Nellie Irene (Franklin) Raymoure (1881 - 1984)

Born 11 Aug 1881 in Hungerford, Newaygo, Michigan, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 27 Mar 1984 at age 102 in Michigan, United States

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Biography

Rena was born in 1881 in Michigan.

She was born August 11, 1881 in a lumber camp at Hungerford, Michigan where her father was a "timber cruiser" estimating lumber footage in standing trees. They moved to Big Rapids about 1884 when her father obtained stock and worked in the Crawford Furniture Company. Her father was a friend of Dr. Ferris and was a member of the first Board of Directors of Ferris Institute. Rena attended the Big Rapids school through the 11th grade, then the family moved to West Branch, Michigan where she attended her senior year in high school and graduated with the class of 1899.

Prior to her marriage she was a dress making apprentice for two years (without pay!) and then opened her dress making shop She was much in demand as a seamstress, for every dress was "an original" by combining parts of various patterns. While in her teens she was a member of the Crazy Six ... six young ladies of the town who met to sew, or cook Welsh Rarebit in a chafing dish, arranged parties, etc. They remained close friends their entire lives. After Claude's death in 1933 she again began dressmaking for others outside the family, as she and the oldest son Jack had the support of two younger children.

Her many interests included contests and puzzles and over the years she won many prizes, including groceries, radios, watches, jewelry, refrigerator, washer and drier, radio-phonograph combination, and money. The biggest prize was given by Dole Pineapple in a "I like because... in 25 words or less" contest. She won the Grand Prize which was a full paid trip for two to New York City, accommodations at the Waldorf Astoria for a few days, front row tickets for the brand new show My Fair Lady, and $100 spending money.

When she was 81 she suffered a stroke that paralyzed her entire left side. However, she refused to become an invalid and made a remarkable recovery, and continued to drive until she was 84 ... with a wonderful record of never having had a ticket nor an accident. When she was about 86 she became interested in stones and acquired a tumbler for polishing the ones she collected from beaches.

Mother required 3 or 4 root canal jobs after she was 98. She remembers her first trip to the dentist when was 4 or 5 or 6 years old. It was Thanksgiving morning and her brother Earl, who was 4 years older, took her, so it probably was just to lose a baby tooth.

When she was about 4 years old she leaned out of a second floor window and cut off all the curls on one side of her head.

Her first birthday party she can remember was engineered by her brother Earl and his friends because they wanted a party themselves. Her present was a read and clear glass slipper, which was a pincushion.

Mother grew up in Big Rapids, Michigan, and the area that is now Ferris College was all forests and fields with many maple trees. Some of the farmers would tap them in the spring and the kids playing in the area would select one and drink most of the sap and then carefully hang the pail back they had found it.^[1]

Occupations

• Seamstress, dressmaker

Residences

• 1920: 347 Elmhurst Avenue, Highland Park, Michigan with her husband, children and aunt
• 1910: 898 Field Avenue, Detroit, Michigan with her husband

Census Race

• 1910, 1920: White

Death

She passed away in 1984.

Sources

1. ↑ Raymoure 1982, pp. 51-52

• 1910 United States Federal Census Year: 1910; Census Place: Detroit Ward 17, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: T624_680; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0255; FHL microfilm: 1374693
• 1920 United States Federal Census Year: 1920; Census Place: Highland Park, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: T625_801; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 688
• Raymoure, Dorothy. Raymoure Hubbell Franklin Osborne. 1982.