Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued a
challenge: write one blog post each week
devoted to a specific ancestor. It can
be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem –
anything that focuses on one ancestor.
This week’s theme is to focus on a relative who shares my
birthday (not counting the year, of course).
There are five candidates, but one died at age 2, one woman didn’t live
long enough for her name to appear in a census, and the others are still
living. So by default, the dubious honor
goes to my third cousin twice removed Lester Randall Marsh.
One of twelve children, Lester was born to Benjamin
Franklin Marsh and Alice Salisbury on May 27, 1903 in Madison County, Virginia. He was the grandson of Peachy Lamb and Layton
Marsh, and great-grandson of Lucy Walker JOLLETT and Peter Marsh of nearby
Orange County.
Lester grew up on a farm.
Apparently Benjamin did not own his farm as he was listed as a “farm
laborer,” rather than farmer; also the 1910 census indicated that he was NOT
self-employed.
Lester’s parents and oldest brother could neither read
nor write, but the rest of the Marsh children received an education, at least
enough to say they attended school and could read and write.
By 1920, Benjamin was able to obtain a mortgage on a
house for the family, but still he and the older boys worked for other
people. Lester and the younger children
attended school.
 |
| Lester and Mabel Marsh Oldest to youngest: Mary, Bernice, Edith, Helen Photo courtesy Trisha Steel on Ancestry |
In 1926 Lester took on a ready-made family when he
married twice-widowed Bessie Mabel Floyd Meacham Anderson. She had four daughters, but apparently Lester
and Mabel had no children together. In
1930 the family was living in a rented house on Fairview Avenue in Manassas,
Virginia, where Lester was working as a house painter.
At least by 1935, Lester and family had moved to Elon in
Amherst County. Lester was a painter for
the railroad, a position that commanded a respectable salary for the times at
$1200 a year.
City directories indicate that Lester and Mable moved to
Alexandria, Virginia between 1940 and 1947.
Lester worked as a fireman, possibly for the railroad since in 1953 he
was listed as an engineer.
Mabel and Lester are buried together at Fort Hill
Memorial Park in Lynchburg, Virginia.
 |
| Lester R. Marsh 27 May 1903 - 25 Sep 1993 Mabel B. Marsh 8 Nov 1896 - 1982 Findagrave.com courtesy Joan Mays |
©
2015, Wendy Mathias. All rights
reserved.
A birthday share how cool is that, not the same year of course, and May, that is close to mine, May 30th and my sister was born on May 29th seven years earlier. Of course she passed far too young,, but I always wondered if my mother had only given me a brother (like I begged) would he or she been born about the same day too?!
ReplyDeleteSo do you have any idea what a painter for the railroad did? Did they paint the train cars or the train station or what? I guess I am surprised the railroad needed a full time painter. That is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny but one of my favorite ancestors shares my birthday and it's amazing how a simple little thing like that can help you feel connected.
I agree that a painter for the railroad sounds like something I'd like to know more about. It makes you wonder what they did!
ReplyDeleteI didn't find any ancestors that shared my exact birthday. Too bad!