It Started With a Question

While I have been working hard on my second Caitlyn Jamison mystery, Fatal Dose, hubby has been working equally hard on his Decker family genealogy. This week I finished the third manuscript edit, and then spent over three hours utilizing Word’s “Find” feature to identify each time I used the word “had.” I was amazed at how often I use that word without knowing. During that process I also identified words and sentences that weren’t needed. The manuscript is now about 300 words lighter than when I started.

But back to genealogy. Yesterday hubby turned around and asked, “Do you have a Blanche Tucker in your tree? She was a school teacher.” My answer was, “I don’t know.”

That prompted me to pull out my Tucker genealogy and figure out where I left off. I opened the Index of names document I started several years ago and decided my first step would be to finish the Index. That accomplished, I printed it and also printed the Index I created from Jessie (Tucker) Agard’s journal entries (not finished), as well as notes I made from William Lanning Tucker’s 1924 diary. These Indexes will be a good resource as I go forward.

That done, I told hubby this morning, “Yes, I have a Blanche in my tree. She was married to Emmitt Tucker (b: 1887), son of Freddie Tucker (b: 1855), grandson of Ezra D. and Caroline (Lanning) Tucker.  Emmett and Blanche had a daughter, Grace. Grace married first, Nelson Sansouci (announcement in previous post).

Blanche (Rumsey) Tucker is the daughter of Mahlon and Adeline (Douglas) Rumsey of Newfield, NY. 

Emmitt and Blanche celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on 23 December 1966.

Wedding Bells for Grace Tucker

Nelson Sansouci and Miss Grace Tucker of Enfield (NY) were married at the West Groton parsonage on January 22 (1924) by Rev. De Witt C. Nye. They visited a few days at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Karlson.

This notice was cut out and pinned into the 21 Jan 1924 page of William Lanning Tucker’s Daily Reminder. Grace was the granddaughter of William’s brother Fred.

Grace was the daughter of Emmett and Blanche Tucker.  At the time of Grace’s wedding, she was age 18; Nelson was 36.  Grace and Nelson lived in Enfield Center, NY where he earned his living working for the town highway department. By 1930 Grace and Nelson had two children, a son, Louis, and daughter Jean. 

Sunday's Obituary - Fred Tucker d: 6 September 1924

William Lanning Tucker’s 1924 diary has a number of obituaries from 1924 and 1926 attached to the pages using straight pins. These obituaries have held up remarkably well, and I am excited to share them.  The first one is of William’s younger brother, Fred Tucker, who died 6 September 1924.

Fred Tucker, a well-known resident of Enfield, died at 5:30 o’clock Saturday afternoon at his home, following a brief illness. Death was due to paralysis. Surviving are his widow and two daughters, Miss Louella Tucker and Mrs. Erven Griffen; one son, Emmett W. Tucker, all of Enfield; two brothers, William Tucker of Ulysses and G. Smith Tucker of Enfield, also three grandchildren.  The funeral will be held at 2 o’clock tomorrow afternoon at the residence, Rev. F.C. Booth of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Enfield officiating. Interment will be in Hayts Cemetery.