Tombstone Tuesday–Almeda Robinson Terry

Almeda Vincent Robinson Terry died of Apoplexy (Stroke) on 15 October 1925 and was pronounced by Dr. F. Peterson of Cutchogue at 2:30 in the morning. 

She was buried in Mattituck, New York at the New Bethany Cemetery on 17 October 1925.

Almeda Robinson Terry

April 21, 1838

Oct. 15, 1925

To learn more about Almeda see previous posts Celebrating the Life of Almeda Vincent Robinson Terry and Sunday Obituary- Almeda Vincent Robinson Terry.

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

Sunday Obituary - Almeda Vincent Robinson Terry

There were two different obituaries and a death notice in the local newspapers for my paternal great-great grandmother Almeda Vincent Robinson Terry. (See previous post Celebrating the Life of Almeda Vincent Robinson Terry for information about her life.)

 

23 October 1925, page 3:

Died

Cutchogue, Oct 15, Almeda, widow of Gilbert V. Terry, aged 87 years.

23 October 1925, page 2:

Cutchogue

Mrs. Almeda Terry, widow of Gilbert Terry, died last Thursday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Geo. T. Billard, aged 87 years. She was a woman quiet and retiring and made many friends and will be greatly missed in the village. Her husband was the miller at the old Inlet Mill, Peconic. The mill is gone, but the old residence still remains. Mrs. Terry’s funeral was held at Mrs. Billard’s residence last Saturday. Rev. P. H. Dodd officiating, and the burial was at Mattituck. Besides Mrs. Billard, Mrs. Terry leaves one son, Forrest, who lives at Riverhead with his family.

22 October 1925 page 12:

Mrs. Gilbert Terry

Cutchogue-The death last week of Mrs. Terry removed one of the best known residents of this section. The deceased who was born 87 years ago, had resided in Southold town all her life. She was the widow of Gilbert Terry, who conducted a mill at the inlet. The mill has gone, but the home where Mr. and Mrs. Terry lived still stands. She was a good woman and led a quiet and peaceful life and will be missed by her many friends. She is survived by a son, Forrest Terry, of Riverhead, and a daughter, Mrs. George [Ella] Billard. Mrs. Terry resided with her daughter for some time and her funeral was conducted from the Billard residence on Saturday afternoon, Rev. P. H. Dodd, pastor of the local M. E. church, officiating, and the internment was at Mattituck.

While the two obituaries are basically the same they do tell me a little more about Almeda the ‘woman’ then the facts of her life can tell me. It was an honor to know she was a “good woman”, well known in the area with many friends that would miss her. I also learned the name of the clergy that officiated at her funeral. I wonder if the church would have any additional information about her? More research to do.


If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

Celebrating the Life of Almeda Vincent Robinson Terry

Almeda Vincent Robinson Terry

My paternal great-great Grandmother Almeda Vincent Robinson Terry was born 182 years ago today 21 April 1838. Almeda was the fourth of nine children, and the first daughter born to Stephen and Caroline F. (Overton) Robinson probably in Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York. Almeda’s father was a farmer, based on census records.

Almeda would marry Gilbert Terry 21 October 1857 when she was 19 years old and Gilbert was 24 years old. Almeda would give birth to 5 children: Carrie (my great-grandmother), an unnamed infant daughter, Ella, Forrest and Millard.

The US Federal Census of 1860 on 30 July would show Almeda as 22 years old, born in New York, Gilbert as 27 years old, an 18 year old farm laborer John Young and Gilbert’s sister 19 year old Josephine V. Terry as living with the young couple in Mattituck, Southold town, Suffolk County, New York. Gilbert and Josephine’s mother Eliza died a year before and their father had remarried. Could this be why she is living with her brother? Josephine would later marry Charles A. Aldrich.

In 1870 Almeda and Gilbert had a daughter who lived only 19 days.

The US Federal Census of 1870 on 2 June shows Almeda as 32 and Keeping House as her occupation, Gilbert as 37 with Miller as his occupation, Carrie as 7 years old living in Southold, Suffolk County, New York. I wonder what is was like to be a Miller’s wife in Peconic in 1870?

The US Federal Census of 1880 on 21 of J shows Almeda as 42 years old, Keeping House, Gilbert as 47 years old and a Miller, Ella as 7 years old, Forrest as 3 years old and Millard as 5 months old living in Peconic, Suffolk County, New York. My great-grandmother Carrie (18 years old) was attending the Normal School for Teacher training in Newark, New Jersey at the time.

