Sentimental Sunday :: Easter Sunday at Goldfish Pond

On Easter Sunday in the year 1931, our Grandma Elizabeth was at Goldfish Pond with her baby boy . . . a baby girl would join the family the following January . . . that baby girl grew up to be our Mom . . . 

On that long ago Sunday, Elizabeth captured the above snapshot of one of the goldfish, saying that it was "partly out of the pond after a piece of popcorn" . . . this Goldfish Pond was apparently a favorite place for an outing for this little family . . . a few years later the following snapshot was taken . . . 

This is our Mom and her brother, sitting on the edge of Goldfish Pond . . . this would have been mid-1930s . . . mayhaps on another Easter Sunday . . . 

More than three hundred years before the above images were captured on film, that little body of water was known by another name . . . Ingalls Pond . . . 

Near this pond was the home of Edmund Ingalls, one of the founders of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts . . . this pond can be seen on the following map . . . towards the right . . . and in the bottom third of the image . . . 

Map of Lynn and Saugus : settled in 1629

On an unspecified day in the month of March in the year 1648 . . . Edmund Ingalls would meet a watery death when the horse he was riding fell through a faulty bridge while crossing the Saugus River on a journey to Boston from his home near Ingalls Pond . . . this Boston Street crossing can be seen in the bottom third of the above map . . . to the far left . . . 


This Edmund Ingalls is said to be the 5th great-grandpa of President James Garfield . . . he is the 7th great-grandpa of American author, Laura Ingalls Wilder . . . and as a result of on-going research regarding the ancestors of our Mom, just this past week this same Edmund Ingalls was revealed to be the 10th great-grandpa of the Mom of the Keeper of this family history blog . . .

The genealogy and history of the Ingalls family in America

Other blogposts regarding the same Edmund Ingalls . . . 

• Barbara Johnson from Wisconsin
• Cow Hampshire
• Historians out & About
• My Maine Ancestry
• Nutfield Genealogy
• Omah's Corner

1920 :: T.W.A. Smith Hopelessly Ill Ends Life

Thursday, February 12, 1920

Smith Family

43 Prospect Street

Biddeford, Maine

T.W.A. Smith, Hopelessly Ill, Ends Life

1889 :: Photo of Jerusha

On this date in our family history . . . the 2nd day of December . . . in the year 1889 . . . Mrs. A.F. Smith poses for a photo in the studio of Gardner & Philbrick in Biddeford, Maine . . . aka Jerusha Marilla Barker, Mrs. Smith was born in 1841 in Bridgton, Cumberland County, Maine . . . married Atwood Frank Smith in 1857 in Biddeford, York County, Maine . . . and died in 1899 at fifty-eight years of age . . . this Jerusha is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog . . . 

Mrs. A.F. Smith

Biddeford

Maine

Dec. 2nd 1889.

$3.00

We Stand at the Head

Our Photographs of all kinds are made bet-

ter if possible than before the rush. Certainly

as durable as any in the State. We make

Cabinets for the extremely low price of

$3 PER DOZEN.

GARDNER & PHILBRICK

131 MAIN ST., BIDDEFORD.

Biddeford Daily Journal, March 24, 1888

Wordless Wednesday :: 1936 Death of Eva M. Smith

1921 :: First Woman Tax Collector

On this date in our family history . . . the 5th day of October . . . in the year 1921 . . . the following news story was published in the Biddeford Daily Journal . . . the subject of this story is Mrs. Eva M. Smith . . . who is the great-grandma of the Keeper of this family history blog . . . and was "the first woman to hold the office of tax collector in this city" (Biddeford) . . . we were totally unaware of this chapter in Eva's life before I happened upon this news clipping . . . 

1912 :: Birth of Elizabeth Marilla

On this date in our family history . . . the 5th day of October . . . in the year 1912 . . . Elizabeth Marilla Smith is born in Biddeford, York County, Maine . . . this Elizabeth is the maternal grandma of the Keeper of this family history blog . . . 

