Dear Grandparents,

This is the first anniversary of my mother's birth since she joined you. We are planning a celebration of her life with family at Fort Rosecrans in September and I want to be able to tell the story of her life. This is the first in a series of stories that I hope will do her justice.

Betty's story really begins in the summer of 1923 when Grace Colby, an Oregon Agricultural College sophomore, decided to spend the summer at her sister Madge's in Pendleton, Oregon rather that go home and face the unwanted attention of her step-mother. Living across the street, with his older brother Clem and wife, was a young carpenter by the name of Cecil Werst. The two started dating, and by August 8, 1924 they had gone to Spokane, Washington to be married and make their home.

Grace Colby as a coed at Oregon Agricultural College, later Oregon State University
circa 1923

 

It was the Roaring 20s, and Cecil and Grace were flush with the optimism of the age. He had been promoted to manager at the Royal Silk Hosiery Company. They were saving to buy a house and investing in America. They welcomed their first child, Betty Lorraine, June 23, 1926. Cecil doted on his daughter and took her to the famed Spokane Merry-go-Round, and parks.

A very dapper Cecil Oscar Werst holding baby Betty at their home in Spokane, Washington 1926.

Betty Lorraine Werst

In October 1927, Grace had just discovered that she was pregnant with her second child when Cecil, complaining of a tooth ache, went to a dentist for the extraction. An infection set in and in those days before penicillin there wasn't much to stop it. Cecil was dead in less than a week and the young family was shattered. There was no life insurance. Grace had only their savings and investments upon which to rely.

She hung on to their rented home in Spokane, and traveled to her sister's home in Pendelton, in March 1928 where she gave birth to their second daughter, Helen Louise, on the 10th. Grace returned to Spokane with her daughters where she realized that she would have to find a job and soon as she was depleting her savings rapidly. She applied everywhere and finally wrote several letters to one of the company's where she and Cecil had invested their money. They agreed to hire her as a secretary at the Company's office in Seattle.

She packed up and took Betty to stay with her Aunt and Uncle in Pendleton while she took baby Helen with her to Seattle. Having already lost her father, Betty was surely disoriented to now be without her Mother also. Her Aunt Madge loved her niece but Aunt Madge was deaf. She had learned to read lips but it was a very silent household for the two year old. Twice she was put on a bus, in the care of the driver and sent to visit the rest of the family in Seattle. What a long ride that must have been for a toddler.

This situation continued until Dec 1931, when Grace's stepmother died, and her father invited her to bring her daughters home to Newberg to keep house for him. It had been more than 30 years since a child had brought her happy noise and confusion to the Colby household. I'm certain it was quite an adjustment for the already 73 year old William Wallace Colby. The adage that his granddaughter's remembered best was, "Children should be seen and not heard."

W. W. Colby with Rhode Island Red chickens at Pine Lawn Farm circa 1932

Betty and her sister Helen, always referred to their new home as 'the farm'. It became the most important location in their lives and the property remains in the family to this day.

Betty and Grampa Colby at the farm circa 1935

Missing you today Mom!
Love,
Cecily

Happy Birthday Maria Taylor Dye

Dear Grandmother Dye,
Today we celebrate the 206th anniversary of your birth.  The reminder of your birthday, has me looking again for information on your family. I believe your parents were Richard Taylor and Freedom Carpenter. The 1850, 1860, and 1870 census records list your birth place as New York. The 1880 census however says you were born in Canada. Your father Richard Taylor is listed in Ludlow, Washington County Ohio, in the 1820 census. The enumeration on August 7, 1820 lists 2 'Free White Persons, females 10 to 15 which would include you.

Image from www.ancestry.com

You were one of a household of 12, including 2 males and one female over 25, and 7 children under the age of 16. Most family researchers report that your family arrived in Washington County in 1818, so I imagine that the cabin in which you lived was crowded indeed.

Ludlow township was adjacent to Lawrence Township the area that was settled by the Dye clan as early as 1800.  We don't know how you came to meet Amos Dye, the youngest son of John Dye, Sr., but on September 12, 1826 you were united in a marriage that would last 50 years.

Your long marriage produced at least 11 children including my 2nd great-grandfather Amos Dye, Jr. You were already 40 when he was born. It was quite an accomplishment in the 19th century to have 11 children survive to adulthood.

In the 1860 census, your family is listed as living in the 3rd Ward of Marietta and Amos' profession is listed as tobacco packer. That sounds like a laboring position, which might have been difficult for a man who was already over 60. The next column lists the 'value of Real Estate' and 40,000 is entered, followed by 1500 for "value of Personal Estate'. Today, that seems like a lot of property for a tobacco packer.

