A LETTER NEVER SENT

Rev. Clarence Philo and Nettie Martha England

Hi again, I'm still here!  Saying that I've been very busy is an understatement.  As you may have read in one of my recent posts; It was recently passed onto me, the box with my Great Grandmother's Journals.  Yes, there is an entire box full of journals.  She made journal entries continuously for over thirty years, beginning in 1930, and she continued until her death!  I believe I have over 1300 images scanned so far.  The bad part for me, is that I hold too much interest in the subject matter.  So, I am reading and researching, more than I am scanning.  Tucked within the pages of the journals, I found that she used sewing pins to attach some newspaper articles, and other notable items.  Which also includes a four page folded letter which was never sent.  I learned so much just from this one letter, you can just imagine how much I have been learning from each and every page of the journals as I scan them.  These journals are an amazing treasure I hope to be able to share with you all very soon.

Nettie Martha England
nee Smith. Aka Grandma E.

My Great Grandmother, Nettie Martha Smith is the real author of todays blog posting.  I'm still unsure if her birth name was Janette, or Charlotte.  Usually Charlotte becomes Lottie for short, so I am thinking that Janette has become Nettie.  I Googled this question, and Google says that Nettie is short for Annette.  I'm not convinced this is true for that day-and-time.  I don't find any Annette's back in the 19th century in my family tree. So, I will just continue to leave her name as Nettie as it has been all along.

When Nettie Martha Smith was born in-between Missisquoi Bay and the border with the United States; in North Pinnacle, Saint Armand, Quebec, Canada, on August 7th, 1870.  Her father, Luther Rominor Smith Sr. was 56 years old, and her mother, Chestina, was 39.  Nettie was the eighth of nine children born to her parents Luther & Chestina Smith. Her mother began having children at 21 years of age, and finished twenty years later in 1872 at the age of 41 years. Nettie followed in her mother's footsteps. She was the wife of a Baptist Pastor, Clarence Philo England, whom she called C.P. They married on June 30, 1892, in Dunham, Quebec, Canada. Also at the age of 21 years. Together they had six children in twenty years.  Nettie lost her first and her last children. Both at young ages.  She died just one year after she wrote this letter. Passing away on January 22, 1963, in Sutton, Quebec, Canada.  She lived a long, happy and healthy life to the age of 92 years.

Rev. Clarence Philo & Nettie Martha England
The year of the photo is unknown to me at this time.
Photo probably taken by their son, Gordon Philip England.

Instead of just posting images of the four page letter. I am going to translate the handwritten letter, and make comments along the way to help the reader better understand the context, and also express the information which I have discovered.  I will post images of the letter at the end of this blog post. So if you just want to skip ahead, and just read the letter. Scroll to the bottom.

Now onto the letter! 

Grandma Nettie England, reading a letter on her front porch.

                                                              January 02, 1962, Sutton, Quebec, Canada.

     Dear Helen,
Christmas must be over but I rec'd some cards after the 25th.
     I've written a lot of letters but-haven't answered yours which I was very glad to rec'; also it-was nice for Ruth to write.  Please thank her for me.
       (Note:  Ruth Sylvia, nee Lorimer (Wenham-Haukenfrers)) is the eldest daughter of Ellsworth Leornard & Helen (Howie) Lorimer.

Ellsworth and Helen Lorimer
January 1972
Clipped from pg. 22 of the Howie Family Cookbook.

