Thursday, April 10, 2014

A to Z April Challenge: I is for Ina




My theme for the A to Z April Challenge is “In-Laws and Out-Laws – Friends of the Family.”  I will be researching friends, colleagues, neighbors - those people who came and went touching my family’s lives in both small and large ways. 

is for Ina.  Ina Printz.

Ina Printz was one of many witnesses for my second grandaunt Sallie in her pursuit of a divorce from her two-timing er uh make that four-timing husband

Ina and her family lived on the same street as Sallie and George during those stormy years in Shenandoah, Virginia .  No doubt Ina saw and heard quite a lot.  There was almost a twenty-year difference in age between Ina and Sallie, so they might not have been exactly “friends,” perhaps simply neighbors. 

Ina was born “Ina Estelle Printz” on April 23, 1886 and grew up around Luray, Virginia, an area heavily populated with Printz families.  She married a Printz cousin, too, Albin Othor Printz. 

That was about 1906.  In 1910 they were living on Second Street, just across the street from Sallie and two doors from Sallie’s sister and brother-in-law, Vic and Decatur Breeden.  Ina was caring for her 2-year old son Earl while Albin worked as a carpenter.

By the time the divorce trial began in 1914, Albin and Ina had moved several streets away, but Ina proved to be a solid witness just the same. 

Deposition of Ina Printz 1914
Last names have been marked through to protect the privacy of living descendants.













By 1920, Ina had two more children, Hazel and Elmo.  Albin was a car inspector for the railroad.  While they were no longer Sallie’s neighbors, Ina was now a neighbor to Ulysses and Sadie Jollett, Sallie’s brother and sister-in-law.

In 1930, the census indicates the Printz family had added one more child, Ramona.  Albin had returned to carpentry, which makes me wonder if he ever worked with my great-grandfather Walter Davis (Sallie’s brother-in-law). 

Ina died in 1933.  She and Albin are buried in the Coverstone Cemetery in Shenandoah where many of my ancestors are also buried.  


photo courtesy Jan Robinson, Findagrave.com


If you are so inclined, you can inspect other interesting and innovative blogs at the A to Z April Challenge.



© 2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

30 comments:

  1. I think you are quite a loving person to take the time to research and write about the people who have touched your family. Very few people would do that. Thanks for stopping by my blog today. :-)
    The View from the Top of the Ladder

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    1. Yep - loving - that's me. HA!
      Thanks for visiting!

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  2. Seeing the court record of Ina's testimony made me think how much that procedure has changed and wonder if today's records will be quite so public in the future. I agree with Susie Mac....not many people would give so much time, effort and thought to the research and portrayal of non-family members. Interesting tidbit about her maiden name and married name. Guess that was legal in Virginia as in Georgia....oh my, those kissin' cousins.
    Sue at CollectInTexas Gal

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    1. Good question about the future of such records, especially with everyone's right to privacy. Right now many records aren't available for 75 years. I was a witness in my friend's divorce, but I think it was just a legal formality, nothing like Ina's testimony.

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  3. Great research! That is a time-consuming endeavor you are doing on "the challenge". Kudos to you!

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    1. But time well-spent, I think, because I'm gaining insight into my own family in the process.
      Thanks for visiting!

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  4. I really need to start researching my family history, I don't know anything past my grandparents!

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    1. Be careful -- it can become addictive.
      Thanks for visiting!

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  5. Great research Wendy. It must have been time consuming.

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    1. Well, yeah, but it's what I like to do.
      Thanks for visiting!

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  6. I wonder how she felt about being drawn into the court case. I missed the case the first time around and had to go back and read it. You're building a real community here!

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    1. There were lots of witnesses who said basically the same thing, so I wonder if she felt she even needed to be there.
      (Yeah, that previous story is a dilly!)

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  7. Hi there from the A to Z - a great idea of yours to be documenting and sharing history. Lovely :-) Bonjour from France http://detoutcoeurlimousin.blogspot.fr/2014/04/inspiration.html

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  8. So few people actually take any interest in their own family history! Fewer take the time to reaseach and document it the way you are doing. Great job and great post!! Couldn't see the like button anywhere.

    Dropping by from A to Z Challenge!

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  9. Hi Wendy - I've read a few of your stories today, you write so beautifully, your obvious curiosity in the people, neighbours and friends of your family helps to make all of this a fascinating glimpse into history. I'm glad we don't need witnesses to protect women from divorce anymore and Mr Harrison sounds like a fine character.

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    1. Oh, what a nice thing to say, but now the pressure is on to remain deserving. Thanks for reading and visiting.

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  10. I love how you do this! Branching out and finding histories of people linked to your family rather than just family members directly...it builds such a bigger and wonderful picture. I'm enjoying these little snippets of history. Elle @ Erratic Project Junkie

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    1. I'm enjoying my theme for the very reason you identified -- they're "little snippets," short and sweet, not heavily detailed.
      Thanks for the visit!

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  11. A 20-year age difference doesn't mean they couldn't be friends. Unlikely, probably. But friendships have been built between more dissimilar people.

    Liz A. from Laws of Gravity

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    1. Well, that's true. After you reach a certain age, the difference in age isn't all that noticeable or relevant. Sallie and Ina were both mothers, so they had that in common.
      Thanks for visiting.

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  12. My husband had an Aunt Ina...she was a wonderful woman who lived to be 98.
    Interesting how divorce has changed over the years.
    Happy A-Z Thursday :)

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    1. "Ina" is a good name for an aunt -- the two go together.
      I was a witness for my friend in her divorce, but of course the circumstances were much different from Sallie's. I'm not sure I was very good -- I knew the answer to so few questions that the lawyer probably wondered if my friend just found me in the parking lot that morning.

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  13. Glad Ina was a witness to all of George's scary behavior!

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  14. Love, love, love researching my family. It is so addictive, isn't it?

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  15. Thanks for sharing. You really put a lot of effort to research

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