Martha Jeannette (Smith) DeHaven (1885 - 1979)

Born 10 Jun 1885 in Saxton, Pennsylvania, USA

Ancestors

Died 5 Oct 1979 at age 94 in Boonsboro, Maryland

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Biography of Mattie Jeannette Smith DeHaven

Mattie Jeannette Smith DeHaven was born June 10, 1885 in Saxton, Pennsylvania. She was the third child of Danford Smith and Mary Frances Miller. ^{[1] [2]}

As a small child she accidently drank some lye soap that was being made in a kettle outside. It burned her throat severely and even as an old woman she had some throat problems. I also remember that she always cautioned my sister and me when we would visit to never put scissors on the chair or sofa. Apparently when she was younger someone left scissors on the sofa and they fell down between the arm and the cushion and when she sat down, they went into her hip. ^[3]

Mattie married Henry L. DeHaven on 27 Sep 1904 ^[4] and they lived first in Berkeley Springs WV where they owned a tourist camp. According to the census, they lived at 255 Martinsburg Road, Berkley Springs, WV. ^[5]

Between 1930 and 1935, Mattie and Henry moved to Boonsboro, Maryland. ^[6] In Boonsboro they owned a big Civil War home at 36 Potomac Street. It was a very special house with lots of rooms and interesting doodads. She collected elephant figurines and my sister and I would roam the house and count how many she had...I think 30-40! Although she had no television, we always found something to do. There was a conservatory room with lots of plants and one of the planters was a real rattlesnake! She had a claw-foot bathtub and above the toilet was a picture of the Dionne quintuplets. The bed where Jenny and I slept was once owned by Thomas Jefferson. It was a huge four-poster and all the bedrooms had fireplaces in them. ^[7]

Outside there was a stone table and bench that my sister and I played on. There was a grape arbor with the sweetest Concord grapes and a large veggie garden with a path leading to a chicken coop. I remember gathering eggs from the chickens. ^[8]

Visiting Aunt Mattie

Nearby was a small park with ducks and playground equipment. A trip to Boonsboro always meant several trips to Shafer Park. ^[9]

Visiting Shafer Park in Boonsboro, MD

Mattie had no children, so she always enjoyed having us visit which was every summer. She was a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Boonsboro and a past president of the Ladies Aid Society. ^[10]

Mattie died on October 5, 1979 and is buried in the Boonsboro Cemetery. She was 94 years 3 months and 25 days according to her memorial card. ^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ Obituary, see below
2. ↑ Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950
3. ↑ Personal memories
4. ↑ Family notes, see below
5. ↑ 1910 United States Federal Census, see note below*
6. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census
7. ↑ Personal Memories
8. ↑ Personal Memories
9. ↑ Personal Memories
10. ↑ Obituary, see below
11. ↑ Memorial Card, pictured below

• 1900 United States Federal Census Year: 1900; Census Place: Davis, Tucker, West Virginia; Roll: 1773; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0136; FHL microfilm: 1241773
• 1910 United States Federal Census Year: 1910; Census Place: Bath, Morgan, West Virginia; Roll: T624_1690; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 0084; FHL microfilm: 1375703
• 1920 United States Federal Census Year: 1920; Census Place: Bath, Morgan, West Virginia; Roll: T625_1963; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 114; Image: 1032
• 1930 United States Federal Census Year: 1930; Census Place: Bath, Morgan, West Virginia; Roll: 2549; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0003; Image: 321.0; FHL microfilm: 2342283
• 1940 United States Federal Census Year: 1940; Census Place: Boonsboro, Washington, Maryland; Roll: T627_1562; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 22-44
• Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950 database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2JV-9M4 : 9 December 2014), Mattie Jeanette Smith, 10 Jun 1885; Birth, citing Saxton Boro, Pennsylvania; FHL microfilm 331,352.

Photographed Sources

• Obituary

Mattie DeHaven Image 6

• Funeral Memorial Card

Mattie DeHaven Image 5

• Family Notes

Family Notes page 1

Notes

My father and grandmother spoke often of the tourist camp that Mattie owned. According to the 1910 Census, Mattie and Henry lived in the Bath District of Morgan County, West Virginia. Upon researching I found this information: Berkeley Springs is a town in, and the county seat of, Morgan County, West Virginia, USA, in the state's Eastern Panhandle. While the area was part of Virginia, the town was incorporated as Bath. Since 1802, it has been referred to by the name of its original Virginia post office, Berkeley Springs. The population of the town was 624 at the 2010 United States Census. The town is located within the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Berkeley Springs is a sister city to Bath, Somerset, England. [1]