Family History Story from D. S. Kennedy Regarding Blanche Isobel Danhauer (Great-Great Grandson to Blanche)

Blanche Isobel Danhauer was born on April 14, 1871, at Deavertown, Ohio.  It is known that she had two foster mothers while growing up, whom she called "Mother Godfrey" and "Mother Wittlinger."  Her mother, Alvira, had contracted tuberculosis.  Blanche was 12 when her mother died, but had said that she did not remember her mother or siblings.  She worked as a telegraph operator for Central Union Telegraph Co. in Zanesville, Ohio.

Elias Danhauer wrote his will on November 7, 1873, leaving "all to my beloved wife Alvira Danhauer during her lifetime, with the remainder to be divided between all my children at her death."  Twenty-two days after he wrote his will, on November 29, 1873, he died at the age of 45.  The death record states that the cause of death was "scirrhus cancer."  Blanche was 2 years old when he died.

After Elias' death, Alvira moved her family to McLuney, Ohio.  She died on February 25, 1882, at age 47, of "consumption," when Blanche was 12.  Elias' parents had passed away in the 1840's, which seems to be why Blanche and the other children would have gone to live with others after Elias passed away and Alvira became ill with tuberculosis.

Blanche married James Elijah McNeal, who was a dentist, on October 4, 1894.  The wedding was performed by the Rev. John P. H. Latchaw, DD, who is listed in the 1894 Zanesville City Directory as minister of the First Baptist Church.  She moved with her husband to Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and had two children: Jane Alvira (named for James' mother, Jane, and Blanche's mother, Alvira,) was born 14 September 1895; and James Danhauer (named for his father and his mother's maiden name,) born 20 January 1897.  Thereafter, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where James was doing graduate work at Johns Hopkins Hospital.  Blanche said that James was doing research with hypnosis as a means of anesthesia during dental procedures and would give $0.50 to charity patients if they would let him hypnotize them instead of using the conventional and more dangerous anesthetics.  James died on November 11, 1897, of pneumonia, or "brain fever," at age 31.

After James died, Blanche took her two young children to Paisley, Florida, to visit her husband's older sister, Carrie McNeal Clark, and then went to Tampa, Florida, to visit his other sister, Flora McNeal Stokes.  She found a job at the telephone company in Tampa.  The Stokes family lived on a farm on the outskirts of Tampa, and the adjoining farm was owned by William Barritt.  Blanche married William Barritt on September 22, 1899.  Blanche and William had three children together.