Writing on the back reads:
"Lillie Ethel Woodward 7 years
1897"
Lillie Ethel Woodward was born in 1889 or 1890. She was the adopted daughter of carpenter Elijah Woodward and his wife, Elizabeth. Elijah had four children by his first wife, Mary, before she passed away in 1872. He married Elizabeth the next year. The couple never had biological children and it's unclear when Lillie was adopted.
In 1900, the family lived in Hillsdale, Michigan, along with three young female boarders who were students at the nearby Hillsdale College. In 1910, 20-year-old Lillie Ethel lived with her aging parents and was listed in the census as a student. Perhaps she, too, attended Hillsdale College?
Elizabeth died in 1917 at age 75, followed by Elijah in 1919 at age 85.
What became of Lillie Ethel after the death of her parents? I wish I knew. After the 1910 census, her trail goes cold. I found the grave of an Ethel L. Woodward, born 1890, who died in Michigan in 1980. Without further information, it's difficult to know for sure if this is the same woman.
If you know who this may be, let us know in the comments!
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