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GRANT/LILLEY FAMILY REUNION – Part 5

Going through the three pages of names, I decided to research each family in the order they appear on the list, and try to determine just how they are related to each other and to me. This required searching a number of different genealogical sites and sources, as many of the families were unfamiliar to me.

We have turned the page and are now on Page 2 of the Grant & Lilley Family Reunion Guest List. Who and/or what will we encounter here.

21. Mr. O. B. Porter

We first learned of Mr. O. B. Porter of Houlton on the last Blog – he was the professional photographer who attended the Reunion and took what I believe was the photograph that hung on the wall of my grandparents sitting room.

Oscar Bryan Porter was born on 13th of February 1885, the son of Leonard & Nellie Melvina (Rand) Porter. He was the oldest of eleven children, all born in the area around Island Falls, Aroostook County. Oscar B. Porter has no direct personal connection to the Grant or Lilley family, he can be thought of as simply the photographer, who was hired to take the group photograph.

However, he did have a connection to both the Grant and Lilley family through his wife, Emily Inez (Robinson) Porter. She was the 2nd cousin of Lewis Leavitt and his wife Pauline (Soule) Leavitt. They also attended the reunion and are listed on the guest list as family #3. It makes you wonder if this connection is why he was chosen as the group photographer.

Although Emily did not attend the reunion with her husband and his assistant, she is related to me indirectly through her Lilly and Grant Ancestors.

Emily Inez Robinson was born the 6th of November 1886 in Sherman, Aroostook County. She was the daughter of Cyrus Elmer and Martha Edwina (Leavitt) Robinson. Her mother, Martha Edwina was the 2nd cousin of Lewis Leavitt. Emily married Oscar on 8th of October 1905 in Island Falls, Aroostook. They were the parents of five children: Nathaniel, Halbert, Sadie, Laureston and Quenton. It appears that neither Emily or any of the children attended the reunion, as they do not appear on the guest list.

It was after the reunion, but on 31st of May 1926, Oscar B. Porter married Ina Ellen Hand, his photographic assistant.

22. Mr & Mrs. Asa Hall

I recognized this name on the guest list immediately. I have done quite a bit of family research on Mr. and Mrs. Hall. You see, Mrs. Asa (Hannah) Hall is the former Miss Hannah Gardner, my 2nd Great-grandaunt. The daughter of George Washington and Tabitha (Roberts) Gardner, the younger sister of my 2nd Great-grandfather, John Henry Gardner. Asa, her second husband was Hannah’s 1st cousin. He is the son of Samuel and Mary Lee (Roberts) Hall. His mother, Mary Lee is the younger sister of Tabitha. Hannah is one of the closest relatives I have that attended the reunion, yet I have and her connection to the Grant / Lilley family currently is through her 2nd husband, Asa Redington Hall. He is my 1st cousin 4times removed. I have a feeling that Hannah is also directly related to the Lilley family, and I’m actively searching for a connection, but in the mean time, I’ll settle for her being the wife of Asa Redington Hall.

Asa Redington Hall was born on 23rd of September 1851 in Unity, Waldo, Maine. He was the 4th child and 2nd son of Samuel Hall and his second wife, Mary Lee (Roberts) Hall. When Asa was born the Hall family consisted of the 4 children of Samuel and his 1st wife, Harriet, along with Asa’s older sister, Martha Matilda . An older brother, John Quincy Adams Hall and older sister Hannah P. Hall had unfortunately not survived.

Asa was 14 years old when his mother passed away, leaving Asa to strike out on his own. Although no exact date has been found yet, on the 1880 US Federal Census, Asa is listed as HEAD of the family with his wife Nina A. Hall. She was the former Nina A. Randall, daughter of William Randall and Lavonia Longly Clough. By 1900, the couple and their son, Irwin Eldrich, had relocated to Dyer Brook, Aroostook County where Asa bought a farm.

The 1900 US Federal Census has Asa and Nina, along with their son on the family farm in Dyer Brook. Living with the Hall family was Hannah L. Gerrish, Asa’s 1st cousin and her son Owen T. Gerrish. Hannah’s husband, John Gerrish was a close friend of Asa’s and had partnered with him on the running of the farm. John passed away in 1894 and Hannah and her youngest son had moved in with the Halls, allowing Owen to assist with running the farm.

