Bonnie Misenheimer, c. 1915.
1. Bonnie Misenheimer, 2. Helen Misenheimer, 3. Ruby Misenheimer, 4. Earl Moose, 5. Elaine Moose, Center front unidentified, c. 1915. Tempe Ritchie Wiest Collection.
Class of 1915
English Course
Graduation Essay: “Browning’s Message”
Birth: 1 Oct 1896, Cabarrus County, North Carolina
Death: 25 Jun 1973, Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia
Parents:
William Nathaniel Misenheimer (1870-1903)
Sarah Ann McAllister Misenheimer (1869-1928)
Siblings:
Stella Blanche Misenheimer Squires (1898-1982)
Ruby Elizabeth Misenheimer Smithdeal (1900-1992)
Willie Madge Misenheimer (1902-1906)
Spouse: James DeWitt Miller (1894-1970)
Marriage: 30 Oct 1923, Mount Pleasant, Cabarrus County, North Carolina
Children:
James DeWitt Miller, Jr. (1925-2007)
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The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, NC), 28 Oct 1923, p. B3
MILLER-MISENHEIMER
MOUNT PLEASANT, Oct. 27 – Tuesday evening Miss Bonnie Lucille Misenheimer was united in marriage to James DeWitt Miller, of Dalton, the ceremony having taken place in Holy Trinity Lutheran church, Mount Pleasant, the officiating ministers being Rev. C. L. T. Fisher, pastor of the church, and his brother, Rev. J. H. C Fisher, president of Mont Amoena seminary.
The attendants were Miss Stella Misenheimer, sister of the bride, who was the maid of honor, and Misses Mary Peck and Mildred Barrier, bridesmaids. The groomsmen were C. B. Smithdeal, James Misenheimer, Joe B. McAllister and Todd Misenheimer, of Charlotte. The dainty little flower-girls were Misses Genevieve and Birginia McAllister and little Miss Elizabeth Kate McAllister bore the ring in the heart of a large yellow chrysanthemum. The bride entered on the arm of her mother, Mrs. Sarah Misenheimer, who gave her in marriage. The groom entered accompanied by his best man, W. M. Crowell.
After the ceremony the bridal party motored to Concord, where the newly-married couple left for a brief bridal tour to Asheville and other western resorts, after which they will be at home in Dalton, Ga.
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When 33-year-old William Nathaniel Misenheimer died of peritonitis in 1903, he left behind his wife, Sarah Ann McAllister Misenheimer, and four young daughters: Bonnie, Stella, Ruby, and Willie. Tragically, Willie also passed away in 1906.
Sarah came from an educated and civic-minded family—her brother was George F. McAllister, president of M.P.C.I. Having experienced the vulnerability of widowhood firsthand, she understood the importance of women’s ability to support themselves. She was determined that her three surviving daughters would receive a secondary education at Mont Amoena.
Although Sarah owned property, she was cash-poor; her assets were tied up in the family farm, leaving insufficient income to cover tuition.
In September 1913, Sarah, acting as the guardian of her minor children, petitioned the Superior Court of Cabarrus County for permission to use $300 from her children’s estate to support their education in the Mount Pleasant schools. She cited the inadequate income generated by their holdings and emphasized the educational necessity. The court agreed that the expenditure would serve the children’s best interests, and the petition was approved. The following are from the collection Cabarrus. Court Records 1909–1912, 1912–1916, http://www.familysearch.org.
Memories of Mont Amoena 