Martha Hazel-Mae (Cool) Smith
(1898 – 1989)
Generation
1c of the Cool Annex
WORKING DRAFT
Last Change: 30 August 2018
Cool Ancestors:
(?) Kuhl - Gen 6 of the Cool Annex
John Cool/Kuhl - Gen 5 of the Cool Annex
Jonathan Cool - Gen 4 of the Cool Annex
Truman J. Cool - Gen 3 of the Cool
Annex
Lorenzo Dow Cool - Gen 2 of the Cool
Annex
Cool Generation 6 in America
Descendant # 3
|
1. Martha’s
parents: Lorenzo Dow and Anna Kindedine
(Brown) Cool
(gen 2 of the Cool Annex)
2. Martha’s
birth: 14 May 1894/95 at home on the
farm her father managed near Caro, Tuscola County, Michigan.
Martha’s
death: Monday, 7 August 1989, age 95, at the B'nai Brith Home (also
seen: University of Tennessee Health Science Center), Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee
from complications of varicose veins; interred 29 August 1989 beside her 1st
husband, Harold Slater, in the Black River Cemetery on Route 3 outside the
Village of Black River, on the Rutland Township side of the Black River,
Jefferson County, New York.
3. Martha’s formal education:
From |
To |
School Name, Location,
Diploma/Degree |
|
|
Grammar and high
school in Tuscola County, Michigan |
|
1911 |
Chicago Musical
College, Chicago, Illinois; studied voice and piano |
4a. Martha’s 1st marriage:
|
a. To whom: Harold
Alberto Slater (photos) (more info)
(1) Harold’s
parents: Frederick Ellsworth and Ida Viola
(Pickard) Slater of Watertown, Jefferson County, New York.
(2) Harold’s birth:
12 January 1885 at home in the Village of Black River, LeRay & Rutland
Townships, Jefferson County, New York.
Harold’s death: 24 December 1951 at Tucson, Pima County,
Arizona from complications phlebitis; interred Black River Cemetery, on Route 3
outside the Village of Black River, Jefferson County, New York.
(3) Harold’s
employment history:
From |
To |
Employer, location, job |
|
House painting
contractor |
|
|
|
(4) Other
biographical notes on Harold:
(a) Paraphrasing
his son, Vincent Ellsworth Slater: "Harold was a 'gifted artist.' (click here to see examples)
Good at drawing, painting, carving, [he was] frustrated by having children too
soon. They prevented [him from] truly developing
his abilities to the fullest. Martha
also fell victim to the same problem.
She had a lovely lyric soprano voice with professional potential, [and]
no doubt could have made it in the field of light opera. But again, the demands of a family prevented
this from becoming a reality. So both of
them were badly thwarted in their artistic goals. Of the children, Vincent and Roxie acquired
the musical talent, with Stanley and Fred getting the artistic ability. Harriet the ability to cope with the problems
that life confronted her with. Emma sort
of lucked out."
(b) In his
last years the phlebitis had suffered from for years caused him to use crutches
to walk, and it eventually precipitated a stroke, which put him in a wheel
chair.
b. Marriage date
& location: Tuesday morning, 17 September 1912 in the parlor or the Lorenzo
Dow Cool residence, Ward's Corners (between Evans Mills and LeRaysville –
initially the Thomas Ward farm, then J. Ward; later the Buskirk farm), LeRay
Township, Jefferson County, New York with Reverend Duane C. Johnson, pastor of
Asbury Methodist-Episcopal Church, Watertown officiating.
c. Children:
(1. Vincent Ellsworth Slater:
Born 25 August 1913.
(2. Emma Ann Slater:
Born 1 March 1915.
(3. Harriette
Elcy Slater: Born 27 October 1916.
(4. Stanley Fenton Slater: Born 27
February 1918/19.
(5. Roxie Ellen Slater: Born
18 December 1928.
(6. Frederick Harold Slater: Born
1934.
4b. Martha’s 2nd marriage:
|
a.
To whom: Charles Edward Finney (photos) (more info)
(1) Charles’
parents: Robert Johnson Finney and Melissa D. (Thompson) Finney
(2) Charles’ birth:
29/27 April 1869 in Tuscola Township, Douglas County, Indiana (also seen: Lewis
Co., NY).
