Friday's Faces From The Past: Hattie & Olive

2x-Great-Grandmother Olive Feener and her sister Hattie were born in New Canada, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia to Henry Feener and Mary Ellen Smith. Hattie was the oldest, born on June 14, 1872. Olive was their next child, born on Nov. 11, 1877. Hattie went on to marry Avard Lowe while Olive married first William C. Wentzell and later Harvey Dennis Monroe. Hattie eventually passed away on Oct. 6, 1920. Olive passed away on May 2, 1963. 

In the photograph, Hattie has a ring on her left hand and I believe this to be her wedding ring. Therefore, I suspect that this photograph was taken some time between Aug. 7, 1886 (the date of Hattie's marriage) and Hattie's death.

Hattie (Feener) Lowe (Seated). Olive (Feener) Monroe (Standing).

Copyright © 2015, David J. McRae

52 Ancestors Challenge 2015 (#3): Maud M. (Monroe) McRae

Maud M. (Monroe) McRae 

(July 13, 1902 - November 9, 1988) 

Great-grandmother Maud M. Monroe was born on July 13, 1902 in Riversdale, Nova Scotia to Harvey Dennis Monroe and Olive Feener. She was named after her aunt (her mother's sister), Maud May (Feener) (Silver) Abbe. Maud was the last of three children.

Around 1905, Maud, along with her parents and her older siblings, Lemuel and Elsie, left Nova Scotia for the United States of America. They settled in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where Harvey worked as coal miner. Around 1909, they left Wilkes-Barre and moved to Brockton, Massachusetts. They traveled from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts by train and met Theodore Roosevelt during the trip. Upon arriving in Brockton, the family first made their home on Wheeler Ave, before relocating to Palmer Ave shortly afterwards.

On May 1st, 1920, it was announced that Maud was to marry Frederick Joseph McRae. At the time, Maud was working as a shoe operator. The marriage took place on May 29, 1920 at 71 East Main Street in Brockton. The couple moved to 77 Wheeler Ave in Brockton. On June 21st, 1921, Maud gave birth to her and Frederick's only child, a son named Clayton Joseph McRae (later called Clayton Frederick McRae). The birth was complicated. Maud was in labor but the doctor had not yet arrived. In order to stall the birth, the nurse present crossed Maude's legs in order to delay the birth. This resulted in lifelong complications for Maud. Her mind slowed down mentally, almost to that of a child.

Maud continued to live with Fred after Clayton's birth until 1923. Maud and Fred eventually separated, with Maud moving back in with her parents. Fred and Maud divorced in 1929. Clayton continued to visit Maud now and again until the mid 1940's, when he stopped visiting her altogether. During this time, Clayton married Barbara Rust in February of 1939 and had a son, Clayton William Frederick McRae, born November 17, 1939. Eventually, he left Barbara and married Lois Faxon Chester in November of 1945. He had a second son, Frederick Chester McRae, on October 2, 1946. Unfortunately, Maud never met either of her grandchildren nor did she meet the six children Clayton had with his third wife, Ruth Agnes Cockayne.

Maud's father Harvey passed away suddenly on January 8, 1948 eating a chocolate while listening to Amos n' Andy.

Every now and again, Maud played the piano and sang. She was a talented piano player with a lovely singing voice. Rarely did Maud leave the house, never going beyond the yard of the house. Her mother, Elsie, and her niece Olive would go to the movies on Saturday while Maud stayed home.

On May 2, 1963, Maud's mother passed away at the age of eighty-five. Following her death, Maud moved to the Village Rest Home at 197 West Chestnut St, Brockton. Maud eventually moved into the Woodridge House Nursing Home, where she remained until her death on November 9, 1988. Her funeral took place at eleven o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, November 22, 1988 at South Easton Cemetery, South Easton, with Rev. Stephen Wayles officiating. Maud was buried alongside her parents.

Friday's Faces From The Past: Harvey Dennis Monroe

Harvey Dennis Monroe

2x-great-grandfather Harvey Dennis Monroe was born on March 10, 1873 in Annapolis, Nova Scotia to William Monroe and Mary.

