Another Wonderful Kinney Family Photo

From my cousin by marriage, Nancy Kinney:

The attached five generation photo was passed on to us by Duane Crabtree. It needed some repair from years of use, so Mark fixed it. The people are Gerald Lewis Kinney with his son Gerald Baldwin Kinney, his mother Anna Thomas Kinney, his grandmother, Sarah Ermina Crabtree Thomas and his great grandmother (seated, eyes closed) Sarah Ann (Annie) Kinney.

Left to right: Gerald Baldwin Kinney in the lap of his father, Gerald Lewis Kinney; Anna Thomas Kinney (Gerald's mother); Sarah Ermina Crabtree (Gerald's great grandmother); and Sarah Ann (Annie) Kinney.

How these people are related to me:

Duane Crabtree, who gave the photo to Nancy Kinney, is my second cousin. 

Nancy Pearson Kinney, who passed on the photo to me, is the wife of Mark Kinney, my second cousin once removed and son of Gerald Lewis Kinney. Many thanks, as always, to Nancy for generously sharing family photos and genealogy with me, and to her husband, Mark Kinney, for his repairs to the photo.

In the photo: 

Gerald Lewis Kinney (1907-1963) is my second cousin; his son, Gerald Baldwin Kinney (born May 19, 1932 and, as of July 2019, living in North Carolina, according to Nancy) is my 2nd cousin once removed. 

Anna Thomas Kinney (1887-1962) is my first cousin, once removed.

Sarah Ermina Crabtree (1867-1938) is my great aunt (sister of my maternal grandfather, David Crabtree)

Sarah Ann (Annie) Kinney (1842-1935) is my great grandmother (mother of my maternal grandfather, David Crabtree).

A Treasure of a Photo

In 2014 my fellow family historian Patricia Pickard took a road trip to Milo, Maine to find the childhood home of my Aunt Sadie. You can read about her trip in Sadie's Pleasant View Farm Found. Here is the photo that she took.

I recently received this note and photo from my cousin, Nancy Kinney. 

Dear Clair,
It's been a while since we communicated. I hope that you are well and happy.
I'm still working on the book on Gerald Lewis Kinney, my father-in-law. the projected completion date is June. I want it to be ready for our Kinney family reunion this summer. 

Recently my brother-in-law sent us a scrapbook that my father-in-law made in 1927-1935.  There was a loose photo inside and when I recognized what it was I remembered that you were looking for Pleasant View Farm in Milo and it's in this picture. On the left is your Sadie and her Aunt Sadie (Sarah Errmina Crabtree Thomas) The couple on the right is Anna Thomas Kinney and Charles Lewis Kinney, Gerald's parents. We don't know the boy in the back unless it is Henry Crabtree who lived with Aunt Sadie Thomas at the same time as your Aunt Sadie. Do you recognize him?

Pleasant View Farm, Milo, Maine c. 1930
L to R: My Aunt Sadie (Sadie Crabtree Ayotte Ariel), her Aunt Sadie (Sarah Ermina Crabtree Thomas), unknown boy (Henry?), Anna Thomas Kinney, and Charles Lewis Kinney

I wish that I could share this photo with Pat Pickard, but she sadly died February 17, 2019. She would have loved the photo, and I'll bet she could have identified the mystery boy, too. 

Many thanks to Nancy Kinney for this treasure of a photo.

*****

Read Aunt Sadie Crabtree's memoirs on this blog:

Part 1 and Part 2: Life on the Farm

Part 3: Separated From the Family  

Part 4: Life With the Thomas Family

Part 5: Brother Lindholm, Uncle Jesse, and Grammie Crabtree

Part 6: Marriage, Motherhood, and Losing Dickie

And a postscript to Sadie's story: Sadie's Pleasant Hill Farm Found!

In Memory of Stanley W. and Dorothy Stevens Thomas

My second cousin Stanley Thomas died in 2014; his wife, Dorothy Stevens Thomas, died last year. Here are their obituaries. (Thanks to my cousin Nancy Kinney for forwarding this information).

Obituary: Stanley W. Thomas, 91, of Moscow [Idaho] 

May 10, 2014

This obituary appeared in the Lewiston (ID) Tribune and the Moscow (ID) Pullman (WA) Daily News.

Longtime Moscow resident Stanley W. Thomas died peacefully at home Wednesday. He was 91.

Stan was born in Greenville Junction, Maine, on April 14, 1923, to Marian and Hayward Thomas. He graduated from Guilford High School in 1941 and from the University of Maine at Orono in 1947.

World War II interrupted his college education and despite his pacifist leanings, Stan volunteered for the Army Air Corps Reserve in 1943. As a transport pilot he flew Douglas C-47 aircraft over the Himalayan mountain range, or "The Hump" as it was often described.

Stan entered Boston University's School of Theology in 1947 receiving a seminary degree in 1950, and later completing his doctorate in Sociology of Religion.