Youngest son Millard E. died at the age of 11 in Peconic, New York on 8 August 1891 of cerebral apoplexy. Millard was buried in Greenport. Cerebral apoplexy usually refers to stroke symptoms, with a sudden onset, due to bleeding into the brain. Searching local newspapers doesn’t yield any results or even a mention of Millard’s death. Was there an accident? Did he fall and hit his head and that caused his death? There is a gap in Carrie’s Letters from July 1891 until December 1891. Millard is never mentioned again in her letters.

The US Federal Census of 1900 on 6 June shows Almeda as 62 years old, 42 years married, 5 children with 3 children still living. Almeda was able to read, write and speak English. Gilbert was 67 years old Farm Laborer, and son Forest was 23 years old, Farm Laborer. Their home was Rented and they just had a house. Gilbert’s sister Josephine Petty is next on the census and must have been living next door at the time. Josephine’s first husband Charles died in 1872 and she married David Petty. David died in 1897. Josephine was listed as a Farmer by occupation. She owned her home mortgage free and had a farm. I wonder if Gilbert and Forest worked for her?

On 27 April 1907 Almeda’s husband Gilbert died at the age of 74. Gilbert’s death occurred just six months shy of their 50^th Wedding Anniversary.

The US Federal Census of 1910 in May I am unable to find a listing for Almeda. I am able to find the record for children Carrie, Ella and Forrest but Almeda is not listed with any of them. I wonder if she was with family and they forgot to list her?

In the New York State Census of 1 June 1915 Almeda Terry is 77 years old and living with her daughter and family in the Village of Cutchogue, Southold Town, New York.

The US Federal Census of 1920 on 20 January shows Widow Almeda is 81 years old and living in Southold, New York with her daughter Ella (46 years old), son-in-law George Billard (49 year old Farmer), and their sons Irving (17 years old) and Ellis (15 years old).
Almeda passed away 15 October 1925 in Cutchogue, New York at the home of her daughter Ella Terry Billard. Almeda died from Apoplexy (stroke) at the age of 87 and is buried next to her husband Gilbert and their infant daughter.

I wonder about ‘Vincent’ as Almeda’s middle name. Where did that come from? Was it a typical name for a girl to have in 1838 or is she named for someone I haven’t found yet?

I am very fortunate to have the above picture of Almeda. Maybe from the 1890s?  I wonder how old she was in the picture? When I enlarge the photo (click on photo to enlarge) and look at her I see a woman who had many trials in her life, including burying 3 children and her husband, but still looks very beautiful.

Happy Birthday Almeda!

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

Easter Memories

Olin Sr, and Agnes King Warner

(click on images to enlarge)

For the past month I have not felt very inspired to blog or to do genealogy. With all that is going on in our world, genealogy just didn’t seem as important. Today, while video conferencing with family I was reminded of the many family Easter celebrations of my childhood. As genealogist we'll hear presenters telling us not to forget to tell the stories of our own lives. I felt a strong pull today to recount some of my favorite Easter memories. Right now we can’t physically be with those we love but we can still video conference or call and …we still have our memories.

Growing up Easter always meant a time of family get togethers and celebration. My paternal Grandmother Agnes King Warner insisted on our family getting together and going out for Easter so no one needed to cook. My cousins, my brothers and I would get new Spring outfits. This meant new patent leather shoes, a fancy new Easter dress (sometimes with Crinoline), a new Spring coat, a fancy hat and a small purse for the girls and sometimes even white gloves. My brothers had special new Easter clothes as well which meant new pants, shirt, a jacket or vest and usually a new bow tie or later a tie as well. Sometimes even a hat.

My brothers and I and my cousins would start the day with Easter surprises and breakfast at our homes before attending Easter Celebrations at our churches. For my family it was Grace Episcopal Church in Riverhead, New York and for my cousins it was All Saints Episcopal Church in Great Neck, New York. After church we would stop and buy a plant for my Grandmother and drop it off at her house.

Then we would all meet at a restaurant my Grandparent's chose. I remember frequently going to one called The Wagon Wheel. My Grandmother had a rule that was enforced when we got to the restaurant. That rule was that all the kids were to sit at one end of the table and the adults were to sit at the other end. Grandma told the adults not to care what the kids ate or didn’t eat because this was a celebration for them as well as for the adults. We sure felt grown up in our new clothes and out at a restaurant.  Frequently, we finished all the rolls and bread sticks in the little packages with loads of butter before dinner even came. I also remember a Shirley Temple or two as well. Grandma also strongly believed that if children weren’t taken to restaurants then they wouldn’t learn how to behave and we all needed to learn the proper way to behave in restaurants.

