June 6: Montgomery Roots

Day 6 of old family pictures and stories is from the paternal side of my tree, edited* from an earlier edition, Thanks to my cousin, Kurt, for helping to clarify details. 

Jeremiah, raised on a farm in Montgomery, NY, fell head over heals for a girl from Manhattan who spent the summer recovering from serious illness in the country.  At one point, he even tried, briefly, life in the big city; ultimately, he wooed her back to the country and life on the farm. He passed before I was born, but from this one picture, he appeared short of statue, but somehow reproduced some six-footers! 

Milk for Manhattan was big business and while they were not wealthy, there was plenty of food for the ten children who would arrive like clockwork every other year. There was no electricity until my dad, the youngest, was in high school and Roosevelt's Rural Electric Act spurred such development.

Their first two boys, George and Philip, were already off to the Army and University when my father, Jeremiah Jr., arrived after a string of seven sisters and I suspect my grandfather was encouraged by the potential of someone to carry on the farm. The oldest sister, Loretta, was off at college and another sister, Ester, passed away just few weeks before my dad was born; I suspect that may have also helped earn his favored status in the household among the older sisters still at home, Mary, Anne, Josephine, Helen, and Gertrude.                                          

 

I found a few treasured photos that left me in awe of the fortitude and resilience of raising such a brood without running water! "Family lore" suggests their alfalfa fed cows produced milk that was valued  bringing top pennies even in the Depression. 

                                                                                                                  

I think, Baby Jerry, Helen and Gert

I think Little Jerry in the front, 

Back row, Anne, Mary, middle row

Josephine and Gertrude

It appears someone, perhaps my Grandmother who saw the potential of learning back in the city, valued learning? They even built the local one room school right on their property (another story) It appears that most of the children were encouraged to attend college or trade school of some sort, but as in large families, the resources may have been strained at times, especially after my grandfather developed cancer.  My dad helped run the farm, even in high school, but it was sold shortly after his passing so my dad could fulfill his dream of engineering. 

The house burned to the ground in the 50s, but my cousin remembers visiting with our Aunts and seeing "their farmhouse" along with the "new" owners. 

I have no memories of Montgomery other than visiting my Aunt Anne who stayed in the area, but I do sometimes wonder what adventures we cousins would have had if our family track had a different direction. That is a another story, or two!

                                                                          A sketch of the farmhouse from my Dad many years later.