Charles’ death: 10 August 1954, age 85, at Tucson, Pima
County, New York from complications of heart disease; interred there in South
Lawn Cemetery.
(3) Charles’ 1st
marriage:
(a) To Whom: Jessie
Grose
(b) Her birth: 30 November 1871 in New Castle Township,
Henry County, Indiana.
Her death: 14 January 1952 at Tucson, Pima County,
Arizona; interred there in South Lawn Cemetery.
(c) Children:
[1. Dorothy Mildred Finney: Born 1898. Died 1898.
[2. Charles Wesley Finney: Born 1899. Died 1948.
[3. Marian Finney: Born 1905. Died 1905.
(4) US Census
Records:
1870 US Census: C. E. Finney, age 1 (b. IL), resided with
his parents, Robert J. and M. D. Finney in Tuscola Township, Douglas County,
Illinois.
1880: Charles E. Finney, age 11 (b. IL), resided with his
parents, Robert J. and Melissa (?) Finney, in Tuscola
Township, Douglas County, Illinois.
1900: Chas Finney, age 31 (b. Apr 1869 in IL; parents b.
IL) and employed as a mail clerk in a post office, was heading a household at
18 North Rural Street in Center Township, Indianapolis, Marion County,
Indiana. The household also included his
wife, Jessie Finney, age 29 (b. Nov 1871 in IN;
parents b. IN); and son, Charles Finney, age 3 months (b. Nov 1899 in IN; father b. IL; mother b. IN).
1910: Charles E. Finney, age 40 (b. IL; parents b. IN) and
employed as a clerk in a post office, was heading a household at 1408 Tuxedo
Street in the City of Indianapolis (Center Twp), Marion County, Indiana. He had been married once. The household also included his wife of 14
years, Jessie G. Finney, age 38 (b. IN; parents b. IN), who had been married
once and had had 1 child, still alive; and son, Charles W. Finney, age 10 (b. IN;
father b. IL; mother b. IN).
1920: Jesse G. Finney, age 48 (b. IN; parents b. IN) and
married, was heading a household at 832 E. Seventh Street in the City of
Tucson, Pima County, Arizona. The
household also included her son, Charles W. Finney, age 20 (b. IN; father b.
IL; mother b. IN) and single, with no occupation recoreded.
1930: Charles E. Finney, age 58 (b. IL; parents b. IN) and
employed as foreman in a post office, was heading a household at 344 S. 6th
Avenue in the City of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona. His residence was valued at $12,000, and he
married 1st at age 23. The household
also included his wife, Jessie G. Finney, age 58 (b. IN; parents b. IN); and
lodger, Thomas F. Quilty, age 49 (b. Irish Free
State; parents b. Irish Free State), single, and employed as a clerk for a railroad.
1940: Charles E. Finney, age 70 (b. IL) and employed as
manager of his own rooming house, was heading a household at 344 S. 6th Avenue
in the City of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona.
He had completed 7th grade, and he resided in the same house in April
1935. His residence was valued at
$12,000. He resided in the same house in
April 1935. The household also included
his wife, Jessie G. Finney, age 68 (b. IN), who had completed 1 year of
college. The household also included 5
lodgers.
b. Marriage date
& location: 9 April 1953 at the First Methodist Parsonage, Phoenix,
Maricopa County, Arizona, with Reverend D. W. Cummings officating.
4c. Martha’s 3rd marriage:
|
a.
To whom: Walter W. Smith (photos) (more info)
(1) Walter’s
parents:
(2) Walter’s birth:
1 January 1890 in Pennsylvania.
Walter’s death: October 1979 in Pima County, Arizona.
b.