On December 13, 1897, he married Olive Feener in Clementsport, Annapolis, Nova Scotia. The went on to have three children, Lemuel, Maud, and Elsie Jean.

In the mid 1900's, Harvey and his family left Nova Scotia for America. They first settled in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where Harvey worked as a coal miner. Around 1909, they left Wilkes-Barre for Brockton, Massachusetts. They travelled from Wilkes-Barre to Brockton via train, where they met Theodore Roosevelt. Upon arriving in Brockton, they first settled on Wheeler Ave before moving to Plamer Street shortly afterwards. They eventually left Palmer Street in the early 1920's, moving to Myrtle Street. Harvey moved for a final time at the end of the 1920's, moving to 39 Lincoln Road, where he remained until his death.

Over the years, Harvey had a variety of occupations, including coal miner, chef, clerk, salesman, restaurant proprietor, and owner of Brockton Ice & Coal.

Harvey passed away suddenly on January 8, 1948 at his home, eating a chocolate while listening to Amos n' Andy. His funeral was conducted on January 11 from the funeral home located at 81 Green St, Brockton. Interment was in South Easton Cemetery, South Easton, Massachusetts.

Copyright © 2015, David J. McRae

Remembering The Family (Sentimental Sunday): Olive Bryan Remembers My 2x-Great-Grandmother

Olive Florence (Feener) Monroe

The following is an e-mail composed May 26, 2015 by Olive Bryan about what she remembers about my great-great-grandmother, Olive (Feener) Monroe. Olive Monroe was Olive Bryan's grandmother. 

"she grew morning glories all year round in her living room with fishing-wire attached to the curtain rod.  they always amazed me.  she would always plant her garbage around her 3 apple trees every day.  she had beautiful apples.  we would go out for lunch every Saturday and go to the movies after.  she had very long hair that she would roll up so that it looked short.  there was a fireplace in her house that she hid with her couch because when she lived in Nova Scotia she was in charge of putting wood on the fire and cleaning it out after.  She got sick of doing it so she hid it.   she was tall and didn't have arthritis and stood very straight.  she always wore a butterfly pin on her coat.  I have the pin.  she always had fresh donuts and molasses cookies in her house waiting for me.  I would stop in her house on the way home from school and climb her apple trees and eat a cookie."

A special thanks to Olive for doing this for me!

Copyright © 2015, David J. McRae

Friday's Faces of the Past: Lemuel & Alice's Wedding

Some time in the 1940's, my great-grandmother's brother, Lemuel Monroe, wed Alice B. Phillips. The photo above is from their wedding day, taken outside of the church. It was given to me by my cousin and great-grandmother's niece, Olive Bryan.

Standing at the very front of the photo are the bride and bridegroom.

Standing on the far left is my great-great-grandmother (Lemuel's mother), Olive (Feener) Monroe.

Standing in the very back (the only man in the photo with a hat on) is Olive's husband, Lemuel's father, and my great-great-grandfather, Harvey D. Monroe.

Standing to the far right is Lemuel's first cousin-in-law (the daughter-in-law of Olive Monroe's late sister), Flora (Bruhm) Lowe.

Standing directly behind Alice and Lemuel is Lemuel's half-brother (Olive Monroe's son from her first marriage), William Wentzell.

Copyright © 2015, David J. McRae

Friday's Faces From The Past: Olive Florence (Feener) Monroe

Olive Monroe's photograph from her certificate of naturalization.
(October 1945)

Olive Monroe was my great-great-grandmother. Born on November 11, 1877 in New Canada, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, she was the daughter of Henry Feener, a farmer, and Mary Ellen Smith. She grew up on a farm in New Germany with older sister Hattie, younger sister Maud May, and younger brother, James Lemuel. 

She married twice, the first to William C. Wentzell on September 19, 1892 in New Canada, and the second to Harvey Dennis Monroe on December 13, 1897 in Clementsport, Annapolis, Nova Scotia. She had four children, William N. Wentzell (born 1895), Lemuel Raymond Monroe (b. 1898), Elsie Jean Monroe (b. 1900/1901), and Maud M. Monroe (b. 1902). 