Sentimental Sunday :: Ancestor Appreciation Day

In grateful appreciation

of those who came before.

Our ancestral surnames

as seen in this wordle are . . .

Anthony

Barker

Bass

Brackett

Brown

Carter

Davis

Dunaway

Farnum

Fears

Ford

Fulton

Fretwell

Gill

Goodwin

Gregg

Griggs

Henry

Hobbs

Holcomb

Holland

Hooker

Jordan

King

Kirtley

Lakin

Lemaire

Lewis

Mason

Merrill

Muston

Nettles

Newsom

Olive

Porter

Pounders

Quinn

Roberts

Saunders

Sharp

Smith

Thurston

Waring

Weaver

West

I hear the voices of my grandmas

Calling out from a distant past

"Please do not let us be forgot.

Record our stories that we may last."

Tell the children of our wanderings

Let the kinfolk hear the tales

How we braved the new horizons

How we blazed the olden trails.

How we buried too many babies

How we struggled to keep them fed

How we caressed the hands of our loved ones

As they lay dying on their beds.

How we endured many a hardship

With an eye to the future goal

To create a more promising future

And to keep our family whole.

They were as different from each other

As the scraps in a crazy quilt

Yet once the pieces were sewn together

Another generation they had built

I can sense them calling out to me

From the gloaming of my past

"Please do not let us be forgot.

Record our stories that we may last."

 

Original poem by BeNotForgot

 

1864 :: Letter to his Daughter

On this date in our family history . . . the 20th day of April . . . in the year 1864 . . . William Thurston Merrill pens a letter to his daughter, Phoebe . . . at that time, William is sick in the U.S. Hospital at the New Orleans Barracks in Louisiana . . . and Phoebe is at home in Maine . . . this William is a great-grandpa, and Phoebe is the maternal grandma, of Elizabeth Marilla Henry nee Smith (1912-1932) . . . who is the maternal grandma of the Keeper of this family history blog . . . special thanks to our cousins, Ariana Bratt and Susan Snow, for sharing the following info regarding our William and his letter . . .

William Thurston Merrill went into the Civil War in 1861. He was a member of H Company 30th Volunteer Maine Regiment, which was engaged in Louisiana at Sabine Cross Road on April 8, 1864, Pleasant Hill on April 9, 1864, and Cane River Cross on April 23, 1864.

Williams's last battle was at Pleasant Hill, where 11 of his regiment were killed, 66 wounded and 71 missing. By the end of the war, his regiment lost 34 from wounds and 256 of disease. William, my (Ariana's) great-great-great grandfather, was one of those who escaped bullets and imprisonment to nearly die from disease.

William Thurston Merrill sent a letter to his family on April 20, 1864 as he lay in a hospital in New Orleans suffering from hepatitis at age 48. It is written with phonetic spelling which demonstrates that his hard life as a farmer left little time for formal schooling.

I now Seat myself to let you that I am hear and Best I found yet I have A nuf to eat and a good clean bed. I was in the Batle on the 9 and 10 at the plesent hill the hardest famr Battle yet the bulits flue Around my head like Hale Stones. We hed A March of 22 days was 400 Miles. We fell back toGrand dy chore red river. Was the gun boats loude. I hed the yellows and toock of dierre and one More man from Saco left on the 13 toock the boat for New Orleans I am gitting Smart

I hope you are all well. We left the riedg in line of battle. Have ben fiteen sens they ar havein A hard time. I think myself luckey to get Away and you may be so glad that bet like A fool I have rote once before tell Mouther to mind her calf done yet lousezy. Tell Daniel to plant all the potatoes he can and make the pig groe to 500 and fat the black cow. I will come home and help you eat it tell John I will rite to him soon tell if oald dick has so old me his farm And how kimpcy getting Along. I done want to foss is dog to bite my cows. You beter get tham in father pasture. You mite try the black cow and heffer A spell in the commons but loock out and have a pasture enny way. Daniel better help his grand father wat he can. I think he will fare the Beter. Kiss all the family for me so I must close new good by this from your father.

