When lived1876-1960
How related to Kieran
Great-great-great grandmother (in photo, second from left; her husband James is at far left)
Parents
Thomas Hill Jr. and Anna Place
Birth
Born Oct. 8, 1876 (gravestone says 1875)
Employment
Housewife
Marriage
Married James Byrd Bignell on Oct. 12, 1892
Children
g Didama Bignell (b. Feb. 2, 1894, Wisconsin; m. Will White; children include Bertha White, Ioma White; d. Oct. 26, 1976, Michigan)
g Inez Orletha Bignell (b. July 19, 1896, d. Aug. 22, 1898; buried in Round Hill Cemetery)
g Orleatha Bignell (b. July 5, 1898, d. March 16, 1900)
g Edison Bignell (b. April 11, 1900, Arkansaw, Wis.; buried in Round Hill Cemetery)
g Mary Bignell (b. Aug. 5, 1901, Arkansaw; m. a Stewart; d. ?)
g Ray Bignell (b. March 7, 1904, d. April 15, 1904)
g Fred Bignell (b. July 11, 1905, Arkansaw, Wis.; d.1965)
g Georgina Bignell (b. March 3, 1908, Arkansaw; d. Jan. 24, 1963, in Goodhue, Minn.; her name sometimes appears in record as Georgiana)
g Andrew Bignell (b. July 6, 1911, Arkansaw; d. Oct. 7, 1959)
g Abner Bignell (b. July 5, 1912, at home near Arkansaw, Wis.; d. Jan. 12, 1963, Durand)
g Blanche Bignell (b. May 8, 1913, Waterville Township, Pepin Co., Wis; died May 31, 2000, Hastings, Minn.)
g Sherman Bignell (b. July 14, 1914, Sunnybrook, d. May 2, 1970)
g James Bignell Jr. (b. Oct. 5, 1915; d. Nov. 11, 1976)
g Baby boy, b. Oct. 5, 1916, Arkansaw; d. Oct. 5, 1916)
g Royal Bignell (b. Feb. 2, 1918; d. March 9, 1919; buried in Round Hill Cemetery)
g Boy & girl (twins)? (b. Feb. 3, 1918, Arkansaw; d. same day, according to family legend)
g Bert Bignell (b. Mar. 24, 1922; d. Nov. 30, 1970)
Interesting facts
g Of her 18 children, eight died in childhood
g Family recipe for baked beans passed down via Bertha Hill:
3 lbs small navy beans
1.5 cups white sugar
1.5 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons dry mustard
0.5 cup molasses (mild)
2 onions chopped
9 cups water
0.5 pound bacon (cut into tiny pieces, raw)
Sort the beans/clean them/drain that water
Put clean water on and soak beans for 3 hours
Then put raw bacon in
Bake 5-6 hours in oven at 350 degrees
g Photos of and documents involving Bertha:
Died
Died Feb. 20, 1960, (age of 83) at her home after a short illness; funeral services were held on Feb. 23 at the Latter Day Saints church in Porcupine; the body was held in state at the Goodrich funeral home in Durand; Clive Metcalf officiated with a 2 p.m. rites and burial at Porcupine Cemetery; her obituary is in the Feb. 25, 1960, Durand Courier Wedge; it claimed she had 17 children, 58 grandchildren and 69 great-grandchildren.
