Immortality (March 27, 2020) -- Sarah Etta (Freeman) Carpenter

Today's post reprises a post first published on March 24, 2014 (with slight modification to reflect the correct anniversry date).

"Immortality Lies in Being Remembered by Family and Friends." -- John D. Tew 

Sarah Etta (Freeman) Carpenter [1858 - 1945]

Today is the 162nd anniversary of the birth of my great grandmother, Sarah Etta Freeman. Sarah married my great grandfather, Samuel Eber Carpenter, on June 15, 1887 when she was 29 years old. Sarah's first granddaughter (my mother) was born on March 28th, the day after Sarah turned 69.

Sarah Etta Freeman was born on March 27, 1858 in East Douglas, Massachusetts to Mason Freeman (1820 - 1898) and his wife, Martha Amanda Shearman (1830 - 1870). Sarah was the third of five children born to Mason and Martha Freeman: Ellen Frances born 1852; Edward Mason born 1854; Sarah Etta born 1858; Caleb Everett born 1862; and Otis Mason born 1868.  By the time Sarah turned 17 her family had moved to Lincoln, Rhode Island and it was while living there that Sarah met Samuel Eber Carpenter.

Sarah had some hard experiences in her life.  Her mother died when Sarah was only 12 years old. Sam and Sarah had two children -- my maternal grandfather, Everett Shearman Carpenter (1891 - 1962), and his older sister, Ruth Ann Carpenter (1889 - 1920). Ruth Ann died at age 31 just twelve days after giving birth to her only child, Richard Carpenter Knight (the first of Sarah's four grandchildren).

Sarah is especially intriguing to me because she is the first ancestor where I have actual documentation to show that she had an active interest in genealogy. Sarah wrote letters to town clerks and other officials seeking proof of her ancestors' births, deaths, and life experiences -- particularly with regard to military service. She was successful in some respects because she was able to obtain C.A.R. membership for both of her children in 1905. [See the post of July 3, 2013 here on The Prism.]

Today I raise a glass in memory of my great grandmother, Sarah Etta (Freeman) Carpenter!

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Photographs from the personal collection of the author.
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Copyright 2020, John D. Tew
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Brown University Class Day 1911 program -- Friday Fotos (September 25, 2015)

The scanned images shown above are of the program for the Brown University Class Day 1911.  It was recently discovered among some family records and artifacts. The original program is a small (5 in. x 6 in.), leather-bound brochure that is held together by a laced and tied leather thong. This made scanning a delicate and difficult process in order to avoid damaging the original family artifact. The page images shown below are not as clear or as straight as I would have liked, but further handling of the document or attempting to unlace the brochure to scan each page individually was not an option.

 The last two pages of the brochure contain a roll of the class members of the Brown University Class of 1911. Among the listed members is my maternal grandfather, Everett Shearman Carpenter, and Ira Winsor Knight, the future husband of my grandfather's sister, Ruth Ann Carpenter.

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Images scanned from the original artifact in the possession of the author.

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Copyright 2015, John D. Tew

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Treasure Chest Thursday (December 18, 2014) -- Richard Carpenter Knight

[L to R] Everett Carpenter, Sarah Etta Carpenter, Richard Carpenter Knight, and Samuel Eber Carpenter (circa 1923-24)

I have written previously about my grand aunt Ruth Ann [Carpenter] Knight and her son, Richard Carpenter Knight (1920 - 1975), my 1st cousin 1 x removed (see, http://filiopietismprism.blogspot.com/2014/07/immortality-july-21-2014-ruth-ann.html). It is a sad story really, but one that was not all that unusual or rare in the days of births before the advent of the miracle antibiotics and modern surgical methods.

When Richard's mother died in the days following his birth, I am sure his father, Ira W. Knight, was devastated by the sudden loss of his young wife and being left alone with a newborn son. I do not know the circumstances of Ira's parents at the time, but Ruth Ann's parents (Richard's maternal grandparents) stepped in to take care of little Richard and he lived with his grandparents and his Uncle Everett (my maternal grandfather) for the first several years of his life. Richard lived with the Carpenters at 551 High Street in Cumberland on their small "farmette" of a few acres with its barn, gardens, trees, open fields and access to a babbling brook. It must have been a wonderful time for a little boy while it lasted. Richard's father, Ira, married Christina Arnold (1898 - 1970) on June 11, 1925 when Richard was almost five years old. Richard went to live with his father and stepmother shortly after they returned from their honeymoon to Bermuda on June 29, 1925. 

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Scan of the original snapshot in the collection of the author.

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Copyright 2014, John D. Tew

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Immortality (July 21, 2014) -- Ruth Ann Carpenter

"Immortality Lies in Being Remembered by Family and Friends." -- John D. Tew 

Ruth Ann Carpenter (1889 - 1920)

Today is the 125th anniversary of the birth of my grand aunt, Ruth Ann Carpenter.  Ruth Ann was the older sister of my maternal grandfather, Everett Shearman Carpenter.  I never met Ruth because she died almost thirty-two years before I was born.

