Cold Snap

Chester T. Raymo and Roger D. Raymo

Chattanooga, 1919

Josephine Greusel

Margaret Merrow's mother was Josephine Gertrude Greusel (1861-1938). She was from a prominent German family of 19th century Detroit. Josephine was the daughter of Joseph Greusel (1820-1903), a German immigrant from Blieskastel, Bavaria and Margaret Doumonds (1828-1902) who was of Acadian and French descent.

Joseph Greusel was a postal carrier for the city of Detroit for more than 25 years. He would often walk more the 15 miles every day in performing his rounds. His brother, Josephine's uncle, Nicholas Greusel (1817-1896) was Union Brigadier General during the American Civil War. He saw action in the battles of Pea Ridge, Perryville, and Stones River. Another brother, John Greusel (1809-1886), was active in Michigan politics, serving in the State Senate and was a delegate to the 1872 Republican National Convention.

Cycling

Arthur Joseph Raymo (aged 13)

Chattanooga, 1919

Sisters and Brothers

Margaret and sister Josephine Merrow

Brothers Chester Raymo and Roger Raymo

Chattanooga, 1919

Josephine Merrow

Flavious wasn't the only Merrow to serve their country during the First World War. Josephine Gertrude Merrow (1891-1949), sister to Flavious and Margaret, was a US Army Nurse.

Here she is wearing her uniform while visiting the Raymo family in Chattanooga in 1919. Josephine never married, spending her entire adult life as a nurse at various VA hospitals. She eventually ended up in Ohio where she died in 1949 at the age of only 57.

As she was a veteran of the First World War, she was accorded a burial at Dayton National Cemetery  (Section 7 Row 6 Site 6) in Dayton, Ohio.