I am glad she seems to be doing well in her work.
     In fact all your family are very active.
     I used to buy a lot at Eaton's, and think I would enjoy it now if I could have you wait on me.
     Such work now is very common for married women, but really too much for 'real' home-makers.  I wonder if Ellsworth will go to help Clarence, no doubt they are anxious to get their work done.  Sometimes I've imagined that your father would like to get all his children to Calif., but don't you think B.C., just as good a place for your children?  C's and Evelyn's letter was quite interesting and pleasant to hear except about Ralph B's family, although she thought they are doing quite well taking care of themselves.
     (Note: I'm guessing that Ruth might have got a job at Eaton's, I don't think Helen was working there.  The T. Eaton Company Limited commonly known as Eaton's, was a Canadian retailer that was once Canada's largest department store chains.  B.C. is short for British Columbia.  C's and Evelyn is Clarence and Evelyn.  Ralph B's is the Bywater family.  Helen being the first Howie grandchild, Clarence being the second, Arthur the third, and Grace Marion the 4th.  Grace Howie married Ralph Clark Bywater, and she had just past away September 22, 1957, leaving her husband with five young children: three boys and two girls.)
     Those little girls are very young 7 & 9 to do much work.  Do you know when Ralph's wife left him?  Perhaps they are just as happy.  Ralph must love his children as he is determined to keep them all together.  David now 15 grown to be almost on quite a young man is at High School.  He won't for get his mother.  May be a great help to his brothers and sisters.
     I wonder how many of your cousins you remember.
     The Hastings girls are both married and Cristel has boy & girl.  Carol (a daughter) she lives either in Washington or Oregon.
     (Note: I'm on page 3, and have some clues to research.  Who is Cristel and Carol Hastings?  This was not easy at first to find, but once I discovered that Austel Hastings, who was already in my tree should be Cristel.  Then the light went on for me.   She was listed in the 1940 U.S. Census as Austel and I never had anymore on her. I need to go back to the 1940 census and correct her name.  The best clue here being a sister named Carol Hastings.  I then put 2+2 together.  They must be the daughters of Hollis Barnes Hastings (1902-1990).  He was a farmer living in Hillsborough, Somerset, New Jersey in 1940.  He is one of my 2nd cousins 1X removed.   His mother was Myrtle May Barnes (1876 - 1972), she was the daughter of Altha Almeda Smith (1854-1941).   Altha being #2 of Luthor & Chestina Smith's nine children.  Her younger sister being my Great Grandmother Nettie Martha Smith.  So, Altha is my 2nd great aunt.  Hollis Barnes Hastings married Iva Margaret Eastwood, nee Fultz. (1902 - 1981).  Together they had the two girls mentioned in the letter.  Cristel Elizabeth (Hastings) Lucia & Carol Ann (Hastings) Lundy.   Solved that puzzle! Cristel's two children are George Hastings Lucia and Margaret Louise Lucia.  Their father John Donald Lucia unfortunately past away in 1984. I now have some more new cousins. George has a daughter named Carly. I also found some very sad news here. Margaret had a son Ray Mathew Wendel.  He was in a tragic automobile accident at the young age of 16. He was driving and lost control. Went off road and the vehicle turned upside down in a creek where he drowned (1989-2006)).
     Hollis Hastings lives in Richford, but Mary H. Hilgerson has bought a house in Neshanic N.J. and this may be her last year teaching.  A real Yankee now I believe.
     (Note: I just solved above who Hollis Hastings is, but now a new clue.  Who is Mary H. Hilgerson?  I see that she is a teacher in Neshanic N.J. Hopefully that helps!  I looked at the younger sister of Hollis.  Mary M. Hastings.  Sure enough, on the 1930 U.S. Census she is listed as a teacher.   I didn't have any more information on her past 1930.  So, I searched using the parameters: teacher, Neshanic, and Hilgerson.  I found her!  She married Sgt. Douglas C. Hilgerson in Somerset, New Jersey in December 1950.  I wasn't able to find if she was able to retire from teaching in 1962.  I hope so!  She lived till age 70, passing in May of 1976.  Followed by her husband Douglas Hilgerson in August 1982.
     Harvey Clark's Nancy a graduated nurse married a Dr. and lives in North Carolina.
     (Note: Oh boy, the clues are getting a bit more challenging wouldn't ya say?  Who is Harvey & Nancy Clark?  The first born SMITH, of Luther Rominor Smith (1813-1902) was Nancy Viola Susan (Smith) Clark.   She was Nettie's eldest sister . The first out of the nine children born to my second great grandparents Luther Rominor and Chestina (Ewins) Smith.  So this makes Nancy my second great aunt. She married Potter Hazzard Clark, January 14, 1880.  They only had one child before they both past away.  Nancy passing in 1904 in Richford, Franklin, Vermont, age 51.  Potter Hazzard then moved out west to Seattle, King, Washington leaving his young little son with the in-laws, Uncle Luther Rominor Smith Jr.(1861-1927).  Luther Jr. was a farmer, and he sure had more than his share of tragedy in his life. I will share here one such story, but look for more posts in the future. As for Potter, unfortunately life did not get better. Potter caught Pneumonia when he went out west to Seattle.  He died from this illness March 04, 1905, age 53.  Just one year before the Great San Francisco Earthquake.  It was this little boy, left behind with no parents; Harvey Merritt Clark (1896 -1971) that Grandma England is referring too in her letter.  Harvey Merritt Clark worked on his Uncle Luther Rominor Smith Jr.'s farm. He was strong, eager and a healthy young man when he joined the Canadian Military, December 10, 1914 at the age of 18 years, 6 months.  He stood 5'8", had a 38" chest, hazel eyes, and brown hair.  According to the Canadian military records, he was a healthy young man. He earned $15 per month starting in March of 1915.  He was discharged two years later as medically unfit in November 1917. His war ravaged body was left fairly damaged from all that I could dare to read in the medical reports. 
Too many surgery's to remove all the metal pieces.  I also read about fractures healing, loss of sensation in his limbs, a hernia operation and tumors in his scrotum, not to mention a G.S.W to the neck. Wow! The checks were much larger from 1917 - 1919 about $70 per month all going to his Uncle Luther.  I couldn't read it all, it was all too sad.  The good thing is that he did survive the war and all his major injuries. A true War Hero! When Harvey got out of the hospital he married Winnifred, "Winnie" Frances Perkins (1894-1967).  Not sure exactly yet when they got married but I found they did have children, Edgar Miles Merritt Clark born to them in 1920, and now I have discovered "NANCY!"  Yes, I found Nancy the Nurse who married the Doctor and moved to North Carolina.  Nancy Frances (Clark) Jordan.  She married May 18, 1960 in Mecklenburg, North Carolina to Dr. Graham Alexander Bruce Jordan (1931-1979). That was a major sad story, yet a great discovery. More new 3rd cousins yet to discover!
     Your children if they should hear about all of yours and Ellsworth's second & third cousins could say Yes as I know a woman did when visiting a patient whom none but relatives could see.  (4) She told me it was through Adam her relationship came.  We hear quite often about B.C's over the Radio, but not about the fallout shelters like Diefenbaker's.  (Note: she is referring to the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, John Diefenbaker with whom she kept frequent correspondence. I just learned this little tidbit, but read below as I tried to translate the unknown name to Defiant Raker.)
     Has Ellsworth built - any?
     I am old enough not to want one in this world.
     We have a lot of snow, more than last-year.  I don't know whether or not your Uncle Arthur will get here this winter.
     Train service not so good as it used to be, so last-time he came in winter 2 days were spent here and 3 in stations or train.
     I believe they still like N. Liskeard.  As usual on Christmas & Birthdays they have lovely flowers delivered to me fresh from Knowlton.   It is good I have Esther & Gordon with me. They both keep busy.  He typing.  She mission circle, Ladies's aid and other things.  I do hope you and yours will have guidance and help from above for 1962, no matter this page is full.  A whole sheet wouldn't hold my love,
                                Grandma E.