During his graduate years, he married the love of his life, Dorothy Stevens of Kingston, N.H.

Stan was hired by the First United Methodist Church's Wesley Foundation in 1953 to work with University of Idaho students. In 1957, he became director of the Campus Christian Center, teaching courses in world religions, the Old and New Testament, ethics, and courtship and marriage, among others. He remained there until his retirement in 1989. His work at the CCC could not have been accomplished without the tireless assistance of his administrative secretary of 25 years, Yvonne Slutz. Some of his fondest memories of campus life were kindled in "The Burning Steak," during "the activist years" of the 1960s and '70s, where he developed lifelong bonds with many students.

Sometimes referred to as the "sad-eyed Bostonian," Thomas was active in politics and civic affairs. He was a member of Idaho's Human Rights Commission and was named the first recipient of the Rosa Parks Human Rights Achievement Award in 1994. A member of Moscow's Peace Band, Thomas could often be seen at community events playing his trumpet. He served on many UI committees and organizations.

Stan had numerous intellectual interests, including philosophy, modern political and social thought, social ethics and comparative religions. He had a passionate desire for the world to become a more peaceful place, and lived his life engaged in community participation and social action. Stan loved music, particularly classical and jazz.

His favorite place, in addition to New England, was his cabin at Glengary Bay on Lake Pend Oreille. Thanks to the Heitman family, many wonderful summers were spent with children and grandchildren fishing, sailing and canoeing on the scenic lake.

Stan is survived by his wife, Dorothy; his four children, Susan (married to Jay Shelledy), Julie (married to the late Bill Duncombe), Steven (married to Jeana Martin) and Robert; and seven grandchildren. A celebration of life will be noon Saturday, May 24, at the First United Methodist Church in Moscow.

You are invited to express your appreciation for Stan by actively participating in your community. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Campus Christian Center, 822 Elm in Moscow, and/or the War Resisters League, 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012, or online at warresisters.org/win.

Stan is survived by his wife, Dorothy; his four children, Susan (married to Jay Shelledy), Julie (married to the late Bill Duncombe), Steven (married to Jeana Martin) and Robert; and seven grandchildren. A celebration of life will be noon Saturday, May 24, at the First United Methodist Church in Moscow.

Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Dorothy Stevens Thomas, 92, of Moscow 

Jun 29, 2017

Dorothy Stevens Thomas, 92, died peacefully at her home in Moscow on Friday night, June 23, 2017.

Dorothy was born in 1925 on a dairy farm in southern New Hampshire, the oldest child of J. Edward and Anne Stevens. She graduated from Sanborn Seminary in 1943 and the University of New Hampshire in 1947, majoring in history.

Upon graduation she accepted a high school teaching position in Norton, Mass. She met her future husband, Stanley Thomas, when they both arrived late to a Student Ecumenical Christian Conference. They were married in Kingston, N.H., in 1949 and lived together for nearly 65 years, until Stan's death in 2014.

Following their marriage they moved to Boston, Mass., where Stan was completing his doctoral degree. Dorothy took a position at the Cokesbury Bookstore in the city, riding her bike to and from. Her memories of "17 Yarmouth," their studio apartment in Boston, were precious and dear.

In 1953 Stan accepted a position with the Wesley Foundation as a campus pastor, and they packed up their '47 Chevy and headed west to Moscow. She raised four children and returned to school earning a master's degree from the University of Idaho.

Her Katharine Hepburn-like looks and signature laugh often brought her unintended attention.

Civic engagement was always a priority in her life. She was active in the League of Women Voters, United Methodist Church, the Democratic Party, UNICEF, Faculty Discussion group and Garden Club. She was an avid reader and treasured her time with her book club and poetry group.

When Dorothy's macular degeneration impeded her ability to read, she took great pleasure in books on tape and was grateful to any and all who would read to her. She chose to live life "half full" and encouraged others to do the same.

Another passion was her garden. Blessed with a "green thumb," she enjoyed the beauty and fragrance nature provides. She was an excellent cook and enjoyed giving dinner parties. She understood the value of bringing people together to enjoy a delicious meal and lively discussion. Over the years, she and Stan opened their home to numerous students or anyone needing time to determine next steps in life.

She remained intellectually engaged to the end, paying astute attention to what was happening in our world. She was always ready to discuss the latest local, national and international issue of the day. She cared deeply about the planet, attentive to conservation, recycling and water use, with the possible exception of her garden.

Dorothy is survived by her brother, Alan Stevens of Kingston, N.H.; and sister, Lois Hatch of Brentwood, N.H. A brother, Lawrence Stevens, preceded her in death. She is survived by her four children, Susan Thomas Shelledy of Sandpoint, Julie Thomas Duncombe of Syracuse, N.Y., Steven Thomas of Lewiston and Robert Thomas of Moscow; as well as numerous grandchildren and one great-grandson.

