Belle Louise Wolhaupter Criger was born July 31, 1871 in Bloomfield, New Brunswick, Canada. She was the daughter of Charles Hanford Wolhaupter and Margaret Harrington. Sadly, Belle never had an opportunity to meet and know her maternal grandparents. When her parents married, Margaret's parents disowned her for marrying a Protestant. The parents were Irish Catholic and because of their harsh reaction to their daughter's marriage, they never met their grandchildren. Charles and Margaret had a large family – nine children, so Belle grew up with three sisters and five brothers. She married Louis Criger, son of Charles and Lovina Stutsman Criger. They were married December 28, 1893 in Cassopolis, Michigan. Lou was born and raised in Elkhart, Indiana and began a baseball career at an early age, playing first on a local Elkhart team and eventually becoming a professional baseball player. He played the longest for the Boston Americans who were renamed the Boston Red Sox. He was a catcher and caught for Cy Young for twelve years. Belle's mother-in-law, Lovina Stutsman Criger had a half-sister named Malinda Stutsman Osburn. One of Malinda's daughters had very fond memories of Belle, spending a lot of time with Belle and Lou in their home in Arizona.
She said that Belle was a very gracious hostess and set a beautiful table. She credited Belle with teaching her a great deal about hospitality. On one of her visits to Belle and Lou's home, Belle gave her a ceramic dog figurine as a gift and she passed this gift to her daughter, which became a treasured family memento.
Belle's husband Lou spoke highly of her and said she had always shown great support of his baseball career. When Lou retired from baseball, they sold their farm in Jones, Michigan and moved to Arizona, living in Flagstaff in the summer and Tucson in the winter. Their home in south Tucson was across the street from their son Walter Criger and his wife Pauline and family. They were the parents of six children, with two sets of twins born to them: Rollo Sherman Criger, born February 20,1895 in Elkhart, Indiana; Harold Louis Criger, born August 26, 1899 in St. Louis, Missouri, while Lou was playing ball there with the St. Louis team. He was a twin – his sister Ruth Violet Criger Currier Rooks also born August 26, 1899 in St. Louis; Glenn Lester Criger, born February 4, 1903 in Elkhart, Indiana; twins Walter Barnes Criger and Robert Taylor Criger, born February 3, 1905 in Elkhart. Belle was a staunch Lutheran and attended meetings regularly. She was small in stature but carried a large attitude. Some of her granddaughters have fond memories of time spent with her in the small home in Phoenix that she lived in. She had a sharp sense of humor and spoke her mind when moved upon to do so.
As a catcher, Lou was often struck on the knee by foul tips, etc., (this was before shin guards were invented and worn) and he developed bone tuberculosis and had to have his left leg amputated after he had retired in 1912 from baseball, due to declining health. This prompted their move to Arizona in an effort to stem the spread of tuberculosis, which had affected his lungs. Lou passed away on May 14, 1934 in Tucson, Arizona. He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Tucson.
Belle was a widow for 25 years after the death of her husband Lou. She lived in a small home behind the home of her daughter Ruth Criger Currier Rooks and husband Earl Rooks, in Phoenix, Arizona. She also lived with sons Walter Barnes Criger and his wife Pauline and with Robert Taylor Criger and his wife Thora in Tucson but returned to Phoenix, where she passed away in 1959. She too was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona.
Children of Lou and Belle Louise Wolhaupter Criger:
Rollo Sherman Criger: born 20 Feb 1895, died 8 Oct 1960
Harold Louis Criger, twin: born 26 Aug 1899, died 7 May 1989
Ruth Violet Criger Currier Rooks, twin: born 26 Aug 1899, died 7 Aug 1995
Glenn Lester Criger: born 4 Feb 1903, died 31 May 1931
Walter Barnes Criger, twin: born 3 Feb 1905, died 29 Dec 1981
Robert Taylor Criger, twin: born 3 Feb 1905, died 5 Mar 1973
She said that Belle was a very gracious hostess and set a beautiful table. She credited Belle with teaching her a great deal about hospitality. On one of her visits to Belle and Lou's home, Belle gave her a ceramic dog figurine as a gift and she passed this gift to her daughter, which became a treasured family memento.
