Margaret Pfaffenberger was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in March 1840.2 The eighth child and second daughter of Andrew and Catharine, Margaret's earliest memories would have been of the Chestnut Ridge farm her father purchased in late 1842.Margaret grew up in the 1840's and 1850's. She would have been instructed in "women's work" by her mother and sister Elizabeth. Besides her brother Joseph other childhood playmates likely included Hardin McCrary, Ann E. Cox, and Sarah and Nancy Love.2, 177
By the time she reached adulthood she had seen her sister and all but one brother leave home and start families, and the loss of two sister-in-laws. Before she married she had lost her closest brother to the civil war.
On October 1, 1863, Margaret married Fredrick Bush, a 27 year old German born farmer. Before a third of a year would pass, Margaret lost her mother Catharine.1 The next year, 1865, was joyous for Fredrick and Margaret. Their first child, Anne C., was born.131 On August 8, of that same year, they bought a 40 acre parcel from Andrew for $400 (the same parcel George purchased in 1850 and sold to Andrew in 1853).
The Bush's second child, William F., arrived on January 5, 1866.121 Fredrick and Margaret probably were living with Andrew on the farm at this time. When Andrew remarried on June 19, 1868, he moved to Rockford. Fredrick and Margaret remained at Andrew's house and farmed the ground.
Fredrick and Margaret closed out the 1860's with the birth of their second son, Ulysses H., in 1869. When U.S. census reached the Bush residence in the summer of 1870, it found Fredrick's 68 year old father, Charles, in addition to the aforementioned family.131
By 1874 Fredrick was ready to move on to another line of work. Fredrick, purchased the "Old Reasson Flour Mill." Probably simultaneous with Fredrick's decision to change, Andrew sold his remaining farm property to James K. Green.
Although the exact dates are uncertain, Fredrick purchased the Old Reasson Custom Flour Mill, which included property both in Jackson and Scott Counties. Fredrick's property, which was situated one mile south and 1.5 miles east of the center Crothersville, contained about 120 acres, most of which was in Scott County.65
Frederick A. Bush was born on January 1, 1877. On September 15, 1878, the last Bush child, George, was born.91
In late spring or early summer of 1877, Fredrick died. (at the age of 41) Shortly after Fredrick's death, his brother, Henry, was appointed administrator of his estate. Unfortunately, Henry Bush died mid-year 1880, and James McDonald was appointed to replace Henry Bush as administrator.65 John Pfaffenberger was appointed the guardian of the Bush children on May 10, 1878.122 John's death in May of 1880 created an unusual circumstance for the Bush family. Both the children's guardian and the administrator for Fredrick's affairs died within weeks of one another. At John's death, Margaret and John's brother George assumed the guardianship of the Bush children on February 3, 1882.132 George continued his duties of guardian of the Bush children until December 30, 1897.91
After fredrick's death, Margaret and her family moved into a home on South Walnut street in Seymour. The 1880 U.S. Census showed that in addition to Margaret and her children, her father Andrew and her nephew Wilbur were also living in the residence.
In 1881, administrator James McDonald was apparently asked by Margaret to sell the Old Reasson Flour Mill. Court appointed appraisers Christopher Orr and James Gillispie appraised the property at $2,000. However, no bids were received and Gillispie purchased the land for ten cents on the dollar on February 2, 1882.63 On March 25, 1866, a marriage license was issued to Rev. Fred H. Tormoehlen and Anna Bush.69, 178
In 1886, William F. Bush became a Seymour, Indiana shoe merchant when he bought the business of "Tormoehlen and Peters." He was in continuous operation until a few months before his death in 1932. 179 Ulysses Bush married Minnie Vail, in Brownstown, Indiana on June 23, 1892. Ulysses died of Bright's disease on May 14, 1897. Frederick married, moved to New Mexico and became well known newspaper editor. He died on March 20, 1918.180 George Bush moved to California, became an Educator and progressed to superintendent of schools in Pasadena, California. In a special meeting on May 6, 1940, a junior high school principal who was about to be dismissed, pulled a pistol and killed George and four others. 181
Margaret appears to have lived in Bloomington and then Warsaw before moving back to Seymour. Margaret died on December 28, 1902, in Seymour, following a year's battle with cancer.133 She spent much of her life as a single mother raising five children, but cared for her aging father and others in her family as well.
