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Genealogy

Reinhardt Genealogy

A Reinhardt History
By Patricia Reinhardt

Catherine Powers Rotherham
Mother Of John Rotherham
Margaret Rotherham Reinhardt's father was John Rotherham. The parents of John Rotherham were Michael Rotherham and Catherine Powers Rotherham.

It is believed that Catherine Powers was born in Waterford, Ireland on February 2, 1848. An account of the arrival of Catherine is given by James Rotherham of La Feria, Texas in a letter written in 1978.

"Grandma Rotherham was a twin. Her twin sister was a nun and was sent to the 1J.S. Grandmother was so lonesome for her sister she took the family savings--unbeknown--and came to the U.S. to the sister. After she got here she could only visit the nun through a screened window. She told my Mother she cried herself to sleep for 3 years, she was so lonesome. The nun was buried at Cape Girardeau, Missouri."

If Catherine came to the United States to visit her sister she may have met and married John in Missouri near the place where her sister was in the convent. The 1880 census lists Michael and Catherine's oldest son as born in Missouri around 1862. The next child, Mary, was born in Toledo, Ohio. Then, Margaret was born in 1865 in Chicago, Illinois. According to James Rotherham, Catherine was still in bed following the baby's birth when her husband came home from the steel mills with scalded feet. Catherine, then, took care of him, the new baby and the children age two and three. Baby Margaret grew up crippled, and Catherine always attributed this condition to the disruption caused by these events. By 1867, the Rotherhams were in Iowa. John Rotherham, father of Margaret Rotherham Reinhardt was born near Iowa City, Iowa on June 24, 1867. He was named John because he was born on the day the liturgy of the Catholic Church celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist. The children of Michael Rotherham and Catherine Powers Rotherham and their birthplaces are as follows:

    Edward      Missouri            1862 (approximately)
    Mary        Cleveland, Ohio     1863 (approximately)
    Margaret    Chicago, Illinois   1865
    *John       Iowa                1867
    Catherine   Iowa                1869
    James       Iowa                1871
    Isabelle    Iowa                1874
    Michael     Iowa                1876
    Thomas      Iowa                1878

Thomas is listed in the 1880 census as 2 years of age. Current family members interviewed have not heard of Thomas. It is possible he died early,, or the census was not accurate. So far, no land records or church records in Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa have shown evidence of the Rotherham's existence. Perhaps they lived in an adjacent county.

Sometime in the late 1870's, the family moved to Newman Grove, Nebraska. It was here that a tragedy struck. The father, Michael, went to town for supplies. One of the things he brought was a bottle of carbolic acid for farm use. As he jumped from the wagon the bottle broke, and the acid spilled over his body. The acid burns caused his death. It is believed he was buried in Newman Grove or in Columbus, Nebraska. His gravesite has not been found.

Catherine, age 34, with nine children at home is listed as a farmer in the 1880 census. By 1881, she had moved to Holt County where she bought land and raised her children.

Several years later, Catherine Powers Rotherham married P. L. Cuddahee. Mr. Cuddahee had two sons when he married Catherine. They were William and Patrick and they changed their surname from Cuddahee to Cuddy.

Catherine and P. L. Cuddahee lived near St. John's Church in rural Ewing, Nebraska. Catherine is buried there. She died on July 23, 1901. Her epitaph states, "She was a kind and affectionate wife, a fond mother, and a friend to all".

CATHERINE POWERS ROTHERHAM

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PHOTO TAKEN IN COLUMBUS, NEBR. BY O. A. STEARNS, PHOTOGRAPHY DATE UNKNOWN

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