Ruth was born on July 21st, 1889 in Providence, Rhode Island.  She was the first child of Samuel Eber Carpenter (1853 - 1929) and his wife Sarah Etta Carpenter nee Freeman (1858 - 1945).  Sam and Sarah named their daughter after Sam's mother, Ruth Ann Carpenter nee Miller (1828 -1893).

Ruth and my grandfather were apparently very close.  I never heard my grandfather ever mention having a sister, but then again I was only about ten years old when my grandfather died and the lapse might be more of my memory than his.  I did not become aware of Ruth Ann and her story until I was well into my adulthood and did not see photographs of her until perhaps a decade or more ago.

As shown in a post here on July 9th, even though Ruth Ann was almost two years older than her brother Everett, she and he graduated from Cumberland High School on the same day in June 1907. Evidence from surviving report cards indicates that Ruth was not the student that her younger brother was and he graduated as co-valedictorian of their small class. Ruth Ann did not go on to college, but Everett went to Brown and graduated with a degree in Engineering. Ruth and Everett obviously remained close even as young adults for my grandfather carried small photos of his sister in his Brown pocket calendar; perhaps it was because he missed her, but it might also have been because he was proud of his sister and wanted to show her off to his friends and classmates.  I think Ruth was a very attractive young woman.

Photos of Ruth Ann Carpenter in her brother's Brown University calendar date book (September 1907)

Ruth Ann Carpenter circa 1917 (perhaps her wedding portrait?)

  

As it happened, Ruth did end up marrying one of Everett's classmates at Brown, Ira W. Knight. Ira and Ruth Ann were married at Christ Church in Lonsdale, Rhode Island on May 21, 1917. They had one son, Richard Carpenter Knight, who was born on September 12, 1920 when Ruth Ann was not quite two months past her 31st birthday.

Ira W. Knight circa mid-1950s

Richard Carpenter Knight (September 12, 1920 - December 13, 1975)

Sadly, Ruth Ann never really knew her son for she died twelve days after his birth due to complications and infection from the delivery. Richard's birth was in the years just prior to the discovery and development of penicillin by Sir Alex Fleming in 1928.  Had the birth taken place a few years later, or if this first of the miracle drug antibiotics had been developed and made available a decade or so earlier, then Ruth Ann might well have survived a compromised birthing -- and I might have come to know her many years later.  

Today, from Iceland, I raise a glass in memory of my grand aunt Ruth Ann Carpenter Knight who remains forever young in the thoughts and renewed memories of the family members she never knew!

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Photographs from the personal collection of the author.
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Copyright 2014, John D. Tew
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Immortality (March 27, 2014) -- Sarah Etta (Freeman) Carpenter

"Immortality Lies in Being Remembered by Family and Friends." -- John D. Tew 

Sarah Etta (Freeman) Carpenter [1858 - 1945]

Today is the 156th anniversary of the birth of my great grandmother, Sarah Etta Freeman. Sarah married my great grandfather, Samuel Eber Carpenter, on June 15, 1887 when she was 29 years old. Sarah's first granddaughter (my mother) was born on March 28th, the day after Sarah turned 69.

Sarah Etta Freeman was born on March 27, 1858 in East Douglas, Massachusetts to Mason Freeman (1820 - 1898) and his wife, Martha Amanda Shearman (1830 - 1870). Sarah was the third of five children born to Mason and Martha Freeman: Ellen Frances born 1852; Edward Mason born 1854; Sarah Etta born 1858; Caleb Everett born 1862; and Otis Mason born 1868.  By the time Sarah turned 17 her family had moved to Lincoln, Rhode Island and it was while living there that Sarah met Samuel Eber Carpenter.

Sarah had some hard experiences in her life.  Her mother died when Sarah was only 12 years old. Sam and Sarah had two children -- my maternal grandfather, Everett Shearman Carpenter (1891 - 1962), and his older sister, Ruth Ann Carpenter (1889 - 1920). Ruth Ann died at age 31 just twelve days after giving birth to her only child, Richard Carpenter Knight (the first of Sarah's four grandchildren).

Sarah is especially intriguing to me because she is the first ancestor where I have actual documentation to show that she had an active interest in genealogy. Sarah wrote letters to town clerks and other officials seeking proof of her ancestors' births, deaths, and life experiences -- particularly with regard to military service. She was successful in some respects because she was able to obtain C.A.R. membership for both of her children in 1905. [See the post of July 3, 2013 here on The Prism.]

Today I raise a glass in memory of my great grandmother, Sarah Etta (Freeman) Carpenter!

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Photographs from the personal collection of the author.
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Copyright 2014, John D. Tew
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