By the 1910 US Federal Census, Owen Gerrish had become a full-fledged partner with Asa Hall. Owen was now married with a 3 year old son, William. Also living on the farm was Herbert and Addie Hughes and their 4 children. Addie Hughes (nee) Gerrish is Owen’s older sister. Herbert worked as a farm laborer. Hannah Gerrish is now listed as HEAD of the family on the farm next door.

Tragedy struck on 10 May 1912, when Nina A. Hall passed away. On 28 June 1913, the 65 year-old, Widow Hannah Gardner Gerrish married her 1st cousin, the 64 year-old Widower Asa Hall. The 1920 US Federal Census has Hannah and Asa living on the smaller neighboring farm that Hannah had occupied prior to their marriage. Hannah’s son Jesse and his family (wife Hattie and their 5 children) are living on the larger farm.

None of the Gerrish or Hall children appear to have attended the Grant & Lilley family reunion in 1922. Mr. and Mrs. Asa Hall of Dyer Brook are listed as the 22nd family on the Guest List. As of the time of this writing, I am still looking for a direct connection for either Asa or Hannah to the Grant or Lilley family.

23. Mr. & Mrs. Walter Lane

Family #23 on the list of attendees is “Mr & Mrs. Walter Lane and family of Smyrna.” According to Ancestry.com, Walter is husband of sister-in-law of nephew of husband of 1st cousin 3x removed. His wife Guilda was the sister of Shirley (Ingalls) Marley, who has a convoluted connection to my 2nd Great Aunt, Hannah (Gardner) Garrish’s daughter May Viola. It seems a rather shaky connection, and perhaps there is a closer one for Walter that I have not yet discovered.

Walter Eben Lane was born on 21st of September 1887 in Litchfield, Kennebec County, Maine. He was the 2nd child and eldest son of Francis E. Lane and Caroline “Carrie” Deering. His childhood was spent in Litchfield, where his father was a farmer.

On 28th of August 1916, Walter was married to Guilda Ingalls, daughter of Ross Ingalls and F. Maude Lakeman. She was the sister of Shirley Ingalls Marley, wife of Benjamin Marley and will appear in a future listing. By 1918, Walter, Guilda and their son Craig Ingalls Lane had moved from Litchfield to Smyrna, Aroostook County. Walter at this time was Superintendent of the Smyrna Schools. It was here that their next three children (Elizabeth 1919, Margaret 1921 and Albion 1922) were born. At the time of the reunion, Albion was barely one month old and may not have accompanied his parents and siblings to the reunion.

24. Mr. & Mrs. J. W. Hall

The 24th name on the guest list is “Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Hall of Whittier, California.” Jesse Whitmore Hall was the son of Samuel and Mary Lee (Roberts) Hall, the younger brother of Asa Redington Hall (Family #22 above). Jesse is also my 1st Cousin 4times removed, but he has a very clear link to the Grant/Lilley family. Mrs. J. W. Hall is the former Annie Mary Grant, the daughter of William Burt and Esther (Travis) Grant. Mrs. Angie Soule is Annie Mary’s sister.

Jesse Whitmore Hall was born 3rd of November 1856 in Unity, Waldo County. He was the seventh of the Hall’s nine children. Like his brother Asa, he was born on the family farm, but unlike his brother, he did not remain in Maine. He appears with his family on the 1860 US Federal Census, but with the death of his father and mother by the time he was 14 years of age, he set out on his own.

Jesse is found in the 1870 US Federal Census working as a farm laborer on a farm in Presque Isle, Aroostook County. He appears to have remained here until prior to his marriage on 27th of November 1879 to Miss Annie Mary Grant. They were married in Dyer Brook, Aroostook County, which is where a number of his siblings had settled. His bride, Mary Ann Grant was born Jun 1863 in Dyer Brook, Aroostook County, the daughter of William Burt Grant and Mary Ann Lilley. The Hall family remained in Dyer Brook for the birth of their first three children; daughters Eva, Mary Ann and Winnie. By 1887 and the birth of their 4th child and first son, Raymond, the family had relocated to New York State. They did not remain here long as their 5th child, Mattie Edna was born in Oregon as was their youngest two children, Harry and Emma.