A celebration of life will be scheduled later in the summer. Donations may be made to Sojourners, hospice or the charity of your choice.

*****

My connection to Stanley:

Stanley W Thomas (1923 - 2014)
2nd cousin
Hayward Stanley Thomas (1889 - 1956)
father of Stanley W Thomas
Sarah Ermina "Sadie" Crabtree (1867 - 1938)
mother of Hayward Stanley Thomas
William Henry Crabb Jr. (1837 - 1890)
father of Sarah Ermina "Sadie" Crabtree
David Jewett Crabtree Sr. (1875 - 1954)
son of William Henry Crabb Jr.
Elva Myrtle Crabtree (1914 - 1998)
daughter of David Jewett Crabtree Sr.
Clair Marie Harris
You are the daughter of Elva Myrtle Crabtree

More About My Grandfather, David J. Crabtree, Sr.

Grandfather David in the field with his youngest son, David, Jr. 

c. 1940

From our family's photo collection

My grandfather, David J. Crabtree, Sr., was born David Jewett Crabb in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada in 1875; the ninth child of thirteen born to William Henry Crabb and Sarah Ann Kinney. He had five sisters and seven brothers. 

The family name was changed from Crabb to Crabtree in 1910 in Maine. See A Family Changes its Names for the details and the text of the legal document.

I had always heard that the Crabtrees came straight from England to Canada, so it was a great surprise to find that the truth was quite different. David was descended from both Loyalists and Pre-Loyalists. During the American Revolution, the Loyalists were the folks who remained loyal to the King of England, lost their lands, and left America to resettle in Canada. The Pre-Loyalists were those who had come to Canada from America prior to the Loyalist immigration of 1783. The story of the Loyalists is a dramatic one and full of hardship, and I hope to tell it eventually on this blog. 

David's maternal great-great grandparents, Israel Kinney and Susannah Hood, moved in 1767 from Topsfield, Massachusetts to Maugerville, in what would later become New Brunswick, Canada. Another set of great-great grandparents, John Crabb, Sr. and Elizabeth Bassett (who show up on both sides of David's family tree--David's father's grandfather, John Crabb, Jr., and David's mother's grandfather, Richard Arnold Crabb, were brothers), left Dutchess County, New York for New Brunswick in 1783.  

I never met my grandfather; what I know about him is the result of research, reading books, correspondence, and interviews. I haven't learned anything about his younger days, but I know that one of his sisters, Gertrude, died at the age of two; another sister, Elizabeth, died at the age of 24 of tuberculosis; and his brother, Aaron, died in the goldfields of Alaska in 1897. His sister, Sarah Ermina "Sadie" Kinney Thomas, was  the "Auntie" in my Aunt Sadie's memoirs (see Separated from the Family, etc.). Another sister, Anna Thursa Crabb, married Charles Field and I met them when I was a child and they visited our home in San Francisco in the 1950's. 

However, I have read about the grown and married David as both a farmer and neighbor. His neighbors called him Dave, and knew they could call on him for help with cutting ice, cutting brush, sawing wood, threshing, and moving machinery. I read about his hard-working farming days in Sheila Antworth Lafferty's blog, Diary of an Aroostook Farmer; The farm journals of Milton Lloyd Flewelling (1901-1996), a farmer from Easton, Aroostook County, Maine. "Dave" and "Cliff" (my uncle Clifford Crabtree) are mentioned frequently in Milton's journals, and Patricia Pickard's booklet (No. 5 in the Bibliography, below) on Clifford Crabtree tells us that Clifford worked on Milton's farm in Easton, Maine. Milton mentions a great deal of going back and forth between his farm and Dave's place in Beaconsfield, New Brunswick.

These next three quotes are from Pat Pickard's booklet, and are used with her kind permission. 

[Dave] was a farmer, plus he was busy at the local Baptist church where he was Sunday school superintendent. With godly parentage, the children of this family learned to love the things of God. David never failed to take his family of 13 children to church, even trudging on foot through snow at times. (Page 1)

Evelyn (Allen) Crabtree shares a bit of history on the Crabtree family: "Clifford's parents owned a nice home in Easton, [Maine] and they had an opportunity to sell it, which they did. They moved from Easton to Beaconsfield, New Brunswick--just over the border from Easton [some time after 1905]. The move to Beaconsfield seemed to be a mistake. Clifford's father, David, found that the soil was full of rocks and it caused him a lot of grief. He worked and worked to clear them out, only to find more rocks the following year. It was a hard life on that farm." [NOTE: The writer of this book had the opportunity to visit this farm in the 1970s, and wonders how they managed to farm at all. It was a beautiful spot--high on a hill, overlooking the town of Easton--but not for farming]. (Pages 1-2)

