52 Ancestors – Ina Close – (83-2016)

Ina Close

Ina Close, daughter of John W. Close, Sr. and Margaret Athya, was born in Bellshill, Scotland on Christmas Day, December 25, 1907. She was the second child of three—James Close, Ina Close, and John W. Close, Jr.

On May 8, 1912 when Ina was four years old, the Athya family left Glasgow, Scotland via the S.S. Grampian, arriving in Quebec, Canada on June 16. Upon arrival, they settled in Joggins Mines in Nova Scotia where they lived for two years. The outward passenger list contained a surprise for me in that it listed Ina as Jemima. It makes sense as her maternal grandmother’s name was Jemima Durie Athya. Was this an attempt to name her after her grandmother Athya? In all of my conversations with my mother-in-law about this family, she never mentioned a name change for Ina. I wonder if she knew about it.

S.S. Grampian outward passenger list

In 1914, Ina’s father left the family behind in Nova Scotia and traveled to America, arriving at the Port of Vanceboro, Maine via Class D on July 9. He was 36 years old and was joining his uncle, William J. McCandler, who lived in Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio. The rest of the family arrived in America via the Port of Buffalo, New York on November 8, 1914. All but Ina’s brother John would remain in Steubenville the rest of their life. John eventually moved to Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania where he lived until his death in 1988.

1914 manifest -- Nova Scotia to Buffalo, NY

On January 22, 1920, Ina lived at 641 Grandville Avenue in Steubenville with the rest of her family. She able to read and write and was recorded as having attended school at some time since September 1, 1919. The census enumerator listed her as an “Alien” who spoke English. Her father worked in a heater furnace mill.

Ina’s possible namesake, her grandmother Jemima Athya, died in Glasgow, Scotland in 1924. Ina, a student, still lived at home with her family on Grandview Avenue. I’ve found no record of grandmother Jemima ever visiting the family in Steubenville. I wonder if Ina remembered her grandmother. She hadn’t seen her since she left Scotland in 1912.

1920 Soundex Card

On February 21, 1925, Ina’s 19 year old brother James died of pneumonia at home in Steubenville. He was buried at Union Cemetery in Steubenville.

Ina married Joseph A. Schneider, son of John Schneider and Julia Wendling, about 1929. She was 22 years old. They never had children.

In 1931, Ina and Joseph lived at 1248 Oregon Avenue in Steubenville. He worked at Wheeling Steel Corporation. By 1933, they had moved and lived at 1436 ½ Euclid Avenue in Steubenville. Joseph still worked at Wheeling Steel Corporation.

On April 18, 1940, Ina and Joseph rented a home on Summit Avenue in Steubenville. The census enumerator recorded her birthplace as Scotland. Ina was a cashier in a retail department store. She and Joseph built a nice home in Wintersville, Jefferson County, Ohio in the late 1940’s. They always had a nice garden with lots of trees and flowers.

Forty-three years after arriving in America, Ina’s 80 year old father died in Steubenville on December 15, 1957 from lobar pneumonia. His funeral was held on December 18 at the Cole Brothers Funeral Home, followed by burial at Union Cemetery in Steubenville. Her 88 year old mother died of congestive heart failure on December 19, 1968 at Ina’s home in Wintersville where she lived. She was buried at Union Cemetery beside her husband John.

Ina, her father John Close, her mother Maggie Athya Close,
Athya cousins, Margaret Athya, and Ina's husband
Joseph Schneider

Ten years later at the age of 70, Ina died on August 16, 1978 at the St. John Medical Center in Steubenville. Cause of death was listed as respiratory failure and saddle embolus abdominal. McClave-Chandler-Mills Funeral Home located at 143 Canton Road in Wintersville handled the arrangements for her August 19th burial at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Steubenville. At the time of her death, Ina and her husband lived at 240 Woodridge Drive in Wintersville.

According to my mother-in-law, Ina wouldn’t admit that she was born in Scotland. Immigration documents recorded her birthplace as Scotland, as did the 1920 and 1940 census records. Her death certificate listed her birthplace as Ohio U.S.A. and her obituary listed Steubenville as her birthplace. I guess she wasn’t old enough to deny her birthplace in the immigration documents.

Ina was a housewife and a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church. She had a fair complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes.

Ina’s husband was an electrical engineer who worked in the steel mill in Steubenville. He died of dehydration due to prostate cancer on December 22, 1995 at the age of 93. Joseph was buried on December 26, 1995 at the Coronation Mausoleum at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Steubenville.