Jesse is listed as a Sawmill Laborer on the 1900 Census, explaining his move out West. They left Oregon and ended up in Nevada, as seen on the 1910 US Federal Census. In Nevada, Jesse is working as a Teamster on a Freighter and Annie is working as the Keeper of a Mine Boarding house. Their youngest two children, Harry and Emma are living with them, with Harry working in the mine.

The 1920 US Federal Census shows that the Jesse and Annie make their final move, to Whittier, Los Angeles County, California. Here Jesse is listed as working as the Janitor at an oil company. It was from here that Jessie and Annie traveled back to Dyer Brook to attend the Grant & Lilley Family Reunion on 26 August 1922. It appears that none of the children made the trip back East.

25. Mrs. Percy Lougee & Children

The 25th name on the Grant & Lilley Family Reunion Guest List is “Mrs Percy Lougee & Children of Dyer Brook.” It didn’t take long to locate Percy Lougee and find the maiden name of his wife. She is Marjorie Velma (Lilley) Lougee, the daughter of Sidney Joseph Lilley and Frances Pippin Grant. Listed by Amazon.com as wife of 1st Cousin 4times removed, she can also be listed as a the niece of the husband of Second Great-grandaunt. Because her parents were 1st Cousins and were so closely related to both the Grant and Lilley families, I’m sure she can be listed as a number of different relatives to me.

Marjorie Velma Lilley was born 23rd September 1898 in Island Falls, Aroostook County, the youngest child of Joseph and Fannie Lilley. As their youngest child, she remained with her parents until her marriage in 1916. On 26th of October of that year, Marjorie married Percy Oscar Lougee, the son of Oscar and Carrie (Stevens) Lougee. Married in Smyrna, they settled in Dyer Brook. The 1920 US Federal Census lists Percy and Marjorie, their two sons, Howard and Ralph, along with Percy’s widowed mother Carrie. The two boys, aged 5 and 3, are the “& children” included on the reunion attendance list.

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GRANT/LILLEY FAMILY REUNION – Part 4

As I get further into the list of names, I am finding more and more Grant and Lilley family members that are related to my Gardner family. Unfortunately it still hasn’t answered my question as to why my Grandparents LeRoy and Nancy would have the photograph displayed in such a prominent place in their sitting room. The search continues…

16. Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Grant & daughter

The next family on the Guest List is “Mr & Mrs. Arthur Grant & daughter of Smyrna, Aroostook County.” Arthur Walker Grant was the 13th child born to George Washington and Alice Maud (McGinley) Grant. He would be the second son named Arthur born to the couple, his older brother Arthur having only lived eight months. Like his siblings, Arthur is listed on Ancestry.com as the Uncle of the wife of my 2nd cousin 2x removed.

Arthur Walker Grant was born on 8th of February 1899 on the family farm in Oakfield, Aroostook County, Maine. He will first appear on the 1900 US Federal Census as a 1 year old. Like his siblings before him, he would remain in the Oakfield area for much of his life. With the death of his father in 1918, Arthur would move with his mother and siblings to the nearby town of Smyrna, where on the 23rd of January 1920, Arthur would marry his first wife, Edna Alice Fitzgerald. Edna was the daughter of James F. Fitzgerald and Cora S. Perkins. They would have one child, daughter Jeanice Arline Grant, who was born 28th of July 1921. The one-year-old would attend the Grant & Lilley Family Reunion with her parents.

17. Miss Geneve Grant

“Miss Geneve Grant, the 32-year-old, unmarried daughter of George Washington and Alice Maud (McGinley) Grant is the 17th name found on the guest list for the Grant / Lilley Family Reunion. Like her brother listed above, she is related to me as the Aunt of my 2nd cousin 2x removed.

