Fearless females: day #13

Moment of Strength: share a story where a female ancestor showed courage or strength in a difficult situation.

My great great grandmother Rebecca Jane Oliver Ausmus was a sweet lady who had four sons. She was married to an absolute, for lack of a better word, ass. He was an alcoholic who beat on her very chance he got. Our family history has it that one day, her mother Janet Kirkpatrick Oliver went to her husband and begged him to use their savings to hire a hitman to kill Frank (Rebecca's husband). Janet was simply tired of seeing her only daughter beaten by a man who was supposed to love and cherish her. Well, Frank went out one day and never returned and he was never found. Family history has it that the hitman was indeed hired and that Frank was murdered and his body disposed of. Rebecca went on to remarry and raise her sons and step sons in peace.

Then, in the early 1900s, her sons moved to Canada. She didn't want her children to live so far apart from her, so she immigrated with them. Her middle son John Calvin Ausmus' wife gave birth to a little girl who only lived for three days. Rebecca was so consumed with grief at her passing that she made her son promise that when she died, they would rebury Ruth with her. She died a year later, and John kept his promise to his mother. Grandmother and grandchild lie together in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, Canada.

I respect this lady a lot. She endured so much in her life. She is the perfect example to me of enduring to the end.