Cortis Henry Aiken (1877 - 1947)

Born 2 May 1877 in Glen Sutton, Sutton, Brome, Quebec, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Mildred P. (Powell) Aiken — married 3 Jun 1903 in Richford, Franklin, Vermont, United States

Died 18 Nov 1947 at age 70 in Richford, Franklin, Vermont, United States

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Biography

Cortis Henry Aiken was born in 1877^[1], the first child of Alonzo Aiken and Anna Wright.

Cortis is seen for the first time on the 1881 census, with his parents^[2] and in 1891, with the family expanded by two siblings, Ethyl and Candis^[3].

Boys will be boys in any era. Cortis had a close call when he was eight years old (1885):

East Richford, May 28 - "A.H. AIken's little boy had a narrow escape from death a few days since. He was at play beside the brook opposite William Brock's mill, near Glen Sutton, when the bank suddenly gave way, precipitating him headlong down the bluff, a distance of forty feet. Bushes growing along the face of the precipice broke the fall and the little fellow finally brought up against a rock at the bottom. Aside from a few slight bruises, he was uninjured."^[4]

In 1894, Cortis had a problem with a badly inflamed eye:

Glen Sutton - May 10 - "Cortis, son of A. H. Aiken, is laid up with a badly inflamed eye."^[5]

In 1898, Cortis moved away from home, firstly to North Troy, Vermont, where he resided in 1900, ^[6] then in 1902 to Richford, Vermont, in the occupation of "Bookkeeper and Salesman" for the Powell and Comings store.^[7]. He was a graduate of the Burlington Business College.

On June 3, 1903, he married Mildred P. Powell in Richford, Vermont^[8]. On his 1918 World War I Registration, he identified his occupation as Life Insurance, and his employer the New York Life Insurance Company, the company he had joined in about 1912 and held for the rest of his life.^[9]

In 1906 (May 6th)^[10], Cortis and Mildred had their first and only child Lucille Powell. In 1910, Mildred, Cortis and Lucille lived together in Richford with Lucille's parents Mr. & Mrs. Charles A. Powell^[11].

On 12 Sep. 1917,^[12] it was reported that Cortis had the prior week taken his parents for an automobile trip to several points in Vermont. It was certainly a novelty for the time.

Cortis Aiken and father Alonzo in his new car

Mildred passed away in 1919 (March 19th in Richford) and on the 1920 Census, Cortis was shown as widowed and living with his child Lucille as well as his late wife's parents^[13]. His father Alonzo, in his diary, wrote how much he sympathized with his son, since both lost their first wives when they were just 42 years old.

On June 8, 1921 in Richford, Vermont, Cortis married (second) Cora Kent Porter^[14][15]. Cora gave birth to an unnamed child on 12 Dec. 1921, which did not survive.

In the 1930 Census, Cora, Cortis and Lucille are a small household^[16]. Status quo for the 1940 census^[17], except for one additional person Emma Porter (his wife's sister).

Cortis passed away without warning in 1947 in Richford at the age of 70.^[18] He was interred in Richford. His wife Cora survived him by 2 years. The attached clippings capture the feelings about him within his community.^[19][20]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth date and place transcribed from Alonzo Aiken's Family Bible
2. ↑ 1881 Canada Census, Quebec Province, District 60 Brome, SubDistrict B Division 2 (South Sutton), Family/Household 21, Pg. 4, Line 25| 1881 Canada Census "Cortis Aiken, Age 3"
3. ↑ 1891 Canada Census, Quebec Province, District 143 Brome, SubDistrict F, Division 1 Sutton, Family 106, Pg. 18, Line 18| 1891 Canada Census, "Cortis Aiken, Age 13"
4. ↑ Richford Gazette, Richford, Vt., 1885, May 28
5. ↑ North Troy Palladium, North Troy, Vt., 1894, May 10
6. ↑ 1900 United States Federal Census, State of Vermont, Orleans County, North Troy Village, Page 13, Line 85| 1900 US Census, "Cortis H. Aiken, Age 23"
7. ↑ Vermont, State and Federal Naturalization Records, Municipal Court, Franklin County, St. Albans, Petition for Naturalization, Aug. 30, 1904| Naturalization
8. ↑ Vermont Vital Records, Richford, 1903
9. ↑ U.S. World War I Draft Registration Card, Franklin County, Sept. 12, 1918
10. ↑ Birth date and place transcribed from Alonzo Aiken's Family Bible
11. ↑ 1910 United States Federal Census, Vermont, Franklin County, Richford, Page 12A, Line 14| 1910 US Census, "Cortis H Aiken, Age 31"
12. ↑ Sherbrooke Daily Record, 12 Sep. 1917| Page 3
13. ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census, Vermont, Franklin County, Richford, Page 1B, Line 69| 1920 US Census, "Cortis H Aiken, Age 42"
14. ↑ Vermont Vital Records, Richford, 1921
15. ↑ Marriage Notice, Richford Journal and Gazette, Richford, VT, 10 June 1921| Page 5
16. ↑ 1930 United States Federal Census, Vermont, Franklin County, Richford, Page 9A, Line 30| 1930 US Census, "Cortis H Aiken, Age 52"
17. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census, Vermont, Franklin County, Richford, Page 9B, Line 67| 1940 US Census, "Cortis H Aiken, Age 62"
18. ↑ Death date and place transcribed from Alonzo Aiken's Family Bible
19. ↑ Funeral of C H Aiken, St. Albans Messenger, 26 Nov. 1947| Page 3
20. ↑ Tribute, C. H. Aiken, St. Albans Messenger, 8 Dec. 1947| Page 2

See Also:

• Family Search | Cortis Henry Aiken