Third Generation

8. Blanche Mary STREET was born on 13 January 1876 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^14,15,16,43 (Her name is listed as "Blanche May Street" in the Marriage Registration Certificate for her marriage to Frank Kuckuck as well in her father's obituary, but it was listed as "Mary" in her obituary.)

. She appeared in the census in 1880 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.¹³ She appeared in the census in 1895 in Greenfield Township, Monroe County, WI.⁴⁴ Blanche appeared in the census in 1900 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁵ She was living with her parents and her two daughters during the 1900 Census. Her husband was not listed as living in their household. She appeared in the census in 1910 in Byron Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁸ She appeared in the census in 1920 in Byron Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁷ Her household consisted of Blanche, her second husband, Tom, and their adopted son, George, age 2. They lived next door to the family of Blanche's daughter Grace and her husband, Clare Griggs. Blanche appeared in the census in 1930 in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.⁴⁵

. She appeared in the census in 1940 in Prairie Dell, Cascade County, MT.⁴⁶ She was living in the household of William Licht, a Widower, age 72, who was born in Germany. She was listed as a Widow, her surname was spelled "Cassidy," and her occupation was "Housekeeper, Farmhome."

. She died on 27 May 1948 at the age of 72 in Great Falls, Cascade County, MT.^15,16

Obituary Notes: "Blanche Mary Street, daughter of Henry and Mary Celinda Street, was born in the town of Tomah, Monroe County, state of Wisconsin, on the 13th day of January, 1876. Her childhood was spent in the city of Tomah.

On October 12, 1892 she was united in holy matrimony with Frank E. Kuckuck. To this union two children were born: Grace (Mrs. Claire Griggs) and Gladys (Mrs. George N. Goff), both of Tomah. She was later married to Thos. Cassity and resided in the villages of Wyeville and Adams, WI for many years. She made her home in Great Falls, MT the past years of her life, passing away in that city of dropsy on Thursday, May 27, 1948, at the age of 72 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one adopted son, George Cassity, and two brothers, Frank Orvy and George E. Street. She is survived by one brother, Ben Street of Wyeville; two daughters, ten grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon, June 2, at the White funeral Home, the Rev. Robert Jamieson officiating. Interment was in Oak Grove Cemetery."

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Blanche was buried on 2 June 1948 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^15,47,48 in the Oak Grove Cemetery (Original Plat, Block 6, Lot 65). Beverly Griggs Drew and Ruth Griggs Neubauer went to Montana via train to bring their grandmother's body back to Tomah for her funeral.

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Blanche Mary STREET and Frank Edward KUCKUCK Sr. were married on 12 October 1892 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^{14,15,16,32,43} at the Methodist Episcopal Church. Their witnesses were Frank Orvis Street (her brother) and Lizzie Sophia Kuckuck (his sister). They^{14,15,16,32,43} were divorced on 31 March 1902.¹⁶ Frank Edward KUCKUCK Sr., son of Friedrich KUCKUCK and Wilhelmine PEIFER, was born on 22 April 1869 in Bear Creek, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^{9,13,14,15,49} in the Bear Creek area. (The 1940 Census listed his place of birth as Oakdale.")

. He appeared in the census in 1870 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁹ He appeared in the census in 1875 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁵⁰ Frank appeared in the census in 1880 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.¹³ He was living with his parents. In October 1892 he was a telegraph operator in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁴³ He appeared in the census in 1895 in Greenfield Township, Monroe County, WI.⁴⁴ His household consisted of 1 male and 2 females, all of which were born in the United States. Frank lived at his home in Arkansas in January 1915.¹ He appeared in the census in 1930 in Oakdale Township, Monroe County, WI.²⁵ He appeared in the census in 1940 in De Soto City, Highlands County, FL.⁴⁹ He was living alone and his occupation was "Laborer, Caretaker." He owned the home in which he was living and its value was $25. His total wages in 1939 were $240.

