Grace Ophelia (Williams) Sykes (1900 - 1966)

Born 11 Jul 1900 in Bath-On-Hudson, North Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Raymond Arthur Sykes — married 15 Apr 1922 in Pittsfield, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States

Descendants

Died 30 Oct 1966 at age 66 in Pittsfield, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gary Spring [send private message]

Biography

Birth and Early Life

Grace was born to James and Ophelia (Tabor) Williams in Bath on the Hudson (now Rensselaer), NY, on 11 Jul 1900 (Birth Certificate No. 22402)^[1][2] A history and Map of the Village may be found here^[3]

In 1905, 4 year old Grace was living with her family at 25 Forbes Avenue in the City of Rensselaer, NY with her family: Father James (40 yo and a track laborer), mother Ophelia (45 yo), sisters May (16 yo), Adelia (12 yo), and Jennie (10 yo), and brother Adelbert (14 yo).^[4] BY 1910, 9 year old Grace, her parents, brother and sister, Adelbert and Jennie, were living with their grandfather on his farm in Nassau.^[5]

She attained the 8th grade for her formal education in Nassau and was living with her family there in 1915.^[6]

In January of 1920, she was living with her parents at 267 Second St. in Pittsfield, MA and was working as a knitter in at Tillotson mill.^[7][8]

Marriage and Family

At the time of her marriage (recorded in Vol 45, Pg 75) to Raymond, she still lived there^[9][10] and was working as a clerk in the notion department of the Wallace company store.^[11] She and her husband subsequently lived at 453 East New Lenox Road in Pittsfield where he died in 1931. They owned their home worth $500. Did not own a radio. The house was amid his close knit family community where his father, brothers and uncles were farmers on Sykes Mountain^[12][13]

After her husband Raymond's death, Grace and her three children continued to live at 430 East New Lenox Road until 1939.^[14][15] when she moved with her three children, Evelyn (17 yo), Gladys (14 yo) and Raymond (10 yo) to an apartment at 130 Howard St. in Pittsfield, MA, paying $22 per month. She was not employed at the time but was receiving income other than salary - perhaps from widow benefits.^[16] She lived on Howard St. as late as 1943 (in a picture of her daughter Gladys posing with her high school diploma on their front lawn, probably in June of 1943, the background is that of the houses across the street from the Howard Street house).^[17] In 1944, Grace sold her family home at 478 E New Lenox Road to Walter Green.^[18]

She was living with her daughter, Gladys, and son, Raymond, in 1946 at 231 Pomeroy Avenue in PIttsfield.^[19]

In the mid-1950's she lived with her daughter, Gladys, and her husband, providing child care for her two grandsons, Ron and Gary.^[20]

Final Years and Death

In her last few years she lived at 156 Francis Avenue. She had just moved to a home for the elderly when she had a coronary attack. She died at home on Sunday. She lived in Pittsfield her whole adult life. Prior to moving to Francis Avenue in the 1950s, she lived with her daughter and son-in-law Gladys and Herbert on Plastics Avenue in Pittsfield. She grew extremely close to her grandchildren, joining the family on vacations and outings (such as Cape Cod and Look Park). ^[20]

Memories

II best remember lying on her living room floor as a 5 year old where she allowed me to watch Superman on her tv. She especially enjoyed visits from my brother Ron. He was much older than I and was able to bring Linden Lunch hot dogs for their dinner to share.

She was a large woman. Tall and bony as a young woman, heavy as she aged. A gentle soul who loved playing cards, gossiping, crocheting and dancing. She was a kind and loving matriarch.^[20]

PITTSFIELD, BERKSHIRE Co., MA - Mrs, Grace Ophelia (Williams) Sykes ( 66y ) d: October 30, 1966 - of 156 Francis Ave. died at home Sunday. A native of Averill Park, N.Y., she had lived here many years. She was the widow of Raymond Sykes, belonged to the Widows of World War I, Golden Age Club, Trinty Methodist Church and its Helping Hand Society. She leaves a son, SSgt. Raymond D. Sykes with the Army in Germany; two daughters, Mrs. James R. Stockley and Mrs. Herbert R. Spring, both of Pittsfield; a sister, Mrs. Lloyd Shepherd of Florida, and seven grandchildren. Burial will be in Pittsfield Cemetery, Pittsfield, MA. ^[21][22]

Grace died in Pittsfield on 30 Oct 1966 and is buried in the Orchard Hill area of the Pittsfield Cemetery.^[23][20]

RESEARCH NOTES

Do some research on Edwin Hall: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44386430/edwin-hall 27SJ-C4G on Familysearch

"Helen" (G7LN-5KD) was a friend to Grace and her sisters on Gladys Sykes's side of the family and to Herbert Spring's side as well. She was wife of William Oscar Ungewitter, nee Trauschke - assumption is that Helen is a relation to Alfred K, Grace's brother in law. William and Helen were definitely friends of the Williams sisters, Mae, Grace, Jennie. 9KG7-ZXT

William O and Helen attended both May Williams and Grace's funerals.

Helen's father is Alfred E Trauschke (profile is 9KZX-B5B) whose relation is unknown but likely cousins of Alfred K.

