Vintage Thingie Thursday : Mary Elizabeth Craig Unversaw

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I shared with you a few weeks back about a scrapbook I have that belonged to Mary Elizabeth Craig. She graduated from Cripple Creek High School in 1913. If you missed that post, please go HERE to see that post. This is a follow up on that post and I am sure there will be more on this tale in the weeks to come.


I know some of you may not be interested in this type of vintage history, but some might enjoy my rather obsession on finding out about this young girl who graduated from a gold mining town early in the 1900's. It has not been an easy task to say the least, it was as if she did not exists as I could not find any information on her.

However, in my heart, I have known this not to be true. She did very much walk those streets in that mining town and it does not matter I did not know her story, or know what she looked like. For you see, she lived in a story I formed in my mind. Mary Elizabeth is and was real to me, no matter how strange that may sound.

Last week, we were in Colorado and as I promised myself, I started digging a little deeper. I was able to discover much new information on Mary, and it was not until after I got home that I discovered my email full of valuable information to me and my quest to find out about this women who lived in my favorite place on earth, Cripple Creek.

This is a photo of Mary Elizabeth Craig from the 1913 yearbook of Cripple Creek High School. Her nickname was "Mutt." She was a member of the Hesperian Society 1,2,3: High school musician 2,3,4: Senior play 4. Her senior quote "Music hath charms to sooth the savage beast"
It is stated that her future occupation wold be playing the piano.

I am ever thankful to Michael from the local library for his informative help in my search. He is a real gem. Finally, there is a face to put with the name in my book.


From the Census records:

Mary Elizabeth born March 1894

1900 living with her father William E. and mother Julia C. and sister Helen W. on West Whalen St.
1910 Same
1920 Still living with parents and sister, on 106 W. El Paso, occupation: Music Teacher.


From The District Directories:

1896 William E., Miner, Residence 200 W. Whalen
1900 William E., Miner Portland Mine, residence 200 W. Whalen
1902-03 same
1905 same
1907 same
1912-13 Family now living at 106 W. El Paso
1915-16 Craig, Mary E., music teacher, res. 106 W. El Paso
1917-18 Craig, Mary E., music teacher, res. 106 W. El Paso

From the Teller & El Paso Counties Tombstone CD:

William E. Craig died in 1933 and is buried at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery in the Elks Rest
Julia C. Craig died in 1947 and is buried next to her husband in the Elks Rest
Helen Craig Jones, wife of Bryan S. Jones, died in 1938 and is buried at Mt. Pisgah Cemetary. (Mary's sister)

Mary had a sister, a brother in law and two nieces...along with parents.....she was real and experienced great lose by my assumption early on with losing all her family. I have walked this cemetery countless of times. Now, I must return to find these graves. I wonder if I have walked past them before and could have never known they were family of someone I was trying to find.....I just wonder......


In the 1930's Census, we were able to find Mary's sister and brother in law. They had two girls at that time, Gwendolyn G. age 8 (born approx. 1922) and Helen S. age 1 yr 11 mos. (born May 1928) Gwendolyn Grace Jones passed away in 1931 and is buried at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery beside her parents.

After 1920 we were not able to find any more information on Mary, assuming she married and changed her name....we hit a wall.

I could not give up.....I had searched the internet for any possible combination of names and hoped beyond hope of turning something up. Nothing.

There seemed to be information on all the family except Mary. I assumed by what the Census said, she must have taught school at one of the local schools. I called the State of Colorado and was told back then, the teachers were not licensed. Another dead end.....I was sure if she had a license to teach, a new married name would follow her on the license. Was not to be.

Michael from the local library wrote me and said he searched through the school board minutes from 1916-1922 and did not find anything that stated Mary was hired by the school district or was employed as a teacher for the district. I was confused on this......

.....after discussing this with my husband, he suggested she taught privately in her home...perhaps piano. After thinking on this news, that must have been the case. She taught privately in her home to students.

Somehow, that fits with the image in my mind. But what happened to her? I need to know...I want to know where her life took her. Did she have a family?? I am not finished with this work......it is important to me.

This afternoon, June 7, 2010....I got a solid piece of information I have been looking for. It was far more than I could have ever imagined.....truly. This is a insert of the obituary from:

Cripple Creek Times Record Friday October 31, 1947

Services Held, Wednesday for Mrs. Julia Craig, Cripple Creek Pioneer

The final chapter of the history of another Cripple Creek Pioneer was closed by the death Sunday evening, as Mrs. Julia Craig passed away quietly in her home at 106 W. El Paso Stetet after an illness of several weeks.