Alice Geneve Grant was born in Oakfield, Aroostook County on the Grant family farm on 19th of December 1889. She is found with her family on both the 1900 and 1910 US Federal Censuses. On the 1900 US Census, she is listed as Alice G. and is listed as a student, who attended school for 5 months of the year. On the 1910 US Census, Geneve is listed as Geneve A. Most likely this is to distinguish her from her mother, Alice.

Unlike her siblings, she did not remain with the family on the farm. The1910 US Federal Census shows that the 31-year-old Alice was living with Harry and Beaumont Marley and their two children as a live-in servant. (Note: Harry and his family will appear on the Reunion list a bit later.)

I can’t help but wonder if Ms. Grant attended the reunion with her mother and siblings or with her employer and his family?

18. Mr. & Mrs. G. F. Lilley

The next family named on the Reunion list is “Mr & Mrs. G. F. Lilley of Island Falls.” This was another of the challenges I faced in my research, as there are a number of G. Lilleys living in the area. However. it turns out that G. F. Lilley is in fact George Frederick Lilley. He was the second husband of my 2nd Great-Grandaunt Nellie Orend Gardner. This is one of my strongest connections with the Lilley Family, as Nellie was the younger sister of my 2nd Great Grandfather, John Henry Gardner.

George Frederick Lilley was born on 11th of June 1848 in New Brunswick, Canada the 2nd son and third child of James E. Lilley and Elizabeth Jane Grant. The Grant family emigrated from Canada to Aroostook County, Maine sometime between 1848 and 1850. By the 1850 US Federal Census, they can be found living in Linneus, Aroostook County. George’s brother Samuel and his wife Hannah are living on the farm next door.

The 1860 US Federal Census shows that the family is still living in Linneus and the family having grown to seven children. By 1864 and the birth of the families eighth child, Lizzie V., the family had moved to Dyer Brook, Aroostook County. But the family didn’t remain in Dyer Brook for very long, because the 1970 US Federal Census shows that the family has moved to Township 5, which would shortly change it’s name to Merrill Plantation. Just before the Census was taken, the Lilley’s nineth and final child, Effie T., was born.

Meanwhile, in Township 6, Nellie Orend (Gardner) Keith, newly widowed, is living with her parents, brothers and sisters and 5 year-old son, George.

Nellie Orend Gardner was born on 19th of October 1844 in Corunna, Penobscot County, Maine, the eldest daughter and 3rd child of George Washington and Tabitha (Roberts) Gardner. The Gardner family would move from Penobscot County to Waldo County by 1860 and would then relocate to Township 6, Aroostook County by 1870.

Unlike George, Nellie was married twice. Her first marriage, to Isaiah B. Keith, occurred on 28th of August 1865 in Smyrna Mills, Aroostook. Isaiah was the son of Samuel Stillman and Thankful N. (Ellis) Keith. They would remain in the Smyrna Mills area until Isaiah’s untimely death on the 27th of October, 1870. Their son, George was born 17 Nov 1865.

Although an exact date has not yet been found, George Frederick and Nellie Orend were married in 1871/1872. Their daughter Edith M. was born in November 1872. Four more children were born to George and Nellie; Ray O., Guy Raphael, Merle Ainsley, and an unnamed infant that did not survive.

The Lilley family remained in the Merrill, Aroostook area for the remainder of their lives, as seen on the 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920 US Federal Censuses As all of the children were married and living separate lives by the time of the Family Reunion. They do not appear to have attended with their parents.

19. Mr. & Mrs. John Stephenson

The next family on the Grant / Lilley Reunion Guest list is “Mr. and Mrs. John Stephenson of Houlton.” Mrs. Stephenson is the connection to the Grant and Lilley families, as she is the daughter of Chelsey O. Grant and Frances Lilley. Ancestry.com states that she is the paternal first cousin of the husband of my 2nd Great-Grandaunt. In other words, she is the cousin of George F. Lilley, on her father’s side.

Lucy A. Grant was born on the 18th of January 1858. Based on the different vital records found for her, she could have been born either in New Brunswick or Maine. She was the 6th child and 4th daughter of Chelsey and Frances Grant.

When examining the Federal Census for Lucy and her family, you will find that they appeared to migrate across the US-Canadian boarder multiple times. According to the US Federal Census, a number of Lucy’s older siblings were born in Maine, while a few of the younger ones were born in New Brunswick, Canada.

Lucy’s father Chelsey Grant was a farmer all of his life, and his daughter Lucy would continue to live on a farm with both her parents, and then with her husband for a total of approximately 45 years. Lucy A. Grant married John Stephenson, son of John and Anne (Ervin) Stephenson on 26th of March 1879. John was an immigrant who arrived in Canada and then crossed the border into Maine at the age of 3 on 1856 from his native Ireland. The family relocated in Littleton, Aroostook, Maine where they would remain the rest of their lives. After their marriage, John and Lucy remained in the Littleton area. It wasn’t until the 1920 US Federal Census do you find that the Stephenson family relocated to Houlton, Aroostook, Maine, upon the retirement of John from active farming. John and Lucy did not have any children.

None of Lucy’s siblings appear on the Guest List, and it appear that the couple attended the Family Reunion alone.

20. Miss Ina Hand

When I read the name “Miss Ina Hand of Houlton,” who is next on the guest list, I was quite baffled. The last name of Hand had not come up in any of my previous research of my mom’s family. So when I found Ina on the 1920 US Federal Census and read that her occupation was “Assistant in Photo Studio”, I figured she was just there to help the photographer. It was quite obvious by the photo that hung on my grandparents wall, that a professional photographer was used for the full gathering shot.

Looking for a connection to Ina and the Grant and/or Lilley families took some time. At the time of the reunion, she was simply the assistant to Oscar B. Porter, a professional photographer, based in Houlton. He was also the husband of Emily Inez (Robinson) Porter, who was related to the Lilley family through her 2nd cousin Lewis Leavitt, who was the husband of Pauline (Soule) Leavitt, who was the sister-in-law of Ray O. Lilley, the son of Nellie O. (Gardner) Lilley, my 2nd Great-Grandaunt.

It was after the reunion, but on 31st of May 1926, Ina Ellen Hand married Oscar B. Porter, linking her to me as the 2nd wife of the husband of 2nd cousin of husband of sister-in-law of the 1st cousin 3x removed.

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GRANT/LILLEY FAMILY REUNION – Part 3

11. Mr. & Mrs. Carlton O. Grant

The 11th family found on the Grant / Lilley Family Reunion guest list is that of “Mr. & Mrs. C. O. Grant” of Houlton, Aroostook County. Carlton O. Grant is the son of Joseph and Margarett (Grant) Grant. Joseph and Margaret were first cousins, their mothers Phoebe White and Margaret White were sisters.

Carlton Otis Grant was born on the 21 November 1858 in New Limerick, Aroostook County to Joseph and Margarett (Grant) Grant. He was the eldest of their three children. Carlton was only 5 years old when his father, Joseph died of Typhoid Fever 06 Jun 1864 in Alexandria, Virginia. Joseph had volunteered to serve as a private in Company E of the 31st Regiment of the Maine Infantry during the Civil War.

The 1870 US Federal Census shows that Margarett Grant, widow, and her son Carlton, 11 years old, were living in New Limerick, Aroostook County. She is listed as the Domestic servant for Mr. & Mrs. Moses Drew and their sons Moses, Jr and Augustus. Her other two children, Winfield S. and Ella May both passed away in 1865 and were buried with their father in East Hodgdon Cemetery.

The 1880 US Federal Census has the 21 year-old Carlton living alone on a farm in New Limerick, Aroostook. On the farm next door is listed his mother, Margaret, step-father Augustus Drew and their three children: Harry, Madeline and Lenora. Carlton’s mother married Augustus Drew, son of Moses Drew on 06 Jan 1874.

In 1884, Carlton married Mary Eliza Cole, daughter of Oliver Cole and Hulda Eliza Bower. They were the parents of six children: Percy Otis, Perl I., Effie L., Harry F., Oliver Cole and Carlton Augustus. The 1900 US Federal Census indicates that the Grant family has relocated to Houlton, with Carlton working as a Dry Goods Salesman. Four of their children are listed: Perl, Effie, Harry and Oliver. Percy Otis passed away on 30 Apr 1893 from Meningitis. He was 8 years and 4 months old.

