This Is The Face Of Genealogy

Four Generations - My grandfather Fred Moore, my great great grandmother Jennie Cole, my great grandmother Blanche Purdy Moore, my dad's sister Yvonne Moore
 

The Sixth Generation

Thanks to Thomas at Geneabloggers for the idea to respond to LA Weekly in such a positive way.

Sepia Saturday #65 - The Pride of St. Paul



Cliff and Martha Purdy - St Paul, Minnesota, c.1940


This Sepia Saturday photo is of J. Clifford and his wife Martha (Block) Purdy. On the back of the photo is written, "The Pride of St. Paul" and it is stamped, "Ellsworth Purdy Photography". Without my knowledge of Cliff's ties to Minnesota (he was born there), the inscription would have been confusing since Cliff and Martha lived in Seattle, Washington. Many of Cliff's Purdy relatives were still back in Minnesota, so this may have been taken during a road trip out to visit them. I am not sure about the year it was taken. I would guess it is between 1935-1945. Does anyone recognize the car?
I love the unusual design of the photo and Cliff's "style"!
Cliff was the brother of my great grandmother Blanche Purdy Moore. Unfortunately, this much-loved couple didn't have any children, so I have inherited many photos of them. The uniqueness of this one makes it my favorite.

(Sepia Saturday is a blogging prompt to encourage bloggers to post their old photos with written commentary. The photos don't have to be sepia. Please visit the link for more fabulous SS posts.)

A Boy and His Dog

For Sepia Saturday this week I am posting this photo of Daniel "Eddie" Purdy and his dog from c.1896.  Eddie (the brother of my great grandmother Blanche) was born on March 5, 1886 in Minnesota to Jennie (Cole) and Jonathan Edward Purdy. His father tragically died in 1893 and in 1904 Eddie and his family moved to Everett, Washington. I had heard stories that he had died young, but it took me quite a long time to finally find his death certificate, on which he is incorrectly listed as Edward Purdy. From it I learned that on January 17, 1907 his body was found on Getchell Hill in Marysville, WA. He had apparently suffered a fatal heart attack at the young age of 20. Strangely, his death record lists his deceased father's name, but his mother is listed as unknown. Since he was living with her at the time of his death this is surprising. My best guess is that Jennie could not afford to bury him, so she was not able to claim the body. What a sad ending to a once promising young life.
P.S. Check out the size of his feet!

Dressed up like cowboys c.1910

"Cliff Purdy and Uncle Lou" 

The back of this photo that I inherited from my Great Aunt Gladys (by way of my Aunt Yvonne) says, "Cliff Purdy and Uncle Lou". Cliff (on the right) was Gladys' and my great grandmother Blanche's brother. His real name was Jonathan Clifford Purdy, but everyone always called him Cliff. He was born on April 17, 1892 in Minnesota to Jonathan Edward Purdy and Jennie Cole Purdy. Jennie was raised by her Cole grandparents and grew up with her uncle Lewis Fredrick Cole. I believe that Lewis is the "Uncle Lou" in the photo (on the left). He was extremely close to Jennie and it has been said that he considered her his sister rather than his niece. Since Cliff's father died shortly after his birth and Lewis never had any children of his own, it is not hard to imagine that Cliff may have also enjoyed a close relationship with his (great) uncle. Lewis was born on June 4, 1855 in New York -the last child of Asa Cole and Mary Eastman. He lived in many different places during his life, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Washington.

Since this Real Photo postcard has AZO and four triangles pointing up where the stamp is to be placed, it must be from between 1904-1918. Only in the 1910 Federal Census were both Lewis and Cliff living in Washington State, so that timeframe fits nicely. There is no photographer stamp, so I have nothing else substantial to go on to place an exact date for this photo. I did find other "fake cowboy" photos from 1910 and, in one, the men were even wearing fuzzy pants just like Cliff is wearing here. In 1910 Cliff would have been 18 and Lewis would have been 55, which looks about right, so I will tentatively date the photo then.

I wonder if they were at a fair or just went to a studio to have their photo taken for fun. Cliff (like his mother)obviously enjoyed having his picture taken since I have inherited so many of him, including a number of other Real Photo postcards. It is funny to me that they pretended to be cowboys. Lewis had, no doubt, experienced many real adventure while moving West along the frontier, yet he apparently still enjoyed a good game of dress-up (or, maybe, he just wanted to please his favorite nephew)!

Happy Sepia Saturday!

