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Note: troit by Rev. John Rzadkowalski; her godparents were Ignatius Tomerowski & Josephine Zywicka. While Feb 17 is shown as her birth date (info from children and death certificate), her actual birth certificate shows her date of birth as Feb 18. As eldest daughter of Jacob & Anna Ewald, Constance, then 13 1/2 yrs old, had major responsibility for her siblings after the death of their mother. The children were eventually split up and cared for by other relatives. However, at the time of the 1910 census, the family was still together - father and children - living at 512 Alexandrine, Detroit. Constance is shown as "Augusta," 15 yrs. old. Brother Al Ewald recalls that his sister used to walk along the railroad tracks a few blocks from home and pick up coal lumps that had fallen from the trains to use for heating their home. The youngest child of Anna & Jacob, Alphonse/Al was not quite 2 years of age when their mother died and contracted polio shortly thereafter. Mary Beth Houlihan Wheeler recalls her grandmother telling stories of how she used to pull her brother Al in a wagon to Children's Hospital in Detroit for treatment. Not able to continue school, she worked at a laundry ironing shirts, as a tobacco cutter and later, with her sister Lillian, worked at the Dodge Brothers automobile plant affixing flannel interior door panels. Many years later, when the plant referred to as "Dodge Main" closed, her daughter Barbara found her mother and aunt Lillian's employment records in the plant vault. In the 1950's, she worked at Christmas in an import store, wrapping gift baskets. In 1921 she married Frank F. Ritter. For most of the years of her marriage and until her death she lived at 8166 Wisner, Detroit. She loved nice clothes, good food and playing cards. Her younger brother Al lived with Frank and "Gustie" most of their married life; the family home later included Gustie's father, Jacob, as well. Constance Ritter died at Holy Cross Hospital of arteriosclerotic heart disease from which she'd suffered for many years. She is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, section F, with her husband, father and brother Al. Funeral arrangements were handled by Temrowski Funeral Home, Van Dyke Rd., Detroit. Her SS # was 382-30-1570.
Note: Known as "Gustie" and "Connie," Constance appears in the 1900 census as 5 yr. old "Constantia" living with her parents at 782 Hastings, Detroit. She was baptized 24 Feb 1895 at St. Josephat Church, De
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