Irving Spence Merritt (1878 - 1950)

Born 2 Nov 1878 in Maryland, United States

Descendants

Died 7 Aug 1950 at age 71 in Berlin, Worcester, Maryland, United States

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Biography

Born: in log house on Kledge Grain Road Died: Berlin, MD Burried: Evergreen Cemetary Church: Prespyterian School: two days durring his childhood Employment and jobs: He worked for his uncles on the Cherrix Properties. His salary was collected by his father until he was 21 yrs of age.

He worked on the bay; yard maintenance; chimney cleaning.

Hired by Pennsylvania Railroad to be a section hand and to run the car. He was dependable and "took over" when the boss was not there. The workers time was written down and kept by him. He also worked on the tracks when needed.

Illness: Carbunkel lanced on his back Pneumonia Steel chip in his right eye from working on the railroad tracks Glaucona Cataracts Eye surgery - Wills Eye Hospital Cancer in the eye socket that metastasized, eventually leading to death.

Recollection of Mary P. Merritt Hydock: Irving Spence Merritt, 21 married Minnie Katherine Watson, 16 on 28 DEC 1899 at her mothers home on Taylors Landing Rd. They had 100 guests. The men had Chivaree, banging pots and pans, making noise until each one was given a drink of hard cider by the groom. The men went home and the bride and groom went to bed.

My dad would take me for long walks on Sunday, to funerals and to places where he worked. He worked 5.5 days per week. Every night after dinner he walked up town and bought Teaberry gum and the bulletin. My mother read the paper to us. My dad could not read but could write his name. Saturday night he went up town to talk to people and go to the shoemaker shop. He bought his tobacco and corn flakes for the week. On winter nights my dad played checkers, dominoes, or hearts and kept score. We always had fun. My mother made him a Santa Claus suit and he walked around knockingin windows where children lived. He put his finger to his lips to let kids know they should be good, then would walk away. He'd walk for our tree on Christmas Eve but it was a tree he trimmed and took care of for months before. My dad enjoyed his yard. He always had a nice garden and a grape arbor with a double swing he had made. His saw had an engine. He cut wood and piled it up in our yard in double rows like a fort. Eulalia, my three boy cousins Howard, Lester, and Edward Lee made up many games there. He also made a play house with a real stove in it that we all enjoyed too. When he had pneumonia he was very sick, we stayed at my brother Theodore and Bessie's house for a couple of weeks. Uncle Nut came up to see him. Many of his friends came to visit him and would leave monetary gifts under his pillow. My dad told me that he and his twin brother Sebastian (Uncle Bap) worked together. After work on day, they drank hard cider and came home inebriated (drunk). Their dad put them under a mule cart, pulled their hair between the cracks and tied it to a stick. Their feet could not touch the ground. If they would have gotten sick, they would have choked. Uncle Bap visited often, he and my dad looked so much alike. My three older children didn't know which was their grandfather. Both twins were blind in the same eye. Uncle Bap was taller when he stood but thwn he was lying down to have his eye cleaned, he looked exactly like his twin. They had dark hair and very blue eyes. My dad smoked a pipe. In the winter snow or summer rain he would turn his pipe upside down, so it wouldn't go out. My dad was a kind, loving, honest and gentle man. Mr. Scarbough, the principal at the high school, gave a talk in assembly about how my father was one of the most respected men in or around Berlin. I have to agree, for my memories are such good ones. We were never hungry or cold and i knew my dad and mother loved me.

Sources

• Information from family information notebooks

• U.S., Find A Grave Index 1600s-Current

NAME Irving S Merritt BIRTH 1878 DEATH 1950 (aged 71–72) BURIAL Evergreen Cemetery Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland, USA MEMORIAL ID 136670796 · View Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136670796/irving-s-merritt