Who was Edward Sheldon Crego?

Edward Sheldon Crego was my grandmother's brother.  He was the first child born to Richard Sheldon Crego and Carol Swartout.  I have a write-up with documentation on Richard & Carol's family on my main website at http://members.toast.net/jan.monnin/hagan/Crego,RichardS/crego,richards.htm.  Please feel free to check out their page.

The purpose of this entry is to discuss one of their children, Edward Sheldon Crego, of whom I do not have many details on my website.

Richard and Carol were married on October 12, 1909 in Cement City, Michigan.  Edward, their first child, was born on March 16, 1910 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.   He was named "Edward Sheldon" probably in honor of Richard's Grandfather, Edward Edmunds Sheldon.

Here's the first picture we have of Edward, taken at age 2, or 1912.

The family stayed in Kalamazoo, then moved to White Pigeon Michigan in 1913.  Here's a picture of Edward and Fred, maybe around 1925.

While the family was living in White Pigeon, Edward met Edith Winona Matthews.  They were married on October 12, 1927 in Indiana according to Edward's obituary.   The family knew her as "Winona", but on various census records and directories, she was also listed as "Edith".   Edward was 17 and Winona was 16 when they married.

Winona was just pregnant when they married.  Their baby boy was born premature at 6 months gestation and died on March 17, 1928 at Sturgis Memorial Hospital.

I only have one picture of Edward and Winona, probably taken around 1928.  Here Edward is holding Ruth (his sister).

We next find the family on the 1930 federal census, living in Saginaw, Michigan.  Edward's occupation is listed as a checker in an iron foundry.  There are no children listed in the household.

We also find them on a few city directories:
1932 - Three Rivers - 511 Wood Street - working at the paper mill;
1934 - Three Rivers - 511 Wood Street - working at the paper mill;

They moved to Manitowac, Wisconsin.  We find them on the 1940 federal census living at 809 North Sixth Street.  There are still no other children listed in the household.  Edward's occupation is listed as office manager of a box factory.   He had been working at the Eddy Paper Mill in Three Rivers and was transferred to the paper mill in Wisconsin. 

They adopted a baby boy in 1944.  They named him Edward Sheldon Crego, Jr.  (although later to the family, he was known as "Dickie".).  I don't have a record of the adoption, however, I found a record of a border crossing from Canada into Detroit. Edward Jr. was born on June 30, 1943 in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island in Canada.  His biological mother was Doris Woods Bellman.  He crossed the border into the US with his adopted mother, Edith Winona Crego.

In 1946, he moved his family to Urbana Ohio, where he was an office manager of the United Paperboard Company.  (Probably the same Eddy Paper Company).  In 1948, the family  moved back to Three Rivers.  Edward was listed as auditor for the United Paperboard Company.

In 1951, Edward Sr, died suddenly.  In a 1988 interview with my grandfather Hubert Hagan, he talked about Edward and Dickie.  My grandmother, Betty Hagan (Edward's sister), said that he gave blood one morning.  Then very suddenly that afternoon, he had a massive heart attack and died.  I cannot find a death certificate, and whether the two incidents are related, but after that time, Betty told everyone never to give blood.

After Edward Sr.'s death, Winona and Dickie stayed in Three Rivers.  I have them listed in the available Three Rivers City Directories for 1952 and 1954.  In 1963, I found Dickie listed as a senior in the 1963 Three Rivers High School yearbook.

Winona's time after Dickie's high school graduation is the subject of a family mystery and there is much to tell.  I'll write more about that in my next post.