My paternal grandmother (who we affectionately called “Big
Grannie” but only because my maternal grandmother was “Little Grannie” due to
her short stature of 4’9” but that is a story for another time) is Theresa Anna Barbara Nebgen.
As we got older (or maybe when I grew taller than her), however, we
changed to calling her a more socially correct “Grandma Sherlock”.
Theresa Anna
Barbara Nebgen was born in Chicago on 13 Nov 1899 to Peter Joseph Nebgen and
Theresa Homrich. Theresa’s oldest sister
was Helen May Nebgen, who was born in Chicago in 1892 (21 Nov). The middle sister was Anna Marie who was born
in 1894 (14 Sep). Theresa also had a
brother Emil Frank Nebgen, who was born in 1896 (29 Jun). However, he died in 1951 so I never got the
chance to meet him.
The above photo
is of Theresa and her parents, sisters and brother. Theresa is on the far right of the photo.
Helen Nebgen
married Albert Cedargreen in 1917. They
had one child – a daughter named Lucille.
Theresa’s other sister Ann married several times and had four
children. Theresa’s brother Emil married
Anna Pittges and they had 2 sons and a daughter. All of Theresa’s siblings lived their entire
lives in the Chicago area. However,
Theresa moved with her husband Charles Sherlock and 3 young sons in 1930 to
Southern California, where she spent the next 63 years until her death in 1993.
The above photo
is of Theresa and her sisters and mother.
Helen is to the farthest left, with Ann standing next to her. Next to Ann is their mother Theresa Homrich
Nebgen. Theresa Nebgen (my Grandma
Sherlock) is to the far right.
