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Wednesday, August 15, 2007

FROM GRANDMOTHER WEST"S BIBLE














In Late November 1979 my parents received a letter from
Florence O’Connor, a cousin of my Dad’s, announcing she had
written a book “The Ancestors and Descendants of Asa Freeman
and Florilla (Dunham) Ellingwood”. It would trace our
Ellingwood line from Ralph in Salem, Ma in 1635 and the
Dunhams from 1294 in England. A major part of the book would
deal with Asa and Florilla’s ten children and other relatives. The
hardcover book would cost $17.50.




I’m not sure if it was my folks or myself who sent the money(I’d
just turned 21and was out in the workforce.) The book arrived
and I sent Mrs. O’Connor a letter asking for more details about
the West line. She very kindly sent me a typed out transcription
of her Grandmother West’s Bible. That would have been Clarinda
Britton West, daughter to Jonathan Cutter West and Arvilla
Ames. She also sent information on our Richardson line and
another two sheets on the various West marriages and children.



At some point during the 1980’s I took the book to work and
photocopied the entries for the Ellingwoods and added them to
the file of pedigree and family sheets Aunt Dot had sent us. The
book is packed away somewhere (I hope) after several moves but
I still have those Ellingwood photocopied pages and the typed
correspondence from Mrs. O’Connor.




So, above is a scan of the transcription from Mrs. O’Connor, to
whom I am grateful. Along with Aunt Dot, she gave me the
beginnings of my interest in genealogy.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Florence Evelyn Ellingwood passed in August 2001 at the age of 97 years. At the time of her passing, she was living in Brockton, MA with her son Gerald C. O'Connor, my younger brother. Florence is buried in West Paris, Maine beside her husband, my father, William Patrick O'Connor (b.1901, d.1992). My older brother, William, Jr., and I survive.

Respectfully,
David J. O'Connor
Diamond Bar, CA

Bill West said...

David,
I'm sorry to learn so late of her passing.

I remain appreciative of her kindness to me years ago in her letters and for the research she shared with us all.
Bill