     (Note: so, here I think she is thinking about friends and family who can visit loved ones in the hospital, and is in a way trying to make a lie seem just okay to meet the ends. I have no idea who the friend is, or who Adam was.  I don't know her humor, maybe she is being funny here and remarking on Adam & Eve.  If so, then she is very much like me here in her way of thinking.  Obviously we are all related in some way, form, or fashion. So if you make the trip to the hospital to visit someone, they sure as better let you in to see them, just say; "we are related!"  Hmmmm, B.C's... am I seeing this correctly?  In the military we use to refer to glasses as BC's. Short for birth control on account they made the person wearing them to ugly to ever get a date. I've researched: bombs, and fall-out shelters.  I am just not understanding this term from the 60's as it relates to bomb shelter devices, and what the hell is a raker? Hmmm... you've got me here. Let me know, please, if you know what she is referring to.  (Update: my mistranslation has been solved. She was referring to Prime Minister Diefenbaker. ) As to the times, and her question, "Has Ellsworth built-any?" Remember this is the 1960's, and fall-out-shelters are all the buzz!  Have a quick listen to some music I found from 1962 by Dore Alpert! 
 Here is "Fallout Shelter"!  
As for my Great Grandmother being "old enough" not to want a fall-out-shelter in her world, let us remember, she was born in 1870!  She is 92 years "Young" when writing this letter to her grand-daughter Helen Lorimer. The "Uncle Arthur" here is actually one of her sons. Grandma E. outlived three of her six children. I was fortunate enough to be able to meet Uncle Arthur; Twice!  Once at a family reunion at my Uncle Robert Howie's house in Menifee California, and then again he came to Seattle, Washington once to visit me in the 1990's when I lived there. I'm sorry, I have no clue!  I Googled, N. Liskeard. That is a place in England, not sure if I know here what Grandma E. is referring to.  Esther & Gordon are her remaining children.  Gordon England the famous pulp fiction author, and Esther,  my great-aunt, well, my sister in genealogy!  I will write a story here one day, I hope soon on all her work into family history and genealogy.)

Rev. C.P. and Nettie England

     There we have it, "The Letter Never Sent!"
Are you excited?  I know that I am.  We have just covered I believe from the 1813's through to today.  About 205 years!  We have traveled from the east coast on Canada, and Vermont, to North Carolina in the south, and then out west to Seattle, Washington, in 1905.  Way before the famous Space Needle being built some 56 years later in 1961. In a four page hand written letter you can learn so much, don't you think? This letter has really taken me on a wonderful journey.  Now you can see that if just this one four page letter can do so much, just imagine what journeys I might embark upon as I begin turning the pages of thirty years of my great grandmothers journals.  I hope you have enjoyed this letter as much as I have, and my personal comments I have added for those of you who don't know what or who the heck I am talking about.  Maybe, possibly, I will be able to find and share with you many more great stories from the journals.