Mrs. Craig, who was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin March 24, 1870 came to Cripple Creek in 1892, when the newly discovered camp was just being built. She married William E. Craig that same year. He died in 1933.

Mrs. Craig was a member of the Baptist Church.

Surviving are a daughter, Mrs Mary C. Unversaw of Albuquerque, New Mexico......

There it was....Mary married sometime after 1920 and before 1947. Her last name was Unversaw and she lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1947. BINGO.

Quickly, I typed in her name on the internet to see what I would find.....I found something right away.....burial records. I cried. Now, I am not for certain this is her, but I feel in my heart it is. The dates are correct for the birth, the town correct, I feel it in my heart it is her and her husband. The information stated is as follows:

Sunset Memorial Park
Albuquerque, Benalillo County, New Mexico

10       19      UNVERSAW       John       1893 (b)      1986
10       19      UNVERSAW       Mary C     1894 (b)      1970

I spoke with the employee of the cemetery today, he said Mary was buried June 13, 1970 and John was buried February 19, 1986. He advised me to contact the local library for any further information.

Well, there it was in black and white. And any far fetched notion I held in my heart that possibly she could still be living were gone in a flash. I was 8 years old when she passed away after her living a full life. I know the possibility was slim, but still one can wish, and oh how I wished for this to be. Like I said, I cried a good bit this afternoon.....why? I have no idea......

I know that this sounds silly, crying over someone I never knew, and only know in the romantic stories in my mind....but none the less....I cried....maybe because I am a little closer to discovering who this girl was and hopefully finding a child or grandchild of Mary who can answer some of my questions. Ultimately, I'd love to return this book if the family really wants to have it.

The time line makes sense to me, the person I purchased the book from originally said she purchased it in the early 1970's from an antique store. Mary passed away in 1970. Her husband out lived her by 16 years. What or how did that book leave his hands? Did he sell her things and move? Did he have a huge sale like my husband always jokingly threatens to do and sell all her precious things??? Lord, Please don't let that be the case....makes my heart race. Did they not have any children? If so, where are they?? So many questions.......

I will have to wait until next week as the library is under renovations in Albuquerque and I have to call back then to see if they can help me locate the obituaries for either John or Mary.

Michael at the library in Cripple Creek is forwarding me the copy of the whole obituary of Mary's mother that ran in the paper, as he said it lists more relatives. He is also trying to locate the obituary of Mary's father, William. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, I will know more information and if there are family living. I can not wait to piece the missing pieces to this puzzle together and discover more about this girl who grew up in a gold camp high in the mountains of Colorado.

And for the record.....if I have not mentioned this here, I have ALWAYS wanted to visit Albuquerque, for years I have talked about doing this.....now I have a reason.....to visit Sunset Memorial Park and pay Mary a visit, I have a lot to tell her about how I found her after purchasing her school girl book online years ago and what she and this book have meant to me.....maybe I'll even bring her book along for the trip........maybe.



UPDATE: Today, June 9, 2010....Michael from the Cripple Creek Library emailed me a copy of the obituary of Mary's father that he was able to locate. Seems my hunch was indeed correct....and I have confirmation that I have found Mary. I still have lots of questions, but I have indeed found her and that is a start.

Cripple Creek Times Record Oct 9, 1933

William E. Craig Dies Sunday Eve

William E. Craig, 73, one of the most widely known residents of Teller County died at his home in south Cripple Creek Sunday evening following a lingering illness due to paralysis.

Mr. Craig came to Cripple Creek in 1901 and was the first commissioner of streets after the town was incorporated. For a number of years he was road overseer in various parts of the county. He engaged in mining also during the greater part of the time.

He was born in Rosendale N.Y. February 10, 1860. Shortly after coming to Cripple Creek he was married here. Surviving him are his widow, Mrs. Julia Craig, two daughters, Mrs. Bryan Jones of Cripple Creek and Mrs John Unversaw of Albuquerque N.M.

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Have a great Vintage Thingie Thursday, I hope you enjoyed the old buildings and signs that are on some of the buildings at Cripple Creek......and hope you enjoyed some of the vintage history of Mary I have just discovered. For the record, I am not as creepy as I may sound. I am just a romantic at heart and if you could know the story of Mary I have formed in my mind, you too would love her as I do!!!