Honoring the Hosner Children That Didn’t Survive

As genealogists we spend a lot of time learning about and filling in the lives of our ancestors. We search each census gleaning its particular facts about where our ancestors lived, what they did for a living, who was living with them, their birth month, and even if they owned a radio.  We search bible records, newspaper society notes and obituaries. We blog, set up a Facebook page, visit cemeteries, research libraries, and hope that a “cousin” out there will find us and help us fill in the facts of how our ancestors lived.  

Recently I have been learning and writing about six of my gr-gr-grandmother’s nine siblings, some information of which I shared on this blog.  It occurred to me that my time and energy has been spent writing about the children that lived and that I haven’t honored those that did not. This blog will do just that.

In Upstate New York in the early 1800s there was little one could do about diseases like diptheria, or fevers such as typhoid, scarlet and malaria.  And then there was the ever-present pneumonia and congestion of the lungs.  This blog honors Isaac and Adaline (Cleveland) Hosner’s three children that did not survive to adulthood. 

William Gurdon Hosner, the first born of Isaac and Adaline Hosner was born 12 November 1833. He died in 1837 at four years of age.

Josiah Cleveland, the sixth child of Isaac and Adaline Hosner, was born 17 February 1843, and died shortly thereafter.

Isaac Hosner was born 17 May 1852 the ninth child of Isaac and Adaline Cleveland Hosner. On May 27, 1860 Adaline writes: “Since I last wrote the Lord has come very near; my little Isaac is no more. He died the 8^th of May after a short illness of 38 hours. The scarlet fever has prevailed to a considerable extent. Our children had been amongst it.”  She suspects the disease was carried into the house by her daughter, Adelia, who had been assisting the Smith family who was sick with scarlet fever. When Adelia returned she had a sore throat. On May 6 Isaac started vomiting; then broke out with a high fever and rash. A Mrs. Borker came and gave them drops to use. The next day little Isaac put his arms around his mother’s neck in a farewell hug. He then called for his father. The next morning, 8 May 1860 he breathed his last. Isaac was nine days shy of his eighth birthday.

Little Isaac suffered from “sore eyes,” and was in danger of going blind and “his mind was very weak.” His mother indulged him and feared he would never be capable of caring for himself as he had to be with her every minute. Her children asked how she was going to manage when he got older.  Adaline confessed misgivings in her heart about what course she should take with this child.  On 8 May 1860 Adaline was spared that difficult decision.