Bertha Estelle Lewis 1892 - 1987

Born May 13, 1892, daughter of Rev. Isaac H. Lewis and Minnie Beatrice Rogers, in Rushville, Illinois.

Married Edgar Andrew Arnold in Montgomery County, Illinois and raised their family on the Arnold family farm.




Children:

Marjorie Arnold m. Darrell Clark
CAROL BEATRICE ARNOLD m. DAVID LATHAM STEVENS
Thomas Arnold m. Barbara Goren

Died Feb., 1987.

Bertha Lewis left an astounding collection of photographs, scrapbooks, genealogical data and a family bible. Along with a few 19th Century photographs, this collection spans several generations from horse-and-buggy days to the Space Age. Some of her treasures include the Ordination Certificate of Theodore Rogers signed by Peter Cartwright. The part of the collection in my charge contains Isaac & Minnie Lewis' marriage certificate, several letters from her genealogist cousin, Mayer Davidson, a few works of humorous doggeral by another cousin, Bennet Rogers, and numerous clippings of obituaries and marriage announcements.

My memories of Grandma Arnold are of a kindly old lady who baked pies, made quilts, attended scores of funerals and kept my mother abreast of the lives of miriad relatives I could never keep straight. Looking through her photos reveals a life complete with a childhood and youthful adulthood. My impression from the photos is that she was rather more sedate than her fun-loving friends, but held some very close friendships including that of her sister, Mary.

Most of the photos show unnamed individuals, but there are enough named faces to make identification of most of them possible. It is my intent to digitize much of the collection as time and means permit.