Magnhild Senovia (Haavig) Meeker (1897 - 1945)

Born 8 Jul 1897 in Elbow Lake, Minnesota

Ancestors

Wife of Ralph Robert Rathgeber — married 24 Dec 1919 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States

Wife of Dewey Willard Meeker — married 25 Jan 1932 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Died 10 Dec 1945 at age 48 in Chicago, Illinois

Problems/Questions Profile manager: David Pierce [send private message]

Biography

Magnhild Synove Haavig was born near Elbow Lake, Grant County, Minnesota, and was the daughter of Hans T. Haavig and Kari Formo.^[1]

She was baptized at the Rock Prairie Church in Stony Brook Township, Grant County, Minnesota. Her godparents and the witnesses to her christening were Albert Haavig and Mathilda Smith (Haavig).^[2] Her father was a farmer and was known for his acrobatic abilities.

Magnhild married Ralph Rathgeber 24 December 1919 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.^[3] She and Ralph had one son, Ralph Rathgeber, who later became the well known stage and screen actor, Ralph Meeker. The family moved to Chicago in 1923 and were later divorced.

Magnhild married Dewey Meeker 24 December 1932 at the Bethel Lutheran Church in Chicago.^[4]

Magnhild died young at the age of 48 in Chicago, and her remains were laid to rest in Oak Woods Cemetery (this, according to her death certificate).^[5]

Her son's first Broadway play was Strange Fruit, which opened November 29, 1945, and one wonders if Magnhild was able to see her son perform on Broadway ... though it is doubtful, as she died just twelve days after the play opened.

It is sad that Magnhild did not have the opportunity to see her son's wonderful success on stage and screen before she died.

Biography written by her cousin, David Pierce, May 14, 2012. Magnhild's godparents were my great-grandparents.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2G9-5LG : accessed 11 September 2020), Magnhild Haavig in household of Hans T Haavig, Stony Brook, Grant, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 35, sheet 1A, family 1, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 699; FHL microfilm 1,374,712.
2. ↑ Records of the Rock Prairie Lutheran Church.
3. ↑ Minnesota Marriage Index.
4. ↑ U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940.
5. ↑ Find a Grave Memorial for Magnhild Haavig Meeker.