Moving Back in Time

Let's revisit some earlier sources to see if we can find more information about the parents of our neighbors.
Following up on Ray Spinney's family in the 1930 census, I'm going to look for his mother and father's marriage in the marriage index. I searched for Bessie Reed (Remember, her mother, Abbie Reed, was living in the household) and found Bessie M. Reed of Milford married Byron P. Spinney of Old Town on 12 Dec 1910. Bessie then married Charles Burruley of Orono on 8 Jun 1929. In the 1920 Census, Byron, Bessie, Raymond, George and Howard are all living on Main St. in Bradley. It was hard to find because the surname was spelled Spenie and indexed as Spruce or Spence. So now we know that Byron either died between 1920 and 1929 or he and Bessie were divorced.

Delores shows up in the 1920 census as well, as the step-daughter of Alfred Wickett. His wife is Myrtle, so presumably her mother. The name Myrtle Bamford sounds right to me as the name of Dot's mother. I couldn't find a marriage of Myrtle and Alfred Wickett. This census does tell me that Myrtle was born in Canada and was a trained nurse. I found Myrtle Bamford in the death index and her death date was 9 Jul 1978.

A search through the 1920 Census doesn't turn up Charles Lowell or Harry and Mabel, who I suspect are his parents, but in 1910, there they all are living on Davis Street, Harry H., 37; Mabel, 34; Frances, 10; Doris, 9; and Charles W., 6. Living next door are Mary A. Lowell, age 64 and daughter Mary, 26.

Woodrow Burr's father Fred married Elvester Spencer of Argyle on 1 Dec 1894. According to the book "The Penobscot Spencers" (written by Thelma Spencer D'Auteuil and available at the Old Town Library,) Elvester was born 1 Jun 1874 the daughter of ???? and died in 1940. Fred was born about 1872 and died in 1953.

In the 1930 census we found Dorothy Bailey living with mother Vina and Vina's mother Grace Sleeper, so I looked for Vina Sleeper in the marriage index. When I didn't find anything, I looked for any Sleeper who married a Bailey. I found Verna E. who married Richard C. Bailey on 14 Jul 1914. In the 1920 census, I found Verna, Dorothy and Janet living with Verna's parents, George and Grace Sleeper in Milford.