Fourth Generation

47. Vilas Fredrick ROEDER was born on 15 February 1909 in Oakdale Township, Monroe County, WI.^11,13,37,61 He appeared in the census in 1910 in Oakdale Township, Monroe County, WI.⁷ He appeared in the census in 1920 in Oakdale Township, Monroe County, WI.^{11 61} (He is believed to have been the birth father of Doris Mae (Griggs) Cassidy. One story has it that he and Doris' mother, Blanche Griggs, were engaged, but that he died before Doris Mae was born in February 1929.. The birth certificate for Doris did not list him as the father, but instead listed Tom Cassidy, the eventual husband of Blanche.) Vilas appeared in the census in April 1930 in Oakdale Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁰ He was living with his parents and his occupation was "Laborer, Odd Jobs." Before December 1930 he was a farm laborer in Oakdale Township, Monroe County, WI.¹³ He died on 1 December 1930 at the age of 21 in Oakdale Township, Monroe County, WI.^13,37,61 He was killed by runaway horses, when he was crushed between a farm wagon and a tree. Vilas was buried on 30 December 1930 in Camp Douglas, Cutler Township, Juneau County, WI.^13,37 in the Camp Douglas Cemetery.

Blanche Loretta GRIGGS (~), daughter of Samuel Hiram GRIGGS and Eva Jane ROOT, was born on 10 February 1909 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^{11,28,57,62,63,64} Tomah Journal Article: "Born to Mr. and Mrs. Sam Griggs, on Feb 10th, a girl."

In her autobiography that Blanche wrote in high school, she notes that, "The house in which I was born in was located in the center of the block, where the Church of God is located now." That was in the Village of Tomah.

She and her parents could not be located in the 1910 Census. It is believed that they were living in Huron, South Dakota, where her brother Glenn was born in May 1910.

After Glenn's birth, they lived in Huron for an unknown period, and then they moved back to the Tomah area. They may have lived with Eva's parents for a year or two, because later in her autobiography Blanche mentioned that, "Before I started school, I used to play with Alma Kuehl, who lived near us." Alma was a daughter of Otto and Gusta Kuehl, who owned a farm in Section 28 of Tomah Township, about 3 miles south of Tomah, just west of Highway 131--near the farm of Eva's father, Ira J. Root.

Blanche later mentions that they lived in that home until "We moved to North Tomah and I started school"--which must have been in about 1913. It is believed that her father was renting a farm there, because she talked about helping with threshing and other farm chores. She mentioned that "Worden Shutter lived near us and he used to come over almost every day to play with Glen (her brother, Glenn)." Worden's parents owned a farm in Section 31 in the southwest corner of LaGrange Township. According to her brother LaVerne's birth certificate, they lived in LaGrange Township when he was born in October 1917.

She then mentioned that, "We moved to Tar (actually, Tarr) Valley near Tunnel City where I went to school." That may have been in about early-1918 or so. Tunnel City is in Greenfield Township, about 4 miles northwest of Tomah.

She then mentions that, "The next year we moved to a farm near Wilton. I lived there two years." The farm is believed to have been northeast of the intersection of Highway 131 and County Trunk "A." They probably lived there from about 1919 until just after her mother died in December 1920. According to the 1920 Census, it appears that her father rented a farm from either John O'Leary, James McGarvey or Leopold Von Haden in Section 3 or 10 of Wilton Township--about 5 miles south of Tomah. She appeared in the census in 1920 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.¹¹ She graduated in 1928 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^10,65,66 from Tomah High School.

A detailed search of the 1930 Census failed to locate Blanche or her brothers Glenn and LaVerne, whom she would have been caring for. They were not listed in the census record for their father and step-mother on their farm in Kirby, or anywhere else in Wisconsin.

They are believed to have been living at the home of their paternal grandparents, Clarence and Carrie Griggs at their home at 1308 Stoughton Avenue in Tomah. But that household was not listed in the census records. The census enumerator included neighboring homes in their block at 1312, 1314, 1316 and 1320, as well as homes across the street at 1301, 1303 and 1305. But, for some unknown reason (possibly an illness in the household), the enumerator did not include 1308.

Blanche's daughter, Doris Mae (who was one year old at the time), was living with Tom Cassity and his first wife, Blanche Mary Street, in the village of Adams, 45 miles east of Tomah. She was listed as a "Boarder." Doris Mae was born in Adams, so Blanche apparently was living there at the time of her daughter's birth in February 1929. It is assumed that Blanche would have been living in the Adams area near her infant daughter at the time of the 1930 census, but she cannot be located in the census. About July 1928 Blanche was a school teacher in Monroe County, WI.⁶⁷ It is not known how long she taught school, but it is believed that she taught between graduating from high school in June 1928 and the birth of her daughter, Doris Mae, in February 1929. ⁶¹ with Vilas Frederick Roeder. They had a daughter, Doris Mae, but no record of their marriage can be located. She appeared in the census on 2 May 1940 in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.⁶⁸ The census indicates that she lived in the same house in 1935, so she must have moved in with Tom Cassidy after his divorce from Blanche Street in 1934. ⁶¹ In a post card to her husband, Tom, and her daughter, Doris Mae, in Adams she wrote: "Well, we are almost there (at Camp Livingston, to visit her brother Glenn, who was stationed in the Army). Drove all night. This is Wed(nesday). Had a flat and a $2 fine for speeding. Our speedometer broke and there is a speed limit of 25 + 30 mi. an hour here. and in Kentucky. We are getting cleaned up and will get to Camp in a couple of hours. Will write again soon. Mother."

At the bottom of the post card, she wrote "We are here now. All OK."

Gary Griggs has pictures of Blanche and Glenn at Camp Livingston. She was there with her nephew Gary, but it is not known who else was with them. She appeared in the census in 1950 in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.⁶⁹ She was living with Tom and they were listed as married, although they divorced in 1948. Her occupation was "Char Woman, Household." Blanche died on 11 April 1971 at the age of 62 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI.⁵⁷ Gary Griggs remembers "Aunt Blanche" as a very friendly, outgoing person who really enjoyed life and had a good time with whatever she did. She particularly liked to get together with her extended family at parties, picnics, weddings, and other occasions. She especially liked children, and would spend hours with them playing cards and board games or putting together picture puzzles.

Obituary Notes: "Blanche Loretta Cassidy was born in Tomah on February 10, 1909 and passed away (some months after suffering a Stroke) at the Three Fountains Nursing Home in Milwaukee on April 11, 1971 at the age of 62 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Samuel Griggs and Eva (nee Root) Griggs and her husband, Tom. She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. John (Doris) Russ of Anchorage, AK, three grandchildren, two brothers (Glenn and LaVerne Griggs), and nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held from the First Methodist church in Tomah Thursday, Apr. 15. Stanley Wiese officiated and burial was in the Wood Cemetery."
She was buried on 15 April 1971 in Wyeville, Byron Township, Monroe County, WI.^57,70,71 in the Wood Cemetery.

Vilas Fredrick ROEDER and Blanche Loretta GRIGGS (~) had the following children: