Photos: Ella (1936)

Ella and her second husband, George Martineau, attended George's youngest son's (Thouis Martineau's) wedding to Mabel June Tyler on May 22, 1936. That day, a picture was taken, which included Ella.

From left to right we see: Mabel Tyler, Thouis Martineau, Matilda Petersen, George Albert Martineau (Sr.), and Ella. It's not the best photo of Ella. Her eyes look closed, and her hand is blurred.

Ella -- Notes from Martineau Family

After Fred died, Mary Ella remarried 9 years later in Salt Lake City to George Albert Martineau, Sr. There isn't a lot captured in my family history after this point, due to the rift that formed between Minerva and Ella. I've looked up memoirs that the Martineau family might have had, and did discover some tidbits. From a biography of George Albert Martineau by his grandson, LeVan Martineau, there are a few notes about Mary Ella of interest:

"George moved back to Cedar City, Utah in 1927. In 1928 he moved to Salt Lake City. While in Salt Lake he met Mary Ellen [Ella] Kohl[h]epp. She was a widow who had six children. All of them were married but one. They were married December 5, 1928. (Mary Ellen was a health food fanatic and grew alfalfa in the living room window and used the leaves to make salad and juice. She had some other ideas about health that were not very sound. She believed that if a child looked directly into the morning sun for several minutes a day they would have strong eyesight. A very bad thing to do. Thouis told of having his father come to visit, after he and Mabel were married, and they were cooking beef steak for dinner. George Albert explained very carefully about how they were strict vegetarians and ate only healthy food and never red meat. He then sat down to dinner and ate all the steak. Another bit of interest, George kept the upright piano that was in her home and moved it to Arizona with him.  He shipped it to his youngest son, Thouis, for Christmas in 1954. It was given to his middle child, Carol Stoddard, who has it in her possession (1998). Mary Ellen died of dropsy in January, 1941. (Dropsy, now called Edema, is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in cells or a tumor.)"

Observations:

- Notes marriage date to George Albert Martineau, Sr. on December 5, 1928.

- One child not married I believe would have been Constance.

- The belief regarding eyesight may have contributed to Minerva's description of lost eyesight in her letter to her daughter Laurie.

- It looks like the regiment reg. food consumption was instituted not only at the Kohlhepp home, but the Martineau home as well. This was the "Jewish" health code they claim to have followed. George looks to have begrudgingly followed it.

- We know Ella composed music, and it's interesting to see where her piano ended up. It would be interest to see if Carol had any pictures of it.

Photos: Ella - Late 1930's

Joan Sowards, a descendant of Eda Kohlhepp Lisonbee, posted a photo of Ella in her old age with her second husband, George Albert Martineau, Sr. I took the liberty of restoring the photo, removing flecks and imperfections (inc. the orange stain), and increasing contrast to reduce the fade of time. It turned out pretty well:

Joan Sowards dated the photo to circa. 1940. Ella here does look very similar in her pose (and outfit) as to her obituary photo, her face roughly at a mirror image to the one here. Joan noted the baby as James Lisonbee. The only James I am familiar with was Eda's son, James Rey, but that can't be right as James was born before Ella and George married. Joan is likely referring to another James I do not know of (a son of Eda's sons Lorenzo or Ovid?).

I'll be restoring and posting photos as I collect them.

Ella's Obituary (1941)

Document Type: Obituary
Document Date: January 13, 1941
Created by: Deseret News
Addressed to: Newspaper readership
People referenced: Mary Ella Hickman, George Martineau, J. Grant Iverson, Williams Adams Hickman, Minerva Wade Hickman, surviving descendants via Fred and stepchildren

Fred's spouse, Mary Ella Hickman ("Ella"), lived another 22 years after Fred passed away in 1919. 9 years after he passed away, Ella married George Albert Martineau, Sr., who was also a widower. George would outlive not only his first wife and Ella, but 2 others (Emeline E. Ellsaesser and Ida Billingsley). This was a man that did not like to be alone. When Ella passed away in 1941, an obituary was printed in the January 13th issue of the Deseret News (page 5), which read:

"Martineau Funeral Set

Active Church Worked Passes at 75

Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Ella Martineau, 75, of 270 Vine Street, who died Saturday morning in a local hospital, will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m., at 36 East Seventh South Street, by Bishop J. Grant Iverson of the Capitol Hill Ward. Burial will be in the North Ogden Cemetery. Friends may call at the place of funeral prior to services.

A daughter of William Adams and Minerva Wade Hickman, she was born in Murray, Sept. 28, 1865. An active Relief Society member, she has been an active Temple worker for the past 15 years. She had also been recognized as a writer and artist.

Surviving are her husband, George A. Martineau; a son, Frederick Kohlhepp of Plymouth, Utah; six daughters, Mrs. Marie K. Nash and Mrs. Constance Shivley of Salt Lake; Mrs. Eda Lisbonbee and Mrs. Sara Bird of Mesa, Ariz.; Mrs. Minerva Teichert of Cokeville, Wyo., and Mrs. Annallee Averill of Los Angeles, Calif.; four stepsons, George A. Martineau Jr., of Sandy, T. Louis Martineau of West Jordan, Ernest Martineau of St. David, Ariz., and Douglas Martineau of Moapa, Nev., three step daughters. Mrs. Elazadie Hurst of Payson, Mrs. Nola Bauer of Mesquite Nev., and Wilma Luke of Junction, Utah; 76 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren."

Observations:

• This puts Ella's death date at January 11th, 1941, and burial on January 14th.
• The North Ogden cemetery was apparently a family plot for the Wades.
• Ella is described as quite involved in temple work (15 years), prior to when she would have met George.
• Recognized as an artist -- this goes along with the musical compositions, stories, and art contests I'd seen her involved in.