I'm sorry that I don't have very many photographs to share here to make this letter, and historical journey more exciting.  I just discovered all of this!  If you are related to anyone in this story, or a child, or grandchild of anyone in this story.  Please contact me, and share any/all family photos you might have! I was going to place a link here to the Howie Family Cookbook for those of you who don't have a copy, but I can't find it right off.  The LDS library in SLC has digitized a copy, and made it available online to read.

Today's story comes from my paternal family line.  More than this, it is my father's, mother's, mother.  Nettie Martha (Smith) England, if we are looking at this from a DNA perspective.  Is up the mitochondrial line from Helen (Howie) Lorimer.  Helen's mother was Ruth Augusta (England) Howie, (1895-1935). Ruth's mother was the author here, Nettie Martha (Smith) England; and her mother was Chestina (Ewins) Smith, wife of Luther Rominor Smith. I haven't yet talked about DNA in any of my blog posts. So today is a good starting point for reference.  The haplogroup for the mtDNA for these women is V15.  That links back to the Sami people of the north. Try Googling Sami People Eyes, just for FUN!

I didn't plan to, but I am going to leave you with a sad ending to this story. I think the greatest part of this entire journey was learning more about our World War I, Canadian War hero; Harvey Merritt Clark.  He fought overseas during war.  Took shrapnel and a bullet, yet survived to raise a family which continues on today.  I hope to one day get a chance to get back and read more in-depth his Military Medical records. By the way, Harvey lived to be 74 years old, with two children that I have found living so far.  He ended up with chronic bronchitis, and chronic emphysema for the last 3-4 years of his life.  The end wasn't so great.  He was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, May 5th, 1971 with severe coughing. While still in the hospital, his heart finally gave out two weeks later, on Tuesday, May 18th, 1971 at 2:50 PM.  I guess he probably knew what to expect.  As his wife, Winnifred, "Winnie"  also died from chronic emphysema just four years prior to Harvey.  Winnie was 72!  She entered the hospital with very similar symptoms as Harvey on Friday, January 27th, 1967.  Winnie also had emphysema for several years.  But there was a medical accident just three days after her checking into the hospital. She died on Monday, January 30th, 1967 at 7:35 PM at the age of 72. The same day the crew of the U.S. Space Mission Apollo 1 lost their lives to a tragic fire in the space capsule.  I could probably locate each of these three men: Lt. Co. Virgil "Gus" Ivan Grissom (Swedish roots), Lt. Col. Edward Higgins White II (Mayflower Connection), and

Robert Bruce Chaffee

Naval commander Robert Bruce Chaffee of Michigan, in my family tree; but I am just going to end with the connection to Cmdr. Chaffee as he relates again to this story.  I believe he is a 7th cousin 2X removed.  We know that Nettie England was my great grandmother, and that her mother was Chestina (Ewins) Smith.  Well my third great grandmother was Altha Strong.  Her son William Prescott Ewins, Chestina's brother, and my 3rd great uncle, married Ruby Lucy Chaffee. If you go up Ruby's father's Chaffee branch in the tree to her 3X great grandfather we get to Jonathan Chaffee (1678 -1766) and his wife Hannah Carpenter (1684-1767). The Apollo 1 naval Commander Robert Bruce Chaffee was, if I am counting down the branches correctly the 8th great grandson of Jonathan & Hannah Chaffee.



Here is a visual to try and make this easier to see:

Here is the letter:

Pg. 1

Pg. 2

Pg. 3

Pg. 4

I Always Thought We Were CANADIAN

It is really cold outside!  When I look back through old photos, I see that in general, this week has a history of being cold.  In 2013, I have photos of my dog, Davis playing in the snow.

On January 25, 1924 the first Winter Olympics began at Chamonix, in the French Alps.  It was called, "The International Sports Week."  Prior to this, the Nordic Games were held in Sweden, but only Scandinavian countries competed.  After World War One (WWI),  Antwerp, Belgium held the VII Olympiad in 1920.  This was the Summer Olympics, and countries that participated in the War were not invited.  Ice hockey was introduced that year, and the matches were played between April 23 and April 29th. In the Palais de Glace d'Anvers
Shown here:

The Palais de Glace d'Anvers  1920

Here is a photo of the first hockey team to represent the United States.

U.S. Olympic Hockey team c. 1920.  Leon Parker Tuck, back row, second from the right.

The United States took the Silver Medal.  With Canada taking the Gold.  Here are the teams:

Leon Tuck

When the team arrived on the ice in The Palais de Glace d'Anvers the team uniform had a look similar to that of today.