Tragedy again struck Carlton’s life when his beloved wife Mary Eliza passed away on the 23rd September 1909 in Houlton. She died of Pernicious Anemia and Chronic Nephritis, Her death left Carlton with 5 children at home, the youngest being Carlton Jr, aged 6.

The 1910 US Census shows that Carlton and his family have relocated to Houlton and Carlton is now employed as a Real Estate Agent in town. Acting as homemaker was Pearl, Carlton’s 24 year-old daughter. Also living with the family as a Boarder was Norris C. Estabrooke, who would marry Pearl in 1911. Later that year, Carlton married Annie C. Chase (nee Sheppard) on the 11th of October 1910. She was the widow of Benjamin F. Chase. Benjamin died on the 10th of May in 1905 and Annie moved to Houlton, Aroostook County, Maine in 1907. On the 1910 US Census she is listed as working as a Dressmaker.

By 1920, Carlton and Annie had settled in their home on Franklin Avenue in Houlton. With the death of Harry F. in 1919, the remaining 4 Grant children had married and started their own families. Pearl and Effie both married in 1911, Oliver married in late 1920. Carlton, having returned from serving in the US Army during WWI, was living in his own home. He would marry in 1922. This left Carlton and Annie living alone.

Carlton and Annie would attend the Grant & Lilley Family Reunion on the 26th of August 1922 without any of the children.

12. Mrs. Angie Soule

The next family on the Guest List is “Mrs. Angie Soule,” of Smyrna. Angerona ‘Angie’ F. (Grant) Soule is listed on Ancestry.com as the mother-in-law of my 1st cousin 3x removed (Ray O. Lilley). She can also be listed as a distance cousin as she is the daughter of William Burt and Mary Ann (Lilley) Grant, who are both related to me separately.

Angerona F. Grant was born on October 26, 1851 in Linneus, Aroostook County, Maine the 3rd child and second daughter of William Burt and Mary Ann (Lilley) Grant. Angie, as the family called her, was born on the family farm, as were her siblings.

Angie’s mother, Mary Ann had passed away in 1869 and her father had married Esther Travis, the daughter of Ebeneezer and Elizabeth Travis. In 1870, Angie, now 18 years old, is living in Lincoln, Penobscot County, working as a School Teacher. It was while she was living in Penobscot County that she met her husband, Benjamin Franklin ” Frank” Soule. Frank and Angie were married in Lincoln, Penobscot County on 25 Sep 1874.

By the time of the 1880 US Federal Census, Frank and Angie and their family had made their final move. They relocated to Oakfield, Aroostook County, where the family purchased their farm. According to the census listing, Frank was working the farm with his brother John, who lived there with his wife and young son. There was also a farm worker living with the family. By this time, Angie and Frank were the parents of three children.

The 1900 US Census shows that the Soule family has grown to include 8 children, of which 7 were living at home. Their eldest living child, Jessie A., was living in Portland with her aunt and uncle and working as a Milliner. Unfortunately by 1900, the 2 eldest daughters of Frank and Angie (S. Ethelyn and Mary) and eldest son (Frank) had passed away.

The family was still on the farm in 1910, but consists on only Angie, Frank, sons Clinton and Fritz and granddaughters Aleda Lilley and Evelyn Lilley. Aleda and Evelyn were the daughters of Jessie A. and Ray O. Lilley. Jessie having passed away in 1905.

Benjamin Franklin “Frank” Soule passed away on 30 May 1916, leaving his grieving widow Angle on the farm with her youngest son Albert and her two granddaughters, Aleda and Evelyn.

It was with her son Albert that Angie (Grant) Soule attended the Grant & Lilley Family Reunion on 26 Aug 1922.

13. Mr. Albert Soule

The thirteenth family listed on the handwritten guest list is “Mr. Albert Soule”. As listed in the above profile, Albert was the 10th child and youngest son of Benjamin Franklin “Frank” Soule and Angerona F. “Angie” Grant. At the time of the reunion, Albert was assisting his mother with the running of the family farm. He would go on the marry Josie Mae Kelley, daughter of Elijah A. and Lucy M. (White) Kelley. Josie is related to the Lilley family through her mother Lucy, but does not appear to have attended the 1922 Reunion.