William Merrill

Direct to New orlons LA Barrecks US hospittle.

Now done give yourself No on car nie About me. I am doing fust rate. I come hear my 48 birthday [i.e., born April 4, 1816 so came there on April 4, 1864]

give my love to all the folks.

1860 :: Barker Boarding House

 

On this date in our family history . . . the 18th day of June . . . in the year 1860 . . . Timothy Barker is enumerated at the Keeper of a Boarding House in Biddeford, York County, Maine . . . this Timothy is a 3rd great-grandpa of the Keeper of this family history blog . . . also in the same household is his wife, Jerusha (my 3rd great-grandma) . . . and their married daughter, Jerusha, and her husband Atwood Frank Smith (my 2nd great-grandparents) . . . LUV the handwriting of the enumerator, Jere E. Lord, on this census page . . . possibly aka Jeremiah E. Lord who died in 1864 in Biddeford . . .

2005 :: Hurricane Katrina

Norman and Carol Ann (Mulholland) Parr are the late in-laws of one of my New England cousins -- actually a 2nd cousin once removed. I re-established contact with cousin Kristin in 2009 by way of Facebook, after basically being out-of-touch with that entire branch of the family for an entire decade. She had posted a note on her Facebook page in memory of her deceased in-laws (a family story previously unknown to me). I did some research on Google, and found numerous articles mentioning the Parrs, who had apparently been invited to share the home of friends in the face of the impending storm. I also found tributes posted by their son, who shared these photos of his parents. Remembering with and for them . . .

Fun in the Sun

This is one of the family photos I would luv to be able to use for The Family Curator's Genealogy Photo Challenge for World Photography Day . . . first problem is the location is unknown . . . second minor problem is that it was taken somewhere in New England, presumably on the coast of Maine . . . and I'm in Texas! . . . anyway . . . 


The photo I took for today for my photo-a-day blog was used to create a background texture that just called out for a beach collage of some sort . . . so I put this one together . . . the mini postcards show scenes from Peaks Island . . . and the young girl with the long dark curls is my maternal grandma, Elizabeth Marilla Henry nee Smith (1912-1932) . . . the names of her friends are not known . . . you are welcome to use this texture for a project of your own . . . just let me know so I can see what ideas you come up with!

1899 :: Maine Death of Betsey Hutchins

On this date in our family history . . . the 14th day of January . . . in the year 1899 . . . Betsey T. Smith Hutchins nee Flood dies at home in Kennebunkport, Maine . . . this Betsey is the mother of Atwood F. Smith (1837-1907) who is father of . . . Thomas Warren Alonzo Smith (1866-1920) who is father of . . . Elizabeth Marilla Henry nee Smith (1912-1932) who is the mother of my beautiful Mom . . .

Biddeford Daily Journal. Biddeford, Maine. Monday Evening, January 16, 1899. Mrs. Betsy T. (Smith) Hutchins, who for many years resided in this city and was well known here and for the last few years has resided in Kennebunkport, having married Edward S. Hutchins of that place, died Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock, after a brief sickness lasting only a few hours. An attack of the grip was followed by heart failure. Her age was 82 years and five months. She was a member and prominent worker in the Foss street Methodist church in which she had many friends. She was also a former member of Evangeline lodge of Rebekahs. She leaves a husband, Edward S. Hutchins of Kennebunkport, three children, Atwood F. Smith and Josiah H. Smith, both of this city, and Sylvanus S. Smith of Concord, N.H., one sister, Mrs. Add Chadbourne of Saco, and four grandchildren. The funeral will be held at the residence in Kennebunkport on Tuesday afternoon at 1 o'clock. The burial will be at the Greenwood cemetery at the convenience of the family.

