Today, I was using Copernic to search my desktop computer for timeline files. I was really looking for any medical timelines that I had created for my wife and myself.
Copernic turned up a timeline that I had created for my maternal grandmother, Grace Darling [born Bertha) Green (adopted Morley] Dingman/Tripp/Stafford. I had forgotten that I had created this timeline in 2014. Even at this later date, it seems pretty comprehensive so I am reproducing it here.
1879-1881. Grace used various birth dates throughout her life. The birth of Bertha Green was recorded as occurring on 7 Mar 1879 in Ashtabula County to parents J. R. and Mary Green. This is likely Grace’s birth and her name was changed before the 1880 Census. Other dates she used are 7 Mar 1880, 12 Mar 1880, and 7 Mar 1881. Her mother’s maiden name was Sumner. Her father Jared R. Green died in Nov 1879. No record of their marriage has been found. The couple also had a son, Edwin D Green, b 16 Aug 1867 and d 7 Jul 1949.
1880 Census Conneaut, Ashtabula County, Ohio. Grace is living in the household of her widowed mother, Mary Green. This contemporaneous record reported Grace as being 1 year old, which is significant because enumerators for the 1880 census were instructed to report the month of birth if a person was born “within the year,” that is between June 1, 1879 and May 31, 1880. Mary evidently reported that Grace was born before June 1, 1879, so this census record lends support to Grace being born on 7 Mar 1879 with the birth name of Bertha.
1884 Grace’s mother, now Mary E. Furman, died in Ferry Township, Oceana County, Michigan, in the home of an uncle, George Sumner. At this point, Grace was considered to be an orphan, as Mary’s second husband, Stephen Furman, was living separately. No record has been found in Ohio or Michigan for the marriage of Mary and Stephan. Grace came to Andover to live with James and Jennie Morley shortly after her mother died.
1900 Census Andover, Ashtabula County, Ohio Age: 20 Grace is living in the household of James S Morley (age 72) along with Jennie Morley (age 58). She is listed as daughter of James, who is postmaster. She is working as a clerk in the post office.
1900 — 6 Jun James Morley dies at age 72.
1905 — 28 Sep Age: 25. Grace marries Wallace Betts Dingman (my maternal grandfather) in Andover, Ashtabula County, Ohio. They move to Conneaut where Wallace worked for one of the railroads.
1910 Census Conneaut Ward 2, Ashtabula County, Ohio. Age: 30. Grace is living in household of Wallace Dingman, her husband, who is working as a brakeman for a steam railroad.
1920 Census Conneaut, Ashtabula County, Ohio. Age: 40. Grace is living in household of Wallace Dingman, her husband, who is working as a switchman for a steam railroad.
1920 — April 1 Wallace Dingman dies at age 39. The death certificate does not identify a cause of death.
1922 (about) Age: 42. Grace marries John J Tripp (of Andover). I don’t have any record for this marriage.
1930 Census Andover, Ashtabula County, Ohio. Age: 50. Occupation: school teacher in Andover Public School. She was living in the “Morley house” on West Main Street, but separated from John Tripp. Her son Wallace Dingman, Jr., is living with her.
1935 (about) Age: 55. Divorce from John J Tripp
1935 Grace is living in the “same house” as enumerated in the 1940 Census (see next item).
1940 Census Andover, Ashtabula County, Ohio. Age: 60. Occupation: school teacher in Andover Public School. She was living in the “Morley house.” Also living there were Walfrid and Mary Huskonen (her daughter) and Wallace (me—her grandson).
1943 12 March Age: 63. She married Don A Stafford in Ashtabula County and moved to Cleveland. It was the third marriage for both. In August, she listed the “Morley House” in Andover for sale.
1945 Grace and Don hosted me for a week at their home in Cleveland. I was seven years old at the time. Check this post for details:
1947 (about) Grace and Don began vacationing in a winter home in Tampa, Florida.
1948 14 Jan. Florida death certificate reports Grace’s age as 67 [I’ve given up trying to reconcile this age with the birth registration of Bertha in 1879]. She died in Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida. Don Stafford, her third husband, was the informant, but he wasn’t able to provide much information about Grace and her parents or birthplace (in fact, this was one of the least informative death certificates I have seen).
The following obituary appeared in the Ashtabula Star Beacon:
OH–Ashtabula Star Beacon….16 Jan 1948
GRACE STAFFORD–67: Andover; died at 11:45PM Wednesday at Tampa FL following a 2 week illness. She was born 7 Mar 1881 [sic] at Conneaut, a dau of Mr&Mrs Jared Green. She lived most of her life in Andover where she taught in the public schools. She also taught 5 years in East Conneaut schools. Mrs Stafford was a member of Floral Chapter 534-OES & Past Matrons Club. In 1905, Mrs Stafford married Wallace Dingman who preceded her in death in 1920. In 1943 she married Don A Stafford. The couple resided in Cleveland & were vacationing in Florida when her death occurred.
Beside her husband, she is survived by a dau: Mrs Mary Huskonen-Andover; a son: Wallace Dingman Jr-Buffalo & 7 grandchildren.
Services are to be held Sunday afternoon at Baumgardner Funeral Home here. Rev William Harrison–pastor of Andover Congregational Church will officiate. Interment will be in Maple Grove Cem here.
Obituary transcribed to Find-A-Grave by Diana Jo Csikos, added 14 Jun 2010, Find A Grave Memorial 53688001
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