                     (even our dog Duke needed to be in the photo with my brother David)
After dinner there was always a time for pictures. There must be family photos to mark the occasion. Oh, thank goodness for the photos of those special times while we were growing up! What great memories these are to have.

So, at this very strange, unique time in our lives when we can’t celebrate the Holidays like we used to…what new tradition did you create today? Mine was a time of connecting using video conference. While we couldn’t be together in person, we could see each other and talk and that was our way of celebrating Easter 2020. What was yours?

And, of course, I forgot to take a screen shot of all of us today on the video conference call uniting NY, Nevada, Colorado, Florida and California.  Guess we'll just have to remember this one.

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

More on the Life of Asahel Johnson

Friday marked the 252^nd anniversary of the birth of my maternal 5x great grandfather Asahel Johnson. I originally told the story of Asahel in a post entitled Celebrating the Life of Asahel Johnson last year. This year I thought I would honor his birthday with some additional information I have been able to locate that tells more of his life’s story.

In the 1790 US Federal Census (1^st US Federal Census) Asahel is listed in Bristol, Hartford County, Connecticut. Also listed are 3 Free White Males under the age of 16, 2 Free White Males 16 and over, and 6 Free White Females. 11 total Household Members.
In the winter of 1795-6 Asahel Johnson and Zenas Cook first came to Sheshequin and made that there base while they explored the area for a location to settle. Asahel decided on the Orwell area, purchasing Towner Hill.

In 1797 Asahel Johnson and 2 others permanently joined the new settlement of Orwell Township, founded one year prior. The town was 6 miles square and was first called Menden.

In the 1800 US Federal Census Asahel is listed as having his home in Ulster, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The listing includes 2 Free White Males under the age of 10, 1 Free White Male 10-15 years of age, 1 Free White Male aged 16-25, 1 Free White Male aged 26-44, 2 Free White Females under the age of 10, 1 Free White Female age 10-15, 1 Free White Female age 26-44, 9 Members total in the Household.

In the 1810 US Federal Census Asahel is living in Wyasox, Luzerne County, PA. There are listed 1 Free White Male under age 10, 1 Free White Male aged 10-15, 2 Free White Males aged 16-25, 1 Free White Male aged 26-44, 4 Free White Females under age 10, 1 Free White Female aged 10-15, 1 Free White Female aged 16-25, 1 Free White Female aged 26-44, Number of Slaves 12, 24 total Household Members.

Bradford County, PA was founded in 1812-13. In a list of “Residents at County Organization-the taxable inhabitants (all males 21 years and over and females owning property) at the organization of Bradford County as ascertained from assessment rolls, voting lists and other sources” shows Asahel Johnson living in Orwell.

On 10 February 1815 in The Susquehanna Democrat newspaper (Wilkes-Barre, PA) on page 4 reports in a column entitled “LETTERS ON HAND, At Bridegwater Post Office, Susquehanna County, PA” that on 31 December 1814 Asahel Johnson had mail.

On 10 August 1815 there was a Federal-Republican meeting for the towns of Wysox and Towanda. A committee was appointed to call a delegate meeting of the townships and Asahel Johnson was on the committee for Orwell township.

I have been unable, yet, to locate Asahel in the 1820 US Federal Census.

In the 1830 US Federal Census I find 

possibly, Aseal Johnson

right above my 4x great grandfather Joel Johnson in Orwell, Bradford, PA. In this listing there is 1 Free White Male aged 20-29, 1 Free White Male aged 60-69, 1 Free White Female age10-14, 1 Free White Female ages 60-69, 4 Total in Household. I believe this is Asahel.

In the 1840 US Federal Census Asahel is listed as having his home in Orwell, Bradford, Pennsylvania. The listing included 1 Free White Male aged 70-79, 1 Free White Female aged 20-29, 1 Free White Female aged 70-79, 1 Person Employed in Agriculture, 3 Total All Persons in Household.

In the 1850 US Federal Census taken on 20 September for Orwell, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, Asahel is an occupant of the area on 1 June and listed as a Farmer by occupation, 82 years of age, born in CT. Also on the list are his wife Beulah age 80, Mary Johnson age 38, born in PA and Azubah Fletcher age 55, born in Vermont.

I also found the following notation about Asahel “Married Beulah Hitchcock in 1788. The children were, as listed in the Bible of Asahel Johnson and his son Joel: Lydia, Artemus, Simeon, Amanday, Charlotte, Joel (my), Welthy, Julia, Clarissa, Lydia (2^nd), Nelson, and Mary.” Oh, to be able to locate that family Bible and see the handwriting of my ancestors.