Leon Parker Tuck from team photo. 1920

Leon Tuck seen on the far right

The United States took the Silver, but Canada took the Gold.  The headlines highlighted the Falcons.

This story gives light to Leon Parker Tuck.  In my last post I introduced members I have found in my family tree who were involved in the Olympics. Now that I have approximately 21,000 people in my tree, you can imagine I just might find a few more Olympians.  Leon Parker Tuck, while in my family tree, is way out on the tips of a branch you might say.

Leon was born May 25, 1891, in Winchester, Massachusetts. 

Leon Parker Tuck

But his roots are deep in CANADA.  From his WWI draft card, he was twenty-six years old, and working for A. E. Little Manufacturing in Lynn, Massachusetts. He was making shoes, but had joined the ROTC three weeks prior for training in Madison, New York.  So he was able to claim exemption from the draft.   He went to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, playing hockey for three years, and captaining the hockey team his senior year.  He had dark hair, hazel eyes, weighed 181 lbs. and stood, 5 foot, 8 1/2 inches.  He graduated from Dartmouth in 1915, and joined the American Air Service fighting the war on the Western Front over France.  After the Olympics, Leon went back to Dartmouth as a coach from 1921 - 1924.  During all this, he was also manager for the local General Ice Cream Corporation, a company later bought, and closed by Kraft Foods.  He married Joyeuse "Gladys" Frances Gray in 1927, and they honeymooned on a ship cruise to the bay of 

2 Winthrop Street. Winchester, Mass

Tivives, Costa Rica, traveling through the Panama Canal.  Leaving New York Harbor January 26, 1927 aboard the S.S. Tivives, returning to New York February 17, 1927.  According to the ships manifest, they listed their residence as 2 Winthrop Street, Winchester, Massachusetts.  Where we find a beautiful home built in 1897 still standing today.  Right in the heart of Winchester. His parents lived a block away on Washington Street in a home built in 1850 which also still stands today directly across from Lincoln School in Winchester. 

The two were married for twenty-five years, until her tragic death from an automobile accident, December 19, 1952 in Princeton, New Jersey. The accident put her husband Leon Tuck in the hospital, but he survived.

Joyeuse (Gray) Tuck 1927 

Leon Tuck ~ President Wilson Nov 1918 Boston Post

Leon Parker Tuck died nine months later, September 02, 1953 at the age of 62.  

His father, Whitfield Leon Tuck, as introduced in the above newspaper clipping was a firecracker of a man! He was my first cousin, 1x removed of wife of 1st cousin of wife of my 2nd great-uncle.  I told you this branch was way out on the tips.  Lets start with my 2nd great uncle, you many remember him from a prior story. James Alexander Howie (1855 - 1926).  His wife you might remember was Clara Elnett Hand (1856 - 1919).  Her 1st cousin was Ashbell H. Hand, and his wife was Emma Adelaide (George) Hand (1848 - 1902).  Emma's father was Robert Channell George, and his mother was Abigail (Burnham) Channell, and his father was Abraham Fitz John Channell.  When Robert's mother, Abigail passed away in 1794, his father, Abraham took on a second wife, Wealthy Cox (1782 - 1862).  Together, Abraham & Wealthy had Susan Channell (1816-1877).  This is the 1x removed part.  Susan married John Carie Tuck (1808-1880).  They were the parents of Whitfield Leon Tuck.

Since I brought up Abraham Fitz John Channel, before I go on more about Whitfield, I want to briefly mention Abraham who was born in London November 24th, 1748.  As a young lad, he apprenticed as a tailor. Before the indentures of apprenticeship expired he was forced by compulsion, in others words, impressed into the British Navy to work aboard a Naval Man O War.

The war in New England, we know as the Revolutionary War.  While in America, he transferred to a frigate to supply the British troops with needed goods. The ship was captured by pirates, and he escaped when he reached Boston Harbor.  He joined the Continental Army and fought the British under the command of General George Washington.  He was engaged in several battles, but especially the battle of Sullivan's Island, at Fort Sullivan near Charleston South Carolina.  After the Revolutionary War in 1776, be became a tailor in Boston Massachusetts.  Here he met and married Abigail Burnham in 1780.   Before her death in 1794, they had six children together, to include one set of twin girls, Betsey and Sarah.  After her death he married Wealthy Cox, and the family moved to Canada.