Donny Ladner used to butcher hogs in the Easton/Beaconsfield area, and whenever someone had a hog that they wanted to have butchered, they would call him up, fill a barrel full of water, and put it on to boil so that they could dip the hog in it for easy removal of its hair after it was slaughtered. One day David had a hog to be butchered, and Donny came to the Crabtree home in Beaconsfield and did the job. After he got the hog killed, it was time to put it in the hot water. David looked at his wife and said, "Ede (as he called her), we forgot to boil the water!" (Page 7)

Form for replacement of lost naturalization papers

Dave left behind a physical description of himself. This is a copy of an undated form requesting replacement of lost naturalization papers. It was apparently used as a draft or kept at home as a record of the completed form. Dave tells us that he is male, white with a medium complexion, has blue eyes and brown hair, is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 148 pounds. He "kept papers in pocket. Lost while working in the field."

David is mentioned several times in the book, Prevailing Westerlies; The Pentecostal Heritage of Maine. It seems that David was often on hand to help with building and maintaining the churches of the area. His grandson, Charles T. Crabtree (see photo below) remembers: When the new sanctuary was built, I remember my dad talking to my grandfather, David Jewett [Crabtree], about getting permits to remove a big elm tree. He went on and on about the danger and expense. My grandfather just snorted. It was a thrilling sight for me to watch as the men began to ax away. They tied great ropes to guide the fall. It was a great victory to watch that monster fall in the exact spot my grandfather had planned. The only fly in the ointment was when Billy Washington sawed off a limb he was sitting on. He fell a long way but, miraculously, was not hurt. (pages 169-170).

Another church-building memory from the same book: Let's go back to the summer of 1947. The work on our new church on Court Street had been completed, and a group of us went down to Cape Jellison [Maine] to work on building a new church. Grampie Crabtree; Pastor [Clifford] Crabtree; [Clifford's] son, David, and I [author James Peters] traveled back and forth most of those days. We tore down an old barn for the lumber, which we hauled half way around the Cape to build the church... 

...as we tore the old building down and built the church... We had a few nails in our feet and bloodblisters under our nails from time to time, but we worked for the Lord and He blessed our efforts. I recall some of the antics of Charlie [Charles Flewelling, a missionary just back from Africa] and Grampie (David) Crabtree--who says Christians can't have fun? They were always playing practical jokes on each other and on anyone who happened to be in the vicinity. I considered it a great privilege to work alongside these men who, as we look back on our heritage, made such an impact for the Lord, both at home and on the foreign field. (Pages 171-172)

The late Rev. David J. Crabtree assisted greatly in the work of this church. [He] laid the foundation. (Pages 175-176)

Grandfather "Grampie" David and his grandson, Charles Talmage Crabtree (son of Clifford Crabtree)
All three served as ministers in the Pentecostal Church (David started out as a Baptist)
As Charles was born in 1937, I am guessing that this photo was taken c. 1952,
or two years before Grampie's death in 1954
(Photo courtesy of Patricia Pickard)

Undated photo of Grandfather David
Courtesy of Patricia Pickard

Undated photo from Patricia Pickard

This is an indirect (and not very flattering) story about Grandfather. My mother (Elva Crabtree Harris Rodriguez) told me about a time when her mother, Edith, was in labor with her last baby, David, Jr. My mother's older brothers were out with the horse and wagon and stopped to talk with a neighbor who asked after Edith's health. He jokingly asked that since they already had kids named Faith and Hope in the family, were they planning to name this new baby-to-be Charity? One of the brothers, no doubt feeling great sympathy for his mother's labor with her 13th child, said "'Twould be a great charity if he [David, Sr.] would leave her alone so's she'd have no more babies!"

Here are the last two stories that I have about my grandfather. The first was received in an email from Patricia Pickard, 4 May 2014:

I just came across a typescript that has a story about David Jewett Crabtree:
"A former neighbor from Beaconsfield, N.B., Handy Nevers, recalls that many a time David J. Crabtree and Frank Nevers (who became very good friends) walked twelve miles to Perth to attend Pentecostal meetings there. David lived in Beaconsfield, N.B. with his family, and Frank's family lived nearby in Dover Hill.
"David J. Crabtree had a terrible accident while living in Beaconsfield. He fell off a load of hay and broke his neck. He was prayed for and God healed him completely."

And from my cousin, Cheryl Blakely (via Facebook, August 11, 2014): I very rarely heard my mom [Faith Crabtree Blakely] talk of her dad. She did say he was like an old banty hen, tough and stubborn. She said he fell off the roof and broke his neck. She said it didn't kill him the first time. The second time did. Whether that's true or not, I have no idea.

Copy of David's obituary, courtesy of Patricia Pickard

embeddable family tree updated live from WikiTree

Bibliography

1. Bell, Edwin Wallace: Israel Kenny; His Children and Their Families. [Vancouver, B.C.], 1944. May be borrowed from Open Library for reading online: https://archive.org/details/israelkennyhisch00bell.