This information adds so much more to the story of the  life of Asahel Johnson then I previously knew.  I like to go back occasionally and see what else I can find on my ancestors.  New information continues to become available, so the story of their lives continues to grow.  Don’t be discouraged if at first there seems to be only a small bit of information.

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

Allegheny College and Timothy Alden

Usually, I post links to my blog posts on Genealogy pages for the area my ancestor lived. I am always hopefully that I will find ‘cousins’ through my post and that they may have additional information about my ancestors that I previously hadn’t known. More pieces of the puzzle that tells about the lives of my ancestors.

Recently, I wrote about my maternal 5x great-grandmother Lois Wilcox Alden. (See post Celebrating the Life of Lois Wilcox Alden). Surprisingly a woman responded to my blog post and gave me new information about Lois’ husband, my maternal 5^th great-grandfather, Timothy Alden. (See posts Sunday Obituary-Timothy Alden, Tombstone Tuesday-Timothy Alden and Using County Histories to Find Information-Timothy Alden)

I started by reviewing the research I had to see if I had just missed the information she shared or if this was all new information. Nothing I had previously found related to this new information. What my cousin shared is that “Timothy Alden was the founder of Allegheny College.” Wow! That is very exciting! What can I find out to add to this story?
Allegheny College is perched on a hill overlooking Meadville in Northwestern Pennyslvania. According to the college’s website the college was founded in 1815. At that time of the college’s founding Timothy was 45 years old. Allegheny College is listed as the oldest college in continuous existence under the same name west of the Allegheny Mountains.

On their website Allegheny College states “In 1815, Meadville was still a raw frontier town of about 400 settlers, of whom an unusually large number had come from Massachusetts and Connecticut. They dreamed of a college that might bring the educational opportunities of New England to the frontier. The Rev. Timothy Alden was recruited to take on the task, and two months after his arrival in April 1815, Allegheny was established-with Alden as its first president.  Within half a dozen years, Alden succeeded in attracting sufficient funds to begin building a campus, having traveled throughout the eastern states seeking support for a planned library and classroom building. The need of a building to house a library led to the construction, in the 1820s, of Bentley Hall, today a leading example of early American architecture. Designed by Alden, this handsome structure still crowns the hill on which the campus is located.”


Allegheny College goes on to say that Rev. Timothy Alden was a graduate of Harvard Divinity School. Further research on Harvard Divinity School showed that it dates from 1816 when it was established as “the first non-denominational divinity school in the United States”. Timothy Alden was born in 1770 in Tyringham, Massachusetts and married his wife Lois Wilcox there in 1790. The family moved to Monroe, Bradford County, PA in 1801. My guess is he would have attended Harvard Divinity School before 1801.

In the book entitled “Allegheny College Register of Alumni and Non-graduates, Allegheny College” Centennial Edition 1915 I found the following information on Timothy Alden:

There was also a new preparatory school building built in 1905 on the Allegheny College campus called ‘Alden Hall’.

When thinking about this, I remember that I found nothing in Timothy Alden’s obituary that talks about Allegheny College but then his obituary is one of the more interesting ones I have found that does not talk a lot of his accomplishments but more about his character. I have found him referred to as ‘Captain’ but not as ‘Reverend’ except at Allegheny College. Monroe, PA, where the family is known to have lived, was about 280 miles away. In the early 1800s that would have been a very long distance. Was, perhaps, Rev. Timothy Alden a different family member and not my Capt. Timothy Alden (married to Lois Wilcox) with the same name?

When I looked at the census records for 1830, when Rev. Timothy Alden was President of Allegheny College, I found two Timothy Aldens:

one listed in Mead Township, Crawford County, PA:

one listed in Monroe Township, Bradford County, PA:

To my knowledge Capt. Timothy Alden and Lois Wilcox Alden did not have a son named Timothy either.

This is a wonderful story and I wish they were the same person but right now I think they were probably two different men. I still want to check with the Harvard Divinity College to find out about Timothy Alden.  

Reminder, not all family stories turn out to yield information for your ancestors.  But by posting on The Pennsylvania Genealogy Network on Facebook…I found a new cousin and that’s more important than any story!

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

Tombstone Tuesday-Lois Wilcox Alden

Lois,

Wife of

Timothy Alden

Died

Jan. 10, 1851

Aged 77 Yrs

11 M & 8 D

Lois is buried at the Monroeton Cemetery, Monroeton, Bradford County, PA

You can read more about the life of my maternal 5x great-grandmother at Celebrating the Life of Lois Wilcox Alden.

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby