hegnauer.family
H0283 The study's number for this person. Cite it and it will always lead here, whatever the spelling.
· A life in the study

Louisa Thomas

Born in 1853 and last recorded at Spencer in 1925.

born May 1853 died after 1 Jan 1925

Also written Louise Thomas, Louisa Curtis, Louise Curtis

Louisa Thomas was born in May 1853; where, no record read so far says, although the family tree gives Indiana.1–2 Her maiden name is known from two records made late in her family's life: the Iowa state census of 1925, in which she is "Louisy Thomas", and the death certificate of her son Arthur in 1966, which names his mother as Louise Thomas.3–4

About 1872 she married Nathan K. Curtis, a young Indiana man about a year older than she.1, 5 In June 1880 they were living in Jackson Township, Porter County, in northwestern Indiana, where Nathan was a day laborer, with their daughter Viola, six.6 Four months later, on 20 October 1880, Louisa gave birth to their son Arthur Garfield Curtis, at or near Valparaiso, the county seat.4

By 1900 the Curtises had moved west to Ontario Township, in Knox County, Illinois, where Nathan rented a farm. Louisa, forty-seven, had at home her younger children, Lewis O., fifteen, Jennie M., twelve, and Edna, six; Arthur, eighteen, was working on another farm in the township.1, 7 By 1910 she and Nathan had settled at Spencer, the seat of Clay County, Iowa, where they rented a house on North Grove Street and lived on Nathan's own income, with Edna still at home; they had been married thirty-eight years. Arthur, married, farmed nearby.5 Ten years later they owned their home on East Fifth Street, and they were still there on 1 January 1925, when "Louisy" was seventy-one.3, 8 That is the last record of her found. The family tree gives her death on 22 December 1929 at Ericson, Renville County, Minnesota, without a source.2

What we know

Proven

  • Birth, 1853
  • Marriage to Nathan K. Curtis, 1872
  • Death, 1925
  • 5 homes, from the census and other records

What's still open

  • Death. When and where she died is not yet known.
  • Sources. Her censuses (1880, 1900, 1910, 1920) and the Iowa state census of 1925 were read as index entries of her husband's lines on 27 Sep 2026; her own lines and the images have not been read.
  • Children. Viola (about 1874), Arthur Garfield (20 Oct 1880), Lewis O.
  • Parents. Not yet identified.

Sources

Sources 1–2

1 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Ontario [Township], 1852

1900 U.S. Federal Census, Ontario [Township], Knox County, Illinois, sheet 5, dwelling and family 82: "Nathen Curtis" (48, born January 1852, Indiana; head, married 1872, 28 years; farmer, rents a farm), Louisa (47, wife, born May 1853), Lewis O. (15, son), Jennie M. (12, daughter), Edna P. (6, daughter) and Osker C. Swanson (26, boarder) (her husband's line, record 900446, index read 27 September 2026; her own line is record 900447, not read; image not read).

2 Old Ancestry family tree "Hegnauer, 1853

Old Ancestry family tree "Hegnauer (Old)" (165462681), which has her twice, as "Louisa Thomas" and "Louisa Curtis": born 10 May 1853, Indiana; married Nathan Curtis in Porter County, Indiana, 1872 or 7 March 1873; died 22 December 1929, Ericson, Renville County, Minnesota; no record cited for the dates (the census lines it attaches are those cited here).

Sources 3–4

3 Iowa, U.S., State Census Collection, 2026

"Iowa, U.S., State Census Collection, 1836–1925," database with images, Ancestry.com, 1925 Iowa state census, Spencer Ward 3, Clay County, 1 January 1925: "Mathan Courtis" [Nathan Curtis] (72, born Indiana; head, married; father "Phelander" Curtis, mother Malinda Davis); spouse "Louisy" [Louisa] (71), given in the index as Louisy Thomas (her husband's line, record 757286, index read 27 September 2026; her own line is record 757287, not read; the census card image has not been read).

4 Washington State Department of Health, Certificate of Death, 1966

Washington State Department of Health, Certificate of Death, state file no. 4718 (1966), registrar's no. 72, Arthur Garfield Curtis [her son]: died 8 March 1966, Cowlitz Valley Nursing Home, Longview, Cowlitz County; born 20 October 1880, Valparaiso, Indiana; age 85; father Nathan Curtis; mother's maiden name Louise Thomas; informant Hazel Lucille Curtis [his wife], Kelso, Wash.; "Department of Health, Death Certificates, July 1, 1907–2001," image, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives (digitalarchives.wa.gov/Record/View/7C4B11A317BB239C8E7D14827BAACFDC), accessed 27 September 2026.

