Phoebe Cawthern, GW#46
Phoebe was born in 1876 in Hazelton, Pa., according to her death certificate. Her parents were Matthew and Mary (Smith) Lambert who moved around a bit, mostly in the coal regions of Pennsylvania. By 1895 the family was living in Shamokin, Pa. In August of 1895 Phoebe eloped with Thomas Cawthern, running away to Camden, NJ. The marriage was short-lived; Thomas died on 7 August of 1896 before he could see their daughter Alice who was born in April 1897. In 1899 she appears in the Williamsport, PA city directory as a domestic. It is probably here that she became acquainted with the Gospel Worker Society. It is believed that Phoebe joined the Gospel Worker Society around this time. In the 1900 census her daughter Alice is in Whitehall, Pa., with her sister Minnie, Minnie’s husband, their parents, and other siblings. Alice is listed as “Lollie” and as the adopted daughter of Minnie and her husband. In 1910 Alice is in Upper Macungie with Minnie and her husband Harry Lindenmuth with no one else in the family. Alice is listed as Alice Cawthern and “adopted daughter.” Phoebe has eluded the census taker for those years, as other Gospel Workers did also. {On 2 June 1906 a Phoebe A. Cawthern, widow, married the widower Thaddeus A. Judson in Northampton County, Pa. This Phoebe is listed as being born on 7 July 1876 in Schuylkill County, residing in Siegfried, with the occupation of nurse. Thaddeus was born in 1859 in Sullivan County, NY and lives in Egypt, Pa. In the 1910 census they are living in Allentown and Phoebe is listed as an Ophthalmologist with her own practice. She is listed in the Allentown, Pa. city directory as an eye specialist. In 1915 Thaddeus Judson married again, reporting his previous marriage to have ended in divorce. Is the Phoebe from this marriage the Gospel Worker?} In the 1920 census a Phoebe Renshaw shows up in Philadelphia in the Levi home, working as a nurse. She is 42 years old and widowed. In 1930, Phoebe Renshaw shows up in St. Louis, MO as a boarder in the McClure home, 51 years old, widowed, born in Pennsylvania, a practical nurse for private families. Her whereabouts in 1940 are a mystery. In 1950 Phoebe is living in Philadelphia with Ethel Gamble, a 65 year old widow who works as a social worker with Goodwill Industries. Phoebe Renshaw is 73 years old, widowed, with no occupation listed. Phoebe Renshaw died in Philadelphia on 21 September 1954, her body donated to the anatomical board. Her death certificate lists her father as Matthew Lambert. Her occupation is listed as Practical nurse. Her nephew, Russell Flysher, was the informant.