In 1833, their daughter Susan, at the age of 17 years, married John Carie Tuck Esq.  They had many children before Whitfield arrived in 1855.  Remember, James Alexander Howie was also born that year.  So, these cousins, who may/not have known each other were born at the same time, in about the same area.  I say it in such a way because according to both the 1861 & 1871 census records of Canada, both families were members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, and probably knew each other through Church and local activities.   In 1875 Whitfield moves to Derby Line, Vermont.  The next year, in 1876, James A. Howie marries Clara Hand.  Then, in the 1880 U.S. Census of Vermont, we now find the James Howie family living in Vermont.  The Howie's must have kept two farms, because later, in the 1891 Census of Canada we find the James Howie family back in Quebec, when their son, Robert Maitland Howie was born. Link to Robert Maitland Howie story

Whitfield Leon Tuck 06 APR 1887 Naturalization 

The commonwealth of Massachusetts Naturalization papers for Whitfield Leon Tuck provided me a HISTORY lesson.  I knew I should have known better than to ditch my history class in school when we were learning about Canadian History.  I have been doing genealogy research for so many years, and this was eye opening.  Often, when doing research, you will find in documents nativity listed as Great Britain, or British.  I always thought this was in error, because my family came from CANADA.   I am just now learning that Stanstead, Quebec, Canada was in the dominions of Victoria, Queen of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.  I quickly had to learn about confederation, and post confederation.  I also learned all about the designation Upper Canada, and Lower Canada.

In 1875, Whitfield Tuck started off as a clerk.  Then moved into the roll of salesman.  He liked what he was doing, and was good at it, so he started his own business.  Whitfield Tuck Dry Goods Co. On Thames Street in Newport Rhode Island around 1895.

In the 1880's we find him back and forth between Rhode Island, and Boston.  In 1884 he marries Susan Elisabeth Parker (1860-1936), the daughter of George Fredrick Parker & Sarah Jane Munroe.

I mention George Fredrick Parker because I must guess this is who helped inspire Whitfield to go into service of the people/politics.  Although, I still need to do more research of G.F. Parker, but from the many census records I looked at, George is either listed as an author, or journalist, or capitalist, or no occupation at all.  So far what I have found is a book he co-authored titled Grover Cleveland.

I think anyone that close to the President of the United States might have some influence on ones life.

Susan died in 1936, and her obituary speaks more about her husband, and father than it did of herself.

Susan E. Tuck @ 63 Washington St. Winchester, Massachusetts

Somewhere, somehow Whitfield got very interested in politics.  His name appears in many newspapers, books, magazines etc.  He joined and participated heavily with commerce and trade organizations. He was a Democrat, as was Grover Cleveland, and Woodrow Wilson.  In 1915 he was the only one in the State House to stand up and oppose the Ship Bill.  The bill passed, but before it did the House asked him who he was.  He said "I am Whitfield Tuck, from Winchester Massachusetts."  I called Whitfield a firecracker earlier, when I began his story; so, I will end with a political cartoon of the time, from the Boston Post.

"I make a demand that these hearings cease until the Legislature decides whether it will abolish this commission Mr. Chairman!"

Political Cartoon Whitfield Leon Tuck 1916 The Boston Post

"Citizen Whitfield Tuck and Gerry Brown can always be depended upon to keep the hearings from becoming too monotonous..."

Whitfield L. Tuck was the father of Olympian Leon Parker Tuck.

Mr. Ross Ellison Howie

ENGLISH - IRISH - SCOTCH & DUTCH

Over the years that I have been adding post after post to this blog, I think I have mentioned at-least once that it has been ingrained in me from early childhood that I am a mix of English - Irish - Scotch & Dutch.

1983 Holland, me on tour with my High School French Class.

I have been very fortunate in my life to get to travel the world.  Out of all the places which I have been, I always said that I wanted to return to Holland some day. The last time I was there, was in the early 80's, and still to this day I have hopes that I will in fact get back there one day.  I now know so much more about my ancestors who came from the Netherlands than I did in my youth.

Many of us, to include myself, can trace our ancestral roots to the passengers of the Mayflower. Those ancestors fled from England to Leyden, Holland to escape religious persecution, and then made their final journey to the new land, "New England."  This however, is not that story. 

I just recently completed taking my second DNA test, and sent it off to the lab to be analyzed.  I made the decision to take another autosomal  DNA test, this time with Ancestry.com.  Recently I worked briefly for Family Tree DNA, the current leader in DNA genealogical testing, where I learned a little something about DNA. The results from an autosomal DNA test mainly provide one with fourth and fifth genetic cousin matches.  Great! Do you know your fourth or fifth cousins? Me either.  I discovered many folks who were getting their DNA tested had no knowledge in their family roots, and hoped that a DNA test would get them started. They were not exactly stuck at a brick wall, they had absolutely no knowledge of their family past.  I on the other hand, have over 20,000 names in my family tree, and discovered that I did not have any fourth or fifth cousins. When a genealogist builds a family tree, they build back as far as they can go. Rarely do we think about then building forward. So, how could I match up to my DNA genetic cousins?   I began to work from my most distant known ancestors forward in time, to as current to today as privacy settings will allow.  I have been adding what I call downward branches as fast as I can in expectation of my new DNA results.  Most of my lines were already very complete, except for my Dutch family line.  I was really excited and pleased with myself as I worked on this line.  