William Oscar Ungewitter (9KG7-ZXT) Born on 5 Oct 1898 in Broodbrook, CT. Lived in Pittsfield, MA on 15 Feb 1942. Worked for John Whorle (Whorle's Market), 159 Seymour St., Pittsfield. At that time he was 5'5", 130 #, Light complected, Blonde/Gray hair, blue eyes. Married to Mrs. Helen (sometime between 1930 - when he lived as a single man with sister Anna Whorle - and 1942). They lived at 151 Wahconah St in Pittsfield. Reference: National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Draft Registration Cards for Massachusetts, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 984. Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

1946 worked at Whorle's Mkt and lived at 151 Wahconah St. Helen was working as a bkpr at Whorle's Mkt. (pg 547) 1948 worked at GE and otherwise ditto (pg 554) 1955 ditto (pg 573) 1956 retired and lived same. Helen was working as a bkpr at Whorle's Mkt. (pg 581) 1960 ditto. (pg 608) 1962 both retired and living same place. (pg 668) Reference: Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

William died in 1970 and is buried in Pittsfield with wife Helen and in-laws Alfred E Trauschke and Emma. Reference: Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Find a Grave. Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

Grace's residences through the years from^[24]

1940 widow, at 130 Howard St., with 3 children, pg 681

1941 widow, at 130 Howard St., with 3 children, pg 677

1943 widow, at 231 Pomeroy Ave, with 3 children, pg 728

1946 widow, at 231 Pomeroy Ave, with 2 children (Evelyn had married), pg 533

1948 widow, at 44 Plastics Ave with her daughter Glady's family, pg 540

1950 widow, at 44 Plastics Ave with her daughter Glady's family, pg 539

1951 widow, at 44 Plastics Ave with her daughter Glady's family, pg 535

1953 widow at 156 Francis Ave with sister May Cummings, pg 577

She lived there until a few days before her death.

Sources

1. ↑ City Clerk of Rensselear New York, Vital Records, letter dated 1978
2. ↑ New York State Department of Health; Albany, NY, USA; New York State Birth Index. Source Information: Ancestry.com. New York State, Birth Index, 1881-1942 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018.
3. ↑ https://lansingburghhistoricalsociety.org/the-village/annexation/village-of-bath-on-the-hudson/
4. ↑ "New York State Census, 1905," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVBP-H9X : 19 July 2018), Grace O Williams in household of James D Williams, Rensselaer, Ward 07, E.D. 01, Rensselaer, New York; citing p. 20, line 50, various county clerk offices, New York; FHL microfilm 549,906.
5. ↑ Year: 1910; Census Place: Nassau, Rensselaer, New York; Roll: T624_1069; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0016; FHL microfilm: 1375082. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
6. ↑ "New York State Census, 1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9GY-NXY : 8 November 2014), Grace O Williams, Nassau, Rensselaer, New York, United States; from "New York, State Census, 1915," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing p. 12, line 47, state population census schedules, 1915, New York State Archives, Albany.
7. ↑ Pittsfield City 1920 City Director, pg 469. Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXTK-F26 : accessed 16 January 2020), Grace Williams in household of James D Williams, Pittsfield Ward 3, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States; citing ED 59, sheet 3A, line 16, family 47, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 680; FHL microfilm 1,820,680.
9. ↑ Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901-1955 and 1966-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q282-YBDZ : 28 November 2018), Raymond Arthur Sykes and Grace Ophelia Williams, 15 Apr 1922; citing Pittsfield, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 234,554.
11. ↑ Berkshire Eagle, Wedding Announcement, April 15, 1922
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQ2R-24D : accessed 26 October 2019), Raymond Sikes, Pittsfield, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 61, sheet 19B, line 81, family 494, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 885; FHL microfilm 2,340,620.
13. ↑ Pittsfield, Massachusetts, City Directories, 1928 pg 464; 1920 pg 476; and 1930 pg 606
14. ↑ Pittsfield district telephone directory 1933, http://archive.org/details/pittsfielddistri1933unse
15. ↑ Pittsfield, Massachusetts, City Directories, 1937 pg 636; 1938 pg 670; and 1939 pg 681
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K461-3LT : 29 July 2019), Grace Sykes, Ward 4, Pittsfield, Pittsfield City, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 2-106, sheet 6B, line 75, family 199, 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 1569.
17. ↑ Pittsfield, Massachusetts, City Directories, 1940 pg 681; 1941 pg. 677
18. ↑ Berkshire County Registry of Deeds, Book 520, Page 128.
19. ↑ Wedding Announcement in The Berkshire Eagle, May 13, 1946
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3} Personal experience as she was my grandmother
21. ↑ The Springfield Union - Spingfld., Hmpdn. Co., MA - Mo:10:31:1966 - 7:7-8.
22. ↑ The Berkshire Eagle; Publication Date: 31 Oct 1966; Publication Place: Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/532416624/?article=3828a4cb-3b09-43d4-92d4-f34eca927e4c&focus=0.5048008,0.31571668,0.62422866,0.4999469&xid=3355
23. ↑ Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129667427
24. ↑ Pittsfield, Massachusetts, City Directories