Comparatively little is known of Ernest's early life. He is said to have been well-educated, graduating from Princeton University, and later to have worked for a law firm on Wall Street in New York. In 1880, however, he was living at home in Newark and working as a clerk in his father's brewery.
Ernest married (first), on ------ --, 188-, ------ ------ ------. She was born ------ --, 18-- in ------, the daughter of ------ ------ ------ and ------ ------ (------) ------. She and her brother are said to have been the adopted children of a wealthy New York couple.
Children:
The remarriage of Ernest's father about 1890 is held to have brought about an estrangement between them, and possibly to have had something to do with Ernest's decision to leave the East shortly after (he is said to have been about thirty-four years of age when he did so). Traditionally, he left New Jersey on a train for Texas in search of employment. The train was wrecked, with many casualties, and though he survived, he used the incident to feign his own death and so make a final break with his family. In later years he would receive news of his relatives from a friend who often went back east, but never let them know he was living.
After the accident Ernest settled in Poplar Bluff, Butler County, Missouri. There he married (second), on February 15, 1892, Nancy Judith Wood(7). She was born February 25, 1867 in Illinois, the daughter of John Ryle Wood(6) and Sarah Ann (Wolfington) Wood.
Children:
In 1910 the Traudts were living in a rented house on Freeman Road in Poplar Bluff. Ernest's occupation was given as fire insurance agent. His employer at this time was probably the Robinson Insurance Agency, which he was later said to have worked for from about 1909 or 1910 until his death. His son Theodore was attending school.
In 1911, accordig to the city directory for that year, the Traudts resided on Turner Hill in Poplar Bluff. Ernest was stated to be manager of the Davison Realty Company at that time. This firm was owned by J. T. Davison, Attorney at Law, and had an office in the Duncan Building. Ernest's son Frederick was then working as a "lather" and living in the "Turner Addition" (presumably identical to Turner Hill. It is not clear whether he had his own residence or lived with his parents, but he was the first of the children to leave home, and must have done so within a few years of this date.
In 1917 Ernest and his wife lived at 724 Mill Street, Poplar Bluff. Theodore left home in that year when he joined the Navy and was sent to the naval base at Mare Island, California.
Ernest Traudt died at home on November 2, 1922, twenty days short of his sixty-sixth birthday, after a brief illness. The Traudts were living in a house at 1100 Spring Street, Poplar Bluff, at the time. His funeral was delayed in order to hear from his sons in California, and was held November 6. He was buried in the Poplar Bluff City Cemetery.
After the death of her husband, Nancy Traudt decided to move to California where her sons were. She sold the house in Poplar Bluff and on February 21, 1923 she and her daughter left Missouri by train. After some traveling in California they settled in Yuba City, Sutter County.
In 1925 Nancy's address was P.O. Box #636, Yuba City. In 1939 she was living in a small residence adjacent to the home of her daughter and son-in-law. She died in it when it burned down on December 22, 1939. She was buried in Sutter Cemetery, Sutter County, California. Her grave bears a marker with the following inscription:
From Oct. 28, 2004 revision.
Posted Apr. 2, 2004.
Updated Apr. 7, Oct. 28, Nov. 15, 2004.