Lois Margaret Schillinger Young 1901-1935
2010
Lois Margaret Schillinger was born in Moline, Illinois in 1901 to Albert Jerome Schillinger and Margaret Conley. She was the second child and only daughter of four children born to her parents. At a young age, Lois became involved with a young man named Luke P. Young who played in a band. They married before 1920 when a son was born to them. We assume that his name was Jerome Young. However, as the story of Lois will tell, we aren’t sure. Through her relationship with her husband Luke, Lois contracted syphilis. Syphilis was not yet understood as it is today and thus it progressed until Lois was institutionalized at the State Hospital in Moline, Illinois. She was twenty-five years of age. Prior to her commitment, she was living in the home of her aunt Rebecca Schillinger Clark and Rebecca’s husband Albert. Lois’ son is also found in the residence. After Lois was admitted to the State Hospital, her aunt Rebecca and Uncle Albert Clark adopted and raised her son. She was unable to care for him as her mental illness intensified. In fact, Lois spent eleven years, seven months and 13 days in the Hospital where she died.
Subsequent censuses list Lois’ son as Jerome Clark. While he was listed as a survivor in his adopted father’s obituary in 1949, we do not know what happened to him. Family members closer to this family do not know anything else about him.
The day before Lois died, her aunt Josephine Schillinger Porter paid for her funeral. Josephine and Rebecca Clark were sisters. While the obituary that was provided by Lois’ family states that she died at home, she actually died in the State Hospital in Moline. A small family service was held prior to her burial at the young age of thirty five.
Our ancestor Jerome Timothy Watrous had a daughter named Caroline Malone Watrous who married Martin Schillinger. Among their children were Albert Jerome, who was Lois’ father, Rebecca, who was Lois’ aunt and the adopted mother of Lois’ son Jerome, and Josephine who paid for Lois’ funeral. Jerome Watrous had been married to Olivia Burke Muse who was Caroline Watrous Schillinger’s mother. When Jerome Watrous married for a second time, after Olivia’s death, his wife Mary June Reynolds became our direct ancestor through their son Henry Reynolds Watrous. Thus, direct ancestor Jerome Timothy Watrous was the grandfather of Lois Margaret Schillinger Young as well as the grandfather of direct ancestor Everest Elliott Watrous. Everest and Lois were first cousins.
This is a sad story. Family members do not have a photograph of Lois or any additional information about her.