John Samuel Rafuse (1870 - 1951)

Born 2 May 1870 in New Germany, Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Elizabeth (Greenwood) Rafuse — married 13 May 1896 in Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States

Died 22 Feb 1951 at age 80 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

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Biography

John Samuel Rafuse was born at New Germany, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia in 1870, the son of Jezreel Rafuse and Ellen Boutilier.

He married Mary Elizabeth Greenwood, daughter of Abner Rice Greenwood (1841-1897) and Frances Augusta Hill (1842-1871) on 13 May 1896 at Newton, Massachusetts. They were the parents of three children:

• Gertrude May Rafuse b. 5 Apr 1897 at Boston, Massachusetts;
• Ernest Samuel Rafuse b. 28 Feb 1899 at Boston, d. 26 Aug 1952 at Cambridge, Massachusetts;
• Clyde Elmer Rafuse b. 26 Aug 1902 at Boston, d. 16 Apr 1920 at Grafton, Massachusetts.

The 1900 US census for Boston, Massachusetts shows the family residing at 6 Center Street, Boston. He is referred to as "Joseph S" in the report. He is age 30 and employed as a clerk at a dry goods store. Mary, age 31, daughter Gertrude, age 3, and Ernest, age 1, reside with him. They rent their home.

In 1910, the family had moved to Warwick Street in Boston. John (40) is employed as a house carpenter and reports being out of work for thirteen weeks in 1909. Residing with his is May E (41), Gertrude (13), Ernest (11) and Clyde (7). They rent their home for $26/ month. Mary reports that she has given birth to three children, all living.

In 1917, John filed an Declaration of Intention to become a naturalized US citizen on 10 Apr 1917. The info contained on the form is as follows: "Declaration of Intention #60086, U.S. District Court, Boston, Massachusetts. John Samuel Rafuse, age 49 years. 10th day of Apr A.D. 1917, Petition Vol, 168, No. 42029, order signed on the 2d day of Oct A.D. 1919. Name and place of residence of wife: Mary E, 50 years, Boston. Names of minor children: Ernest S 20 years, Clyde E 16 years, Boston. Signed: John Samuel Rafuse".

The 1920 US census for Boston shows the family renting at Marble Street. John(49) is a carpenter for a car company, Mary (50), daughter Gertrude (22), sons Ernest (20) and Clyde (17) also reside there. Gertrude is employed as a stenographer, Ernest as a pipe coverer at a shipyard, and Clyde is a student. The report also states that John immigrated to the US from Canada in 1896 and became a naturalized citizen in 1919. the rest were born in Massachusetts.

He passed away in 1951.

Sources

• "Canada, Nova Scotia Births and Baptisms, 1702-1896", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLRH-FLZ : 7 February 2020), John Samuel Rafuse, 1870

• "Canada Census, 1871," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4D4-LFH : 19 March 2021), Samuel Rafuse in household of Jezreel Rafuse, New Germany, Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada; citing 1871; citing National Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2ZT-HTCL : 22 July 2021), Samuel Rafuse and Mary Elizabeth Greenwood, 13 May 1896; citing Marriage, Newton City, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009489.

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9YK-HQ9 : accessed 11 September 2021), Joseph S Rafuse, Precinct 5 Boston city Ward 19, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1441, sheet 5A, family 93, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,685.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M229-WVL : accessed 11 September 2021), John S Rufuse, Boston Ward 18, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1533, sheet 5A, family 68, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 621; FHL microfilm 1,374,634

• "Massachusetts, United States Naturalization Records, 1871-1991," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPCM-ZSD1 : 10 July 2018), John Samuel Rafuse, Massachusetts, United States; citing Immigration, Massachusetts, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1368 (Boston: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), RG 21.

• "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFMR-VC8 : 1 February 2021), John S Rafuse, 1920

• "United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPBW-8ZJ7 : 18 July 2020), Vard University and John Samuel Rafuse, 1951.