---

Biddeford Weekly Journal - Jan 20, 1899. Kennebunkport. . . . Mrs Betsey, widow of the late Edward Hutchins, died last Saturday afternoon at an advanced age. Joseph Fairfield and wife have made their home with her for a few years. Mrs. Fairfield was a step daughter of Mrs. Hutchins, but was absent at the time of her death: being with a sick daughter. Mrs. Hutchins will be much missed in the Methodist society. 

The Februaries of our Elizabeth

This is the Captured Moments column from the February 2010 issue of Shades the Magazine . . .

 

This Elizabeth Marilla Henry nee Smith (1912-1932) is the maternal grandma of the Keeper of this family history blog . . . the text from the article is copied below . . .



CAPTURED MOMENTS
a few of elizabeth's februaries

What might have been
by Vickie Everhart

The Garden in Winter
I feel as if I had opened a book
and found roses of yesterday
sweet and fragrant between it's leaves.
~ L.M. Montgomery (1874-1942) ~

The Februaries of her life, there were not to be many of them. She arrived on this earth in the autumn of a Leap Year -- October of 1912. And she left this world less than 20 years later, near the beginning of yet another year in which February had 29 days.

The daughter who never knew her was blessed to inherit a photo collection documenting some of the days and events in Elizabeth's short life. At this time, it is believed that most of these treasured snapshots were captured by Elizabeth's older brother, Tom Smith (1904-1959).

Read along with me as we take a peak at what might have been a few of Elizabeth's Februaries. Most of these speculations are based on faded photos adhered to the black pages of an old photo album.

1913 HER 1ST VALENTINE'S DAY

In February of 1913, four-month-old Elizabeth is napping peacefully in her pram while her self-employed parents, Eva and T.W.A. Smith, busily prepare for the annual Valentine's Day rush.

Baby Elizabeth had been an unexpected surpise, arriving eight years following the birth of her only sibling,Tom, and 39-year-old Eva sometimes finds herself staring in awe at the little dark-haired sleeping angel.

Eva is known throughout York County, Maine for her "artistic and handsome floral designs," and T.W.A. "has an unexcelled reputation for the excellence of his work" as "an experienced and practical horticulturist and landscape gardener."

1920 DEATH OF HER FATHER

It is a cold winter's day in Maine, and Elizabeth is seven years old when her ailing 53-year-old father takes his own life in February of 1920. The lengthy write-up in the local Biddeford newspaper reveals a surprising number of details about events leading up to his death. His funeral is held at the family home on the day following Valentine's Day, with burial at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco, Maine.

1927 CHILDHOOD FRIENDS

By February of 1927, 14-year-old Elizabeth is friends with Diantha, an "older" girl from the neighborhood who lost her mother in 1923. In later years, Diantha would recall about a young Elizabeth that, "She wore curls when we started to chum together. Her mother had to curl each one over her finger. I guess she had two layers of big fat thick bouncy curls."

Meanwhile, though their paths have not yet crossed, Elizabeth's future husband -- a 3rd-generation Texan -- has been a member of the U.S. Navy for less than a month, and is currently at the U.S. Naval Training Station at Hampton Roads, Virginia. One of his shipmates is Win Hooper from Maine who, unbeknownst to anyone involved, will be marrying Diantha in June of 1931.

1928 MEETING THEIR FUTURE HUSBANDS

Based on letters written by Diantha, it does appear that the Valentine's Day of 1928 came around very shortly before the young women met their future spouses. Diantha wrote that they first encountered Robert and Win when the shipmates were on spring leave in Maine visiting Win's sister. Robert's service record supports this timeline, as it indicates that he had a 12-day-leave beginning April 30, 1928.  

1929 ELIZABETH & ROBERT MARRY

Proof of Elizabeth's residence as of Valentine's Day in 1929 has not yet been located, but it is suspected that she was already living in Lynn, Massachusetts, while Robert was still assigned to the USS Sturtevant. His service record shows he has a 14-day leave beginning July 6, and on the 8th day of July 1929, 16-year-old Elizabeth marries 24-year-old Robert Henry in Lynn. Their marriage license indicates they have a residence in Lynn, which is shared with Elizabeth's single brother, Tom, as well as their widowed mother, Eva.