My Family and their Cars #11: c.1921

Jack and Fred Moore with Jennie Cole Kint Purdy Phelps in background

Fred is my grandfather and Jennie is my great great grandmother. The boys were born in 1908 and 1909, so that should help to date this photo. Any ideas?

Norie and her eagle-eyed husband pointed out that the license plate says 21 and that this may be a 1921 Packard. Thanks for the great tips!

My Family and their Cars #10: c.1937 Packard

Cliff Purdy (brother of my ggrandmother Blanche) and his BIL George Roberts

Gladys Phelps Roberts, sister of Cliff and Blanche Purdy (my ggrandmother)

My Family and their Cars #9: Late 1920s Packard

Cliff and Martha (Block) Purdy

Cliff was the brother of my great grandmother Blanche Purdy Moore. This is probably somewhere in or around Seattle. Notice the old Coke sign behind the car.

Thanks again to Norie and her hubby for the hints!

Wordless Wednesday: Four Generations, A Narrow Window of Opportunity - c.1934

A Narrow Window of Opportunity

L to R: Fred Moore (1908-1997), Jennie Cole Purdy Phelps (1864-1950), Yvonne Moore (1934-   ), Blanche Purdy Moore (1888-1935)

Tombstone Tuesday: Calamity Jennie

"Mamma" Jennie Cole Kint Purdy Phelps (1864-1950)

Because I wrote about Jennie yesterday, I have been thinking about her difficult life.  So, I decided to continue and tell more of her story today.  (Some of the following is supported by documents, while some has come down through family letters and stories and still needs corroborating evidence.)

As mentioned in yesterday's post, Jennie grew up without a father. Sadly, throughout her long life, she was forced to endure many more losses of the men to whom she was closest.

On January 5, 1882, Jennie married Sylvester Kint in Buchanan, Iowa and moved to Huron, South Dakota.  She quickly became pregnant with her first child, Pearl May. Heartbreakingly, the young father-to-be drank bad water while out hunting and died in 1883 before his daughter was born, making Jennie a widow at 19. Just like Jennie, Pearl was a little girl without a father. History appears to have further repeated itself when Pearl was, apparently, left behind to be raised by her paternal grandparents. Since we don't have the 1890 Federal Census, it is difficult to know for sure, but it seems that Pearl stayed in South Dakota, while her mother moved to Minnesota. Judging by what transpired later, it may have been the best place for the young Pearl.

Jennie, Courtesy Patty Wilson

Next, Jennie married Jonathan E. Purdy on May 7, 1885 in Hubbard, Minnesota. They had three children - Daniel Edward "Eddie" (b.1886) , Blanche (b.1888- my great grandmother) and Jonathan Clifford "Cliff" (b.1892). Calamity then struck again. According to a family letter, Jonathan had a cold in early January 1893. Jennie, eager to care for her husband, grabbed the tonic from the cupboard and gave it to him. Tragically, the "tonic" was actually horse liniment, which ate away the lining of his stomach from the inside. As one can imagine, he died an excruciating death a few days later on January 14, leaving Jennie alone, once again, to care for their young children.

At some point around 1895, Jennie married again to a horse trainer (hmmm...?) named William Phelps and moved to Devil's Lake, North Dakota, where her daughter Hazel was born on April 9, 1896. They must not have stayed there long because their daughter Gladys was born back in Minnesota on April 27, 1898 and the blended family was enumerated in Hubbard, Minnesota in the 1900 Federal Census. It is unclear exactly what happened next, but the family says that William was not kind to Jennie's older children and went so far as to break Eddie's arm.  Apparently, at this, Jennie ordered him out of the house and away from the family. She then took her children (except Pearl) and moved to Washington State in 1904, where she lived the rest of her life.

Unhappily, fate had two more painful blows to deal to my great great grandmother.  On May 17, 1907, her oldest son Daniel Edward Purdy dropped dead of a heart attack at only 20 years old. Then years later, shockingly, on August 18, 1935, Jennie's daughter Blanche Purdy Moore was run down by a speeding car in Seattle.

Jennie and a descendant

The years took their toll and after a very long and challenging life, Jennie died at the age of 86 on November 24, 1950. She is buried next to her daughter Gladys Phelps Roberts at the Evergreen Washelli Cemetery in Seattle, remembered with the word "Mamma" on her marker. Jennie has definitely left a legacy behind. Today, a number of her descendants are fascinated by her and her remarkable life, investing countless hours in the hope of knowing her better.

Jennie, Courtesy Patty Wilson