Family Photo and Love - #52 Ancestors

Merritt and Maude Emma Agard 60th Wedding Celebration

This family photo exemplifies love as each of these couples married young and stayed happily married until death did they part. They served as a strong moral core for their families and for everyone who knew them. They used their talents to the benefit of the communities in which they lived.

The photo was taken in 1983 on the occasion of the 60^th wedding anniversary of Merritt Martin Agard and Maude Emma (Hardenbrook) Agard. The couple on the left is their son John Richard Agard and his wife Beverly (Shepard) Agard; on the right, Edward Francis Nunn and Carol (Agard) Nunn (my parents). The photo was taken at our family restaurant, Taughannock Farms Inn, overlooking Cayuga Lake near Trumansburg, New York.

Merritt’s version of how he met Maude: It was at one of their church suppers (Jacksonville M.E. Church) that he caught Maude Hardenbrook’s eye. Maude had attended with another young man from the community. Merritt, being mischievous, turned the lights out during the supper. While the lights were out, he raced in, took Maude’s hand, and took her away from her companion.

Maude on the other hand liked to tell the story that on one of their first dates, Merritt tried to kiss her and she slapped his face. In any event, they sorted all that out, were married, and celebrated their 60^th anniversary in August 1983.

From their wedding book: They were married at Willow Creek on August 22, 1923 by the Reverend R. L. Smith. Witnesses were Helen Atwater and Alfred Hopkins. Guests were: Mrs. E. Hardenbrook, Mr. Enos Hardenbrook, Mrs. Arthur Agard, Mr. Arthur Agard, Mrs. Menzo Wortman, Mr. Menzo Wortman, Mr. W. L. Twekin, John W. Agard, Mary A. Simpson, Moreia Higgins, Fred D. Higgins, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Agard, Frank J. Beardsley, Mrs. F.J. Beardsley, Adalade C. Tucker, Mr. and Mrs. John Rightmire, Delia Rightmire, Mr. and Mrs. C. Owen Carman, Dorothy M. Vann, M. Gertrude Godfrey, Eleanor M. Drew, Mrs. Walter Higgins, Mary Higgins, Leon Drew, Walter Higgins, Emily H. Gardner, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Darling, Cornelia B. Thompson, Mrs. C. H. Smith, C. H. Smith, Kenneth Hardenbrook, Alice D. Sherman.

J. Richard Agard and Beverly Jean Shepard were married July 1946 in Sage Chapel on the campus of Cornell University.

Edward Nunn and Carol Louise Agard were married September 12, 1941 in the rectory of Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca, New York with J. Richard Agard and Adeline Agard in attendance. The reception was held at her parent’s home on Jacksonville Road. Photos of their wedding can be found on an earlier blog.

I miss these loving members of my family.

Wordless Wednesday - School Uniforms 1940s

Circa early 1940s

I would love to know what these young women are doing dressed in overalls. Fourth from the top right is my aunt Beverly Shepard Agard. In 1940 her family lived in Ithaca, but during the war the family moved out to Dryden, NY where her father tried his hand at farming.  Are these young women in training to be the U.S. version of "Land Girls?" 

Sympathy Saturday - Beverly Shepard Agard

Beverly (d: July 2011), Nancy (d: Dec 2007), J. Richard (d: April 2007) Agard

I was sad to learn that my aunt, Beverly Gene Shepard Agard, passed away on Wednesday, 27 July 2011.   Not knowing she was near her time, that very afternoon she arrived in my thoughts. I thought about how lucky I was to visit her on Mother’s Day and to present her with a three ring binder that held her Shepard family history. I explained it wasn’t finished, but I hoped she would enjoy what was presented and that it would bring her happy memories.  As I thought about Aunt Beverly Wednesday noontime, I vowed to give her a call very soon.  We had to rush off that afternoon and didn’t get back until evening, when I received the email that she had passed away.

Beverly Shepard, age one year

Beverly was born 10 April 1926 to Howard Eugene and Ethel A. Grover Shepard. Beverly grew up in the Southern Tier of New York, and then the family moved to Hudson Street in Ithaca, New York.

Beverly and Dick Agard

Beverly married J. Richard Agard on 23 July 1946.  She had completed her degree from Cornell University, but put off any thoughts of career as she knew the importance of raising her family. When her two girls were well on their way, Beverly operated her own drapery and upholstery business in Cayuga Heights.  Many homeowners are thankful that Beverly was there to assist them in those important decorating decisions.

Beverly was the best cook. We were always thrilled to get an invitation to Beverly’s house for dinner and couldn’t wait to partake in her delicious meals. 

Beverly, you are missed. We miss your smiling face and your wonderful laugh.  Rest in peace.

Surname Saturday - Shepard

My blog followers know from previous posts that I am working on a family narrative for my cousin and her children on the Shepard family.  The papers and photos she gave to me in December included several pages of handwritten notes on the Shepard family genealogy. I transcribed those and they are included as an introduction in my narrative. Using the handwritten notes as a starting point, I began to verify each generation, but I immediately had trouble with the second generation. The handwritten notes had the progenitor as Ralph Shepard, born 1609 in Stepheny Parish London and arriving in Boston in October 1635. Ralph, his wife, Thankful, and their daughter Sarah are well documented. But the second generation listed, John Shepard, presented a problem as Ralph did not have a son named John.

I spent the afternoon in our library’s genealogy room where there resides a three volume set of Shepard Genealogy. This book was carefully researched by Gerald Faulkner Shepard and edited by the well-known genealogist Donald Lines Jacobus. So I was pretty confident that the information contained therein was correct.

Mr. Shepard states that there were two large Shepard families that immigrated to the new world. Those were the Ralph Shepard family of Dedham, MA, and the Edward Shepard Family of Cambridge, MA. Those two families take up the first two volumes of Mr. Shepard’s works.  The third volume contains several other Shepard families that immigrated, and he has them carefully marked.  The Shepard family I am researching is actually from John Shepard of Concord, MA who was born about 1633 in Concord, MA. He married Sarah Goble in 1661.  This family eventually ended up on Spencer, Tioga County, New York.

I am so glad I got this straightened out before I wasted any more time trying to connect Ralph Shepard with this family line. 

Surname Saturday - Grover Family

A branch of my Aunt Beverly Shepard Agard’s family genealogy is the Grover family line, which is her mother’s maiden name.  For some reason, I could not find this family on any census in the Wellsville, New York area.  Such an uncomplicated name, I did, however, try several variations of spellings.  I finally called my aunt, who I found out is in a body cast because she had a recent fall.  She told me she was feeling quite sorry for herself that day, but as we talked and I asked her questions about her mom and that side of the family, my Aunt Beverly seemed to perk up.  Once she told me the names of her grandparents, Jacob and Annis Grover, I quickly found them on the 1900 census. Why I couldn’t before remains a mystery, and I shall blame the genealogy gremlin for that. Possibly the gremlin wanted me to give Beverly a call.

I do hope the Grover family lived in a large house, because in the 1900 census, I found Jacob and Annis living with eight of their children, and one son-in-law.  The married daughter living in the house with her husband was Nellie Grover Baldwin; he was Harry Baldwin, a stonemason. Another daughter was shown to be married one year, Edith Zuletbalt (sp), but without husband. Beverly’s mother, Ethel Grover was four years old.

Going back a generation, Jacob’s parents were Isaac and Delight Grover.  They lived in Rathbone, Steuben County, NY.

I ran off what I had so far on the Shepard genealogy and mailed it off to my aunt.  I look forward to calling her again to get more information on her mother’s siblings.  I am happy to report we are off and running with the Grover family history.