Ida Sherman Vandervort Radloff Breaks a Leg at 95

Grandma Ida around 1950 with her first great grandchild

 

Whenever I think of Great Grandma Ida, I reflect on the fact that she was very well loved and liked by family when she was in her 90's, but not so much when she was in her 20s and 30's.  My grandmother, Kathryn, youngest of three, was born in November of 1902, less than four months before her mother, Mary McCauley Vandervort, passed away of typhoid fever, contracted from a bad water source. The typhoid fever is documented, the water source cause, a family history/legend. A month after Kathryn turned two years old, Charles Lorenzo Vandervort married Ida Sherman. Another bit of family history/legend is that a grandson of hers noted that Charles could have married Ida or her sister but he "chose the wrong one." Apparently Ida fit the traditional stereotype of a step-mother, not so much in favoring her own children (of which she had none) but of not being very warm and fuzzy or otherwise nurturing. She was, according to my mother, her granddaughter, quite a Tartar!  She outlived her first husband, Charles Vandervort, who died in 1941 and later married John Radloff in May of 1950.

We join Ida's story here --

May 19, 1976

 Dear Bernadine and family,

            I hate to be the bearer of bad news but seems (Aunt Ida) your grandmother fell and broke her leg above the knee. As soon as the swelling goes down the doctor will set it and put a cast on it.  She had quite a cold too. I just called the hospital and was told Aunt Ida was OK. The doctor is waiting for the swelling to go down just as I said above. We had hoped this wouldn’t happen.  Shirley will be able to tell you about the wedding reception they attended on Sat. evening.  Aunt Ida said she just couldn’t miss that but she was so tired that she told a friend not to call her in the morning as she intended to sleep after Shirley left.  (Inadvertently I didn’t get to meet Shirley or you when you were here. Both of you were here such a short time). Willowdean and Harold called from Florida about 11 o’clock and about 11:15 on her return to bed she got dizzy and went down on the floor.  She managed to pull the bed clothes off the bed to cover her and in so doing the receiver on the telephone got pulled off so no one to get to her on the phone. Mrs. Carow tried calling about 4, got the busy signal so assumed she might be talking to me.  After many calls she called the operator and was told something was wrong with the phone. Frank Sherman, a grad-nephew happened to be visiting in Ironwood came over and had to break into the house as Aunt Ida keeps all the doors hooked then locked with a key. She even had the living room door locked between the bedroom and living room. Frank finally got in.  They called the doctor and ambulance so [she] is as comfortable as possible at Grand View Hospital, Room 204, Ironwood, Mich 49938.

            I have a problem in having transportation. I do drive a car and there is no public transportation between Ironwood and Bessemer where I live.  It’s about six miles between these two cities. Don’t know whether Aunt Ida ever spoke of me. I am not really a niece but got used to calling her Aunt when I was small. My mother was Aunt Ida’s 1^st cousin.  I remember your mother very well. She taught me in the Presbyterian summer vacation Bible school many years ago.  Also remember your grandfather.  I lived in Hurley, Wis as a child. I taught the deaf in Gooding, Idaho for 6 years and spent one Christmas in Salem, Oregon with Marjorie Naylor.  We have lost all touch with her.  Do you ever see her?

            I have meant to write to you before but just never got around to it.  Since Aunt Ida has a problem with her sight it is hard for her to write and I know she misses her correspondence.  Is this your telephone number 503-761-7598 Would you please let the others in your family know about the accident.  I have tried to write to several people that I thought should know about the accident.

            I’m afraid Aunt Ida will be laid up for some time and don’t know what will happen.  She does not want to go to a nursing home.  We are not mentioning this to her now.