Let me begin with baby Ruth!

Just a bit of levity, I am not one of those boring genealogists that just recite names and dates of birth and death.  Ruth Augusta England was my paternal Grand Mother.  This photo to the left was published in our family cookbook which a copy can be found at the LDS library in Salt Lake City Utah. 

We published the 75 page cookbook in the late 1980's.  Sorry that the above link does not take you directly to view the book.  I will search for a better link, and add it when I get the chance.

Ruth Augusta England was born on August 1, 1895, in Dunham, Quebec, Canada. Her father, Clarence Philo England, was 25 and her mother, Nettie Martha Smith, was 24. Both of Quebec, Canada.  She married William Rider Howie, also a native of Quebec, Canada on August 19, 1916, in Orleans, Vermont. They had seven children in 15 years. She died on April 9, 1935, in Newport, Vermont, at the age of 39, and was buried in the Woodside Cemetery, in Beebe Junction, in the Estrie Region of Quebec, Canada.  She died in the hospital during a Laparoscopic surgery for acute pelvic peritonitis.   A routine operation today, not sure if it was in 1935.  I am sure her death was a shock and surprise to my grand father, and her seven children as she was so young. 

Ruth the eldest of the three children.

 
Another family photo from the Howie Family Cookbook. Sorry, copies are all I have, the original photos are not in my possession.  This photo is circa 1901, as her younger brother, the famous author, Gordon Philip England was just a baby. 

Okay, so you are now wondering how does the surname England relate to Dutch ancestry? Since I am speaking about DNA, we cannot follow the mothers line, that of the mitochondrial DNA.  That would be the various family names of: Smith, Ewins, Strong, Flagg, and Kendall. Going back five generations to early 1700's Massachusetts.  We turn to her grand mother, Marguerite Eunice Ruiter,  the mother of Clarence Philo England is my Dutch connection.  

In Quebec at this time many books were recording family histories with many, if not all of my family surname lines in Canada, of the time.

Ruiter is a Dutch surname that may be traced directly back to the Netherlands. Let me quickly jump back to my 8th Great Grandfather, Roeloff Gerritse VanDerWerken (1647 - 1728).  He came from Meppel Drenthe, Netherlands.

According to a history library in Albany New York his father was the immigrant which began what is now known as New Netherlands in New York. 

I will not go into much detail about New Netherlands, and the people of Albany, New York.  You may read more about this history on your own if you have more interest.  The United States Dutch Reformed Church records were the major resource for documents which prove this family line. 

The following is a copy of the English translation from the Wikipedia biography of Jacob Ruiter as found on the Wikipedia website which I posted to Ancesty back on 12/18/2007.


"Jacob Ruiter was born in 1772 near Pittstown in the State of New York. During the American Revolution, his family fled to Canada because of his sympathies loyalists.  Installed first Manor Caldwell (Clarenceville), they settled in the town of Philipsburg, near the Missisquoi Bay.
Towards 1794, Jacob's father became a land agent and he gave his son land in the township of Dunham on the site of the future city of Cowansville.
In the summer of 1798, he went there only to locate his land and built his family a temporary shelter, but in the winter he returned with his family.
In the spring of 1799, he returned with his wife, daughter and a newborn. He built a log cabin on the south shore of the Yamaska River and began clearing his land.
The following year, he built a flour and mill near his cabin.  Known as "Ruiter's Mill, the mill was used for several years by the people in the vicinity.  In 1805, he named the area Nelsonville in honor of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson killed at the battle of Trafalgar.
Captain Jacob Ruiter had married Eunice Freeman and they had 12 children.

Their son, Philip Lampman Ruiter, was born on March 29, 1804, he would be the first white child to be born in Cowansville, and one of my 3rd Great Grand Fathers. You may click on his name, to link you to a post I did earlier.  Jacob Ruiter died in 1840."  Captain Jacob Ruiter was my fourth Great Grand Father."

The Ruiter and VanDerWerken families were in Albany New York for many generations.   Somewhere between New York, and Quebec is where I feel the DNA of the Native American entered my family genome. I am sure one day soon, we will easily be able to figure this out, but with today's technology we still must guess. 
Not to skip all the important stories of my ancestors, I will leave their stories for future posts.  I want to leave you with the Dutch pedigree which leads to my Grand Mother Ruth England.

Ruth Augusta England (1895-1935)

This is a good ending to my introduction on the DUTCH family blood line.