2. Kinney, Fern Gallup: Kith and Kin of the Kinneys. [nd]. PDF file available for download:http://home.comcast.net/~kinneyed/KithAndKin_image.pdf.

3. Lafferty, Sheila Antworth:  Diary of an Aroostook Farmer; The farm journals of Milton Lloyd Flewelling (1901-1996), a farmer from Easton, Aroostook County, Maine.

4. Peters, James E. and Patricia Pickard: Prevailing Westerlies; the Pentecostal Heritage of Maine. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1988.

5. Pickard, Patricia P.: Rev. Clifford A. Crabtree, Called of God. Prepared for the 90th anniversary celebration of Glad Tidings Church, Bangor, Maine, November 24, 2013. Published by Glad Tidings Church, 1033 Broadway, Bangor, Maine 04401. 2013. (A copy may be purchased from Glad Tidings Church for a suggested donation of $10.00 or more).

6. Pickard, Patricia, from a typescript, "Notes taken during a phone conversation that Pat Pickard of Bangor, Maine had with Handy Nevers of Brockville, Ontario on April 26, 2013."

7. Smith, Louise Elizabeth, compiler and editor: Grandma and Me; Family Stories, Information, and Photos of the Crabtree and Higginson Families of Amanda Myrtie Crabtree Briggs. Cave Creek, Arizona: Austin-Smith Books, 2007. (May be purchased from Lulu.com at http://www.lulu.com/shop/louise-smith/grandma-and-me/paperback/product-1070857.html)

Sadie's "Pleasant View Farm" Found!

Pleasant View Farm
28 Sargent Hill Drive in Milo, Maine

When my Aunt Sadie remembered her Aunt Sarah Thomas' house where she spent so many of her childhood years (see Aunt Sadie: Separated from the Family), she made us all want to find that house so that we could see what it looked like. 

She said: Auntie...lived on a beautiful estate in Milo, Maine called "Pleasant View Farm." You could sit on the veranda and see the lakes around Mt. Kahtahdin. The house was so vast I would get lost exploring. 

One person took her desire to see the house a step further--she went exploring in Milo, Maine. From the Town Offices, to the Registry of Deeds, to an exploration of the roads of Milo, Pentecostal historian, Patricia Pickard and her husband, Carroll, spent a day talking to officials and record keepers and possible neighbors. Of course she found the house, she's a family history detective!

Along the way, she also found the real estate deed from when William Thomas bought the property, as well as his will, leaving it to his wife for her lifetime.

Pat said, in an email to me: 

I have a copy of a real estate deed drafted on the 12th day of February, 1910, conveying to William G. Thomas the homestead farm....situated on "Sargent Hill" so called, containing 127 acres; also another parcel of land....excepting and reserving from this deed a certain parcel of land, measuring 100 feet by 105 feet, by 100 feet by 105 feet. 

And:

I have a copy of a portion of William G. Thomas' will, probated on the 17th of August 1923. This portion covers fourth and fifth parts of the will:

Fourth, I give....my said beloved wife, Sarah E. Thomas, for and during the term of her natural life, the homestead farm in Milo, being the same conveyed to me by Sarah A. Bradeen, and known as the "Sargent place,".....I also give and devise to my said wife for and during the term of her natural life, the eleven acre bog or muck lot.

Fifth, At the decease of my said wife, I dispose of my said estate as follows, viz: After the payment of the legacies named in paragraphs second and third, then all the rest, residue and remainder of said estate I give, bequeath and devise to my five children, their heirs and assigns forever, in the following proportions: To Hayward S. Thomas and John P. Thomas, one fourth part of said estate or residue to be divided equally between them. To Annie M. Thomas Kinney, William E. Thomas and Bernice C. Thomas, the remaining three-fourths of said residue and remainder, share and share alike. By the term estate meaning to include real, personal and mixed, wherever situated and however and whenever acquired.
Recorded 18 August 1923.

With all this information in hand, Pat and Carroll drove to Sargent Hill Road in Milo. There they found and photographed two houses that were possibilities. 

Pat said: 

Both of these places could easily be called "Pleasant View," because they do offer a very pleasant view (one, east; and the other, south). On one of the locations, I was told by the neighbor lady, that in the early years, one could see clear to the town of Milo from Sargent's Hill, but now the trees have grown too tall for this to be done. Sargent Hill is just one mile away from town. 

I really feel that the last place I took a picture of would be the place. It is a large, large old home. Today, it is very well kept, and the architecture is beautiful. I don't think they could have raised 5 kids in the other house picture that I took. 

Route 16 is the county road between Milo and Dover-Foxcroft, and Sargent Hill is "off" this county road (to the north). I have a feeling that the area was so called because Mr. Sargent owned all the land in that area, and he had a large, impressive set of buildings. I think Mr. Sargent may have been wealthy. There are slate quarries not too far from Milo, and part of this house has slate siding. The house is really beautiful. I would say that the barn is gone, and now they have a two-car garage. 