Source 5

5 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Spencer Ward 3, 2026

1910 U.S. Federal Census, Spencer Ward 3, Clay County, Iowa, E.D. 37, sheet 22A, 801 North Grove Street, rented: Nathan Curtis (59, head, married 38 years; own income), Louise (57, wife) and Edna I. (16, daughter) (her husband's line, record 7206603, index read 27 September 2026; her own line is record 137093664, not read; image not read).

Source 6

6 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Jackson [Township], 2026

1880 U.S. Federal Census, Jackson [Township], Porter County, Indiana, E.D. 137, p. 415D, dwelling 184: Nathan K Curtis (28, born Indiana; head; day laborer), Louisa (27, wife) and Viola (6, daughter) (her husband's line, record 27903628; index read 27 September 2026; image not read).

Source 7

7 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Ontario [Township], 2026

1900 U.S. Federal Census, Ontario [Township], Knox County, Illinois, sheet 3, dwelling and family 42, household of Otto F. Rylander: "Aurther G Curtis" [her son Arthur Garfield], boarder, 18, born Indiana, father and mother born Indiana, farm laborer (record 900244; index read 27 September 2026; image not read).

Source 8

8 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Spencer Ward 3, 2026

1920 U.S. Federal Census, Spencer Ward 3, Clay County, Iowa, E.D. 43, p. 2B, 715 East Fifth Street, owned free of mortgage: Nathan Curtis (67, head, born Indiana) and Louisa (66, wife) (her husband's line, record 28794627, index read 27 September 2026; her own line is record 28794628, not read; image not read).

Life in time

May 1853

Birth

proven Sources 1, 3, 5, 6, 8

How we know

Born May 1853 (1900 census). Her ages in the other censuses fit: 27 in 1880, 57 in 1910, 66 in 1920 and 71 on 1 Jan 1925. Her birthplace has not been read in any record; the family tree gives 10 May 1853 in Indiana without a source.

The 1900 census gives the month and year; her ages in 1880, 1910, 1920 and 1925 agree within a year. The day and the state come only from the family tree.

  1. 1853 Birth May 1853 · proven

    Born May 1853 (1900 census). Her ages in the other censuses fit: 27 in 1880, 57 in 1910, 66 in 1920 and 71 on 1 Jan 1925. Her birthplace has not been read in any record; the family tree gives 10 May 1853 in Indiana without a source.

    The 1900 census gives the month and year; her ages in 1880, 1910, 1920 and 1925 agree within a year. The day and the state come only from the family tree.

    Sources 1, 3, 5, 6, 8

  2. 1872 Marriage, with Nathan K. Curtis about 1872 · proven

    No marriage record has been found. The 1900 census gives the year of marriage as 1872 (28 years married), and the 1910 census 38 years married. The old family tree gives Porter County, Indiana, 1872 or 7 Mar 1873, without a source.

    The censuses of 1900 (married 1872, 28 years) and 1910 (38 years) agree on 1872; she is Nathan's wife in every census from 1880 to 1920 and in the Iowa census of 1925, which gives her maiden name as Thomas, as her son Arthur's death certificate does.

    Sources 1, 3, 4, 5, 6

  3. 1873 Daughter born: Viola Jenet Curtis family event

    Their page →

  4. 1880 Residence Jackson Township, Porter · proven

    Louisa, wife, 27, in the household of her husband Nathan K. Curtis, a day laborer, with their daughter Viola, 6 (dwelling 184). Her son Arthur was born four months later.

    Her husband Nathan K. and their daughter identify the household (index read 27 Sep 2026; image not read).

    Sources 4, 6

  5. 1880 Son born: Arthur Garfield Curtis family event

    Their page →

  6. 1884 Son born: Lewis O. Curtis family event

    Their page →

  7. 1887 Daughter born: Jennie M. Curtis family event

    Their page →

  8. 1894 Daughter born: Edna P. Curtis family event

    Their page →

  9. 1900 Residence Ontario Township, Knox · proven

    Louisa, wife, 47, born May 1853, in the household of her husband "Nathen" Curtis, a farmer renting his farm, married 1872, with their children Lewis O., Jennie M. and Edna P. and a boarder (sheet 5, dwelling and family 82).

    Her husband, the year of the marriage and the children identify the household (index read 27 Sep 2026; image not read).

    Source 1

  10. 1910 Residence Spencer, Clay · proven

    801 North Grove Street, Ward 3, rented. Louise, wife, 57, with her husband Nathan, 59, married 38 years, living on his own income, and their daughter Edna I., 16.

    Her husband and the length of their marriage identify the household (index read 27 Sep 2026; image not read).

