Poor Clara

May 15, 2017

Poor Clara

As many of you know, I am a volunteer for the Historic Marysville City Cemetery, as well as an appointed member of the Cemetery Commission. This gives me an opportunity to hear so many fascinating rarely told stories about the people buried there. As someone who spends a healthy amount of time in a sacred place such as the cemetery, I almost feel an obligation to tell these stories. Especially when the person buried there goes to their grave having had an injustice done to them.

Especially, a child.

Before I tell you the story of poor Clara Traverse... let me say- this is only 1 of many of stories at our cemetery that have achingly struck a chord with me. Over 10,000 souls buried in the cemetery and each one has a story.

Clara, a poor, misunderstood 15 year old girl who only wanted acceptance and love. Rejected by her family, sent off to work. A young girl with child. A poor girl who saw drinking strychnine, as her only way to relieve herself from the harsh world that disregarded her.

Heart breaking, right?

It gets WORSE!

Not only did poor Clara get served an unfair hand in life, but also in death; her tombstone has been missing for decades.

Clara's grave as it sits today.

I asked my fellow cemetery commissioner Vickie Tudor and her mama Ginny, another cemetery volunteer.. to please send me Clara's story, so I could share it with you all.

Here's the email I got;

"Here is the information we have on Clara Traverse. "Clara, who died of a broken heart"

The news article in the Appeal Democrat dated May 17, 1951, by Stephen Hust, that clued us to this sad story, was found in both Roberta Shurtz’s (previous City Cemetery Commissioner) & Henry Delamere’s files. Also found at the Yuba County Library, California Room.

In a letter, also in the California Room, from a librarian mentions Clara was with child, but I don't remember that being mentioned in other articles from 1869, but that maybe due to the times one would not point out such things of a unwedded young girl.

On one of the cemetery maps we would find the simple word “Clara” on another Clara Traverse. Sadly, we could not find a headstone in this area on the maps.

Finally, we put it all together and came to the conclusion that the Clara in the article is the Clara Traverse that is laid to rest in the Marysville Cemetery.

Then we did some research and found other news articles in the Marysville Daily Appeal & the Sacramento Daily Union from July 1869."

Clara, who died of a broken heart. Aged 15 y's. Erected by her friends.

Her Story

~ Poor Clara ~

By Ginny Tudor
Featured in "Tales of the Crypt" 2015
A Marysville Cemetery Fundraising Walking Tour

"Clara Etta Traverse was a young girl of fifteen in 1869 who was trying to find her way in a hostile world. Her mother, Sophronia had remarried, it is unclear what had happened to Clara’s father. Clara and the step-father did not get along. He was Joseph Friend who at that time was the Sutter County Sheriff, he had insisted that Clara get out of the house they lived in by the Butte’s and earn her own way. So, to please the new husband her mother went along with his demands and Clara was sent out on her own.

The mother did contact a friend, Mrs. Boyd in Yuba City to ask if Clara could work and live with her, she agreed. Clara worked and lived with her for five months or so and when her mother saw how hard she had been working told her she must come home as that work at Mrs. Boyd’s was way too hard for her. Clara went back to her mother’s house out in the Butte’s for a few weeks, but once again it became time for her to leave. Mrs. Rosenburg in Marysville had expressed an interest in Clara coming to work for her, so off to Marysville she went.

Clara was becoming very sick and although she tried hard to learn the dress making trade she became exhausted easily and would go back to her mother’s house for a few days to rest. The step-father was still very hard on her and would not give her the assistance she needed to survive. It seems as though some of the citizens of Marysville tried to take her under their care. Because there was concern about her health, she was sent to see Dr. Harrington. Soon after her visit it appears in his attempt to help a young homeless girl, Dr. Harrington found her a place to live and he provided the money for room and board.

Dr. Harrington discussed Clara’s circumstances with Dr. E. S. Belden and with Ebenezer Hamilton, the City Corner, and asked for their assistance after explaining her impoverished condition. It seems that a few days later a friend of Dr. Harrington approached him and stated that the people from town were talking and were becoming concerned with what might be an improper relationship with between him and this young girl. During Clara’s next visit with the doctor to secure her room and board money, he explained to Clara that he no longer could help her directly. He would only assist her through her step-father and mother so there would be no confusion in the matter.

Clara was living at Mrs. Reed’s boarding house at that time, and arrived home after talking with Dr. Harrington. According to Mrs. Reed, in a somewhat of a frustrated state. She went to her room and soon after the shouts and cries of Clara were heard.

When asked what was wrong Clara stated that she was dying. Then she went into convulsions and was in great pain. Dr. Harrington was then sent for, but she died shortly after his arrival.

After an examination of the young girl’s body and a formal jury inquest it was determined that poor Clara had died of strychnine poison that was administered by her own hand in order to cause her own death.

After the word of her death spread through Marysville the town folk who were too late to save her from her fate, saw to it she had a decent burial and left a headstone for all to see. It was a way to tell her story. The headstone read, “CLARA who died of a broken heart. Aged 15 years, Erected by her friends.”

In 1951, the Appeal Democrat featured a story on headstones, and her stone was one of the stories they tell, complete with a picture of her headstone. Sometime after that story appeared, her headstone disappeared from the cemetery and still to this day is absent from her grave site. So, this somber story of poor Clara continues.

[Note: The article from the Appeal Democrat dated May 17, 1951 along with a photo of Clara’s headstone can be found in the California Room".