Image from www.ancestry.com

I found an article in the Commercial Gazette published in Marietta, Ohio on April 1, 1883 that states, "Mrs. Maria Dye, relict of the late Amos Dye, died in this city this morning aged seventy eight years." You had been widowed for nearly seven years.

My husband and I visited Marietta last summer and took a photograph of your and Amos' headstones standing side by side in the Oak Grove Cemetery. It was early in the morning and the light was not good and the grass quite wet and slippery, The obscured engraving on the headstones reminds me that I have much left to discover about your family.

Headstones of Amos and Maria Taylor Dye









Love,

Your third great granddaughter,

Cecily Cone Kelly

 

P.S. for family members Amos and Maria Taylor Dye's son Amos Dye, Jr. married Martha Jane McCowan, their daughter Ida Mae Dye married Chester Bynon Allen, their daughter Hazel Bynon Allen married Charles Newton Cone. 

Betty Lorraine Werst Cone RIP

Dear Grandparents,
Just to let you know that you are being reunited with my mother Betty Lorraine Werst Cone today. She left us this afternoon after a long struggle. We are grateful that her passing was calm and peaceful. She will be greatly missed by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sister, nieces and nephews as well as friends.

She is surround by her children in this photo taken in October 2012

.

 

I've been thinking about how many of you she will be wanting to see. Her husband, Charles Newton "Chuck" Cone, Jr. who died in 1992 will probably be first on the list.

Betty and Chuck pictured at son Rusty's wedding to Patty Gorman June 28,1979.

She was very close to her mother Grace Colby Werst Branchflower who left us in 1973.

I fervently hope that she will be reunited with her father Cecil Oscar Werst who died before she was two when he was only 27. She was the apple of his eye and I'm sure it must have seemed very cruel to have been parted from him so early.

After his death, Betty was sent to live with her Aunt Madge Colby Massey and her husband Hal in Pendleton, Oregon. She lived there until she was reunited with her mother and sister Helen and they went to live with her maternal grandfather on Pinelawn Farm in Newberg, Oregon. William Wallace Colby died in 1936.

W. W. Colby with Grace, Betty and Helen at Pinelawn Farm circa 1935.

My sister Leslie, husband Ed and I were able to be with Mom when she died. We were able to tell her we love her and ease her passing.  In looking back a few hours later, I am wishing that I had time to mention a list of you grandparents that I really want her to contact and find some way to send back the answers to some of my brickwalls.

I know you will welcome Mom with open arms. I do wish you would find some way to drop me a few clues.... just asking...

Love,
Cecily

Surname Saturday COLBY

Dear Grandfather and Grandmother Colby,
It is not often when I am drafting these letters, that I can combine a Surname Saturday article, with a brick wall post and a commemoration. We'll start with the celebration. Today we are remembering the 158th anniversary of the day you married. William Henry Colby and Fannie Hutchison Hunnewell were united in marriage 11 May 1855 in Lake County, Illinois, the record is 093M088. Your marriage lasted 55 years, till Grandfather Colby died January 3, 1911.

I know a lot about Grandmother Colby's family, the Hunnewells back to their immigration from
Devonshire, England in the 17th century. The Colby's however are a brick wall. I have not found a clue that identifies the names of your parents.

Each time you were asked to identify the state of your birth, you said New Hampshire. That connection in New England may well tie your family to Anthony Colby one of the original settlers of Salisbury, Massachusetts. He was of English origin and immigrated to Boston with the Winthrop Fleet about 1630.  Anthony's descendants are organized, with website, The Colby Family Association , reunions ,etc. He was one of the founders of Amesbury, Massachusetts and one of the properties he owned still exists.

Macy-Colby House purchased by Anthony Colby from Thomas Macy
in 1654. Today it is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks.
This photo is from the Colby Family Association Website
 

This rear view of the home is from The Macy-Colby House web site.
The home is open for tours Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Special private tours can be arranged for family members.
 

Alas, as much as I would like, I can not claim relationship to Anthony Colby's clan for you. It does seem likely, but we must find proof. There are also Colbys of German origin who have anglicized their surname for Kolbe, as well as Norwegian. The surnames all seem to indicate people who have come from regions where coal was found.

So Happy Anniversary and any help in tracking down your parents would be much appreciated.
Love,
Cecily
P. S. Your Granddaughter and my Grandmother was very proud of her Colby heritage. I named a daughter for her so you have a 3rd great granddaughter named Colby.

