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Besterfeldt – Hartley
Mary (Scully) Besterfeldt Hartley
My great grandmother Mary HARTLEY at her home at 2 Palm Street, Elsah about 1920. She was born Mary SCULLY in the town of Fuerty, County Roscommon, Ireland in May, 1844. She came to the US in 1862 and settled in St. Louis. There she met Frederick William BESTERFELDT who was superintendent of Mrs. Lucy Semple Ames farming operations. They were maried on September 21, 1879 at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in St. Louis. They lived in this house and also at a cottage on the Notchcliff estate. They had a daughter Mary and two sons Daniel and William. William Besterfeldt died suddenly of a fever on September 28, 1883 and is buried in St. Michael’s Cemetery in Beltrees. Mary married again on October 27, 1884 to Ruthvern Paul Hartley a veteran of the 27th Illinois Infantry in the Civil War. They also lived in this house. R. Paul Hartley died September 23, 1916 and is buried in Elsah Cemetery. Mary died December 4, 1929 and is buried in Elsah Cemetery beside her second husband.
Ruthvern Paul Hartley’s gravestone in the Elsah Cemetery. R. Paul Hartley served in the 27th Illinois Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War. He enlisted at Elsah on August 19, 1862 at age 17. He fought at Stones River, Tennessee, Chickamauga, Georgia, Chattanooga (Missionary Ridge)and at Resaca, Georgia. He was wounded on May 24, 1864 at Dallas, Georgia and lost the use of his left arm for life. He returned to Elsah and married my great-grandmother Mary Besterfeldt who was a widow with three children. They were married on 27 October 1884. R. Paul Hartley was in attendance at a funeral in Elsah Cemetery on September 23, 1916 when he succumbed to a heart attack.
Gravestone of my great-grandmother Mary Scully BesterfeldtHartley in Elsah cemetery.
Julia Anna Besterfeldt
This is my great-great aunt, Julia Anna Besterfeldt. She was born inElsah January 31, 1860, the daughter of F.W. Besterfeldt and Julia AnnaSEIGLER. She was a beauty as you can see. She maried Simon KLINGER ofSt. Charles, MO in October 1880. Her husband was an heir to a millfortune (City Mills of St. Charles), but he died in a fire at the mill on February 27, 1883. She then married Ola C. LINDH who was a landscaper of some renown who worked on the Ames estate. They were married on March 22, 1894 in Jerseyville. They later moved to Bond County, Illinois and raised three daughters and a son. Julia died there on October 29, 1948.
Contributed by Earl Mundy, [email protected].
Mary Scully Besterfield Hartley had one son, Paul Hartley, who died at 3 months of age. He was Ruthven’s only know child and was baptized and buried at the St. Mary’s Church and Cemetery in Beltrees. Born 21 Apr 1885, died 19 Jul 1885 per church records.