On the following day, the rest of the mystery was solved. In Pat's words:

I just got a call from a lady (Gwen Bradeen; husband is Paul Bradeen) that lives on Sargent Hill. She confirmed to me that the house that I hoped was the Thomas place IS in fact the Thomas place.

She has been in touch with a lady whose family bought this house in 1940. The father's name was Earl Ingerson. His daughter, Dearle Ingerson Flint, still lives in the general area, and she has pictures of the place. Her husband is just getting out of the hospital, but she will bring the pix over to Gwen and Gwen will be in touch with me. 

Dearle states that the barn was across the street. It burned in 1958.  The black that you see up in the peak on the left are slate pieces that came from the nearby quarry.

By the way, the Ingersons paid $3,000 for this homestead! I need to get a copy of the deed where it was sold so as to see how the description reads in 1940. Without a doubt, not all 127 acres were sold with the house.

Gwen told me that, in later years (1970s), one of the owners used to have Pentecostal revivals out back on this property. Gwen asked me if Mr. Thomas was a Pentecostal minister and I told her that I did not know that he was. 

*****

I do not know either if William Thomas was a Pentecostal minister, but we already know from Sadie that Sarah Thomas was a strong supporter of the Pentecostal movement, and at least one of their sons, Hayward, was a clergyman. Sadie wrote about Sarah:

Now I will go into [Sarah's] religious affiliations. This was in the heyday of the famous evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. Pap was converted to Pentecost under her and Auntie followed suit wholeheartedly. She decided there must be a Pentecostal church in Milo. She bought a schoolhouse and refurbished it. She imported young ministers from the Glad Tidings Institute in California. She fixed beautiful apartments for them. Her motto was "If someone said 'Praise the Lord' it was hang up your hat and make yourself at home."

It would be no surprise that, after Sarah Thomas' death in 1938,  the house would be sold to others of the Pentecostal church, and that revivals would continue to be held there.

I owe the energetic Patricia Pickard (did I mention that she is 82 years old?) and her patient husband, Carroll,  a great debt of gratitude for their successful search to find Pleasant View Farm.

Aunt Sadie's Memoirs, Part 6: Marriage, Motherhood, and Losing Dickie

This is the sixth and final excerpt from my Aunt Sadie's Memoirs. Previous posts were: 
Part 1 and Part 2 (Life on the Farm)
Part 3 (Separated From the Family)  
Part 4 (Life With the Thomas Family)
Part 5 (Brother Lindholm, Uncle Jesse, and Grammie Crabtree).

*****

My next memory [was] in 1933, in the middle of the Great Depression. My family had moved from Canada to Ludlow, Maine, and Papa [David Jewett Crabtree, Sr.] had also brought [Sadie's oldest sister] Alma's family over. 

Ludlow had no high school so if your family could not pay for your board in town, you had to work for it. I spent my sophomore year with a family with three small children. I had to get up very early in the morning and feed and dress them before I went to school. 

In my junior year, I got lucky. The entire Middleton family had migrated to the U.S. from Canada, to Hatfield Point, I think. Anyway, John Middleton [father of Eugene, who was to marry Sadie's sister, Anna] made arrangements to have his sister Louise Murphy board his daughter Geraldine and I was sent along to work my board and help "Aunt Louise." Louise was diabetic and had to have an insulin shot daily. Her widowed daughter Pearl (a nurse) lived with us and took care of that. Geraldine and I had fun going to school together. Pearl and I became close friends. 

Now, the plot thickens. Across the street lived the Ayotte family and that's how I met Joe Ayotte. He had beautiful eyes and looked like Bing Crosby. Besides, [Sadie's sister] Anna and Eugene were getting married, and [Sadie's sister] Gladys was marrying Murray Victory, and I wasn't about to let them get ahead of me. So we planned to be married when I finished school. I do know I went back to Milo High for my senior year and he came to see me once and Auntie [Sarah Ermina Crabb Thomas] liked him. 

So, immediately after my graduation I returned to Houlton and we were married from Aunt Louise's house. Pearl and her brother George stood up with us.

One Sunday evening [in February 1938], I was listening to Charlie McCarthy on the radio when my water broke and I started hemorrhaging and was taken to the hospital by Joe's brothers. I wasn't due until March and he [Richard "Dickie" Ayotte] weighed just five pounds and wasn't quite finished. Anna sat with him in the palm of her hand and I started to cry. I said, "He looks like a little rat." Nobody thought I would ever raise him. The first year was touch and go with ear infections, swollen glands, high fevers, etc. I would climb into his security bed with him. I only weighed 110 pounds after his birth. 