Jane Rosebella Howie - Hastings

Rev. Calvin John Hastings, Cora May Hastings, Jane Rosebella Howie - Hastings.
Photo from the Lawrence Frizzle Collection, Brome, Quebec.

Cora May Hastings was born December 15th, 1880 in Brome, Quebec, Canada. Standing in the center between her parents in the photo above.  Her mother Was Jane Rosebella Howie, and her father was Rev. Calvin John Hasings. When Jane Rosebella Howie was born on July 28, 1849, in Brome, Quebec, Canada her father, James Howie Jr., my second Great Grandfather was 28.  Her mother, Ann Howie, nee Stewart, was 25. Ann (Stewart) Howie photo appears at the end of this post.   Rosebella married Calvin John Hastings.  They were married New Years Eve, December 31, 1880 in the Methodist Church of Shefford, Quebec, Canada. They had one son and one daughter together between 1876 and 1880, Armand Hill Hastings, and Cora May Hastings.  Armand Hill was born April 10th, 1876.  Unfortunately, he died that same year, on September 15, 1876.  Rev. C. J. Hastings died March 21, 1901.

Memorial of Armand Hill Hastings

 
Rosebella then  at age 58, married Peter McKenny Hitchcock on December 24, 1907, in Philipsburg, Quebec.  Christmas Eve. 
Peter Hitchcock, and his first wife Elisabeth, and their daughter Della May we find living next to the James Howie Jr. family on the 1861 Census of Canada. In the township of Stanbridge, Canada. The proximity to the Howie family probably added to how they ended up knowing each other, and getting married.
Della May, Rosebella's Step-Daughter, married a Richard Smith (1859 - 1905) who was born in the United States, in Lisbon, Grafton, New Hampshire.  They had four children. Their Second Son, Eugene Francis Peter Smith (1890 - 1919) brings a special connection to Canadian's who served during World War I. Eugene was a Great-Step-Son to Rosebella. 

The Military Badge of the British & Commonwealth
The 13th Scottish Light Dragoons

Eugene F.P. Smith served for three years in The 13th Scottish Light Dragoons prior to Canada joining the allied forces of WWI, and attested his allegiance to His Majesty King George V. 

King George V

 The 13th Scottish Light Dragoons was a Calvary Regiment of the Canadian Army.  If his service to his country of three years was not enough, in 1914 he joined the first contingent of the Canadian Overseas Expedition Force, "CEF" which formed in Valcartier Quebec in 1914.  This enlistment was voluntary, as conscription was not enforced. Here I have clipped his signature and oath from the attestation form.

He would have adorned to his military uniform many badges and metals, to include these:

The distinguishing patch of the 2nd Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF.

He served as a Private in the 2nd Canadian Mounted Riffles Battalion.  They embarked for Great Britain June 12th 1915.  They later arrived in France September 22, 1915.  This unit fought to the end of the war.  

Eugene returned home, and married his bride Eva Rebecca Price (1892-1977) on June 12, 1918. He unfortunately died of tuberculosis in Riceburg Quebec, on the 20th of October 1919 at the age of 29 years old, before ever setting eyes on his one and only daughter, Thelma Imogene Smith who was born on the 9th of December 1919.  

Here is his final resting place, and memorial.

Photo courtesy of Graceti on Find A Grave Memorial # 121204425

Jane Rosebella (Howie) died on April 12, 1947, in Colchester, Vermont, at the age of 97, and was buried in Brome-Centre, Quebec Canada.

Jane Rosebella's sister Ann Craig Howie, who was named after her mother, was born on August 4, 1850, in Quebec when Jane Rosebella was 1 year old.

The resemblance between the two sisters is remarkable.

Annie Craig Howie-MacFarlane

Jane Rosebella Howie-Hastings

I have one more photo I wish to share, and that is of my second Great Grand Mother
 Ann Craig Stewart-Howie, with her Grand Daughter Cora May Hastings.

Ann Craig Stewart - Howie, and Grand daughter Cora May Hastings-Goodrich.

When Cora May Hastings was born on December 15, 1880, in Brome, Quebec, her father, Rev. Calvin Hastings, was 33 and her mother, Jane, was 31. She married Max William Goodrich on October 3, 1906, in Montgomery, Vermont. They had three children during their marriage. She died on January 4, 1938, in Oxford, Ontario, Canada, at the age of 57, and was buried in Brome Centre Cemetery.

Without Ancestry.com I would never have had access to the above photos, or have made the connections with cousins in far away places.  The photo of Rev. Calvin John Hastings, and family are from the collection of Lawrence Frizzle.  He is the great grand nephew of my Great Grand Aunts Jane & Annie.  A BIG Thank you to Lawrence Frizzle.