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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.
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Morning Star, April 15, 2018, pg. 15 In the February 4, 2018 edition of this column we featured a brass nameplate found on October 19, 2017 by metal detectorist Kerry Schaller in front of the car wash on N. Superior St. next to the spur railroad tracks during the brick reconstruction project, in about two inches of dirt. The nameplate bears the inscription of "I. MAITLAND,"which stood for Isabella Maitland (1819-1881). She and her husband John Maitland (1811-1878) operated one of Albion's first general stores, in the 1840s. Kate Keller did the genealogical research for us and we were able to come up with interesting information for the article. A few weeks after my article was published, Kerry and I heard from Marc Hardekopf of Orlando, Florida. It turns out that Isabella and John were his great-great-great-grandparents! Marc is a descendant of the Maitland's daughter Flora (1840-1930), born here in Albion. Flora, who died in Brooklyn, N.Y., was married to Charles Thielke. Their son Charles M. had a son Charles L, whose daughter Evelyn married Erhard Hardekopf. Their son is Marc Hardekopf. Marc was kind enough to email us photographs of his "-greats"grandfather John Maitland, and his "-greats"grandmother Flora. Alas, there is no known photograph of Isabella. Marc mentioned that he had no old family items from his mother's side of the family. Kerry and I consulted and mutually determined that it would be best if Marc, a direct descendant of Isabella (Galloway) Maitland, should receive this nameplate after it had been lost for over 165 years. He received it with gratefulness and sent us a photograph of himself holding the I. MAITLAND nameplate. We are featuring this photograph this week here in our Historical Notebook. In the center is Marc holding the nameplate. To the left is his daughter Keira, and to the right is his daughter Kayla, the great-great-great-great granddaughters of Isabella Maitland! Also pictured here courtesy of Marc is a photo of Albion's 1840s general store operator John Maitland, and another of his daughter Flora (Maitland) Thielke. In summary, this is one good thing that resulted from the brick reconstruction project last year. I am glad I was able to share this good news with our readers.  Flora Maitland
 John Maitland
 Keira, Marc, and Kayla Hardekopf, March 2018
All text copyright, 2024 © all rights reserved Frank Passic
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