By 1917, Albert is living in Musselshell, Montana and working as a farmer, as seen on this US World War I Draft Registration card. Albert would go on to serve in the U.S. Army as a Private from 12 Dec 1917 until 09 Jun 1919. He served overseas from 25 Sep 1918 until 28 May 1919.

Upon his discharge in June 1919, Albert returned to Oakfield, Maine and helped his mother run the family farm.

Albert attended the Grant & Lilley Family Reunion with his motehr on 26 Aug 1922.

14. Mrs. Alice Grant

The next family on the Grant / Lilley Reunion Guest list is “Mrs. Alice Grant”. Mrs. Grant was a challenge to find, as there were a number of “Mrs. Grants” living in the area at the time of the reunion. By looking at the families named below Mrs. Grant, and checking for an “Alice Grant” in the 1920 and 1930 US Census, I was able to determine that this Mrs. Grant is Alice Maud McGinley Grant, daughter of William McGinley and Margaret Graham and the widow of George Washington Grant.

Alice Maud McGinley was born 1st of December 1864 in Houlton, Aroostook County, the 3rd child and 2nd daughter of William McGinley and Margaret Graham. Alice remained with her family in Houlton until her marriage. On 30th of January 1882, Alice married George Washington Grant, son of William Burt Grand and Mary Ann Lilley. Alice and George would go on to have a total of 21 children born, 15 of whom survived infancy. Alice and George raised their children on their farm in Oakfield, Aroostook County and it was here that she would remain after George’s death in 1918. He would leave behind Alice and 15 children to continue running the farm.

On the 1920 US Census, Alice is listed as living in Smyrna Mills, with 5 of her children, Frank and his wife, Andrew, John, Bubbie and Doris. I wonder if 4 younger children (Andrew, John, Bubbie & Doris) attended the reunion with their mother and married brother. The attendee list doesn’t have “& family” or “& children” listed with Alice, so it’s not at all clear if they attended or not. Based on a brief review of the names listed, 6 of the Grant’s 21 children did attend the reunion in 1922. They were: Frank G., Harold E., Charles C., George H., Alice G. and Arthur W.

15. Mr. Frank Grant & son Herman

The 15th family listed on the guest list is “Mr. Frank Grant & son Herman.” According to Ancestry.com, Frank is the Uncle of the wife (Phyllis Grant) of my 2nd cousin 2x removed (Mark E. McDonald. This translates to mean that Phyllis was the daughter of Frank’s brother Harold and Mark was the Great-grandson of George Washington Gardner, my 3rd Great-Grandfather.

Frank Grover Grant was born on 8th of August 1884, the eldest son and 2nd child of George Washington Grant and Alice Maud McGinley Grant. Frank remained on the Grant family farm his entire life, taking over the running of the farm at the death of his father. Frank married Eldora I. McPhee, the daughter of James and Malvina Baglow McPhee on 16th of July 1919. Frank was 34 years old and living with his mother, Alice; brothers, Andrew, John and Bubbie; and sister Doris. Eldora was 17 years old.

Frank and Eldora’s son Herman Frank Grant was born on 26 April 1920. Tragically, his mother passed away shortly after his birth, leaving her husband with their newborn son. Herman accompanied his father to the Grant & Lilley Family Reunion in 1922. He was 2 years old at the time.

As I continue my search through the names on the Grant / Lilley Family Reunion guest list, I’m finding that I am related to some of the attendees in more ways than one. But that’s a blog for another day…..

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26 Aug 1922 – Grant & Lilley Family Reunion

On 26 Aug 1922 in Dyer Brook, Aroostook County, Maine a Grant & Lilley family reunion took place. Attending this reunion was 60+ families who were related to either the Grant Family or Lilley Family, or in many cases, both families!

A Little History

I’ve been given a number of boxes containing photographs that belonged to my Aunt Ellen, my mom’s elder sister E. Ellen Gardner, who was the family historian of her family. I periodically go through these boxes and wonder if I recognize some faces, guess at others and find unseen photos of my parents and siblings. Sometimes I also find other documents, such as birth records, newspaper articles and occasionally a hand-written family history document.