In the early 1900's (after the birth of Maud), Olive and her family left Nova Scotia and immigrated to the United States, first residing in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and later Brockton, Massachusetts, where Olive would remain until her death on May 2, 1963. She became a naturalized citizen of the United States on October 19, 1945 at the age of sixty-six.

Copyright © 2015, David J. McRae

Royal Connection? A Possible Relation to King Henry VIII

Yesterday, I went with my cousin, Olive Bryan, and her husband, Joe, to South Easton Cemetery to visit a few ancestral graves. On our way back from the cemetery, Olive and I were talking about various things when the subject of King Henry VIII came up.

Olive told me that her brother Harold (now deceased) did a bit of research on the family tree and traced him and Olive back to King Henry VIII. I assumed Olive meant that he traced this back through their father's side (Olive and I are related through her mother) but she told me that it was their mother's side he found this on. She told me that he had this all written down in his notes at one point. She also told me that someone (I believe it was either her mother or Harold) used to tell her that they got their appetite from King Henry VIII.

Because this possible relation is through Olive's mother Elsie, that means that if this were true, I am related to King Henry VIII as well.

King Henry VIII was born on June 28, 1491 in the Palace of Placentia, Greenwich, London, England to King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. He died on January 28, 1547 in the Palace of Whitehall, London. During his lifetime, King Henry VIII had six wives, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. Of the six, he had three children: Mary I of England (with Catherine of Aragon), Elizabeth I of England (with Anne Boleyn), and Edward VI of England (with Jane Seymour). In addition to these three children, he also had an illegitimate child, Henry FitzRoy, with Elizabeth Blount.

Mary died on November 17, 1558, aged forty-two. At the time of her death, she was married  to Phillip II of Spain. The marriage produced no children. She was survived by a stepson, Carlos, Prince of Asturias, whom died unmarried almost ten years later. Elizabeth I died on March 24, 1603, aged sixty-nine. Edward passed away July 6, 1553, aged fifteen. Both died unmarried and childless. Henry FitzRoy died on July 23, 1536, aged seventeen. Though married at the time of his death, he produced no children.

There is no chance that I, Olive, Harold, or Elsie are descendants of King Henry VIII because any and all children of King Henry died childless. However, it may be possible that that connection to King Henry VIII is through someone else. Henry did have siblings. What became of them I do not know at the moment but it is very possible that the connection to King Henry is through one of them. Another possible connection is through Henry VIII's royal court. It is very well possible that we descend someone who was a part of Henry's royal court.

Whether there is some sort of connection to King Henry VIII is unknown right now. Harold was pretty confident there was. (How I wish I could get a hold of his notes.) The connection stems from ancestors who hailed from Nova Scotia. Researching in Nova Scotia and Canada in general is extremely difficult due to the limit of available records. Whether I'll ever find out for sure if there really is a connection to King Henry VIII is uncertain. But for now, I carry on with my research and await to what discoveries the future might bring.

Copyright © 2015, David J. McRae

May 19, 2015: A Rainy Visit to South Easton Cemetery

Today, I went with Olive (Leonard) Bryan, and her husband, Joe, to South Easton Cemetery in South Easton, Massachusetts. Olive is my first cousin, 2x removed. Her mother, Elsie Jean (Monroe) Leonard, and my great-grandmother, Maud M. (Monroe) McRae, were sisters.

South Easton Cemetery is where Maud, Elsie, their parents, Harvey D. Monroe and Olive Florence Feener, and Elsie's husband, George Harold Leonard, are buried.

Also buried in the cemetery are James Lemuel Feener (Maud and Elsie's brother), his wife Rosella Douglas, and Olive Monroe's sister, Maud May (Feener) Abbe (who was the namesake for my great-grandmother).

While I was there, I photographed the Monroe grave, where Maud, Harvey, and Olive are buried, as well as the Leonard grave, where George and Elsie are buried. Despite the weather, it was still nice to be able to visit their graves. Thank you Olive and Joe for bringing me along!

Copyright © 2015, David J. McRae