A little more detail. Dad's Uncle Edwin, who was really Dad's great-grandmother's youngest half-brother, lived with his wife Irene, in the sweet house seen in the pictures in South Ashfield on Williamsburg Road, on the way towards the house where Aunt Pat and Uncle Art now live. Uncle Edwin and Grandma Murphy were very close, and Dad visited there all the time when he was growing up. That same house now belongs to Peg McGuire - the mother of Caleb's friends Pat and Josh McGuire - and she lives there with Brian McGuire, who was Dad's business partner when we lived in Ashfield. Dad visited Brian earlier this month for help building a walnut countertop, and got to spend the night in his Uncle Edwin's workshop, which is now Peg's guest cottage. The world is so small and intimately interwoven that it's hard to say whether it's absurd or miraculous, or both.
Here's the genealogy, from an old book online called "History and Genealogy of the Families of Chesterfield." Henry Augustus was Dad's great-great-grandfather, who married Mary Ford who was descended from a Seneca Indian. Lucia, number 25, was Dad's great-grandmother. Her daughter Clara Twining was Grandma Murphy's mother. Uncle Edwin is all the way down at the bottom, number 36. Lucia was made his guardian after his parents died.
19. HENRY AUGUSTUS8 WEEKS (Hezekiah7, Ebenezer6, Hezekiah5, William4, John3, William2, George1), b. 23 Oct. 1840, d. in Chesterfield, 6 Oct. 1915; m. (1) 8 May 1864, Mary Ann Ford of Clarence, N. Y., a granddaughter of Yellow Jacket, a famous Indian Chief of western New York. She d. 9 July 1884. He m. (2) 17 Dec. 1886, Flora E. Brown, ae. 21, b. in Montague (or Williamsburg), dau. of Lyman and Ellen (Lovett) Brown. She d. 13 Jan. 1926, ae. 56-11-13.
The homestead in Chesterfield consisted of 52 acres, formerly called the "Tilden Place". The life story of Henry Weeks, written by members of his family, has been given to Chesterfield Museum library; tells of Civil War experiences as an infantry soldier and on the hospital ship; of later schooling at Eastman College in Poughkeepsie; a butcher shop in Buffalo; his return to Indian Hollow in 1876. There he bought land, deflected the Dead Branch to form a millpond, set up a shop to make small paring knives. Later, he acquired a whetstone quarry on the Ames farm and began to make "Old Norwich Scythe Stones". In his shop he also made sap spouts and made repairs on wagons and sleds. Later he had a store; made weekly trips to Huntington and did errands for customers along the way. A busy and useful life is described in detail. Children: 25. Lucia M., b. 18 Feb. 1878; m. in Huntington, 7 Jan. 1896, George D. Twining of Otis, son of William B. and Elenor V. (Herrick) Twining. She m. (2) 23 Aug. 1906, Frederick Lyman Keyes of Conway and died there, 25 July 1947. She was made guardian, in 1915, of her three youngest half-brothers and her half-sister. 26. Joel Henry, b. 1 Mar. 1880, d. 1 July 1886; drowned while playing along the stream. 27. Wilson Hezekiah, b. 2 Feb. 1882; attended the South Worthington Academy and Eastman College; m. Barbara Lewis; returned home, bought a farm near his father's but, after a few years, returned to Poughkeepsie with his wife and son, who both died and are buried there in Rural Cemetery. The son, Elwin Theodore, was b. in Chesterfield, 18 May 1906.
Page 399
Page 400
Children by second wife: 28. Susan Flora, b. 13 June 1887; m. in Huntington, 2 June 1903, William Damon. 29. Sarah May, b. 7 July 1889; named changed to Alice Sarah; m. ........ Werkeiser; res. Carlsbad, California. 30. Orrin Oliver, b. 23 Feb. 1892; rem. to Boston, later to Poughkeepsie, N. Y.; m. (1) Mareta Lewis; m. (2) Myra Willson Holly, who wrote the "Henry Weeks of Indian Hollow" referred to above; res. Poughkeepsie. 31. Eva Olive, b. 3 Dec. 1894, d. 12 June 1896. 32. William Henry, b. 6 Sept. 1896; res. Holyoke; m. 27 June 1921, Rachel (Aldrich) Damon, widow of Nathan Damon (No. 137). 33. James Albert, b. 22 Feb. 1899; m. Gladys Parker of Conway; res. Conway. 34. Anna Martina, b. 10 Sept. 1901; m. Clifford Hamm; res. Colton, California. 35. Mary Ellen, b. 6 May 1904; res. Springfield. 36. Edwin Eli, called Eli, b. 28 Oct. 1905; m. 18 May 1931, Irene Hattie Bush, b. in Conway, dau. of Orville and Ethel (Clark) Bush; res. South Ashfield.
Edwin and Irene were a big part of my childhood. On Thanksgiving and Christmas we waited for them and Grandpa Koeber to arrive. Grandma Koeber died before I was born, and Grandpa Koeber would go to Edwin and Irene's for his meals. Edwin built the addition on 296 Bridge Road before I was born. Edwin was a master craftsman. Brian and I marveled at pictures of the construction of the South Ashfield house, realizing that he built the whole thing himself with a hammer and a handsaw. No nail guns. Sadly, my father had a falling out with Irene over something to do with him asking Edwin to do some work. the few times I saw them when we lived in Ashfield were awkward.
Well, gracious. I did a little Googling and what did I find but a website for Henry Augustus Weeks' old home in Indian Hollow in Chesterfield, complete with a little history of Henry's experiences in the Civil War. The house looks like heaven in the wilderness and can apparently be rented for a vacation visit. Maybe sometime for a family gathering!
8 comments:
A little more detail. Dad's Uncle Edwin, who was really Dad's great-grandmother's youngest half-brother, lived with his wife Irene, in the sweet house seen in the pictures in South Ashfield on Williamsburg Road, on the way towards the house where Aunt Pat and Uncle Art now live. Uncle Edwin and Grandma Murphy were very close, and Dad visited there all the time when he was growing up. That same house now belongs to Peg McGuire - the mother of Caleb's friends Pat and Josh McGuire - and she lives there with Brian McGuire, who was Dad's business partner when we lived in Ashfield. Dad visited Brian earlier this month for help building a walnut countertop, and got to spend the night in his Uncle Edwin's workshop, which is now Peg's guest cottage. The world is so small and intimately interwoven that it's hard to say whether it's absurd or miraculous, or both.
Here's the genealogy, from an old book online called "History and Genealogy of the Families of Chesterfield." Henry Augustus was Dad's great-great-grandfather, who married Mary Ford who was descended from a Seneca Indian. Lucia, number 25, was Dad's great-grandmother. Her daughter Clara Twining was Grandma Murphy's mother. Uncle Edwin is all the way down at the bottom, number 36. Lucia was made his guardian after his parents died.
19. HENRY AUGUSTUS8 WEEKS (Hezekiah7, Ebenezer6, Hezekiah5, William4, John3, William2, George1), b. 23 Oct. 1840, d. in Chesterfield, 6 Oct. 1915; m. (1) 8 May 1864, Mary Ann Ford of Clarence, N. Y., a granddaughter of Yellow Jacket, a famous Indian Chief of western New York. She d. 9 July 1884. He m. (2) 17 Dec. 1886, Flora E. Brown, ae. 21, b. in Montague (or Williamsburg), dau. of Lyman and Ellen (Lovett) Brown. She d. 13 Jan. 1926, ae. 56-11-13.