After 11 years, I got a divorce [about 1948]. I refused [any] help and went on my own. I became a divorcee. A divorced woman was considered fair game by the men and a threat to the women. 

My first job was washing dishes in the Woolworth's Cafeteria in Houlton. It was very popular with the Canadians and we did a thriving business on Canadian holidays. I worked up to be the manager and was offered the opportunity to travel New England and help other stores that might be in trouble. What a great life, living in hotels. But I had a little girl [Jane, born in 1944] I would never leave. So I came to Connecticut with Jane and lived with Alma until I got situated. 

Dick came down to Connecticut one winter and utterly despised it. He was deeply attached to his friends and classmates [in Maine] who he had been with since kindergarten. I arranged for him to stay with relatives and I sent him $15 a week. It was very painful to be separated from him because I worshipped the ground he walked on. But, I think if he had been forced to stay in Connecticut it would have ruined his life. 

Dick had two brushes with death before the final one. During the winter he stayed with me in Connecticut, one night he came home with intense pain in his stomach that turned out to be a ruptured appendix. He was gravely ill in New Britain Hospital. 

The night he graduated from high school he was in the car with a dear friend whose father had given him a new car for graduation. They ran into Rockefeller's Wall in Bar Harbor. The friend was killed instantly and Dick suffered a broken neck. He didn't want me to know about this but Dan Ayotte [Dick's uncle] informed me. Anna and Eugene took me to Bar Harbor immediately and I stayed with him a week. You would never believe the cards and letters he received. One lawyer from Houlton wanted to help him with medical expenses. His visitors were standing in line. He never rode in a car with a drinking driver again. 

[After Dick married Martha Jellison] he developed a passion for skiing and they moved to Carrabassett, Maine, and he is credited with being a pioneer in the development of Sugarloaf Ski Resort. He was called "The Mayor."

On October 5, 1981, Martha called with the terrible news that Dick and Jud Strunk had been killed in a plane crash. Jud was a TV personality who had been a regular on "Laugh-In" where he satirized the Maine native. He also wrote a hit song, "A Daisy a Day." He was a buddy of Dick's and came to Sugarloaf in a vintage World War II plane and asked Dick to go for a spin with him and see the foliage. Jud had a heart attack and they crashed in the woods. 

Janey and I [went] to Maine immediately. I know the funeral was very big with a lot of prominent people but I don't remember much. I died inside and stayed that way for the next 25 years. 

Martha and Dick's daughter, Aimee, was ten when her father was killed and right after she graduated high school, Martha developed cancer and passed away. Aimee was alone in the world except for her half sister, Holly. She was married and when she had a baby girl, she started bringing the baby to see me twice a year and my broken heart started to mend. I celebrated Christmas last year (2004) for the first time since Dick's death. 

Sarah Norma "Sadie" Crabtree Ayotte Ariel

Sadie's family
Back row, left to right: Sadie, Joey Cichon III, Christine Cichon Bolduc, Marcel Bolduc, Anita Cichon Simmons, Bill Simmons
Front, left to right:Jane Ayotte Cichon, Joseph Cichon, Jr.; Krystel Simmons
(Thanks to Joey Cichon for sharing photos)

I lived alone in my house on Pine Street with tenants on the first floor. But expenses kept increasing and my income was decreasing until I could no longer make ends meet. Then, in June 2005, I had surgery for colon cancer. I have a treatable heart condition but my heart doctors said I could not live alone. So, here I am, living with my daughter, so I guess I have to come to the end of my story. 

May I say that not one sister ever withheld their love and support for me. They just loved me and prayed for me. This has been very painful for me to write and I cried a lot because I can't go back and correct my mistakes. I have to go forward. I have had a miraculous recovery and I am getting stronger every day. 

Stay tuned; there might be a sequel. 

Love to all, 

Aunt Sade

*****

Sadie died in 2009, four years after writing this memoir. This was her obituary:

Sarah N. Ariale

MERIDEN - Sarah N. Ariale, 89, lovingly known as Nanny by her family and friends, passed away peacefully, Oct. 3, 2009, at MidState Medical Center. Born Jan. 14, 1920, in Andover, New Brunswick Canada. She moved to Meriden in 1951. She worked in several area restaurants, until retiring in 1975. She enjoyed spending time with her great-grandchildren and enjoyed family games and playing the piano. She is survived by her daughter, Jane Cichon and her husband, Joseph Jr. of Meriden; five grandchildren, Anita Simmons of Meriden, Christine Bolduc of Kensington, Joseph Cichon III of Meriden, Aimee Case of Boothbay Maine and Holly Behre of South Carolina; five great-grandchildren, Krystel and Cassandra Simmons, Kyle and Luc Bolduc, Evy Case; and several nieces and nephews. Sarah was predeceased by her parents, David and Edith Crabtree; her beloved son, Dick Ayotte; four brothers; and eight sisters. She was also predeceased by her late husbands, Joseph Ayotte and Joseph Ariale. Friends and relatives are invited to attend a funeral service to be held on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 11 a.m. at Family Christian Worship Center located at 53 Coe Ave. in Meriden. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her name to the American Cancer Society , 538 Preston Ave., P.O. Box 1004, Meriden, CT 06450-1004, or the charity of your choice. Arrangements are under the direction of the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main St., Meriden, CT 06450 www.jferryfh.com.

