Archive for April 27th, 2015

325. Uncle Bert

The stalwart son of AGM/Shot at a cat and killed a hen

Thus was Uncle Bert immortalized by one of his many brothers when, in an attempt to save a chicken from a ravenous alley cat, a young Bert accidentally shot the chicken instead of its pursuer.

“AGM” was Bert’s father, Augustus George Mansfield, the man for whom the many Mansfield’s Additions to Albion are named. A tinsmith and farmer, my great-great-grandfather, Augustus, sailed to the New World from England in 1842 when he only 14 years old. Accompanied by an uncle, he was met by an older brother in New York and together they set out to find their fortunes, emigrating from New York City through Canada to the little town of Marengo, Illinois (AG named many of Albion’s streets, including Marengo Street). There, in the 1850s, AGM married Mary Moore, an anglicized Iroquois Indian, and together they had more children than I can remember the names of anymore.

In 1880 AG, as the family called him, moved the family from Marengo to what is now the southeast part of town. The family first lived above the tin shop located where Schalk Auto now stands but later built the house at the corner of 3rd and Ruby streets. AG had so many kids he’d buy shoes by the barrel and they could dig through it to find a pair that fit. AG’s wife, Mary, was the town midwife, but because she was Native American, she was only allowed in people’s homes when a baby was due. This despite the fact that her husband was a town father and Baptist minister. Among other things, AG donated the land for the library and the Baptist church.

All of AG’s sons seem to have been remarkable, but most remarkable was the tallest and strongest, Adalbert, or “Bert” for short. Bert excelled at many sports, including foot racing. Finally a group of Albionites, tired of Bert always winning, hired a sprinter from someplace else. He was the first and only person to outrun Bert. He kept on going past the finish line, jumping into a waiting Model T to escape Bert’s angry fans.

AG used to baptize people in the Beaver Creek. Bert, an excellent swimmer, was always stationed around the bend just in case something went wrong and the new convert needed saving physically as well as spiritually.

My aunt Ruby (Wright) used to tell stories about her Uncle Bert, including how a bull once chased him through the pasture. Bert accidentally stepped in a badger hole, bringing him to an immediate stop. Fortunately, the bull was so surprised to see one of Bert’s legs disappear that it stopped too.

Bert, like his brothers, was an avid hunter (Bert’s oldest brother, Uncle Will, once loaded AG’s muzzle loader with gravel and nails and tried to shoot down the Moon). Bert, like many others, hunted passenger pigeons, and helped drive the species to extinction. Many years after the passenger pigeons disappeared from the wild one miraculously appeared in Frank Mansfield’s farmyard. Ever the gentleman, Frank invited Bert over and allowed him to shoot this very last bird.

Bert had two daughters, Margery and Helen, and Helen’s son, Bob Harder, lived and taught here for many years. Judy, if you’re reading this, I’m sure you have many other stories about Bob’s grandfather, and someday I’d love to hear them…