Samuel Erwin Straight (1871 - 1953)

Born 17 Jun 1871 in Springwater, Livingston, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Edna Gertrude (Northrop) Straight — married 17 Sep 1896 (to 8 Jan 1938) in Wayland, Steuben, New York, United States

Husband of Mary V (Polmanteer) Wheaton — married 12 Feb 1941 (to 22 Aug 1947) in Ingleside, Steuben, New York, United States

Husband of Minnie Jenette (Boston) Straight — married 4 Feb 1948 (to 19 Dec 1953) in Pittsford, Monroe, New York, United States

Descendants

Died 19 Dec 1953 at age 82 in East Rochester, Monroe, New York, United States

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Samuel was a blacksmith in Ingleside, Steuben, New York.

Biography

Life

Samuel Erwin Straight was born on 17 June 1871 in Springwater, Livingston, New York to Civil War Pvt. John Straight and Lydia Marie Culver as the seventh of nine children. He was raised on a farm in Springwater along with his siblings and had very little - if any - formal education. According to the 1891 Steuben County directories, he worked on a tobacco farm in Corning that year.

Samuel married Edna Gertrude Northrop on 17 September 1896 in Wayland, Steuben, New York and the family originally lived on a farm in Springwater that he most likely ended up inheritting from his father. They had six children together: John Everette, Lyman Erwin, George Latimer, Edward Reitz, Frieda Monica Iola, and Roscoe Jackson (the ladder two having been born in Ingleside, Steuben). He sold the family farm in Springwater in March/April 1907 in order to focus on being a blacksmith in the carpentry industry, although he maintained his blacksmith shop in Ingleside for most of the rest of his life. Shortly after selling his farm, he bought the home of H.W. Briglin in Ingleside in August/September 1908. Along with being the village blacksmith, he also worked as a painter and as a repairman of houses, primarily for his friends. His blacksmith shop was involved in a fire in August 1912, which he later rebuilt himself within two months.

The family moved to East Rochester, Monroe, New York in 1918 and lived on Garfield St. They moved there most likely so that Samuel could begin work in a shell factory in the nearby city of Rochester. They allowed their son, Everette, and his family to move into the house they still owned in Ingleside in 1920; the house was being rented out to a Norris Fisher by 1926. Samuel appears to have owned this house in Ingleside until his death. He was issued a discharge of mortgage for his house on Garfield St. in East Rochester on 1 December 1924.

Samuel’s wife Edna died on 8 January 1938 in East Rochester, and as a result he moved in with his son Edward, where he was living at the 1940 census. He married again to the widowed Mary Wheaton on 12 February 1941 in Ingleside, and they made their home on Elm St. in East Rochester. Mary died there on 22 August 1947, and he married again to a woman named Minnie at some point after, to whom he was married at the time of his death.

Leisure Activities

While still living in Ingleside, Samuel and family were dedicated members of the Ingleside Christian Church and served as the Sunday School Superintendent for a time starting in January 1903. Additionally, he was elected President of the Ingleside Christian Endeavor Society in June 1906. Before leaving for East Rochester, he also acted as the church’s janitor.

Outside of the church, Samuel ran unsuccessfully in 1917 as a Democratic Party candidate for one of the town constable positions for the town of Prattsburgh, positions which were won entirely by Republicans the year that he ran.

Death

Samuel passed away on 19 December 1953 at his Elm St. home in East Rochester, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Penfield three days later.

Sources

• "New York State Census, 1875," database with images, FamilySearch, Saul E Straight in household of John Straight, Springwater, Livingston, New York, United States; citing p. 6, line 29, State Library, Albany; FHL microfilm 510,547.
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch, Irvin S Straight in household of John Straight, Springwater, Livingston, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 39, sheet 395D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,859.
• Ancestry.com: Steuben County, New York Directory, 1891 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.
• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch, Erwin Straight, Springwater Township (eastern part), Livingston, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 41, sheet 3A, family 60, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,071.
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch, S Erwin Straight, Prattsburg, Steuben, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 152, sheet 2A, family 41, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1080; FHL microfilm 1,375,093.
• Ancestry.com: Samuel E Straight in New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1915; Election District: 02; Assembly District: 01; City: Prattsburgh; County: Steuben; Page: 07.
• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch, S E Straight, Pittsford, Monroe, New York, United States; citing ED 44, sheet 1A, line 7, family 3, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1120; FHL microfilm 1,821,120.
• Ancestry.com: Samuel E Straight in New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 04; Assembly District: 01; City: Pittsford; County: Monroe; Page: 28.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch, Samuel E Straight, East Rochester, Monroe, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 243, sheet 17B, line 71, family 392, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1447; FHL microfilm 2,341,182.
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch, Samuel Straight in household of Edward Straight, East Rochester, Pittsford Town, Monroe, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 28-70, sheet 2B, line 49, family 24, 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 2680.
• Ancestry.com: Marriage of Samuel E Straight and Edna G Northrop. New York State Department of Health; Albany, NY, USA; New York State Marriage Index.
• FultonHistory.com: Elected Sunday School Superintendent. The Cohocton Times-Index, 1 April 1903.
• FultonHistory.com: Sold farm in Springwater. The Prattsburgh News, 4 April 1907.
• FultonHistory.com: Elected President of Ingleside Christian Endeavor Society. The Prattsburgh News, 14 June 1908.
• FultonHistory.com: Purchased home of H.W. Briglin. The Cohocton Valley Times and Index, September 1908.
• FultonHistory.com: Blacksmith shop caught fire. The Naples News, August 1912.
• FultonHistory.com: New blacksmith shop complete. The Naples Record, Vol 44, No 32, 16 October 1912.
• FultonHistory.com: Listed as Democratic Party candidate for town constable of Prattsburgh. The Prattsburgh News, 18 October 1917.
• FultonHistory.com: "Election Returns for Town of Prattsburgh". The Prattsburgh News, 8 November 1917.
• FultonHistory.com: Began work in shell factory in Rochester. The Cohocton Valley Times and Index, September 1918, pg. 8.
• FultonHistory.com: Left for new home in East Rochester. The Prattsburgh News, 24 October 1918.
• FultonHistory.com: Marriage Announcement for Mrs. Mary Wheaton and S. E. Straight. The Naples [NY] Record, 28 Jan 1942, pg. 4.
• "New York, State Death Index, 1880-1956", database, FamilySearch, Samuel E Straight, 1953.
• FindAGrave.com: Samuel E. Straight (1871-1953).
• Newspapers.com: "DEATHS - Straight". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 22 December 1953, pg.25.