The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-17
MOTHER SEEKS
CHILD SHE E-SAW
LAST YEARS AGO
Bridgeport Woman Insti-
tutes Nation Wide Search
for Daughter.
LEFT GIRL OUT WEST
WHEN HEALTH FAILED
With Travelling Missionary,
Object of Search Visited
Here.

Widespread search has been insti-
tuted by Mrs. Nettie Vanderhoff of
this city, former wife Of a wealthy
Montana ranch owner. for her II year
old daughter, Ethel Allen.
Mrs .Vanderhoff is the wife Of
Arthur Vanderhoff, the steward Of
the Park City Yacht club, formerly
residing at 238 Hewitt street, but now
living at 1941 Fairfield avenue. First
the wife of a cattle raiser, Will Allen,
owner of vast tracts of prairie land
at Berlinton, N. D., she was compelled
to leave the lonesome stretches of the
West because of the mental strain
that was caused by the monotony of
the scene. Her child at that. time
was only two years old.
Mrs. Allen, later to become a resi-
dent of Bridgeport and at the death
of her husband to marry VanderhoH,
first moved to the nearest city, Minot,
N. D., so miles from the ranch. Later
in search of her health she came
East to Clinton, Conn.
Bereft Of motherly care the little
Allen girl wandered about the ranch
among cowboys until the father. des-
pairing of his wife's return, decided
to place the little girl in the care of
his sister-in-law, Mamie Richardson,
a sister Of Mrs. Allen.
Time wore on without mother or
child meeting, though it is said that
the child was taught to love her
mother and as late as last summer
when an attempt was made to locate
Mrs Vanderhoff in Bridgeport the
Allen girl had a well-worn photo OF
her mother still in her possession.
Will Allen having died, large for
tune was bestowed upon the Allen girl
who had grown up in the Richardson
family. AS a 'home missionary" for
a religious faith Miss Richardson had
travelled extensively about the United
States, it has been learned. Ethel
Allen has said that she accompanied
her guardian, ever on the watch for
her own mother.
In Bridgeport last summer the child
learned that the former Mrs. Allen at
the death of her husband had married
The search was extended
to the Park City Yacht club. At the
time Mrs. Vanderhoff was in Clinton.
Mass, persons believed to be Miss
Richardson and Miss Allen questioned
Vanderhoff to to the whereabouts of
the former Mrs. Will Allen, Wander
hoff is said not to have known enough
of the circumstances Of the child's
birth to assume the pair that his wife
was actually the mother but asked
them to await in Bridgeport until Mrs.
Vanderhoff could be summoned here.
The girl had picture of her mother
at an early age, in her possession, one
which Vanderhoff readily recognized.
He was unable to prevail upon her to
remain here for two days, owing to
engagements Of the missionary else
where. JV
When informed by her husband of
the circumstance, Mrs. Venderhoff
was nearly prostrated with grief and
futile expectation for nearly a week
when immediate search of Eastern
cities was begun in hopes of ascer-
tanning the whereabouts Of the pair.
Il know that my daughter still
loves me. though she has never seen
mother yesterday. cit is not the
possession of wealth left to her by
her father, my former husband, at his
death, that keeps her estranged from
me. OF that I am positive.
~ 1HOuSu 40 not pOSScSS Lu0
thousands of dollars bequeathed to
her at the time of Will Aliens death,
when an estate estimated at more
than $4,000, was probated, it is not
the discrepancy of worldly goods that
keeps her from me.
'She has sought and almost found,
and / believe she is still searching
for me as I am for her. There must
be some outside influence that has
taken her from me when she was SO
close.
Il will do anything in my power
to locate her, for I love her with gen.
uine mothers love and have no de-
sire for the money she possesses"
Mrs. Vanderhoff has Instituted
search for her child through the
Woodmen of the World, of which her
husband was a prominent member in
Minot. N. D. 1t is believed that this.
organization will search the probate
records and later locate Miss Rich
ardson, a sister of Mrs. Vanderh off.
Societies throughout the country
identified in missionary work have
also been asked by the distracted
mother to watch for the girl and
her guardian. .
URGES MILITARY TRAINING