Viola Mae (Rockhill) Laycock (1880 - 1916)

Born 22 Aug 1880 in Arcola, Lake Township, Allen, Indiana, United States

Wife of Joseph Laycock — married 16 Dec 1904 in Geneva, Kane, Illinois, United States

Died 27 Jan 1916 at age 35 in Churubusco, Smith Township, Whitley, Indiana, United States

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Biography

This profile is part of the Bridgeland-Riverside, Alberta One Place Study.

Viola was born on 22 August 1880 near Arcola, Indiana. This information comes from her Indiana death certificate which can be seen on Ancestry and also her obituary. Viola's parents were James William Rockhill (1856-1932) and Jennie Miller (1855-1924). James and Jennie divorced and James moved to Illinois where he remarried and had another child. Jennie operated a hotel as can be seen below in the 1900 U.S. census.

On 16 December 1904 Viola married the Englishman Joseph Laycock in Kane County, Illinois. It remains unclear why either party was in Illinois at the time. Perhaps Viola was visiting her father? Viola's obituary, which can be found on Genealogybank and is very difficult to read, indicates that the couple first lived in Chicago before they moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where Joseph had many relatives who had settled there. Joseph had a real estate company, then started a dairy which was located in the community of Bridgeland-Riverside. The couple can be found in the 1911 Canada census.

After Viola became ill and paralysed, her husband took her to her relatives in Indiana where she was taken care of by her sister, Florence Madden. Viola's death certificate says that she died from syphilis of the brain.

Obituary

From: Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana) 18 Jan 1916, Fri, p. 2; as found on Genealogybank.

Mrs Viola Laycock Dead at Churubusco

Churubusco, Ind Jan 27 - Mrs Viola Mae Laycock, thirty five years old, died this morning at 1 0'clock at the home of her sister, Mrs. Madden after ? illness from paralysis. Mrs. Laycock was formerly Viola Mae Rockhill and was born near Arcola, ?1880? when but a small child she moved with her parents to Churubsuco and lived there until 1903 when she was married to Joseph Laycock. They later lived in Chicago and for a number of years in Canada where Mrs Laycock's health began to fail. About a year ago her husband brought her to the home of her sister where death occurred? Funeral services will be ?? Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Madden hotel and the services will be in charge of the Rev. A. M Cumming, of the United Brethern church. Interment will take place in the Eel River Cemetery.

Sources

• Name: May Rockhill; Age: 19; Birth Date: Aug 1880; Birthplace: Indiana, USA; Home in 1900: Smith, Whitley, Indiana; Street: Main Street; Sheet Number: 2; Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: 38; Family Number: 40; Race: White; Gender: Female; Relation to Head of House: Daughter; Marital Status: Single; Father's Birthplace: Indiana, USA; Mother's Name: Jenni Rockhill; Mother's Birthplace: Indiana, USA; Can Read: Y; Can Write: Y; Can Speak English: Y; Household Members: Jennie Rockhill (43) Hotel Proprietor; Florence (21); May (19); Harry Eckard (18) Clerk; Martine Parmentar (32) Boarder. Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Smith, Whitley, Indiana; Roll: 414; Page: 2; Enumeration District: 0117. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

• Name: Viola May Rookhill; Gender: Female; Marriage Age: 23; Event Type: Marriage; Marriage Date: 16 Dec 1904; Marriage Place: Geneva, Kane, Illinois, USA; Church: Geneva Lutheran Church; Spouse: Joseph Laycock. Source Citation: Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Elk Grove Village, IL, USA; Swedish American Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths, and Burials; Parish: Geneva Lutheran Church; ELCA Film Number: A22(1+2); SSIRC Film Number: A022. Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017.

• Name: Viola Mae Laycock [Viola Mae Rockhill]; Gender: Female; Race: White; Age: 35; Marital Status: Married; Birth Date: 22 Aug 1880; Birth Place: Churubusco; Death Date: 27 Jan 1916; Death Place: Churubusco, Whitley, Indiana, USA; Death Registration Date: 1916; Father: J.W. Rockhill; Mother: Jennie Miller; Spouse: Joe Laycock. Source Citation: Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 1916; Roll: 21. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.