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Pitts, Sophie Elizabeth

Female 1859 - 1939  (80 years)


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  • Name Pitts, Sophie Elizabeth 
    Born 27 Aug 1859  Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 
    Gender Female 
    Died 30 Oct 1939  Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11] 

    •      The following obituary was published on Tuesday, 31 October 1939, on page two of the Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, Illinois).

                Mrs. Sophia Fiegenbaum,
                Physician's Widow, Dies

           An illness precipitated by grief over the death of her husband, Dr. J. H. Fiegenbaum, brought death Monday to Mrs. Sophia Fiegenbaum, 80. Mrs. Fiegenbaum died at 3:15 p.m., at her home, 625 Henry street.
           A native of Alton, she was born Aug. 27, 1859, a daughter of Isabelle Pringle Pitts and Samuel Pitts, at the hotel of William Pitts. A member of one of the old families here, her grandfather, William Pitts, was host to Abraham Lincoln when he stopped in Alton at time of the Lincoln-Douglas debate. The hotel, then one of the foremost and finest in Alton, is still in use but known today as the Lincoln Hotel.
           She was the last one of five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Pitts who survived. In her youth she had shown artistic talent and had been recognized for her ability by Paul Harney, the artist, by being permitted to teach an overflow class of his.
           Mrs. Fiegenbaum was one of the oldest members of First Presbyterian Church where her father, Samuel Pitts, for many years was an elder and had assisted in the laying of the cornerstone of the present church when it was built. She had been a member of First Presbyterian since about the age of 15 and all of her life had been active in work of the women's organizations. Her church membership covered a period of 65 years.
           Mrs. Fiegenbaum, during her eighty years of residence in Alton, was widely known. She belonged to a family which had been distinguished for their fine character and their activity in promoting welfare of worth-while institutions. Particularly had the family been identified with First Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Fiegenbaum's grandfather was a contemporary of Elijah P. Lovejoy and other men who took a prominent part in the early-day events in Alton. Until her advancing age made it necessary for her to be less regular, she had been deeply interested in the work of the Presbyterian Church and was still an attendant at services when she was able to do so.
           Mrs. Fiegenbaum was known for her gracious hospitality in her home. Of a cheerful disposition, she had a large number of good friends, even among those much younger than she. She enjoyed continuing in younger generations the family friendships she had held with the older ones. She had the ability, an inherited one in her family, it seemed, to grow old gracefully, maintaining friendships to the end.
           She was married Sept. 11, 1889, to Dr. Fiegenbaum, a young physician at that time, just getting a start in the medical practice in Alton and whose father was pastor of what is now Grace Methodist Church. Death of Dr. Fiegenbaum Feb. 26, 1938, had been a shock that Mrs. Fiegenbaum had been unable to overcome and the decline in her health had become more and more apparent since his death. The couple had looked forward to observance of their golden wedding, the date of which was last September.
           Dr. and Mrs. Fiegenbaum were parents of two children, Harry Pitts Fiegenbaum, who died in infancy, and Mrs. Harvey Fiegenbaum Harris, who survives. She also leaves three grandchildren, Margaret, Warren and Richard Harris.
           Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 3 p.m. at the residence with the Rev. E. J. Vance, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, officiating. The body was moved this afternoon from the Morrow-Cutforth funeral home to the residence, where friends may call. Burial will be in the Fiegenbaum family lot in City cemetery.
    Buried 1 Nov 1939  Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 9, 12, 13, 14] 
    • Sophie was buried beside her husband in Alton Cemetery (in the Old Yard section, lot 100).
    Person ID I4040  Fiegenbaum
    Last Modified 29 Oct 2012 

    Father Pitts, Samuel Jr.,   b. 1833, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1912  (Age 79 years) 
    Mother Pringle, Isabella,   b. 1832, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1914, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 82 years) 
    Married 5 Apr 1858  [1, 3, 15, 16, 17] 
    Family ID F1329  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Fiegenbaum, Dr. Julius Henry,   b. 27 Apr 1859, Galena, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 Feb 1938, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 78 years) 
    Married 11 Sep 1889  Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26] 

    •      The following announcement appeared in the Edwardsville Intelligencer, Edwardsville, Illinois, on 18 September 1889.