. Frank died on 17 December 1940 at the age of 71 in De Soto City, Highlands County, FL.^15,47,51

Obituary Notes: "Frank Edward Kuckuck, 67, of Oakdale, died December 17, 1940, at DeSota City, FL, where he had been in hope of regaining his health.

Mr. Kuckuck was born in Bear Creek, Town of Tomah, April 22, 1869 and spent his early boyhood there. He later learned telegraphy at the Oakdale station.

Mr. Kuckuck was active in local community affairs before he went to Florida. He was a director of the Farmer's Equity Union, an active member of the Farm Holiday Association, and was interested in the REA organization.

In 1906, he was united in marriage with Pauline Zinke, of Portage. To this union, three children were born: Frederick Robert of Monroe, Wis.; Mrs. Vernon Lamb of Tomah; and Frank E., Jr., at home at Oakdale, where Mr. Kuckuck had moved in 1925 after his retirement from service with the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in Herington, KS.

He leaves to mourn his passing, besides his wife and three children, two children from a former marriage. They are: Mrs. Claire Griggs and Mrs. George Goff, both of Tomah. There are also a sister, Mrs. Fred Gabower of Oakdale; a brother, Louis Kuckuck of Watsonville, California, twelve grandchildren and numerous other relatives and friends.

The Rev. M. Z. Hovda officiated at the funeral service which was held Sunday, Dec. 22, at the Ninneman Funeral Home. Interment was in the Oakdale Cemetery." (Note: He is actually buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery, Tomah.)

. He was buried on 22 December 1940 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^15,51 in the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Blanche Mary STREET and Frank Edward KUCKUCK Sr. had the following children:

Blanche Mary STREET and Thomas "Tom" CASSITY were married on 27 July 1907 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^{15,16,18,32,43} Their witnesses were William Herzog and May Lenart (?). (Her surname was listed as Kuckuck in the Monroe County marriage records.)

(The 1930 Census indicated that he was 25 and she was 35 when they married, and that would indicate a marriage year of about 1911. However, in the 1910 Census they were living together and listed as having been married for two years. So the 1930 Census information is incorrect.)

(Tom's sister, Edith Cassity, married Blanche's brother, Ben Street.)

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They^{15,16,18,32,43} were divorced on 8 January 1934.¹⁶
. Thomas "Tom" CASSITY, son of Edward CASSITY and Luceba R. MILLER, was born on 3 December 1886 in Valley Junction, Byron Township, Monroe County, WI.^15,39,52 The plat map of Byron County in 1887, just after Tom's birth, listed no Cassity family. So his family must have lived in the village of Valley Junction or they were renting a farm somewhere in Byron Township.

(Note: His second wife, Blanche, and her daughter, Doris Mae, used the spelling "Cassidy." That is the spelling on his gravestone.)

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He appeared in the census in 1900 in Grand Rapids Township, Wood County, WI.⁵³ He was living with his mother and step-father.

. He appeared in the census in 1910 in Byron Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁸ His household consisted of Tom, his first wife, Blanche Street, and his sister Edith. His occupation was "Farmer." (His surname was listed as "Cassidy.")

. Tom appeared in the census in 1920 in Byron Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁷ His household consisted of Tom, his wife, Blanche Street, and their adopted son, George, age 2. They lived next door to the family of Blanche's daughter Grace and her husband Clare Griggs. (His surname was listed as "Cassidy.")

. In February 1929 he was a Street Commissioner in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.⁵⁴ according to information on the birth certificate of Doris Mae, the daughter of his second wife, Blanche Griggs. (Tom was listed as Doris Mae's father on her birth certificate, but he is not believed to have been her birth father.)

. He appeared in the census in April 1930 in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.⁴⁵ His household was in the Second Ward (a rental property on Grove Street, at the intersection with Elm Street) and consisted of "Thomas Cassity," occupation "Machinist Helper, Steam Railroad;" his wife, Blanche Mary (Street) Cassity; Doris Mae Griggs, age 1, (the daughter of Tom's second wife, Blanche Griggs), listed as a "Boarder;" and Robert J. Cassidy, age 20, a "Nephew.") (Robert was the son of Tom's sister, Callie.)

