|
Caroline Anderson Engles (b.1851) bore
twelve children in her marriage to
Maximillian Engels (1845–1920). Five
remained on New Year's day 1903.
Caroline and Max immigrated to America with
their parents from Norway and married in
1867. Max worked as a carpentry
millwright.
On December 30, 1903 Max's
oldest daughter, Magda "Minnie" Engels (b.1868), age
thirty-five, took her six-year-old little brother
Willie (b.1897), to see the Mr. Bluebeard Christmas
pageant at Chicago's newest luxury playhouse, the
Iroquois Theater. Classes would resume for Willie at the
Avondale School the following week, so the theater
outing was probably an exciting finish to the
holiday. It may have been the end of a holiday
excursion for Minnie, too. Though her father's
address was given in Iroquois victim lists, in 1900,
Minnie did not live with her father, and I was not
able to determine if she did in 1903, so she may
have traveled to Chicago for a holiday visit.
It is unknown where the Engels were seated, but the third-floor
balcony is likely. Minnie's body was found at
Jordan's funeral home and identified by either
senior or junior Max H. Engles, as was Willie's.
|
|
William "Willie"
Engles was the only
Iroquois victim who attended the Avondale school.
Newspaper lists of victims sometimes included Minnie
but omitted William; at other times included a
person named Maurice Engels. Ultimately, inquest records
were recorded for just two Iroquois victims named Engels: Minnie and William.*
Minnie and William were buried in Mt. Olive Cemetery
in Chicago with their mother. Max lived
until 1920. He had owned his home on Dawson Avenue
in 1903, but by 1910, with all his surviving
children married and on their own, he rented a room.
He worked then as an estimator for a sash and door
company. He did not have to suffer the loss of any
more of his children before his death.
In the years after the fire
In October 1904, wrongful death suits of $10,000
each were filed on behalf of Minnie and Willie by
attorney Joseph H. Strong.
|
|
Discrepancies and addendum
* I checked, too, for a Maurice Ingalls, Engle, Engles, etc., found no connection.
|