      The marriage of Dr. Julius H. Fiegenbaum and Miss Sophie Pitts, of Alton, at the bride's home last Wednesday evening, was one of the most brilliant social events in that city this season. The ceremony was read by the groom's father, Rev. Wm. Fiegenbaum, in a most impressive manner, at 7 o'clock. The rites were witnessed by a large circle of relatives of the contracting parties. The costumes of the quests were elegant. Immediately after the ceremony a reception was tendered them, which was followed by a magnificent feast. The couple left that evening on the Chicago & Alton train for a wedding tour, after which they will be at home in Alton. The bride is an estimable lady, of one of the oldest and most highly respected families of the Bluff City. The groom is a young physician of promise, and a former Edwardsvillian. He has a host of old friends here who wish him and his fair bride a happy and prosperous future. Those who attended from this city were Dr. E. W. Fiegenbaum and Attorney and Mrs. Clay H. Lynch.
    Residence (family) Sep 1899  Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [27] 
    • According to an account of his parents' 50th wedding anniversary celebration at Edwardsville Illinois on 29 September 1899, their son, "J. H. Fiegenbaum of Alton" was in attendance.
    Residence (family) Nov 1906  Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [28] 
    • According to his father's obituary published on 30 November 1906 in the Edwardsville Intelligencer, of Edwardsville, Illinois, the son "Dr. Julius H." was then living at Alton, Illinois.
    Children 
     1. Fiegenbaum, Harry Pitts,   b. 22 Aug 1890, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 12 Jul 1891, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 0 years)
    +2. Fiegenbaum, Bertha Clara,   b. 10 Sep 1891, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 4 Aug 1968, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 76 years)
    Last Modified 6 Aug 2018 
    Family ID F1328  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Sources 
    1. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), page 58.
      Sophie Elizabeth Pitts, daughter of Samuel Pitts and Isabella Pringle, was born on 27 August 1859 at Alton, Madison County, Illinois.

    2. [S182] Find A Grave, Inc, Findagrave.com (https://www.findagrave.com in December 2017), "Sophie Elizabeth Pitts Fiegenbaum".
      Memorial #29619827. Record created by Charles Dean Harris, 6 September 2008. Gravestone photo posted by Charles Dean Harris. Accessed on 26 July 2009.
           Birth: Aug. 27, 1859; Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA. Death: Oct. 30, 1939; Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA. Burial: Alton Cemetery; Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA.

    3. [S182] Find A Grave, Inc, Findagrave.com (https://www.findagrave.com in December 2017), Samuel Pitts, Jr.
      Memorial #29618528. (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=29618528). Accessed on 2 June 2011. Record created by "Charles Dean Harris" on DATE. Gravestone photo posted by "Charles Dean Harris."
           Birth: 1833 at Massachusetts, USA. Death: 1912 at [place not given]. Burial: Alton Cemetery; Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA. Photo of gravestone showed: Saml. Pitts Jr. 1833-1912.
           Charles Dean Harris include information not shown on the gravestone: "On April 5, 1858, Samuel Pitts, Jr. married Miss Isabella Pringle (1832-1914). Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Pitts, Jr., who lived first on 4th Street and then at 607 State Street, are known to have had five children--Harry P., Sophie Elizabeth, Theodosius May, William, and Lee Irwin--of which only one lived beyond the age of 21 years."

    4. [S177] Ancestry.com (library edition), Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947. Sophia Elizabeth Fiegenbaum; 1859-1839.
      (http://search.ancestrylibrary.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2542) in March 2011. Accessed in March 2012. Original data from "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947; Index." FamilySearch: Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Family History Library film number 1432190.
           Sophia Elizabeth Fiegenbaum. Birth date: 27 August 1859. Birth place: Alton, Illinois. Father's name: Samuel Pitts. Father's birth place: Boston, Massachusetts. Mother's name: Isabelle Pringle. Mother's birth place: Scotland. Name of spouse: Julius H. Fiegenbaum.

    5. [S22] Obituary, "Mrs. Sophia Fiegenbaum, Physician's Widow, Dies".
      Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, Illinois). Tuesday, 31 October 1939; page 2, column 4. Digital copy (PDF) accessed through Newspaperarchive.com in October 2011.
           "A native of Alton, she was born Aug. 27, 1859, a daughter of Isabelle Pringle Pitts and Samuel Pitts, at the hotel of William Pitts." "She was the last one of five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Pitts who survived."

    6. [S109] Illinois State Archives, Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916–1950 [online database] (http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/idphdeathindex.html - last confirmed in March 2012), August 2003. (http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/idphdeathindex.html).
      "Sophia Elizabeth Fiegenbaum"; age unknown; died 30 October 1939 at Alton, Madison County, Illinois; death certificate number 0368; filed on [date not provided].

    7. [S119] Harriet L. Fiegenbaum and Judith L. (Fiegenbaum) Miller, Genealogical research.
      Sophie died in 1933.

    8. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), page 58.
      Sophie Elizabeth (Pitts) Fiegenbaum died on 30 September 1939 at Alton, Madison County, Illinois.

    9. [S113] Web site, ILGenWeb. Tombstone Insription Project. Alton Cemetery.
      Elble-Fitzpatrick, part 1. 2007. (http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/madison/cemeteries/alton/alton-fi1.txt). Accessed October 2008.
           Name: Fiegenbaum, Sophia Elizabeth; Name on gravestone: Sophie E. Fiegenbaum; Date of death: 30 October 1939; Place of death: Alton, Illinois; Undertaker: Quinn; Grave location: Old Yard, lot 100. Shared burial lot with Julius H. Fiegenbaum.