    Source 5

  11. 1920 Residence Spencer, Clay · proven

    715 East Fifth Street, Ward 3, owned free of mortgage. Louisa, wife, 66, with her husband Nathan, 67.

    Her husband and the town identify the household (index read 27 Sep 2026; image not read).

    Source 8

  12. 1925 Residence 1 Jan 1925 · Spencer, Clay · proven

    "Louisy", 71, wife of "Mathan Courtis" [Nathan Curtis], Spencer Ward 3 (Iowa state census); her maiden name is given as Thomas.

    Her husband, the town and the ward identify the household; the index gives her maiden name, Thomas, which Arthur's death certificate confirms (index read 27 Sep 2026; image not read).

    Source 3

  13. 1925 Death after 1 Jan 1925 · proven

    She was living at Spencer on 1 Jan 1925. The family tree gives her death as 22 Dec 1929 at Ericson, Renville County, Minnesota, without a source (a lead).

    The Iowa state census of 1925 is the last record of her found; no death record has been read.

    Sources 2, 3

  • proven
  • family event

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Places in this life

3 places, in order
1 2 3
  1. 1 Jackson Township, Porter County Residence 1880
  2. 2 Ontario Township, Knox County Residence 1900
  3. 3 Spencer, Clay County Residence 1910 · Residence 1920 · Residence 1 Jan 1925

Hollow markers are placed approximately, at the town, county or region.

Family

This page Louisa Thomas 1853–aft. 1925
Husband · m. about 1872 Nathan K. Curtis 1852–aft. 1925
Daughter Viola Jenet Curtis c. 1873–aft. 1880 Son Arthur Garfield Curtis 1880–1966 Son Lewis O. Curtis 1884–aft. 1900 Daughter Jennie M. Curtis 1887–aft. 1900 Daughter Edna P. Curtis c. 1894–aft. 1910
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The evidence 8 facts with their grades, 8 sources, and the research notes

Facts

Fact Date Place Grade Sources
Birth May 1853 proven 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 8
Marriage with Nathan K. Curtis about 1872 proven 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6
Residence 1880 Jackson Township, Porter, Indiana, United States proven 4 , 6
Residence 1900 Ontario Township, Knox, Illinois, United States proven 1
Residence 1910 Spencer, Clay, Iowa, United States proven 5
Residence 1920 Spencer, Clay, Iowa, United States proven 8
Residence 1 Jan 1925 Spencer, Clay, Iowa, United States proven 3
Death after 1 Jan 1925 proven 2 , 3

Research notes

  • Sources: Her censuses (1880, 1900, 1910, 1920) and the Iowa state census of 1925 were read as index entries of her husband's lines on 27 Sep 2026; her own lines and the images have not been read. Her son Arthur's death certificate (1966) was read on the image.6, 1, 5, 8, 3, 4
  • Identity: She is Louisa, wife of Nathan K. Curtis, in 1880 (Porter County, Indiana), 1900 (Knox County, Illinois), 1910 and 1920 (Spencer, Iowa), and "Louisy" in the Iowa census of 1925; the length of the marriage (1872 in 1900; 38 years in 1910) and the children tie the households together, and Arthur's death certificate names his parents Nathan Curtis and Louise Thomas.6, 1, 5, 8, 3, 4
  • Maiden name: Thomas, from the 1925 Iowa census index and Arthur's death certificate (informant his wife Hazel, who had lived in Clay County, near Nathan and Louisa, from 1910 to 1920).3, 4 No marriage record has been found; the old family tree gives Porter County, Indiana, 1872 or 7 Mar 1873, without a source.2 A "Soiza [Louisa?] Wolf", 16, lived in the same Porter County household as Nathan in 1870 (see his profile); with the maiden name Thomas in two records, she is probably another girl.
  • Birth: May 1853 (1900 census), with ages that fit in 1880, 1910, 1920 and 1925.1, 6, 5, 8, 3 Her birthplace is not in the index lines read; the family tree gives 10 May 1853, Indiana.2 Her own census lines (1900: record 900447) should give it.
  • Children: Viola (about 1874), Arthur Garfield (20 Oct 1880), Lewis O. (about 1885), Jennie M. (about 1888) and Edna (about 1894), from the censuses and Arthur's death certificate.6, 4, 1, 5 The 1900 and 1910 censuses would give the number of children she had borne; that column has not been read.
  • Death (lead): She was living on 1 Jan 1925.3 The family tree's 22 Dec 1929 at Ericson, Renville County, Minnesota, is unsourced; Renville County is where her granddaughter Verna (Curtis) Potter's family farmed in 1950 (see Verna's profile). A Minnesota death index entry for 1929 is the next check.2
  • This profile is part of the Hegnauer one-name study, as a great-grandmother of the children of Robert Lucius Hegnauer Jr. and Adelaide Louise Curtis.