. Tom appeared in the census in April 1940 in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.⁵⁵ His household consisted of Thomas Cassidy, age 53, occupation "Machinist, Railroad," "Seeking Work," and with total wages in 1939 of $200; Blanche Cassidy, age 31, his wife; and Doris Mae Cassidy, age 11, his daughter.

. He owned about 1945 in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI. On 22 May 1945, Tom purchased a .8 acre vacation property on Roche-a-Cri Lake in Cottonville, Preston Township in Adams County, north of Friendship. The property contained a converted railroad passenger car and was the site of several Griggs family gatherings. Blanche and Tom sold the property in July and December 1952, as noted below.

Tom also purchased a home at 201 South Elm Street in Adams, where he and Blanche lived until their divorce in 1948. The date of that purchase is not known. The property was apparently recorded at some point in Blanche's name, because on 23 July 1952 she transferred ownership to Tom via a Quit Claim Deed. On 20 December 1952, Tom then sold the property via a Warranty Deed.

. About 1946 he was a city public works employee in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.⁴ Gary Griggs remembers riding with "Uncle Tom" as he drove city dump trucks and road graders in the Adams area. As a youngster of 5 or 6, Gary would bounce around on the truck seat as Tom drove on dirt roads to and from the city dump and other locations. In the Spring, Tom took Gary for rides in the road grader as he smoothed out the bumps from the Winter frost. Tom always seemed to have beard stubble, was always smoking a pipe, and loved to stop at taverns for a few beers after work.

. Tom died on 14 October 1961 at the age of 74 in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.¹⁵

Obituary Notes: "Funeral services for Thomas Cassity, 74, of Adams, were held Tuesday, October 17 (1961), at 10 A.M. from Roseberry's Funeral Home, Friendship. The Rev. Charles Bryan of Friendship officiated.

Mr. Cassity died in a fire in his home in Adams. He was born December 3, 1886, at Valley Junction. His parents were Ed and Sebie Cassity. He lived in Wyeville for many years, where he was an employee of the North Western Railroad. He moved to Adams when the railroad shifted their headquarters there. He was employed by the railroad for over 30 years. In 1938 he became an employee of the City of Adams, retiring in 1958 after 20 years of dedicated service.

Surviving Mr. Cassity are his former wife, Blanche Cassity, of Milwaukee; his daughter, Doris, Mrs. John Russ, of Anchorage, Alaska; two brothers: Robert of Reedsburg and Edward of Sparta; a sister, Edith, Mrs. Ben Street of Salem, Ore.; three grandchildren, Randy, Gail and Tony; and many nephews, nieces, cousins, and a host of friends. Two sons preceded him in death, also two sisters, Callie and Lizzie, and a brother, James.

Interment was in Wood Cemetery at Wyeville. Pallbearers were Joe Fuller, John Liske, Gene Kennedy, Ed Vonderak, Earl Grinnel, and John Opedson, Sr., all of Adams."

. He was buried on 17 October 1961 in Wyeville, Byron Township, Monroe County, WI.^39,56 in the Wood Cemetery.

Blanche Mary STREET and Thomas "Tom" CASSITY had the following children:

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i.

George Henry CASSITY was born on 22 January 1918 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI.16,39 He was adopted after February 1918.1 The obituary of Blanche Mary Street notes that George was her adopted son. The identity of his birth parents is not known, but they are believed to have lived in Milwaukee and were killed in an automobile accident. . He appeared in the census in 1920 in Byron Township, Monroe County, WI.17 George died on 6 September 1926 at the age of 8 in Friendship, Adams County, WI.16 by drowning. He was buried in Wyeville, Byron Township, Monroe County, WI.39,56 in the Wood Cemetery.