Lydia Frances Bloeman, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Lydia Frances Bloeman
LYDIA FRANCES BLOEMAN
Lydia Frances Bloemen was born in Jasper County, near Rensselaer, Indiana on June 15, 1892 to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hamacher. I moved to Valparaiso, Indiana in March 1901 to 707 Indiana avenue with my parents. My mother lived there until she sold the home to Mr. and Mrs. Milton Aigner in 1934, the heirs still own the home.
I remember sliding down Mechanic Hill (now Indiana avenue) from College street to almost Morgan. I would also do the same on Main street (now Lincolnway). Mr. and Mrs. Hamacher raised 8 children of which I was 7th in line and the last one living.
In 1912 I was married to Charles Bloemen from Evansville, Indiana, a carpenter by trade, his last work before retiring was on the Valparaiso University Chapel. He died in 1968.
We raised 3 children, Frank Dee, Mary Frances and Nancy May. Mary Frances married Carl A. Babcock of Liberty township, Porter County. They raised a daughter Donna Jean who married Kenneth Earl Grether of Peru, Indiana. They have a year old daughter, Kimberly Sue. Nancy May married Earl Huffman of Logansport, Indiana, a graduate of Valparaiso Technical Institute. They have one son Curtis Ray. Their home is in Charleston, South Carolina. Frank our oldest married Hope Whitlow of Gary, Indiana. They had three children Vivian, William Dee and Dale Frank. Their home was at Lake Dale Carla near Lowell, Indiana until Frank's wife died in 1954 at which time he moved back home with his two sons. His daughter a high school senior was already living and going to school in Gary. Eleven months later he was killed in a 2 car accident west of Valparaiso in which 5 persons lost their lives. Therefore, Charles and I raised his two sons, ages at that time being 8 and 4 years of age. I still live in our home at 505 Morgan which we bought in 1918. It was a store building which was moved from the Grand Trunk Railroad area earlier. Mary Frances and Nancy May both were born in this house. Mary Frances was also married in this house. She and her husband were living here when their daughter was born in this same house.
I belong to the First Christian Church of which I have been a choir member since I was a teen ager. My daughter Mary Frances and her husband Carl are faithful workers in the church. They live at 1113 Valparaiso street. Reverting back to my father Thomas Hamacher. He helped grade Broadway in Gary, Indiana with a team of horses. His father (my grandfather) John Hamacher layed out the first 39 lots of Cothersville, Indiana his home is still standing. Charles Bloemen's father was born in Almelo, Holland and came to the United States at the age of 19 years.
Source: American Revolution Bicentennial Committee of Porter County. 1976. A Biographical History of Porter County, Indiana. Valparaiso, Indiana: American Revolution Bicentennial Committee of Porter County, Inc. 180 p.
Page(s) in Source: 83
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook