Tombstone Tuesday: Arnold Frederick and Alvina Florence (Pemberton) Beedon DISTELRATH

Photograph by Edward Goscicki (FindAGrave)

DISTELRATH

ALVINA F.

1919-1997

ARNOLD F.

1915-1983

My great-great-aunt and uncle

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Cemetery

Lewiston, Montmorency, Michigan

Alvina was the younger sister of my great-grandfather, John Vital PEMBERTON. She was the tenth child and youngest child who survived to adulthood of Lovell Hugh PEMBERTON and Alvina Mary LESPERANCE. She was born 19 Apr 1919 in Marine City, St. Clair, Michigan, and died 12 Nov 1997 in Fort Gratiot, St. Clair, Michigan. She married her first husband, Daniel Robert "Bob" BEEDON, 11 May 1938 in Croswell, Sanilac, Michigan. They divorced in 1951. Interestingly, after divorcing Alvina, Bob married Alvina's widowed sister-in-law, Mabel (Crysler) PEMBERTON, who was my great-grandmother. From what I understand, this caused further tension between my great-grandmother and her Pemberton in-laws. There was already tension because my great-grandmother was not Catholic. Alvina then married Arnold Frederick DISTELRATH on 21 Jan 1956 in Angola, Steuben, Indiana. I presume they married in Indiana because there was no waiting requirement as there was in Michigan. Arnold was born 3 Dec 1915 in St. Clair, St. Clair, Michigan, to Frederick DISTELRATH and Anna VOSSEN. He died 4 May 1983 in Petoskey, Emmet, Michigan. In their later years, it appears that Arnold and Alvina retired to Northern Michigan.