1930 A NEW BABY BOY

By Valentine's Day 1930, Elizabeth has been married seven months, and is pregnant with her first child, a son, who will be born in May of this year. Robert is still in the Navy, but is given a five-day-leave shortly following the birth of his son, and then another 13-day-leave in August.

1931 THEIR ONLY VALENTINE'S DAY TOGETHER
.
In February of 1931, 18-year-old Elizabeth enjoys the 1st and only Valentine's Day that she will share with her new baby boy and his Father. She makes note of this date on a page in Little Robert's baby book (a gift from Diantha).

Robert has been "home" (in Massachusetts) since the middle of January 1931, having been given an Honorable Discharge from the Navy after four years of service to his country. This was the 1st time the new little family had all actually lived together under one roof. Sadly, they will have only one short year of familial togetherness before the dark cloud of death settles over their home.

Winter, a lingering season,
is a time to gather golden moments,
embark upon a sentimental journey,
and enjoy every idle hour.
~ John Boswell ~

1932 A NEW BABY GIRL

Elizabeth's new baby girl is two weeks old when Valentine's Day 1932 arrives, and in a perfect world, Elizabeth would be there holding her baby close, and kissing her rosy cheeks, and joyfully writing in the new baby book. But this happy scenario was not to be -- Elizabeth died 11 days prior to what would have been her 19th Valentine's Day. Her funeral is held in Lynn, with burial near her father at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco, Maine.

And for the season
it was winter . . .
~ William Bradford ~
Plymouth Plantation, 1640

And no one sees
A restless stranger through the morning stray
Across the sodden lawn, whose eyes
Are tired of weeping, in whose breast
A savage sun consumes its hidden day.
~ David Gascoyne (1916-2001) ~
Winter Garden

And in my mind
clematis climbs
and morning glories
do entwine.
Woodland phlox
and scarlet pinks
replace the frost
if I just blink.
My inner eye
sees past the snow
and in my mind
my garden grows.
~ Cheryl Magic-Lady ~
Winter Garden

Thomas Warren Alonzo Smith (1866-1920) and Eva May Brackett (1874-1936) are my great-grandparents. Their only daughter, Elizabeth Marilla Smith (1912-1932), married Robert E. Henry (1905-1976), and their baby girl is my Mom.

1920 :: T.W.A. Smith Hopelessly Ill Ends Life

On this date in our family history . . . the 12th day of February . . . in the year 1920 . . .

Thomas Warren Alonzo Smith, Sr. ends his own life at his home, 43 Prospect Street, in Biddeford Maine . . . this T.W.A. Smith is a great-grandpa of the Keeper of this family history blog . . .

Biddeford Daily Journal
Friday Evening, February 13, 1920
Page Eight.

T.W.A. SMITH HOPELESSLY ILL ENDS LIFE


Connected Tube to Gas Range
at Home on Prospect Street -
Was Dead When Found by Wife


Thomas Warren A. Smith, the landscape gardener and retired florist, during a short absence of his wife, asphyxiated himself with gas at his home, 43 Prospect street, Thursday afternoon, between 4 and 5 o'clock.


His lifeless body was found by his wife, sitting in a large easy chair, with gas escaping from a rubber tube, which was connected with the gas range in the kitchen and held close to his mouth. The end of the rubber tubing had been tied by Mr. Smith on his breast with the end about half an inch from his mouth. The end attached to the gas range had also been tied on, as Mr. Smith, who had made two other attempts to end his life, it is claimed, evidently wanted to make sure he would succeed this time.


Mrs. Smith left her husband in the home about 4 o'clock to come downtown and make purchases of food and articles for the family. When she returned she found all the doors leading to the house locked and her suspicions became aroused at once.


Hurrying to the home of ex-Councilman Daniel B. Finnell across the street, Mrs. Smith secured the loan of a shovel in order that she might remove some snow which prevented her getting a ladder which was under the barn. With the aid of the ladder Mrs. Smith was able to get into the house through a chamber room window on the second floor. When she went downstairs the odor of gas was very noticeable. Quickly opening her breath [sic], as the odor of gas was something terrible.