The homestead in Chesterfield consisted of 52 acres, formerly called the "Tilden Place". The life story of Henry Weeks, written by members of his family, has been given to Chesterfield Museum library; tells of Civil War experiences as an infantry soldier and on the hospital ship; of later schooling at Eastman College in Poughkeepsie; a butcher shop in Buffalo; his return to Indian Hollow in 1876. There he bought land, deflected the Dead Branch to form a millpond, set up a shop to make small paring knives. Later, he acquired a whetstone quarry on the Ames farm and began to make "Old Norwich Scythe Stones". In his shop he also made sap spouts and made repairs on wagons and sleds. Later he had a store; made weekly trips to Huntington and did errands for customers along the way. A busy and useful life is described in detail.
Children:
25. Lucia M., b. 18 Feb. 1878; m. in Huntington, 7 Jan. 1896, George D. Twining of Otis, son of William B. and Elenor V. (Herrick) Twining. She m. (2) 23 Aug. 1906, Frederick Lyman Keyes of Conway and died there, 25 July 1947. She was made guardian, in 1915, of her three youngest half-brothers and her half-sister.
26. Joel Henry, b. 1 Mar. 1880, d. 1 July 1886; drowned while playing along the stream.
27. Wilson Hezekiah, b. 2 Feb. 1882; attended the South Worthington Academy and Eastman College; m. Barbara Lewis; returned home, bought a farm near his father's but, after a few years, returned to Poughkeepsie with his wife and son, who both died and
are buried there in Rural Cemetery. The son, Elwin Theodore, was b. in Chesterfield, 18 May 1906.
Page 399
Page 400
Children by second wife:
28. Susan Flora, b. 13 June 1887; m. in Huntington, 2 June 1903, William Damon.
29. Sarah May, b. 7 July 1889; named changed to Alice Sarah; m.
........ Werkeiser; res. Carlsbad, California.
30. Orrin Oliver, b. 23 Feb. 1892; rem. to Boston, later to Poughkeepsie, N. Y.; m. (1) Mareta Lewis; m. (2) Myra Willson Holly, who wrote the "Henry Weeks of Indian Hollow" referred to above; res. Poughkeepsie.
31. Eva Olive, b. 3 Dec. 1894, d. 12 June 1896.
32. William Henry, b. 6 Sept. 1896; res. Holyoke; m. 27 June 1921, Rachel (Aldrich) Damon, widow of Nathan Damon (No. 137).
33. James Albert, b. 22 Feb. 1899; m. Gladys Parker of Conway; res. Conway.
34. Anna Martina, b. 10 Sept. 1901; m. Clifford Hamm; res. Colton, California.
35. Mary Ellen, b. 6 May 1904; res. Springfield.
36. Edwin Eli, called Eli, b. 28 Oct. 1905; m. 18 May 1931, Irene Hattie Bush, b. in Conway, dau. of Orville and Ethel (Clark) Bush; res. South Ashfield.
How did Luke get in that old timey picture?
Duh. He was photoshopped.
Edwin and Irene were a big part of my childhood. On Thanksgiving and Christmas we waited for them and Grandpa Koeber to arrive. Grandma Koeber died before I was born, and Grandpa Koeber would go to Edwin and Irene's for his meals. Edwin built the addition on 296 Bridge Road before I was born. Edwin was a master craftsman. Brian and I marveled at pictures of the construction of the South Ashfield house, realizing that he built the whole thing himself with a hammer and a handsaw. No nail guns. Sadly, my father had a falling out with Irene over something to do with him asking Edwin to do some work. the few times I saw them when we lived in Ashfield were awkward.
Laura: that's exactly what I said. However, I think it's time travel, not Photoshop.
Well, gracious. I did a little Googling and what did I find but a website for Henry Augustus Weeks' old home in Indian Hollow in Chesterfield, complete with a little history of Henry's experiences in the Civil War. The house looks like heaven in the wilderness and can apparently be rented for a vacation visit. Maybe sometime for a family gathering!
http://glowroom.weebly.com/glow-room.html
Laura, Edwin built that big wooden hope chest that Claire gave to you and is now at the lake waiting for you to have room for it.
Post a Comment