Belle's husband Lou spoke highly of her and said she had always shown great support of his baseball career. When Lou retired from baseball, they sold their farm in Jones, Michigan and moved to Arizona, living in Flagstaff in the summer and Tucson in the winter. Their home in south Tucson was across the street from their son Walter Criger and his wife Pauline and family. They were the parents of six children, with two sets of twins born to them: Rollo Sherman Criger, born February 20,1895 in Elkhart, Indiana; Harold Louis Criger, born August 26, 1899 in St. Louis, Missouri, while Lou was playing ball there with the St. Louis team. He was a twin – his sister Ruth Violet Criger Currier Rooks also born August 26, 1899 in St. Louis; Glenn Lester Criger, born February 4, 1903 in Elkhart, Indiana; twins Walter Barnes Criger and Robert Taylor Criger, born February 3, 1905 in Elkhart. Belle was a staunch Lutheran and attended meetings regularly. She was small in stature but carried a large attitude. Some of her granddaughters have fond memories of time spent with her in the small home in Phoenix that she lived in. She had a sharp sense of humor and spoke her mind when moved upon to do so.
As a catcher, Lou was often struck on the knee by foul tips, etc., (this was before shin guards were invented and worn) and he developed bone tuberculosis and had to have his left leg amputated after he had retired in 1912 from baseball, due to declining health. This prompted their move to Arizona in an effort to stem the spread of tuberculosis, which had affected his lungs. Lou passed away on May 14, 1934 in Tucson, Arizona. He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Tucson.
Belle was a widow for 25 years after the death of her husband Lou. She lived in a small home behind the home of her daughter Ruth Criger Currier Rooks and husband Earl Rooks, in Phoenix, Arizona. She also lived with sons Walter Barnes Criger and his wife Pauline and with Robert Taylor Criger and his wife Thora in Tucson but returned to Phoenix, where she passed away in 1959. She too was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona.
Children of Lou and Belle Louise Wolhaupter Criger:
Rollo Sherman Criger: born 20 Feb 1895, died 8 Oct 1960
Harold Louis Criger, twin: born 26 Aug 1899, died 7 May 1989
Ruth Violet Criger Currier Rooks, twin: born 26 Aug 1899, died 7 Aug 1995
Glenn Lester Criger: born 4 Feb 1903, died 31 May 1931
Walter Barnes Criger, twin: born 3 Feb 1905, died 29 Dec 1981
Robert Taylor Criger, twin: born 3 Feb 1905, died 5 Mar 1973
Belle Louise Wolhaupter Criger was born July 31, 1871 in Bloomfield, New Brunswick, Canada. She was the daughter of Charles Hanford Wolhaupter and Margaret Harrington. Sadly, Belle never had an opportunity to meet and know her maternal grandparents. When her parents married, Margaret's parents disowned her for marrying a Protestant. The parents were Irish Catholic and because of their harsh reaction to their daughter's marriage, they never met their grandchildren. Charles and Margaret had a large family – nine children, so Belle grew up with three sisters and five brothers. She married Louis Criger, son of Charles and Lovina Stutsman Criger. They were married December 28, 1893 in Cassopolis, Michigan. Lou was born and raised in Elkhart, Indiana and began a baseball career at an early age, playing first on a local Elkhart team and eventually becoming a professional baseball player. He played the longest for the Boston Americans who were renamed the Boston Red Sox. He was a catcher and caught for Cy Young for twelve years. Belle's mother-in-law, Lovina Stutsman Criger had a half-sister named Malinda Stutsman Osburn. One of Malinda's daughters had very fond memories of Belle, spending a lot of time with Belle and Lou in their home in Arizona.
She said that Belle was a very gracious hostess and set a beautiful table. She credited Belle with teaching her a great deal about hospitality. On one of her visits to Belle and Lou's home, Belle gave her a ceramic dog figurine as a gift and she passed this gift to her daughter, which became a treasured family memento.
Belle's husband Lou spoke highly of her and said she had always shown great support of his baseball career. When Lou retired from baseball, they sold their farm in Jones, Michigan and moved to Arizona, living in Flagstaff in the summer and Tucson in the winter. Their home in south Tucson was across the street from their son Walter Criger and his wife Pauline and family. They were the parents of six children, with two sets of twins born to them: Rollo Sherman Criger, born February 20,1895 in Elkhart, Indiana; Harold Louis Criger, born August 26, 1899 in St. Louis, Missouri, while Lou was playing ball there with the St. Louis team. He was a twin – his sister Ruth Violet Criger Currier Rooks also born August 26, 1899 in St. Louis; Glenn Lester Criger, born February 4, 1903 in Elkhart, Indiana; twins Walter Barnes Criger and Robert Taylor Criger, born February 3, 1905 in Elkhart. Belle was a staunch Lutheran and attended meetings regularly. She was small in stature but carried a large attitude. Some of her granddaughters have fond memories of time spent with her in the small home in Phoenix that she lived in. She had a sharp sense of humor and spoke her mind when moved upon to do so.
