52 Ancestors – Week 3 – Longevity

Enos, Laura, Maude Emma and Kenneth Hardenbrook abt 1910

Laura Alice (Wortman) Hardenbrook was born 14 April 1886 in the Town of Ulysses, Tompkins County, New York to Menzo and Mary (Taylor) Wortman.

On the evening of June 8, 1905, at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Jacksonville, New York Laura married Enos Hardenbrook. She and Enos had two children, Maude Emma (Hardenbrook) Agard (my grandmother) and Kenneth Hardenbrook.

Enos and Laura lived in a small farmhouse near Jacksonville on Swamp College Road.  The house had two bedrooms; a very small bedroom that they occupied and a small living room and a medium sized kitchen.

The Hardenbrooks moved to Ithaca, New York in the early 1930s. In 1936 they lived at 108 West State Street; in 1937 they lived at 708 N.Aurora Street; in 1938 they moved to 115 Prospect Street where they lived until moving back to Jacksonville some time in the early 1940s.

 

Kenneth and Laura (Wortman) Hardenbrook

I remember great-grandma Hardenbrook as a tall, slim, and serious woman. I don’t know if she ever had formal training, but in her later years she worked as a type of visiting nurse.

Laura (Wortman) Hardenbrook died 28 February 1978 at Ithacacare on Quarry Street, Ithaca, New York at the age of 92. This challenge has brought to my attention that although I knew great-grandma for many years, I didn’t really know her. That will be my next challenge.

Fearless Females - Day 7 - Beef Noodle Casserole

One of the Fearless Females I will be writing about is my grandmother, Maude Emma Hardenbrook Agard.  To this point I have not found that her first name has any family significance, but her middle name, Emma, is for her grandmother, Emma Brown Higgins Hardenbrook, who died shortly after giving birth to Enos H. Hardenbrook, Maude’s father.

Maude Emma Hardenbrook Agard
1988

Maude Emma loved to cook, and for her every meal was an event.  The table was set with tablecloth and china. Her best serving dishes were used to serve the food.  Occasionally I will decide not to dirty a serving dish when there is only the two of us, and consequently will say to my husband, “Don’t tell my grandmother!” that I am asking him to help himself from the pot that the item was cooked in.

We love the beef noodle casserole recipe she made. It is comfort food. You can substitute low fat cream cheese and sour cream.

Beef Noodle Casserole

Maude Emma Agard

1-1/2 Lbs. ground beef                                                2 Tablespoons butter

1 Clove garlic                                                                1 – 8 ounce pkg egg noodles

2 – 8 ounce cans tomato sauce                                    6 Scallions, chopped

3 – Ounces cream cheese                                             1 Cup sour cream

½ Cup grated sharp cheddar cheese                           Dash salt and pepper

Sauté beef in butter until brown. Add tomato sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Chop scallions and combine with sour cream and cream cheese. Cook noodles. Put in buttered casserole. Cover with ½ scallion, cream cheese and sour cream mixture. Add all of the meat-tomato mixture. Top with remaining cream mixture and spring the top with the grated cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 8-10.