A Humble Life: A Suspicious Death - 83 Years LaterIf you haven't already, you should read Part 1 and Part 2 of Stella's story first (just click the link and it will take you to it). In Part 1, you met the Miller family: John & Lena, a couple living on their farm in Allegheny County, PA, and their nine children. The Millers laid their oldest son, Jacob, to rest when he was only 16. Less than a year later, John passed away, leaving Lena heavily pregnant with 7 children and a farm to take care of. One month after John's death, Lena gave birth to John Jr. In Part 2, Lena laid another son, Harry, to rest. Albert married and took over the family farm with his new wife. Gertie married and moved to Ohio, starting her own family. Lena moved to a newly built home in Emsworth with five of her children. Stella married and quickly started a family, having 4 children between 1922-1928. The Miller children lost their mother, Lena, in 1928. By 1929, William, Mary, and Ella had married. The Great Depression was just around the corner and Death was not yet finished with the Miller family. Stella Miller, now Stella O'Neill, had suffered unimaginable loss in her 32 years. She had buried two brothers and both of her parents, but could her past adversity prepare her for hardships to come? 1929-1939 Allegheny County, PA - The Greatest Depression? ![]() Pittsburgh, like many large cities with industrial roots during this era, was deeply wounded by the Great Depression. Despite the widespread suffering, the communities in and around Pittsburgh were steadfast in their belief that, when things turned around, they would come back stronger. As the first few years of the 1930s unfolded, many Americans were wondering how much longer the hardship would last. By 1933, many households in the United States were experiencing unemployment, hunger, and housing insecurity. Encampments of tents and shacks were cropping up across the county; nicknamed "Hoovervilles" as a direct jab at President Hoover and the Republican party, blamed by many for the economic crisis. Father James Renshaw Cox was an important figure during this time. He and his supporters created a clinic for those living in shantytowns, held daily soup kitchens, and organized distribution of staple food and goods to families in need. One encampment, built around Old St. Patrick's church, held nearly 300 men at one time. Father Cox arranged temporary work in factories or at the docks, providing a scintilla of normalcy for the men. In 1931, the residents of the encampment named Father Cox the unofficial "Mayor of Shantyville". ![]() Walter O'Neill lost his job as a steamfitter around 1932, as many men did, and struggled to keep the family afloat. Stella continued to raise their four children, tend to household chores, and stretch every penny, hoping that things would improve soon. Through a government grant, the American Red Cross received 430,000 yards of cotton fabric that would be used for the Pittsburgh area. Their plan was to enlist "women's organizations" who could sew on a large scale and have them create more than 100,000 garments. Just in time for winter, the garments would be distributed to those in need. Schools in the area rejected proposals to feed children lunch at the school's expense, requiring that children go home each day for their lunch. It was just one more hit to the struggling families. Statistically, 1933 was rock-bottom and, with FDR's "New Deal", the country had hope for recovery. The financial collapse of 1929 had hit the nation like a hurricane, and it would take time to clean up and rebuild. Sadly, the stress of sudden poverty, compounded by untreated mental health issues, resulted in a notable increase in self-inflicted deaths. Mental health facilities, often called 'lunatic asylums' or simply 'asylums', saw an increase in admissions. If we're being honest, the number of patients who benefited from their care is likely far smaller than those who suffered further in their care. With electroshock therapy, lobotomies, and metrozol convulsion therapy, it shouldn't be a surprise that patients in those facilities did not receive treatment so much as they were broken down and dulled to a muted existence. ![]() Walter was approved for veteran's compensation in 1934, receiving $10 per month for 20 months. Though it wasn't a replacement for his regular pay as a steamfitter (likely around $20 per week), it was a comfort at the time. In 'today's money', Walter's regular income would have been about $1,700 a month and the veteran's compensation would be about $225 a month. Along with that $10 each month, Walter would have been eligible for unemployment benefits when the unemployment insurance program was established with the Social Security Act (part of FDR's 'New Deal'). 1937-1938 unemployment compensation amounts in Pennsylvania were about $15 per week for a maximum of 13 weeks, with an average 3 week waiting period between applying for assistance and receiving benefits. With all of that, assuming Walter qualified for unemployment, they were receiving about $70 a month, which amounts to $1,500 today. Close to what Walter was bringing home before losing his job, but his wounded pride couldn't be so easily remedied. There was food on the table and a roof over their head, but there was something simmering that wasn't on the stove. In Part 4, things take a sharp turn for Stella and her family in 1939. The end of the Great Depression left the country wounded, on unsteady feet, but hopeful. A decade of stress and uncertainty was coming to an end; a collective sigh of relief would breathe life back into communities. How many people, struggling with their mental health, would be able to overcome the hardships of that decade? How many had felt the fissures growing in their mind, suffering quietly, until they felt that their sanity was irretrievable?
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EmilyTrue crime, cold case, long-term missing/unidentified, and all things mystery. I've always been interested, but now I'm involved in the search. Archives
June 2023
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Photos used under Creative Commons from Jinx!, Damian Gadal