As a catcher, Lou was often struck on the knee by foul tips, etc., (this was before shin guards were invented and worn) and he developed bone tuberculosis and had to have his left leg amputated after he had retired in 1912 from baseball, due to declining health. This prompted their move to Arizona in an effort to stem the spread of tuberculosis, which had affected his lungs. Lou passed away on May 14, 1934 in Tucson, Arizona. He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Tucson.
Belle was a widow for 25 years after the death of her husband Lou. She lived in a small home behind the home of her daughter Ruth Criger Currier Rooks and husband Earl Rooks, in Phoenix, Arizona. She also lived with sons Walter Barnes Criger and his wife Pauline and with Robert Taylor Criger and his wife Thora in Tucson but returned to Phoenix, where she passed away in 1959. She too was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona.
Children of Lou and Belle Louise Wolhaupter Criger:
Rollo Sherman Criger: born 20 Feb 1895, died 8 Oct 1960
Harold Louis Criger, twin: born 26 Aug 1899, died 7 May 1989
Ruth Violet Criger Currier Rooks, twin: born 26 Aug 1899, died 7 Aug 1995
Glenn Lester Criger: born 4 Feb 1903, died 31 May 1931
Walter Barnes Criger, twin: born 3 Feb 1905, died 29 Dec 1981
Robert Taylor Criger, twin: born 3 Feb 1905, died 5 Mar 1973
She said that Belle was a very gracious hostess and set a beautiful table. She credited Belle with teaching her a great deal about hospitality. On one of her visits to Belle and Lou's home, Belle gave her a ceramic dog figurine as a gift and she passed this gift to her daughter, which became a treasured family memento.
Belle's husband Lou spoke highly of her and said she had always shown great support of his baseball career. When Lou retired from baseball, they sold their farm in Jones, Michigan and moved to Arizona, living in Flagstaff in the summer and Tucson in the winter. Their home in south Tucson was across the street from their son Walter Criger and his wife Pauline and family. They were the parents of six children, with two sets of twins born to them: Rollo Sherman Criger, born February 20,1895 in Elkhart, Indiana; Harold Louis Criger, born August 26, 1899 in St. Louis, Missouri, while Lou was playing ball there with the St. Louis team. He was a twin – his sister Ruth Violet Criger Currier Rooks also born August 26, 1899 in St. Louis; Glenn Lester Criger, born February 4, 1903 in Elkhart, Indiana; twins Walter Barnes Criger and Robert Taylor Criger, born February 3, 1905 in Elkhart. Belle was a staunch Lutheran and attended meetings regularly. She was small in stature but carried a large attitude. Some of her granddaughters have fond memories of time spent with her in the small home in Phoenix that she lived in. She had a sharp sense of humor and spoke her mind when moved upon to do so.
As a catcher, Lou was often struck on the knee by foul tips, etc., (this was before shin guards were invented and worn) and he developed bone tuberculosis and had to have his left leg amputated after he had retired in 1912 from baseball, due to declining health. This prompted their move to Arizona in an effort to stem the spread of tuberculosis, which had affected his lungs. Lou passed away on May 14, 1934 in Tucson, Arizona. He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Tucson.
Belle was a widow for 25 years after the death of her husband Lou. She lived in a small home behind the home of her daughter Ruth Criger Currier Rooks and husband Earl Rooks, in Phoenix, Arizona. She also lived with sons Walter Barnes Criger and his wife Pauline and with Robert Taylor Criger and his wife Thora in Tucson but returned to Phoenix, where she passed away in 1959. She too was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona.
Children of Lou and Belle Louise Wolhaupter Criger:
Rollo Sherman Criger: born 20 Feb 1895, died 8 Oct 1960
Harold Louis Criger, twin: born 26 Aug 1899, died 7 May 1989
Ruth Violet Criger Currier Rooks, twin: born 26 Aug 1899, died 7 Aug 1995
Glenn Lester Criger: born 4 Feb 1903, died 31 May 1931
Walter Barnes Criger, twin: born 3 Feb 1905, died 29 Dec 1981
Robert Taylor Criger, twin: born 3 Feb 1905, died 5 Mar 1973
Inscription
Mother
Gravesite Details
Dau of Charles Wolhaupter of Canada & Margaret Harrington of Ireland; widow of Louis Criger born IND; resident of AZ for 36 years
Family Members
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