“On my fathers side his mother Margaretha came over to NY and Ellis Island, then to Chicago with Uncle George, the oldest, then a baby. As I understand she gave him the name Henne after the man she loved but never married. So she married Meyer and had 11 children in all including George. Most died in childbirth or later. Those who lived were George, Aunt Louisa, Uncle Max (Mathias), Emma, and Gottllieb (my father).

Grandmas big farm [covered] many acres on Devon Ave. and Ridge Road across the road from the Catholic Church and orphanage (still there). She had a big wagon and 2 horses and grew many vegetables and some fruit and drove downtown to Water Market St. She had lots of business; they all called her Lady Meyer.

“She once whipped a peddler for whipping his horse. She would drive her team of horses onto the turnstyle bridge at the Chicago River. Once [she was] dumped out of the wagon when her horse reared up. Almost went into the river—she became partially deaf from that fall.

“She loved beautiful things—showed me lace handkerchiefs and empty perfume bottles from France, among other things.

“When I was about 12 and Margie 3 our mother was having big problems ... we sure knew poverty but I’ll say [we] never went hungry because grandpa Greiner helped my mother out and we got rent free from dad’s mother, Grandma Meyer. She spelled her name that way until she died (that was the German way). Later her daughter Louisa hat it legally changed to Mayer (and did I have a hassle in school about it).

“Grandma had lots of property on Orchard Street, so things needed lots of fixing when tenants moved out. Mother and dad had to clean, paint, etc. for new tenants. Therefore we paid no rent which in those days was only $15 to 21 a month. But there were times when I was sent downstairs to her [Grandma Eberhard Meyer] to ask for money for bread or milk, all cheap in those days.

“I was grandmas favorite and she was good to me because I could speak and understand German ([which was] all she knew). She would have me down for supper and talk and talk; she’d get very lonely. Saturday morning meant helping her clean up then going to store, then going and helping my mother clean up.

-- Ethel Mayer Vogt in a May 1979 letter to her daughter Marcia

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A 25 Nov. 1996 letter to Margery Mayer Voutsas from Aki Lew in the Records Department of Graceland Cemetery in Chicago reports that on 21 May 1891 a Margaret Meyer purchased Lot 941 in Section R for the burial of Henry Buehlmann. (This lot is located in the northwest corner of Graceland Cemetery; Henry was the infant son of Margaret ‘s daughter Louisa.)