SHAFFER, Louise O. (Columbus OH)

 

Mrs. Louise Shaffer

IDENTIFICATION ON PHOTO: Mrs. Louise Shaffer

PHOTO TAKEN: Baker's Art Gallery, Columbus Ohio, circa 1895

PHOTO ACQUIRED: 2022 Dec, Wildwood Antiques Mall, Wildwood FL

This is LOUISE OLMSTEAD WHEELER, born 27 Dec 1856 in Cheshire Massachusetts to parents James Sheffield Wheeler (1831-1897, son of Nathan Wheeler and Lydia Sheffield) and Ruth Alice Olmstead (1831-1859, daughter of Nathaniel Olmstead and Louisa Battey).

When Louise was about 2 years old, her mother passed away. 

The family moved to Chicago and are enumerated on the 1879 Federal Census. I am not certain who "Alice" and "baby Alice" are on this Census, as the 1870 Census did not have a descriptor column for terms such as "wife", "cousin", "sister-in-law", etc.

1870 CENSUS > Illinois > Cook > Chicago

• WHEELER, James, 38, Lumber man, born in Connecticut
• WHEELER, Alice, 22, keeping house, born in Ohio
• WHEELER, Alice, 1, born in Michigan
• WHEELER, James, 15, office boy, born in Rhode Island
• WHEELER, Louise, 13, born in Massachusetts
• DONAHUE, Mary, 20, domestic servant, born in Ireland

Her father remarried at some point to a Scottish woman named Martha Jane Blaney, with whom he had three more daughters; Lollie, Minnie and Edith. He relocated to Utah with his family prior to 1880.

In Sep 1879, Louise married a young roofer named Edwin Forrest Shaffer and remained in Chicago.

By the time of the 1900 Census, this large family is living in Columbus Ohio, where Edwin has built a lucrative business, Shaffer Roofing Co.

1900 CENSUS > Ohio > Franklin > Columbus > 109 W. Fourth Ave

• SHAFFER, Edwin F., head, Feb 1857, 43, b. IL of NY parents, m. 20yrs, gravel roofing
• SHAFFER, Louise O., wife, Dec 1856, 43, b. MA of CT & RI parents, m. 20yrs, no occ.
• SHAFFER, James W., son, Aug 1880, 19, b. IL, gravel roofing
• SHAFFER, Edwin F. Jr., son, May 1886, 14, born in IL, at school
• SHAFFER, Henry R., son, May 1889, 11, born in IL, at school
• SHAFFER, Wesley R., son, Aug 1893, 6, born in Washington (?), at school
• SHAFFER, Gladys L., dau, Nov 1897, 2, born in OH
• DENNIS, Jesse, servant (male), Mar 1880, 20, born in OH, coachman
• WHEELER, Edith, boarder (female), Mar 1878, 22, born in IL of CT & Scottish parents, bookkeeper

Obviously the boarder in 1900 is Louise's half-sister Edith.

In 1923, Louise's husband Edwin died of bronchial asthma.

(Click for larger version)

The 1926 City Directory for Columbus shows Louise (widow of Edwin) as the President of Shaffer Roofing, and her son Wesley as the manager of the firm. Daughter Louise "Gladys" is a fashion designer.

1930 CENSUS > Ohio > Franklin > Columbus

• SHAFFER, Louise O., head, 72, proprietor roofing co.
• DAVIS, Louise, dau., 32, works in dress making
• DAVIS, Harry A., son-in-law, 35, commercial salesman
• GIBBERT(?), Katheryn, servant, 25, maid

1940 CENSUS > Ohio > Franklin > Columbus

• SHAFFER, Edwin F., head, 52 wd, Lt Col. in US Army
• SHAFFER, Louise O., mother, 83 wd, retired
• DAVIS, Louise, sister, 42 wd, 
• EATON, Mary Louise, dau of Col., 27 dv, born in Rhode Island
• EATON, John, son of Mary, 4, born in OK
• EATON, Mary Ellen, dau of Mary, 2, born in OK
• THOMPSON, Belle, maid, 20, negro, born in S. Carolina, maid

Louise died in December 1947.