    10. [S177] Ancestry.com (library edition), Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947. Sophia Elizabeth Fiegenbaum; 1859-1839.
      (http://search.ancestrylibrary.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2542) in March 2011. Accessed in March 2012. Original data from "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947; Index." FamilySearch: Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Family History Library film number 1432190.
           Sophia Elizabeth Fiegenbaum. Birth date: 27 August 1859. Birth place: Alton, Illinois. Death date: 30 October 1939. Death place: Alton, Madison County, Illinois. Burial date: 1 November 1939. Burial place: Alton, Madison County, Illinois. Cemetery name: Alton City. Age at death: 80. Occupation: Housewife. Race: White. Marital status: Widow. Gender: Female. Residence: Alton, Madison County, Illinois. Father's name: Samuel Pitts. Father's birth place: Boston, Massachusetts. Mother's name: Isabelle Pringle. Mother's birth place: Scotland. Name of spouse: Julius H. Fiegenbaum.

    11. [S22] Obituary, "Mrs. Sophia Fiegenbaum, Physician's Widow, Dies".
      Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, Illinois). Tuesday, 31 October 1939; page 2, column 4. Digital copy (PDF) accessed through Newspaperarchive.com in October 2011.

    12. [S211] Article or notice, "Medora Notes." Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, Illinois). Friday, 3 November 1939; page 8, column 4.
      Digital copy (PDF file) accessed through NewspaperArchive.com at (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/SiteMap/FreePdfPreview.aspx?img=115857240) in October 2011.
           "The Rev. and Mrs. Z. W. Story attended the funeral of Mrs. Sophia Fiegenbaum in Alton Wednesday."

    13. [S177] Ancestry.com (library edition), Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947. Sophia Elizabeth Fiegenbaum; 1859-1839.
      (http://search.ancestrylibrary.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2542) in March 2011. Accessed in March 2012. Original data from "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947; Index." FamilySearch: Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Family History Library film number 1432190.
           Sophia Elizabeth Fiegenbaum. Birth date: 27 August 1859. Birth place: Alton, Illinois. Death date: 30 October 1939. Death place: Alton, Madison County, Illinois. Burial date: 1 November 1939. Burial place: Alton, Madison County, Illinois. Cemetery name: Alton City. Name of spouse: Julius H. Fiegenbaum.

    14. [S22] Obituary, "Mrs. Sophia Fiegenbaum, Physician's Widow, Dies".
      Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, Illinois). Tuesday, 31 October 1939; page 2, column 4. Digital copy (PDF) accessed through Newspaperarchive.com in October 2011.
           "Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 3 p. m. at the residence with the Rev. E. J. Vance, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, officiating. The body was moved this afternoon from the Morrow-Cutforth funeral home to the residence, where friends may call. Burial will be in the Fiegenbaum family lot in City cemetery."

    15. [S199] Charles Dean Harris, The Story of the Warren H. Harris Family and its American Ancestry, revised edtion (Charles D. Harris, 2005), page 6.
      Samuel Pitts and Isabella Pringle were married on 5 April 1858.

    16. [S182] Find A Grave, Inc, Findagrave.com (https://www.findagrave.com in December 2017), Isabella Pringle Pitts.
      Memorial #29618644. (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=29618644). Accessed on 2 June 2011. Record created by "Charles Dean Harris" on DATE. Gravestone photo posted by "Charles Dean Harris."
           Birth: 1832 at Scotland. Death: 1914 at Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA. Burial: Alton Cemetery; Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA. Photo of gravestone showed insription: Isabella Pitts, 1832-1914.
           Charles Dean Harris include information not shown on the gravestone: "On April 5, 1858, Isabella Pringle married Samuel Pitts, Jr. The couple is known to have had five children...."

    17. [S177] Ancestry.com (library edition), Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947. Sophia Elizabeth Fiegenbaum; 1859-1839.
      (http://search.ancestrylibrary.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2542) in March 2011. Accessed in March 2012. Original data from "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947; Index." FamilySearch: Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Family History Library film number 1432190.
           Sophia Elizabeth Fiegenbaum. Birth date: 27 August 1859. Birth place: Alton, Illinois. Father's name: Samuel Pitts. Father's birth place: Boston, Massachusetts. Mother's name: Isabelle Pringle. Mother's birth place: Scotland. Name of spouse: Julius H. Fiegenbaum..

    18. [S119] Harriet L. Fiegenbaum and Judith L. (Fiegenbaum) Miller, Genealogical research.
      Julius H. Fiegenbaum and Sophia Pitts were married. No date or place given.

    19. [S110] Illinois State Archives, Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900 [online database] (http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/marriage.html - last confirmed in March 2012), Fiegenbaum-Pitts marriage. Accessed in August 2003.
      "J. H. Fiegenbaum" and "Sophie E. Pitts" were married on 11 September 1889 in Madison County, Illinois; Volume 9, Page 70; License number 903.

    20. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), page 58.
      Julius Henry Fiegenbaum and Sophie Elizabeth Pitts were married 11 September 1889 at Alton, Madison County, Illinois.

    21. [S211] Article or notice, Edwardsville Intelligencer (Edwardsville, Illinois); 18 September 1889; page 1.
      Announcement of the marriage of Dr. Julius H. Fiegenbaum and Miss Sophie Pitts.

    22. [S182] Find A Grave, Inc, Findagrave.com (https://www.findagrave.com in December 2017), Samuel Pitts, Jr.
      Memorial #29618528. (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=29618528). Accessed on 2 June 2011. Record created by "Charles Dean Harris" on DATE. Gravestone photo posted by "Charles Dean Harris."
           Birth: 1833 at Massachusetts, USA. Death: 1912 at [place not given]. Burial: Alton Cemetery; Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA.
           Charles Dean Harris include information not shown on the gravestone: "...daughter Sophie Elizabeth (1859-1939), married Dr. Julius Fiegenbaum on September 11, 1889."

    23. [S211] Article or notice, "Dr. Fiegenbaum Dies; Physician Here 53 Years".
      Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, Illinois). Monday, 28 February 1938; Page 1, column 1 continued to page 2, column 8. Digital copy (PDF) accessed through Newspaperarchive.com at (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FreePdfViewer.aspx?img=117669405) and (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FreePdfViewer.aspx?img=115852913) in October 2011.
           "He [Julius H. Fiegenbaum] was married here to Miss Sophie Pitts, member of a prominent Alton family, Sept. 11, 1899."

    24. [S177] Ancestry.com (library edition), Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947. Entry for Julius Henry Fiegenbaum.
      (http://search.ancestrylibrary.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2542) in March 2011. Accessed in March 2012. Original data from "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947; Index." Family History Library film number 1818554. FamilySearch: Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010.
           Julius Henry Fiegenbaum. Birth date: 27 April 1859. Death date: 26 February 1938. Name of spouse: Sophie Elizabeth Fiegenbaum.

    25. [S177] Ancestry.com (library edition), Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947. Sophia Elizabeth Fiegenbaum; 1859-1839.
      (http://search.ancestrylibrary.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2542) in March 2011. Accessed in March 2012. Original data from "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947; Index." FamilySearch: Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Family History Library film number 1432190.
           Sophia Elizabeth Fiegenbaum. Birth date: 27 August 1859. Death date: 30 October 1939. Marital status: Widow. Name of spouse: Julius H. Fiegenbaum.

    26. [S22] Obituary, "Mrs. Sophia Fiegenbaum, Physician's Widow, Dies".
      Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, Illinois). Tuesday, 31 October 1939; page 2, column 4. Digital copy (PDF) accessed through Newspaperarchive.com in October 2011.
           "She was married Sept. 11, 1889, to Dr. Fiegenbaum, a young physician at that time, just getting a start in the medical practice in Alton and whose father was pastor of what is now Grace Methodist Church."

    27. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), pages 21-22.
      A transcription supplied by Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts of an account of the Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration for "Rev. and Mrs. William Fiegenbaum." Gretchen Leenerts reported that this account had appeared on 29 September 1899 in the Edwardsville Intelligencer, of Edwardsville, Illinois.
           "All the children of Rev. and Mrs. Fiegenbaum were present with their families, 19 of their 21 grandchildren being there. The children are: Mrs. Charles F. Blume of Winona, Minnesota; Mrs. Jacoby, wife of Rev. H. C. Jacoby, pastor of the Taylor Avenue German Methodist Church, St. Louis; Dr. J. H. Fiegenbaum of Alton, and Dr. E. W. Fiegenbaum, Fred Fiegenbaum and Mrs. C. H. Lynch of this city."

    28. [S175] Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts, Descendants of Father Fiegenbaum (Chinook, Washington: F. Leenerts, 2002), pages 22-23.
      A transcription supplied by Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts of an obituary for Rev. William Fiegenbaum. Gretchen Leenerts reported that this account had appeared on 30 November 1906 in the Edwardsville Intelligencer, of Edwardsville, Illinois.
           "There are six children: Fred A., Dr. Edward W., and Martha wife of C. H. Lynch all of Edwardsville; Dr. Julius H. of Alton; Bertha, wife of Rev. Charles F. Blume, of Winona, Minnesota; and Lydia, wife of Rev. H. C. Jacoby of Quincy."


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