Such was the case when I found the Guest List from the Grant & Lilly Reunion, held on 26 Aug 1922. Some of the names I immediately recognized as cousins. Some names I recognized as names I had encountered in the building of my family tree and yet others I had never seen before.

This is a small portion of the photograph in question, cropped from a photo my Aunt took of her Sitting Room wall.

I remember a photo that used to hang on the wall in my Grandfather LeRoy’s sitting room – a photo that had to be at least 4 feet wide. It was of a LARGE group of people of varying ages. Seeing it as a child, I marveled at the size. I didn’t realize until I found the Grant/Lilley Reunion Guest List that most likely the photo was taken on 26 Aug 1922 and everyone in the photo was a Grant/Lilley relative. I never found my grandparents in the photo, but then again, they are not listed on the guest list.

I’m not quite sure if I am directly related to the Grants and Lilleys (and I am actively searching to confirm/deny connection) but I do know that several of my 2x Great Grandfather’s siblings married into both the Grant and Lilley families.

Why would my Grandfather have this photograph?
How am I related to the Grant / Lilley Families of Maine?
Where is the photograph today? – The last time I saw the photograph was at my Aunt Ellen’s funeral, where it was displayed next to her coffin. That was in June of 1999.

Over the course of the next few months, I hope to answer these and other questions I have regarding the Grant / Lilley Family reunion.

LOOKING FOR MY COUSINS

In the summer of 1964, my family took a 3-week vacation and drove to Denver, Colorado to visit my Dad’s HART and SPAULDING Cousins. Christine (DeVaney) Spaulding and Kathleen (DeVaney) Hart and their families both lived there. The two women were the daughters of Ivy A. (Vincent) DeVaney and her husband Michael, who helped raise my Dad after his mother passed away.

I was only 7 years old at the time, and my memories of the trip are now limited to just the moments that were captured by photographs. And oh, what photographs I have: Mountains, Plains, Continental Divides, Buffalo Bill’s Grave and so many photos of my Mom, sister Margaret, 2 brothers, Chuck and Lee and me.

I inherited all of them after my parents passed away, and have over the years scanned them, so I have an electronic copy and can relive the memories.

But…

Some of these photographs have puzzled me for decades.

Backyard of the home we stayed at in Colorado, overlooking the hills and meadows.

This is a photo of the backyard of where the Bliven family stayed while in Colorado. I don’t remember which of the families we stayed with – was it with Mr. and Mrs. Gus Hart? Was it with Mr. and Mrs. Jay Spaulding?

What I do remember is that there were horses living in the field behind, and I was photographed with 2 of my young cousins and several of the horses.

My mystery cousin and I and one of the wild horses.

Who are these cousins? Are they still living in Colorado?

I know that at least one trip into the Rockies included Jay and Christina Spaulding, my parents and older brother and sister, because several photos exist to support this.

Jay Raymond Spaulding ( 1909-1970) married to Christina R (DeVaney)

Looking closely at the car, I can see both my Mom and cousin Christina in the back seat.

Again, looking in the car, I see my Mom, my older brother and my sister

A classic shot – “Snowball fight in the middle of summer” – participants are Mom and Margaret

I’ll bet this happened a lot on this road trip – “Stopping for photos” Participants: Jay Spaulding, Margaret Bliven

I vaguely remember the day of this trip, as my younger brother and I got to stay behind and play with the family dog. There was only room for 6 in our family station wagon and in reality, both my younger brother and I would most likely not remember the trip, since we were 7 ½ and 4 ½ years old at the time. So, it’s possible we stayed with the Spaulding’s and the Hart’s came to visit.

Perhaps one of my Hart/DeVaney/Spaulding cousins will also remember the visit in that Summer of 64, when the Bliven family came to Colorado to spend time with cousins. Perhaps they will be in contact with me. Perhaps, I’ll never know the names of the cousins I spent time with.

I’ll end this here, with a few more photos from the trip to and from Colorado.