"Jean" was the daughter and eldest child of
- Simon Elias Routh
(Born 12 December 1871 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana.
Married 11 March 1907 in Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania.
Died 25 April 1933 in Monroe County, Indiana.)
- Nannie (Martin) Routh
(Born 22 January 1877 in Blair County, Pennsylvania.
Died 17 August 1955 in Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana.)
Jean was born five days after the 36th birthday of her father, when Jean's
mother was 30 years old. Nannie selected the name 'Velva' in honor of a
close childhood friend. Simon chose the baby's middle name, 'Delilah.'
Velva did not like either of these given names, so in her youth, elected
to call herself 'Jean.' This chosen name became so fully accepted as Velva's
name that when her niece was named in her honor, the child was called,
Winifred Jean Eddleman. Winifred subsequently passed this chosen name on to
her own daughter, Susan Jean Hickman.
Jean was a charmer in her youth. When her grandfather, James Frederick Martin,
visited Jean's family, Jean could sometimes charm him into buying an extra train
ticket to take her for visits to James' Pennsylvania home, even when this
required that Jean miss school.
When Jean was 2-years and 8-months of age, her sister, Elda Elizabeth Routh,
was born while the family was living in Danville, Vermillion County, Illinois.
Jean's brother, Lawrence Routh, was also born in Danville, when Jean was 5-years
and 4-months old. As a young child, Jean was unable to walk for undetermined
reasons. Jean's mother took Jean to Blair County, Pennsylvania to have Jean's
devout grandmother, Eliza Jane (Lowmiller) Martin, pray over Jean. Jean did learn
to walk, and subsequently became an avid dancer. Jean loved to do the 'Charleston.'
During Jean's childhood, her family moved to Frankfort, Clinton County, Indiana,
to be near her paternal relatives. Later, the family moved to Stanford, Monroe
County, Indiana, to live on a small farm that Simon had purchased.
Although her sister, Elda, was afraid of the purported spiritual powers of their
aunt, Elizabeth Alice (Dobson) Routh, Jean was fascinated with this Aunt's
'special gifts.' Older family members talk about Aunt Alice being able to levitate
items and write messages with incredible speed during spiritual possession.
Jean was always the most daring and adventurous of Nannie's children (although Elda
was a close second; only their brother, Lawrence, had any timidity), such as Jean
being the one who 'dealt with' any snake found in the Routh family's spring
house, where milk and cream were kept cool.
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