NINTH GENERATION

54. Margaret Elizabeth Stephens was born on Mar 29 1915 in Aurora, Kane County, Illinois. Margaret Elizabeth was born on a Monday at City Hospital as the first in the set of triplets, before Grace and before Lois. She was named after her father's mother. Her father actually wanted to name the triplets Faith, Hope, and Charity, but as it turned out, they were named Margaret, Grace, and Lois. This story is according to Grace Naomi (Stephens) Marquis, Margaret's triplet sister and Patricia Lee (Marquis) Robbins, Grace's eldest daughter.

The Aurora Beacon-News for Tuesday, March 30, 1915, Front Page Article reported the story of the triplets as follows:

STORK BRINGS GIRL TRIPLETS
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Three Little Ladies at Aurora
Hospital With Mother Mrs L.
Thaddeus Stephens.
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ALL APPEAR TO DO WELL
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One Young Lady Weighs Almost
Five Pounds - Other Two Are
Over Four Pounds.
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Triplets, all girls were born last evening at the Aurora Hospital to Mrs. Thaddeus Stephens, wife of the treasurer of Aurora College. All of the Little ones are normal and Dr. William Schwingel, the attending physician, says he believes all will live.

The births were 15 minutes apart. The first child weighed four pounds, two ounces; the second, four pounds, four ounces; the third, four pounds, 15 ounces. They were taken to the nursery immediately after birth. Mrs. Stephens, the mother, was reported doing well today.

First Triplets at Hospital
There have been more than 500 babies born at the Aurora Hospital since the maternity department was established, but Supt. Nettie Jordan says that the Stephens triplets are the first born at the institution. Miss Rosabel King, assistant superintendent, in charge of the nursery, says that the triplets are the first born in a hospital with which she has been associated.

Professor Stephens was at the hospital when the triplets were born. He looked at the clock in the office and when he saw that it was not quite 4 o'clock, said, "It's a good thing it isn't a later hour." The father is 32 years old, the mother is 35 years old. They had two children before the three came; a boy aged four years, and a girl aged five years.
Professor Stephens declared that "nothing like the affair of yesterday ever happened in my wife's family or mine. I am delighted."

Reporter Sees Girl Open Eye
A reporter for the Beacon-News called on the triplets last night. Although not a family man, he showed a realization of the fact that an important event had occurred. He observed that the babes had shocks of dark hair and that one had opened her eyes. There are six other babies in the nursery.

Dr. Schwingel today issued an order that callers be kept away from the triplets' crib for a week. A window will be placed in the outer door of the nursery room, so that persons wishing to see the triplets may do so without disturbing them. She was Baptist in 1974 in Oswego, Kendall County, Illinois. Marge was a member of Valley Baptist Church. She died in Apr 1975 in Aurora, Kane County, Illinois. She was buried in Apr 1975 in Aurora, Kane County, Illinois. Marge is buried in Lincoln Memorial Cemetery. Margaret married a second time to Herschel Massey. In 1958, Herschel was a Civil Engineer working for the Illinois State Highway Department. At that time, they lived at 306 N. Park Avenue in Aurora, Illinois. Marge worked at Strathmore as a "Forelady" during the late 1950's.

It is Aunt Marge that is indirectly responsible for the connection of the Robbins and Marquis/Stephens family. She worked at the same place where my father E.L. Robbins also worked as a paper cutter. Marge had the notion of introducing her niece Patricia Marquis to "Robbie" Robbins They met and were introduced, fell in love, and then married.

I also have many personal memories of Aunt Marge because she lived in Boulder Hill, the same subdivision where my family lived. She would each weekend travel to Elgin to visit her sisters Grace and Miriam. I would many times be visiting my grandmother Grace for the weekend and "Auntie Marg" would drive me home always around 8:00pm on Sunday night. She would always get me talking about what we had done that weekend and about how school was going for me.

One of the most special things I remember about our trips from Elgin was that we would often leave early and stop in St. Charles to see Marge's sister Lois and the rest of the Krieger family. It was always fun to go to St. Charles because the Kriegers were so nice to me. I really would not have known very well that wonderful family if it had not been for my Auntie Marg. I also vividly remember going to see Auntie Lois when she was very sick. I definitely remember Auntie Marg being sad toward the end of her sister's life. We would talk a little on the way from St. Charles back to Boulder Hill. Funny the things one remembers when started to thinking about it. Auntie Marg was full of personality and would let it be known given the opportunity.

She was married to Vincent Raymond Gribble in 1935 in Illinois. Vincent Raymond Gribble was born on Feb 6 1897 in Aurora, Kane County, Illinois. Vincent's birth is listed in the Kane County Birth Records, Book 6, page 246. His parents are Joseph and Inez Freeman Gribble. Vincent is listed in the City Directory of 1915 for Aurora, Illinois as living at 55 Oak Avenue. Much later, in 1958, he is listed in the Aurora City Directory living at 415 East Park Avenue. It would appear that he lived many years as a citizen of Aurora. His occupation was a a Machinist. He died in Winchester, Tennessee and was buried back at Aurora, Illinois. Margaret Elizabeth Stephens and Vincent Raymond Gribble had the following children:

+65 i. James Vincent Gribble.
+66 ii. Jacqueline Gribble.

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