  Marriage Notes:

Prior to her marriage to Edgar Allen Howser, Bertha was previously married to McGuire. The marriage certificate indicated that she was widowed.

Name: Edgar A. Howser
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 03 Nov 1912
Event Place: Creston, , Montana
Age: 45
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Birthplace: Lincoln, Ills
Birth Year (Estimated): 1867
Father's Name: James M. Howser
Mother's Name: Mathilda Moyer
Spouse's Name: Bertha McGuire
Spouse's Age: 34
Spouse's Marital Status: Widowed
Spouse's Race: White
Spouse's Birthplace: Elk Point, S. Dak.
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1878
Spouse's Father's Name: Andrew J. Eslick
Spouse's Mother's Name: Mary Brown
Reference ID: V4 p526
GS Film number: 1902479
Digital Folder Number: 4350527
Image Number: 624

Citing this Record:
"Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F334-325 : accessed 12 February 2016), Mathilda Moyer in entry for Edgar A. Howser and Bertha McGuire, 03 Nov 1912; citing Marriage, Creston, , Montana, county courthouses, Montana; FHL microfilm 1,902,479.
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