Author: Connie Kelly
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Murdering Cousins
In 1797, Thomas Starr was hanged in Haddam Connecticut for the murder of his nephew, Samuel Cornwell. That was a surprising sentence I found today in, of all things, a research paper titled “THE STARR FAMILY OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT; A STUDY IN SOCIAL MOBILITY AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCE” by John Barry. It’s an interesting read, talking… Read more
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Riverside Cemetery, Middletown, Connecticut
Hidden away atop a hill surrounded by the bustling of trains and automobile traffic sits Riverside Cemetery in Middletown, Connecticut. And in this hidden 17th century burial ground lies many of the town’s first settlers, including many related directly or indirectly to me. There’s no sidewalk or parking lot for the cemetery and it’s surrounded… Read more
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The Taylor Family Line
The mother of my maternal grandfather was Ruth Taylor. Ruth was born on the 4th of July 1897 to Anna Moeri and James Peter “JP” Taylor. Anna and JP were married in Peoria Illinois in 1895. JP worked as a barber and they lived at 506 Greenleaf Street, which today is a parking structure for… Read more
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Ray “Cotton” Radcliff lost in WW2
Memorial Day seems an apt day to write about my Grandma Carroll’s brother Cotton who was killed during WW2. Raymond Radcilff was born on the 13th of December 1920 in Mackinaw, Illinois. The fourth of Elmer and Bessie Radcliff’s 12 children, he had bright white/blond hair and was thus dubbed “Cotton” for the rest of… Read more
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Buster Perry lost at Pearl Harbor
On this Memoria Day I thought it only fitting I post about my husband’s Great Uncle Buster. Buster was the youngest brother of Chris’ grandfather, Clifford Perry. His portrait hangs in the living room of Chris’ mother to this day. This story is from the fold3.com: Forrest Hubert “Buster” Perry was born May 27, 1919… Read more
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Rabble Rousing Quakers
While researching my 4x great grandfather, Elias Mott I found his middle name, Hicks. Elias Hicks Mott. It seemed like a strange middle name so I did what I always do, I googled it. Turns out Elias Hicks was a rather famous Quaker who some say caused a schism in the church. Elias Hicks, like… Read more
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Richard Starr – Colombian Hostage held captive 1093 days
I’ve been building out the branches of the Starr family tree in preparation for a trip east this summer. This led me to find the fascinating tale of Charles Richard STARR 1947-1983 my 7th cousin 2x removed. We’re related through my 8x great grandfather, Joseph Starr, a tailor that was later a tax collector in 1705,… Read more
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197th Anniversary of William Starr’s Birth
Today is the 197th Anniversary of the birth of my 3x great grandfather, William Almaron Starr. He was born on 20 May 1828 in Lee Center New York, Oneida County. He was the oldest of Marilla Amelia Warner and Asa Starr’s four children. Asa had inherited his father (Thomas Starr)’s farm and homestead and William… Read more
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Bessie
Bessie Hendricks Radcliff, my maternal grandmother’s mother, died at the age of 35 on May 14th, 1935 after delivering her twelfth child in two decades. Because her husband Elmer was an abusive alcoholic and unfit to parent, her surviving eleven children were soon scattered to the wind. The newborn died, a still birth. Wannita who… Read more
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William Chrisman was born 160 years ago today
Today marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Chris’ paternal great grandfather, William Chrisman. He was born near Bible Grove in Scotland County Missouri on May 5, 1865. William’s obituary explains in 1870, at the age of 5 he was sent to live with Daniel “Abraham” Lakin and his wife Samantha (Burdick) Lakin. He… Read more