Quickly opening windows and shutting off the gas cock, Mrs. Smith went to her husband, who sat in a large easy chair in front of the range and one look satisfied her that he had been successful in taking his life.


Mrs. Finnell arrived at the house and she was followed by Carl Hall, also a neighbor, and Dr. J.F. Trull was called by telephone. The physician on his arrival found that Mr. Smith was beyond all aid. Medical Examiner Charles F. Trayneg was notified and after learning the facts of the case, concluded it was a case of suicide.

Mr. Smith had carefully planned taking his life, according to the way he arranged everything. He removed a shelf from the range and used papers to keep the rubber tubing from touching the stove. The end of the tubing was tied to the gas cock of the gas stove, while the other end was securely held with string on his breast so that the end would come close to his mouth and nose.


Incurable illness is given as the cause for the rash act. Mr. Smith suffered an attack of influenza 14 months ago and double pneumonia set in and his life was saved only by a hard battle, in which his kind and devoted wife took a prominent part. Heart trouble developed and his condition was such that it was plain to his many friends that he would not be able to do much more work. Only recently in talking with a friend he said he could walk but little and had to ride if he wanted to go any distance.


T.W.A. Smith was well known in the two cities and the news of his death was received with profound sorrow. He had made other unsuccessful attempts to end his life, by inhaling illuminating gas, while a revolver was taken from him only a few days ago.


Everybody has a good word for Mr. Smith. Friends knew that he was suffering physically and that everything was being done for him in the line of medical aid, but his condition could not be helped. 


He was prominent in Masonic and Odd Fellows circles and was a member of the First Baptist church. Mr. Smith was born in Lewiston 15th September 1866, and was the son of the late Atwood and J. Morilla Baker Smith. He received a public school education, and was employed in the Pepperell mills before entering the florist business.


He was located on Prospect street, next to his home, for many years. As a landscape gardener he was in great demand, especially at the Pool, and his work was always highly spoken of. He was affiliated with many organizations, among them Laconia lodge, I.O.O.F.; York Encampment, J. H. Dearborn canton, Mavoshen lodge, K. of P.; Dunlap Lodge of Masons, Squando Tribe, Improved Order of Red Men, and Simon S. Andrews camp, Sons of Veterans.


Mr. Smith is survived by his widow, one son, Thomas W. A. Smith, Jr., and one daughter, Miss Elizabeth M. Smith. The funeral will take place Sunday afternoon with services at 2 o'clock at the late home, 43 Prospect street. Relatives and friends are invited without further notice.

Wordless Wednesday :: Elizabeth Marilla

Tombstone Tuesday :: Snow at Laurel Hill Cemetery

This is a snowy view of the Smith burial plot and the area surrounding it in the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco, Maine . . . the snow photos were taken in March of 1998 . . . click on the photo to enlarge it . . .

Longfellow and Cleeves and Peaks Island

This post about Longfellow and Cleeves and Peaks Island is reposted here today for Bill West's Great American Local Poem Genealogy Challenge. Click > HERE < to find links to each of the blogs that participated in this challenge.

The story behind the 1987 movie, The Whales of August, was based on the memories of the author, David Berry . . . regarding time spent at the family cottage on Peaks Island . . . 

The water-themed postcards on this collage are images of Peaks Island . . . which is the most populated of the multiple islands that dot the surface of the waters of Casco Bay . . . clockwise from the upper left, the captions on these postcards are as follows --

• S.S. Merryconeac landing at Pier, Peaks Island, Me.
• General view of water front, Peak's Island, Maine
• The Steamboat Landing, Peaks Island
• On the float, Peaks Island, Me.