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                                Glenna Sealy Baird

Mrs. William S. Baird

407 E Mary Street

Bessemer, Michigan 49911

And from another relative a few days later --

May 27, 1976

Dear Folks: 

Just a line to let you know that Aunt Ida is in the hospital with a broken leg.  She fell about fifteen minutes after Shirley left.  She was going back to bed for awhile as was early six o’clock when Shirley left.  She is doing pretty good.  They took x-rays the other day and the break is starting to knit.  The break is about half way between her knee and hip.  She [has] a cast on from her hip to her foot.  She has a cough but doctor is treating her for that.  Her right ear has an abscess so she can not hear to good. Otherwise she is fine.  If you want to write her

Mrs. John Radloff,

Room 202,

Grand View Hospital

Ironwood, Michigan 49938

She looks for mail every day.  I have been busy around the place. We are finally getting the electric line in here.  I got to get this in the mail box before the mail man comes.  Hope you are all well as I am fine.

                                                            Yours Truly,

                                                                        Verner Johnson

Verner Johnson

Springstead Rt

Park Falls, Wis 54552

There is something to be said for being a strong and formidable woman when facing adversity. Ida Radloff lived another five years after breaking her leg at the youthful age of 95. Another family legend is that when told she would never walk again her response was "you and whose army" and the next thing they knew she was up and around with a walker. She was apparently also told she would not be able to move back into her house and live independently and again her response was "You and whose army" and soon she was settled back into her home and had acquired personal assistance for a certain number of hours per week. That could all be legend but I do remember visiting her at her home after she had broken her leg. I had not considered the significance of it before this very time, but while visiting she gave us each a small cactus from her windowsill. I had mine for several decades before it got lost in the shuffle of a move or something. But amazingly, I inherited the cactus my parents received from her and it is still on my windowsill now 40 years later. Over her ten decades, Ida apparently mellowed out and all my recollections of her are positive. They were short visits so I may never have seen a demonstration of her whole character. I am also sure that life and losses, reflections on what was really important and if nothing else, just the momentum of passing time eroded the prickles that had marked her youth. When she passed away in 1981 it was said that her last words were greeting Charlie and she was gone. 

 Grandma Ida's cactus that has been in the family for at least four decades

Charles Vandervort is center man in this photo.  To the left is his second wife, Ida Sherman Vandervort and to her left is young Kathryn Tangen

 

*     *     *    *    *     *     *

 

Obituary information for any extended family that like data!

 

Daily Globe, Ironwood, Michigan
Saturday 5 February 1972 page 6

Mrs. J. Radloff, 91 Is Honored

Mrs. John Radloff, 137 W. Ridge St., celebrated her 91st birthday anniversary Thursday, Feb. 3. The former Ida Sherman was born Feb. 3, 1881 in Emerald, Wis. When she was 9 years old the family moved to Ironwood. Five years later they moved to Powell, Wis. She was married to Charles Vandervort in 1904 and then to John Radloff in May, 1950. The lived in Milwaukee until September 1963 when she returned to make her home here.

Mrs. Radloff does her own housekeeping and makes her own bread. She used to enjoy handwork and crocheting. Now she's content to watch her television programs. Her only family here consists of a cousin, Mrs. William Baird, Bessemer. Hostesses for the afternoon social were Mrs. Baird and Mrs. Lucien Perron.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ironwood Daily Globe, Ironwood, Michigan
Friday, Sept. 25, 1981 page 6 Obituaries

Ida M. Radloff, 100, 137 W. Ridge St., Ironwood, died at her home Thursday. She was born in Emerald, Wis., on Feb. 3, 1881. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Sherman, she married Charles Vandervort on Dec. 4, 1904, at Gladstone, Mich. He died March 17, 1940. She married John Radloff May 3, 1950, at Green Bay, Wis. He died March 28, 1963.

Surviving are two stepsons, Harold and Milton Radloff, Venice, Fla., 14 grandchildren, many great grandchildren and numerous great, great grandchildren. Preceding her in death were four brothers, Herbert, John, Frank and Elmer Sherman, and a sister, Mrs. Mayme Peterson. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Engstrom Funeral Home with the Rev. George Hunt officiating. Burial will be in the Hurley Cemetery. The Engstrom Funeral Home will be open for visitation at 9 a.m. Saturday until the time of the funeral. Pallbearers are Fred Tezak, James Kolinsky (name crossed out by someone), Wilmer Carow, Paul Winters, Ronald Winters, Jr., Wm Baird (Wm. Baird added in pen).