Ahnentafel

On this day in 1892, Alma M. Montgomery, my second cousin twice removed, was born in Clinton County, Ohio. She was the daughter of Samuel Lincoln and Bessie E. (Deniston) Montgomery, the granddaughter of David and Lydia A. (Agnew) Montgomery, and the great-granddaughter of William and Mary Ann (Extell) Montgomery.

Alma’s sister Florence was about 18 months older and was also born in Clinton County, but she was already deceased by the time of the 1900 census when the family was enumerated in Union Township, Warren County, and Bessie was listed as having given birth to two children, of whom one was still living. Samuel and Bessie had been married for ten years, and Samuel’s occupation was listed as farmer.

In 1910 the small family was still in Warren County but now in Salem Township. Alma was seventeen and still attending school. Her father, listed now as “Lincoln S. Montgomery,” notes his occupation as partner in a corn creamery.

By 1920 the family had moved to Lebanon, Ohio (still in Warren County). Samuel is listed as owning the home where they are living at 414 E Silver Street, and he is now employed in a real estate office. This home, built in 1917, still stands. Alma is now employed as well, as a teacher in the public schools. Also living with the family was a “boarder,” Edward Deniston, aged 54. Edward was Bessie’s brother, as evidenced by his 1939 obituary, which noted he died at her home after a year’s illness.

The Cleveland, Ohio City Directory of 1922 lists Alma as a teacher at the Chambers School at 1857 E 75th. There is no longer any school located at this address, though there is a Chambers Elementary at a different address in East Cleveland.

I have yet to locate Alma in the 1930 census; in that year Samuel, Bessie, and Edward are still living at 414 E Silver Street, but Alma is not living with them. Samuel is continuing to work in real estate. By 1940, though, we can find Alma once more. At age 48 she is a lodger with Hatty Mosher and Hatty’s daughter Merle at 1874 Maywood Road in South Euclid, Ohio. The three are listed as having lived in the same house for the past five years. This house was built in 1931 and still stands as well, though it was renovated in 1972 according to Redfin. The census notes that Alma had completed four years of college and was continuing to work as a public schoolteacher.

In 1944 Alma’s father died. His obituary in the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News notes that he had a heart attack while shaving at his home. He was 83. The obituary further notes that his wife had preceded him in death “several years ago.” Six years later Hattie Mosher, Merle Mosher, and Alma Montgomery are still residing at 1874 Maywood. Alma’s occupation is listed as elementary teacher for the city schools. The census indicates she had worked 45 hours in the previous week.

With another eight years to wait before the release of the 1960 census, I have to rely on other sources for information on the rest of Alma’s life. In May 1954 an article appeared in the East Cleveland Leader noting that Alma would be retiring from her teaching career in June. Even this article is less than helpful, as it references “Miss Montgomery, who has taught at Chambers Elementary School since 19??….” The article does state that she came to East Cleveland from Norwalk and had graduated from both Wilmington College and Miami University. At the time of her retirement Alma would have been 61.

I haven’t been able to locate any other information on Alma over the next 24 years. Then on 27 October 1978, a brief notice appeared in The Cincinnati Post, stating that her funeral services had been held that day at the Oswald Funeral Home. Her address was given as 713-A Maple Court, Lebanon. She had been a member of the Lebanon United Methodist Church, and she had died on 25 October at Kettering Hospital in Kettering. Alma is buried at the Otterbein-Shaker Cemetery in Otterbein, Ohio. Dad and I had planned a trip to Ohio last summer to traipse through cemeteries and had to postpone it. Maybe another year we’ll manage a pilgrimage and pay our respects to Alma.