Based on the few words scribbled on the back of some old family photos, it seems apparent that my New England maternal kinfolk spent time on Peaks Island at least through the 1920s . . . the sepia-toned image in the lower right corner is a photo of my maternal grandma . . . the words on the back simply say, "Elizabeth and Beauty, Peaks Island, June 25, 1925."

Another photo from the same collection, dated the same day, is the black and white image towards the left which is simply inscribed with the date and the words . . . "5th Me." . . . when I first saw those words, I had no idea what they meant, or what the building in the photo was . . . but after a bit of detective work, I found that this is a photo of what is now known as the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum on Peaks Island . . . Elizabeth's maternal grandpa, Peter Brackett (1838-1927), had enlisted in Co. B of the Fifth Maine infantry in 1861 . . . 

Regarding Peaks Island itself, A history of Peaks Island and its people . . . by Nathan Goold (1897) says that --

The history of Peaks Island commences almost with the settlement of Portland, and perhaps before. . . . George Cleeve and Richard Tucker settled Portland in 1633 and built themselves a log house near the spot where the poet Longfellow was born in 1807. . . . In 1637, by a commission from Sir Fernando Gorges, for letting and settling of lands and the islands, Cleeve leased Pond (Peaks) Island to Michael Mitton for sixty years, and stated that the name should be Michael's Island for Mitton, who had married his daughter, Elizabeth Cleeve. . . .

George Cleeve is a 9th great-grandpa of our Elizabeth (1912-1932) . . . and his daughter, Elizabeth, and son-in-law, Michael Mitton, are our Elizabeth's 8th great-grandparents . . .





At a meeting held in Portland on Monday evening, February 27, 1882, the Maine Historical Society celebrated the seventh-fifth birthday of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow . . . it was the desire of the members that Mr. Longfellow himself might honor the Society by his presence on that occasion . . . but he was prevented by illness from attending . . . and he died less than a month later . . . 

The following is excerpted from a tribute read by James Phinney Baxter on that evening . . . I quote it here because it waxes poetic about the sea (water) as well as about our great-grandpa Cleeves --

. . . Dear Master let me take thy hand a space,
And lead thee gently wheresoe'er I may;
With the salt sea's cool breath upon thy face,
And in thine ears the music of the spray,
Which rapt in days agone thy sould away,
Where hung full low the golden fruit of truth,
Within the reach of thy aspiring youth.
Thou knowest well the place: here built George Cleeves
Almost two centuries before thy birth;
Here was his cornfield; here his lowly eaves
Sheltered the swallows, and around his hearth
The red men crouched, -- poor souls of little worth:
Thou with clear vision seest them, I know,
As they were in the flesh long years ago.

Surely the shrewd, persistent pioneer
Built better than he knew: he thought to build
A shelter for himself, his kith and gear;
But felled the trees, and grubbed and ploughed and tilled,
That in the course of time might be fulfilled
A wondrous purpose, being no less than this,
That here a poet might be born to bliss.

Ah! could he but have tracked adown the dim
Long, weary path of years, and stood to-day
with thee and me, how would the eyes of him
Have flashed with pride and joy to hear men say,
Here Cleeves built the first house in Casco Bay;
Here, too, was our Longfellow's place of birth,
And sooth, God sent his singers upon earth. . . .

Here will I bid thee, Master, fond good-by,
Wishing thee soul-health and full many a day
Of blissful living, ere thou mayest try
The scope of other joys. And now I may
This wreath from Deering's Woods, O Master! I lay
Upon thy brow. God speed thee while the sun
Shines on the faithful work which thou hast done!

It has been said that Longfellow used words to paint visions of the New England coast and its waters . . . a talent which is well illustrated in an unpublished passage of blank verse from his journal dated the 18th August 1847 --

O faithful, indefatigable tides,
That evermore upon God's errands go,
Now sea-ward, bearing tidings of the land,
Now land-ward, bearing tidings of the sea,
And filling every frith and estuary.
Each arm of the great sea, each little creek
Each thread and filament of water-courses,
Full with your ministration of delight!
Under the rafters of this wooden bridge
I see you come and go; sometimes in haste
To reach your journey's end, which being done
With feet unrested ye return again,
But recommence the never-ending task,
Patient, with whatever burdens ye may bear,
And fretted only by impending rocks.

