Elva (Martin) Schell
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Elva Mae (Martin) Schell (1901 - 2003)

Elva Mae Schell formerly Martin
Born in Rockport, Spencer, Indiana, United Statesmap
Ancestors ancestors
Daughter of and
Sister of , , , and
Wife of — married 26 Aug 1925 in Bellevue, Ohiomap
Descendants descendants
Mother of and
Died at age 101 in Waterford, Michiganmap
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Michael Schell private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 26 Aug 2017
This page has been accessed 427 times.
Elva (Martin) Schell was a centenarian, living to age 101.

Biography

Born: 6 Oct 1901 in Rockport, Spencer County Indiana. Her two older siblings, Mabel and Edward, died in infancy.

1906: Family moves to Bellevue, Sandusky Ohio

June 1924: Graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a degree in theater.

Aug 1925: Elva Married Harold Peter Schell, her high school sweetheart.

1929: Elva founded the Lansing Civic Players theater group in Lansing Michigan.

1992: Extensive interview of her family history remembrances recorded by her son, John H. Schell.

Died: 30 Jul 2003 in Waterford, Michigan.

Obituary: [1]

Buried: 4 Aug 2003 in Lansing, Michigan. [2]

Research Notes

Elva lived to be 101 years old. Her 100th birthday party was held in Waterford, Michigan. Elva had 3 younger sisters: Lorena died 87y, Helen died 87y, Thelma died 82y.

15 Aug 1919. Misses Lena and Florence Davis of Terre Haute and Miss Elva Martin of Bellevue, Ohio will come Saturday for a two weeks visit with miss Marie Davis.[3]

Sources

  1. ↑ Elva Schell, Lansing State Journal 2 Aug 2003.
  2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #214327308
  3. ↑ Rockport Democrat 15 Aug 1919, p. 5
  • "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ML8W-JTX : accessed 12 December 2017), Elva M Martin in household of John W Martin, Lyme, Huron, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 28, sheet 20A, family 493, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1200; FHL microfilm 1,375,213.
  • "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDT6-P82 : accessed 12 December 2017), Elva Martin in household of John W Martin, Bellevue, Huron, Ohio, United States; citing ED 46, sheet 33A, line 36, family 818, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1398; FHL microfilm 1,821,398.
  • "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZY6-RL6 : 10 December 2017), Harold P. Schell and Elva May Martin, 26 Aug 1925; citing Sandusky, Ohio, United States, reference v20, Cn6563; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 506,650.
  • "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQYB-HFW : accessed 12 December 2017), Harold Schell, Lansing, Ingham, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 18, sheet 3B, line 85, family 73, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 991; FHL microfilm 2,340,726.
  • "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4L8-N91 : accessed 12 December 2017), Harold P Schell, East Lansing, East Lansing City, Ingham, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 33-7, sheet 11B, line 60, family 253, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1759.




Memories: 1
Enter a personal reminiscence or story.
Michael Schell
Elva was my grandmother. Her two older siblings died in infancy, and none of her 3 younger sisters survived past 87 years old. The following is a list of possible factors that contributed to her longevity. This list is anecdotal, but it includes some things that science tells us contribute to longevity:

1. Genetics. Elva’s maternal line stems from Frederick Iaac (1701-1794). Many of his descendants show unusual longevity.

2. Extensive social network of friends and relatives. Elva maintained old friendships, and she enjoyed a large and active family life.

3. Stubbornness. Elva had a powerful will to live. Telling her she could not do something merely stimulated her to demonstrate they were wrong. When she broke her hip in her early 90s, they told her she had to remain in medical care, in a home with medical staff. Elva got out of her chair and attempted to walk out of the facility

4. She did not smoke or drink.

5. Breakfast. Elva loved breakfast as the main meal of the day--though she could also cook amazing dinners, as could all of her sisters. One unusual thing about Elva is that she enjoyed burnt toast for breakfast (which is not believed to be particularly healthy).

6 Elva was an active participant in sports and exercise when she was a young woman (1920s). She taught basketball at a YMCA camp at Springfield, MA. For a woman of her era, she was above-average in athletic participation.

7. She skipped lunch on most days. She ate breakfast/brunch and dinner. Yet, Elva LOVED to eat, and during the second half of her life, she was always a bit overweight.

8. For roughly the second half of her life, because of her arthritis, she took at least two 325 mg tablets of aspirin every day.

posted 12 Nov 2019 by Michael Schell   [thank Michael]
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Elva by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Elva:

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Images: 1
Elva Mae Martin (1901-2003)
Elva Mae Martin (1901-2003)


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Featured National Park champion connections: Elva is 14 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 22 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 15 degrees from George Catlin, 16 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 23 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 16 degrees from George Grinnell, 26 degrees from Anton Kröller, 15 degrees from Stephen Mather, 22 degrees from Kara McKean, 18 degrees from John Muir, 18 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 25 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.

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Categories: Centenarians