Working notes

  • Wife of Nathan K. Curtis (H0041), mother of Arthur Garfield Curtis (H0054); m. 1872/7 Mar 1873 Porter Co., Ind. (tree); 1900 Ontario, Knox Co., Ill. (7602/900447), 1910 and 1920 Spencer, Clay Co., Iowa (7884/137093664, 6061/28794628), 1925 Iowa census (1084/757287); tree d. 22 Dec 1929 Ericson, Renville Co., Minn. (unsourced); old tree has her twice (also "Louisa Curtis"); old tree 165462681 @I252151392895@
  • Mother of H0054 per Arthur's 1966 WA death cert (Louise Thomas)
  • Birthplace Indiana unverified (tree only)

Sources

  1. 1

    1900 U.S. Federal Census, Ontario [Township], Knox County, Illinois, sheet 5, dwelling and family 82: "Nathen Curtis" (48, born January 1852, Indiana; head, married 1872, 28 years; farmer, rents a farm), Louisa (47, wife, born May 1853), Lewis O. (15, son), Jennie M. (12, daughter), Edna P. (6, daughter) and Osker C. Swanson (26, boarder) (her husband's line, record 900446, index read 27 September 2026; her own line is record 900447, not read; image not read).

    Ancestry

  2. 2

    Old Ancestry family tree "Hegnauer (Old)" (165462681), which has her twice, as "Louisa Thomas" and "Louisa Curtis": born 10 May 1853, Indiana; married Nathan Curtis in Porter County, Indiana, 1872 or 7 March 1873; died 22 December 1929, Ericson, Renville County, Minnesota; no record cited for the dates (the census lines it attaches are those cited here).

  3. 3

    "Iowa, U.S., State Census Collection, 1836–1925," database with images, Ancestry.com, 1925 Iowa state census, Spencer Ward 3, Clay County, 1 January 1925: "Mathan Courtis" [Nathan Curtis] (72, born Indiana; head, married; father "Phelander" Curtis, mother Malinda Davis); spouse "Louisy" [Louisa] (71), given in the index as Louisy Thomas (her husband's line, record 757286, index read 27 September 2026; her own line is record 757287, not read; the census card image has not been read).

    Ancestry

  4. 4

    Washington State Department of Health, Certificate of Death, state file no. 4718 (1966), registrar's no. 72, Arthur Garfield Curtis [her son]: died 8 March 1966, Cowlitz Valley Nursing Home, Longview, Cowlitz County; born 20 October 1880, Valparaiso, Indiana; age 85; father Nathan Curtis; mother's maiden name Louise Thomas; informant Hazel Lucille Curtis [his wife], Kelso, Wash.; "Department of Health, Death Certificates, July 1, 1907–2001," image, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives (digitalarchives.wa.gov/Record/View/7C4B11A317BB239C8E7D14827BAACFDC), accessed 27 September 2026.

  5. 5

    1910 U.S. Federal Census, Spencer Ward 3, Clay County, Iowa, E.D. 37, sheet 22A, 801 North Grove Street, rented: Nathan Curtis (59, head, married 38 years; own income), Louise (57, wife) and Edna I. (16, daughter) (her husband's line, record 7206603, index read 27 September 2026; her own line is record 137093664, not read; image not read).

    Ancestry

  6. 6

    1880 U.S. Federal Census, Jackson [Township], Porter County, Indiana, E.D. 137, p. 415D, dwelling 184: Nathan K Curtis (28, born Indiana; head; day laborer), Louisa (27, wife) and Viola (6, daughter) (her husband's line, record 27903628; index read 27 September 2026; image not read).

    Ancestry

  7. 7

    1900 U.S. Federal Census, Ontario [Township], Knox County, Illinois, sheet 3, dwelling and family 42, household of Otto F. Rylander: "Aurther G Curtis" [her son Arthur Garfield], boarder, 18, born Indiana, father and mother born Indiana, farm laborer (record 900244; index read 27 September 2026; image not read).

    Ancestry

  8. 8

    1920 U.S. Federal Census, Spencer Ward 3, Clay County, Iowa, E.D. 43, p. 2B, 715 East Fifth Street, owned free of mortgage: Nathan Curtis (67, head, born Indiana) and Louisa (66, wife) (her husband's line, record 28794627, index read 27 September 2026; her own line is record 28794628, not read; image not read).

    Ancestry