Another Longfellow poem -- A Gleam of Sunshine -- simply states that . . .

This is the place. Stand still, my steed,
Let me review the scene,
And summon from the shadowy Past
The forms that once have been.
The Past and Present here unite
Beneath Time's flowing tide,
Like footprints hidden by a brook,
But seen on either side. . . .

P.S. To my ancestors and loved ones . . . see you on the other side . . .

P.P.S. Longfellow is my 5th cousin 6 times removed, i.e., my 10th great-grandmother, Elizabeth (Burbage) Wiswall (abt.1610 - aft.1664), is his 4th great-grandmother. My 10th great-grandfather, Thomas Wiswall (bef.1601 - 1683), is his 4th great-grandfather.

The above postcard collage . . . featuring postcards with a water theme . . . was originally prepared in August of 2009 for the 4th edition of Evelyn Yvonne Theriault's Festival of Postcards . . . 

Remembering Wendy

Wendy Jo Wager LeGault nee Trecartin
04 June 1963 ~ 19 November 2007
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LYNN, MA - Wendy Jo LeGault (Trecartin), age 44, of Lynn died of lung cancer at the Kaplan Family Hospice in Danvers, November 19, 2007. She was the wife of Richard LeGault.


Born and raised in Lynn, MA; she was the daughter of the late John H. Trecartin, Sr. and Marjorie V. Smith of Lynn. Wendy graduated from Lynn English High School and the North Shore Community College where she was on the Dean's List. She was employed as an accountant at Tech Pak in Peabody for several years, and most recently at the North Atlantic Lobster Company in Danvers.


In her youth, Wendy was an active member of the Girl's Club in Lynn. She loved riding her Harley throughout New England and she enjoyed watching scary movies. Her hobbies were gardening, crocheting and collecting figurines of ladybugs and Wizard of Oz memorabilia.


In addition to her husband and mother, Wendy is survived by five children, Amanda Wager of Baltimore, MD, Christopher Wager of Ft. Lewis, WA, Eric Wager and Richard LeGault, Jr. both of Lynn and Tiffany LeGault of Tennessee. She is also survived by three sisters, Kathy Weiskel of Adams, Susan Janice of Lynn and Tammy Culliver of Troy, AL: a brother John Trecartin, Jr. of Canyon Country, CA; her aunt Eileen Trecartin of Lynn and several nieces and nephews.

1899 :: Death of Jerusha Marilla

On this date in our family history . . . the 17th day of November . . . in the year 1899 . . . Jerusha Marilla Smith nee Barker dies in Biddeford, York County, Maine . . . and is laid to rest in the Greenwood Cemetery in Biddeford, York County, Maine . . . this Jerusha is the paternal grandma of Elizabeth Marilla Henry nee Smith (1912-1932) . . . who is the maternal grandma of the Keeper of this family history blog . . . Jerusha is a daughter of Timothy Barker and Jerusha Lakin Hobbs . . . on the 23rd day of December in the year 1857,at the age of 16, she became the bride of Atwood F. Smith in Biddeford, York County, Maine . . . they had at least two children who died before 1865, and then a 3rd child born in 1866, Thomas Warren Alonzo Smith (1866-1920), who is the father of Elizabeth . . .

1808 :: Wedding day of Phineas Merrill and Lucy Thurston

On or about this date in our family history . . . somewhere in Maine . . . on the 21st (or 23rd) day of October . . . in the year 1808 . . . Miss Lucy Thurston (1791-1821) becomes the bride of Phineas Merrill (1787-1865) . . . their son, William Thurston Merrill, (1816-1898) is the paternal grandpa of Eva Mae (1874-1936) . . . who is the mother of Elizabeth Marilla Henry nee Smith (1912-1932) . . . who is the maternal grandma of the Keeper of this family history blog . . .