Help break down a brickwall - Lydia Hayes

Dead ends for Genealogists are referred to as "brick walls"

 

Dear Grandmother Lydia,

I really need your help. No Cone family researcher has been able to identify your parents. We have your birth date as Feb. 2, 1771 and place as New London, Connecticut. We believe that you married Ira Cone about 1795 probably in Connecticut and moved to Laurens, Otsego County, New York the next year.

According to records you had two sons, Lyman born 18 Apr 1799 and Naaman born 11 Sep 1804, both born in Laurens. Some researchers believe that there may have been other children who did not survive infancy but we do not have their names.

From the minutes of the Butternuts Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends, we know that you and Ira were Quakers and requested in 1811 that Lyman be admitted to the meeting. He was accepted on the 1st day of the 5 month (May) that year.

The Friends' Intelligencer, Volume 12 published some excerpts of the "Autobiography of Samuel Comfort" in August 1870 which contained a description of his visit with you and Ira , "His wife's (Lydia's) health appears to be pretty good, but she goes half bent, and walked so to meeting. Says she cannot get into a carriage." Page 24. Google Books

As a genealogist, I believe strongly that you want to be found. Your parents await identification and any hints that you can send would be greatly appreciated. Were the Hayes family Quakers or did you and Ira become join after your marriage? Perhaps one of your other descendants has the clue and will share it when they see this letter.

Love,
Cecily Cone Kelly

P.S. For family members Ira and Lydia Hayes Cone were parents of Naaman Cone, who's son William Warner Cone's son Frederick Naaman Cone is my great grandfather.

Update to Surname Saturday... Puterbaugh to Puderbaugh

Dear Grandfathers Jacob,

I wrote an earlier post about your surname PUDERBAUGH and the challenges of the many spellings. After finding photographs of your headstones, I've decided that if each of your families' spelled the name as above, I should use the spelling you used.

Jacob Puderbaugh 1788-1865 was buried in the Ozawkie Cemetery in Jefferson County Kansas
Photo is from www.findagrave.com, originally submitted by Raymond Riley and used with his permission.
I believe the original site of the cemetery is now under a reservoir and the cemetery was moved to higher ground.

Jacob Puderbaugh 1757-1822 was buried in Darke County Ohio

Both headstones us the Puderbaugh spelling.

I continue to search for the origin of the surname. From on site research in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, I believe the family was associated with the Dunkard or Brethren sect of Anabaptists. These Churches are off shoots of a church group that was founded near Schwarzenau, Germany about 1708. Today there are several communities named Schwarzenau in Germany and Austria. The village associated with the Brethren is located near Bad Berleburg in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. Wikipedia has maps and information on the location at Schwarzenau, Bad Berleburg. So far, I have not found any Puderbaughs in Germany, but I am still looking.

Love,
Cecily

Celebrating Marie Kelly Beaumont's 95th Birthday

Dear Aunt Marie,
Happy 95th Birthday. Today we're remembering your life and especially the effort you made to keep your nephews and nieces, the sons and daughters of your brother Edward E. Kelly part of the larger Kelly clan. Though their parents divorced when the children were young, no birthday passed with out a card of good wishes and a dollar tucked inside. We are very appreciative of all your efforts.

Life was not always easy for the Kelly household. The stories you told of only having heat in your home when there were enough coins to put in the household meter have stuck with me. You were barely 20 when your father was killed 17 Sep 1939.



1940 Census for Mary Kelly
from www.ancestry.com

The form shows your family living on Conestoga Street including:

Given Name   Relationship   Sex  Race   Age    Marital Status   Last Grade

Alice                 Head                 F      W       40        Widowed             4th

Mary                Daughter          F      W       21          Single                10th

Alice                 Daughter          F      W       20          Single                  9th

Dorothy           Daughter          F      W       19          Single                10th

William            Son                    M     W      17          Single                  8th

Edward            Son                    M     W      14          Single                  7th

John                 Son                    M     W        9           Single                 3rd

It also shows the level of education completed by each member of the family . Your mother Alice Mae Hanna Kelly left school after the 4th grade and by 1940 no family member had completed high school each having left school to go to work.

You and your sisters were winders at a Rubber factory with an income of $670 for 16 weeks of work. That means that your family may have had no more than $2,010 income in the last 12 months.The form also shows that though your brother William (Bill) wanted to be working, he had been unemployed for 52 weeks.

Ed reconnected with your son Joe last year and he let us copy your wedding picture with Uncle Jack (John J. Beaumont). You were a beautiful bride. Your love lasted a lifetime.


We know how important family was to you and vow to endeavor to keep in touch with your sons.

Love,
Ed and Cecily