Marriage date & location: 1956/60 in Arizona
5. Martha’s employment history:
From |
To |
Employer, location, job |
Asbury Methodist Church,
Watertown, Jefferson County, New York; soprano soloist and choir director |
||
6. Martha’s addresses:
From |
To |
Employer, location, job |
1894 |
Resided
with her parents at Caro, Indian Fields Township, Tuscola County, Michigan |
|
Chicago,
Illinois while in voice and piano school |
||
1912 |
1920 |
LeRay
Township, Jefferson County, New York. |
1920 |
1929 |
Michigan;
including (first) Grand Rapids, Kent County and (last) Detroit, Wayne County |
1930 |
1941 |
LeRaysville,
LeRay Township, Jefferson County, New York. |
1941 |
1941 |
Detroit,
Michigan; initially after leaving their LeRaysville residence in the fall of
1941 to make way for the expansion of Pine Camp. |
1941 |
Pulaski,
Jefferson County, New York. When Harold
Slater's leg problems caused him so much trouble, he started looking for a
better climate. He visited Tucson,
Arizona and liked it so much that he asked Martha to sell their Pulaski
residence and bring the family there. |
|
1952 |
Tucson,
Pima County, Arizona |
|
1952 |
1953 |
Fort
Wayne, Allen County, Indiana |
1953 |
Tucson,
Pima County, Arizona, where she married (2nd) Charles Finney in
1953 and married (3rd) Walter Smith in 1956. |
|
1989 |
Resided
with and was cared for by her daughter, Roxie Ellen (Slater) Grinnell,
at Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee |
7. Other biographical notes on Martha:
a. Early in life referred to as "Mattie"
b.
Martha met Harold Slater in the fall of 1911. After graduating from the Chicago Musical
College, she moved to LeRay Township, Jefferson County, New York, where, at
some point following the marriage of her brother, Stanley Cool to Louisa Drake
in early 1907, her parents had moved from Michigan; the Cool residence was at
Ward's Corners, between Evans Mills and LeRaysville. Martha had traveled by train from Evans Mills
to Watertown, Jefferson County to audition for the position of soprano soloist
in the choir of the Asbury Methodist-Episcopal Church in Watertown. Harold's father, Fred Slater, was Chairman of
Asbury's Music Committee, and he sent Harold to the Watertown Train Depot to
meet and escort Martha to the audition.
Following the audition, Martha stayed overnight at the Slater residence
before returning home to Ward's Corners.
Martha got the job and met her future husband on the same day.
c.
Per Martha's niece, Anna (Drake) Burdick,
Martha's 2nd marriage to Charles Finney lasted only a couple of weeks, when
Charles died suddenly from a heart attack.)
8. US Census records:
1900: Martha, age 6 (b. May 1894), was referred to as “Mattie” and
resided with her parents in Michigan.
1910: Martha H., age 16 (b. MI) and
employed as a singer, resided with her parents in Michigan. She had been in school during the previous
year.
1920: Harold Slater, age 34 (b. NYS, as were his parents) and
employed as a studio photographer, was heading a household on Dutch Settlement
Road in LeRay Township, Jefferson County, New York. The household also included his wife, Martha,
age 25 (b. NYS, as were her parents); son, Vincent Slater, age 6; daughter,
Emma A. Slater, age 4 years 7 months; daughter, Harriett Slater, age 3 years 3
months; and son, Stanley, age 1 year 0 months.
Harold was
also enumerated as heading a household at Grand Rapids (Ward 3), Kent County,
Michigan.
1930: Harold A. Slater, age 45 (b. NYS; parents b. NYS) and
employed as a fruit farmer, was heading a household in LeRay Township,
Jefferson County, New York. He married
1st at age 28. The household also
included his wife, Martha H. Slater, age 33 (b. MI; parents b. NYS) and
employed as a saleslady in the dry goods industry, who married 1st at age 18;
son, Vincent E. Slater, age 16 (b. NYS); daughter, Emma A. Slater, age 15 (b.
NYS); daughter, Harriet E. Slater, age 13 (b. NYS); son, Fenton S. Slater, age
11 (b. NYS); and daughter, Rosellen Slater, age 1
year and 4 months (b. MI).
1940: Harold Slater, age 55 (b. NYS) and employed as a decorator
contractor, was heading a household in LeRay Township, Jefferson County, New
York. He had completed 8th grade, and
his residence was valued at $1,200. The
household also included his wife, Martha Slater, age 45 (b. MI), who had
completed 2 years of high school; son, Fenton Slater, age 21 (b. NYS), single,
and employed as a farm laborer, who had completed 2 years of high school;
daughter, Roxiellen Slater, age 11 (b. MI), who had
completed 5th grade; son, Frederick Slater, age 6 (b. NYS), who had completed
1st grade; granddaughter, Virginia Rockwood, age 6 (b. NYS), who had completed
1st grade; granddaughter, Martha Mickna, age 3 (b.
NYS); and daughter, Emma Mickna, age 25 (b. NYS) and
married, with no occupation recorded.
They resided in the same house on 1 April 1935.
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