Vital Information
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jean Eggers (nee Jean Hyatt, born Nettie Emma Smothers) |
| Born | 1911, likely Dec 1911 |
| Died | Aug 1930, St. Louis (postpartum complications) |
| Birth father | George W. Smothers |
| Birth mother | Nettie L. Walle Smothers (d. 18 Dec 1911, postpartum septicemia) |
| Adoptive father | Carl W. Hyatt, St. Louis |
| Adoptive mother | Nellie Hyatt, St. Louis |
| Spouse | Walter John Eggers Sr., m. 4 Sep 1929, St. Louis |
| Children | Walter John Eggers Jr. (b. 23 Aug 1930); a twin (stillborn) |
Biography
The woman known as Jean Eggers was born Nettie Emma Smothers in late 1911, the seventh and youngest child of George W. Smothers and Nettie L. Walle Smothers of Webster Groves, Missouri. Her mother died on 18 December 1911 from postpartum septicemia following Jean's birth, and the baby was subsequently named Nettie after her mother.
Jean and her older sister Grace (born c. 1908) were baptized as Nettie Emma Smothers and Grace Vivian Smothers in 1914, with church records listing parents George W. and Nettie L. Smothers. Between 1914 and 1920, both girls were adopted out. Jean was adopted by Carl W. and Nellie Hyatt of St. Louis and took the name Nettie Hyatt, later going by "Jean Hyatt." The 1920 census shows her already in the Hyatt household.
Jean married Walter John Eggers Sr. in St. Louis on 4 September 1929. She died in August 1930 from postpartum complications following the birth of twins; one son, Walter John Eggers Jr., survived; the other was stillborn.
Adoption and Identity
Jean's birth identity was pieced together through her sister. Grace Smothers was also adopted (by an unknown family) and her name changed to Helen. Before 1930, Helen married Gus Rundquist and had two sons: Carl Edward Rundquist and Lloyd Kenneth Rundquist (named after their uncle Lloyd Smothers, who died in 1911). Helen died 31 December 1998. In 1989, Walt Eggers Jr. (Jean's son) interviewed Helen Rundquist, who provided much of the corroborating evidence for the Smothers family history.
Source Notes
All information from Jeff Eggers (2026-03-22), supplemented by the 1989 Helen Rundquist interview and church baptism records (1914).