Published in The Record-Journal on Oct. 11, 2009

Aunt Sadie's Memoirs, Part 5: Brother Lindholm, Uncle Jesse, and Grammy Crabtree

This is the fifth excerpt from my Aunt Sadie's Memoirs. Previous posts were: Part 1and Part 2 (Life on the Farm), 3 (Separated From the Family),  and 4 (Life With the Thomas Family).

Sadie's school: Milo High School, Milo, Maine
Source: Contributed by Jim Degerstrom
(be sure to visit Jim's blog by clicking on his name) 

Aunt Sadie continues:

Well, it is 1933 and I am a freshman at Milo High. The resident minister at the time was Brother [Ernest Paul] Lindholm. He was a really dedicated man and very solemn. He said he was called to be a missionary to Africa but he needed a wife before he could go. He was very sweet on Hope [Hope Crabtree McLeod, 1910-1993] when she visited but I guess his feelings were not reciprocated. I considered him a "stuffed shirt." He eventually married a nice Pentecostal girl from the Dover Foxcroft Church, went ot Africa, and was gored to death by a wild buffalo.*

From Clair: This is the only photo I have
of Sadie's brother, my
Uncle Jesse Hayward Crabtree, 1908-1950

I am going to relate a funny anecdote that is my "Jesse" story. Every one of us had their own "Jesse" story.

Our brother Jesse was retarded because he ate raw beans as a toddler and had numerous convulsions. Mama [Edith Giberson Crabtree, 1880-1946] never forgave herself for this tragedy and her dying wish was "Take care of Jesse."** He was part of our childhood and we all cared about him. He would sing folk songs to us and sit on the porch and [swing his feet] and sing his way through the hymn book. He was good-natured as long as he was fed and was a wonderful worker. Sometimes ignorant people teased him. He would get wanderlust and run away and hitch hike to Milo to see Auntie [Sarah Crabb Thomas, 1867-1938]. He was most welcome because of the work he would do and Auntie loved him too. 

We were ensconced at the dinner table with Brother Lindholm preaching when Auntie broke wind (commonly called a fart). Well, all the Aunts vanished into the adjacent pantry until they could stop giggling. Lindholm remained solemn and eventually the Aunts came back and the dinner resumed. Jesse spoke up and said, "Oh well, everyone makes a mistake once in a while."

I would like to mention some of my impression on living with Grammy Crabtree [Sarah Ann Kinney Crabtree, 1842-1935]. She was all but blind with cataracts and I would stay with her if Auntie had to go out. My main job was to help keep her away from the stove. She was "feisty" and we had many battles, which we both enjoyed. Her wit was keen and I could never get the best of her. Everyone who knew her has a funny story to tell about her sharp rejoinders. 

I went [home to the family farm in] Beaconsfield [New Brunswick] every summer vacation with a dozen or so pretty dresses, which I happily shared with Anna and Gladys. 

Next: Losing Dickie

****

*From The Pentecostal Evangel, Dec. 21, 1940, page 8 (http://ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1940-1949/1940/1940_12_21.pdf)

YOUNG MISSIONARY CALLED TO HIS REWARD 

The announcement made in the last issue of the Evangel concerning the death of Ernest Paul Lindholm, missionary under our appointment to the Belgian Congo, will have come no doubt as a shock to many friends of our beloved brother who was young both in years and in missionary service.

Brother Lindholm was born in Turlock, California, August 24, 1907, and passed away in the Congo on November 26, 1940. He was a graduate of Glad Tidings Bible Institute and for four years prior to sailing for the field held a license with the New England District. For some time he pastored a church at Milo, Maine.

In June, 1939 he was united in marriage to Grace Wallace. A few months later the couple sailed for the Belgian Congo, locating soon after arrival at Nobe together with Gladys Taylor and Angeline Pierce. At this new station Brother Lindholm has taken charge of building construction, in addition to language study and other missionary activities. 

The cable sent to us from the Congo conveyed no further information other than the brief message, "Ernest Lindholm with Jesus." We sorrow not for our departed brother, but we do think of the one out on the foreign field who has been left a widow, with the care of a six months old baby. Our sympathy is extended to Mrs. Lindholm and our prayers surround her, that through the deep waters of affliction
she may realize that comfort which the God of all comfort and grace alone can supply.

**Jesse died four years after his mother, and four years before his father. He was buried with them in the Evergreen Cemetery in Houlton, Maine.