Third Generation

7. Edward Henry KOOPMAN¹¹ was born on 2 August 1887 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^28,29 He was christened on 28 August 1887 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁰ He appeared in the census in 1895 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁷ Edward appeared in the census in 1900 in La Grange Township, Monroe County, WI.² He appeared in the census in 1905 in La Grange Township, Monroe County, WI.⁸ He was living with his parents and his occupation was "Farm Laborer." Between 1910 and 1918 he was a City Clerk in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI. Edward appeared in the census in 1910 in La Grange Township, Monroe County, WI.⁹ He was living with his parents and his occupation was "Farmer."

He registered for the Military Draft in 1917 in Monroe County, WI. ³¹ He died on 2 December 1918 at the age of 31 in La Grange Township, Monroe County, WI.^28,32 Obituary Notes: "Edward Henry Koopman, a young farmer of the town of LaGrange, died on Monday, Dec. 2, of pneumonia following the influenza. Funeral services were held at the farm home on Wednesday afternoon, conducted by Rev. J. G. Glaeser, and burial was in Oak Grove cemetery.

Mr. Koopman was born in Tomah on August 2, 1887, and lived all of his life in this vicinity. He was an industrious and successful farmer. Last summer during an electric storm he was seriously injured by a shock of lightning, from which he had not fully recovered.

He leaves his wife Mabel (nee Griggs) and four small children, aged five, four, two and one year; also his mother, Mrs. N. Koopman, and one sister, Mrs. Carl Wegner."

Cherry Valley Newspaper Article: "We are all very sorry to hear of the death of Ed. Koopman and we all extend sympathy to his family.". He was buried on 4 December 1918 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^3,28 in the Oak Grove Cemetery. Edward has Ancestral File Number 9Q8B-78M.¹¹

Edward Henry KOOPMAN and May Isabell "Mabel" GRIGGS (~) were married on 12 April 1913 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^28,33,34 Newspaper Article: "Marriage ceremony conducted by Rev. Slater. Married at the home of the Bride's father and mother. The best man was Ben Griggs and the bridesmaid was Erma Martin of Ridgeville. Susan Griggs was a witness." Ben Griggs was a brother of Mabel, but the identity of Susan Griggs is not known for sure, but it may have been her father's sister. May Isabell "Mabel" GRIGGS (~), daughter of Clarence Lucius GRIGGS and Carrie Permelia GRISWOLD, was born on 1 May 1889 in La Grange Township, Monroe County, WI.^28,34,35 (In a letter to his cousin, Elton Griggs, on 31 December 1918, her father, Clarence, states: "Her name is May Isabell and we called her Maybell for short." Other sources spell her name as "Mae Isabelle." She apparently shortened it to "Mabel." She appeared in the census in 1895 in La Grange Township, Monroe County, WI.⁷ She appeared in the census in 1900 in La Grange Township, Monroe County, WI.² Mabel appeared in the census in 1905 in La Grange Township, Monroe County, WI.⁸ Her occupation was "Student." She appeared in the census in 1910 in La Grange Township, Monroe County, WI.⁹ She was living with her parents. She appeared in the census in 1920 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.¹² She and her children were living in the household of her parents at 1308 Stoughton Avenue. Between 1925 and 1929 Mabel was a restaurant and boarding house operator in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.^36,37 Her restaurant was named "The Daisy Eat Shop." She appeared in the census in April 1930 in New Lisbon, Juneau County, WI.³⁸ Her household consisted of her children, Merle, Mildred, Milo and Lucille Koopman. She was listed as Mabel Thompson, a "Widow," with an occupation of "Housekeeper." They lived on Pearl Street. She lived at her home in New Lisbon, Juneau County, WI in July 1931.¹⁴ Her father's obituary listed her as "Mrs. Mabel Thompson, New Lisbon." Mabel lived at her home in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI in November 1936.¹⁴ Her mother's obituary listed as her as "Mrs. Mabel Thompson," living in Tomah. She lived in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI in April 1938.³⁹ A letter dated 21 April 1938 that she wrote to her cousin Elton Griggs listed her return address as "2903 W. Mich St., Aprt 1, Milwaukee, Wis." She listed her name as "Mrs. Mabel Koopman." She lived at her home in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI in November 1939.^40,41 Gary Griggs has a copy of a letter that she wrote to her cousin Blanche Griggs in October 1939, as well as a letter that she wrote to her cousin Elton Griggs in Missouri in November 1939. The return address on the envelopes was 737 South 34th Street.

(She cannot be located in the 1940 Census.) Mabel died of cancer of the lymph glands on 15 February 1949 at the age of 59 in West Allis, Milwaukee County, WI.^28,34,42,43 Obituary Notes: "Mrs. Mabel Griggs Koopman was born in the Town of LaGrange, Monroe County, Wis., May 1, 1889, daughter of Clarence and Carrie Griggs. She passed away at the home of her eldest daughter, Mrs. Ignis Mack, in Milwaukee, Wis., on Feb. 15, 1949, at the age of 59 years.

She was united in marriage to Edward Henry Koopman in April 1912. To this union four children were born: Merle E. of Tomah, Mrs. Ignis (Mildred) Mack of Milwaukee, Milo R. of Eagle, and Mrs. Gordon (Lucille) Reisenauer of Milwaukee. (Note: Her marriage to Floyd Thompson was not mentioned.)

She was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Griggs, four brothers, Ben, Carrol, Sam and Claire Griggs, and her husband, Edward Koopman.

She is survived by her four children, seven grandchildren and her only sister, Mrs. Rollie Vandervort.

She lived in and around Tomah until 1937 when she went to Milwaukee, where she resided until the time of her death.

Funeral services were held at the Methodist Church at 3 P.M. on Friday, February 18, the Rev. C. Kilde officiating. Burial was in the Oak Grove Cemetery beside her husband, who preceded her in death on Dec. 2, 1918."

Note: She was also survived by a fifth child, Marge Rettammel Crawford, whose birth father is believed to have been Floyd Thompson, although they did not marry until two years after the birth of Marge. Marge was adopted and raised by Edward and Eva Rettammel. She was buried on 18 February 1949 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^3,28 in the Oak Grove Cemetery.
She has Ancestral File Number LVL7-RHW.

Edward Henry KOOPMAN and May Isabell "Mabel" GRIGGS (~) had the following children: