November 1923. Grace Means Letter to My Uncle Bob

My grandmother Harriet’s cousin Grace lived in NYC far from Downeast Maine, never married and had no children of her own. It is obvious that she adored Harriet’s children, Warren  born in Oregon, Robert and my mother Louise born in Machias, Maine. In 1923, Warren was fifteen years old, Robert was five and Louise was almost four. Charles is two, the son of Harriet’s sister Elsie who lived with her parents William and Nellie Means at 24 Broadway after a failed marriage.

That year, Grace was struggling financially but she was sending gifts for the children. She had a story and some fine advice for little Robert.

It reminds me how important “old-fashioned” letters are in a family. And it is a reminder that I need to write letters to my six grandchildren more often. And talk on Skype to the four grands that live in other States and visit once every summer. Time is fleeting…

I don’t have a photograph of Uncle Bob as a child. But he was a handsome man. Robert Means Johnson, at graduation from Machias High School in 1936.

 

The Maine Legislature In Augusta

Circa 1870. My great-great grandfather Otis Witham Means of Machiasport is standing far right, with his hands on the shoulders of the man seated in front of him. This portrait was sent to my grandmother Harriet’s sister Elsie, Christmas of 1924, with a portfolio of ancestors’ photographs by Grace Means in NYC. If anyone can identify the other men in this portrait, I would love to add their names. Perhaps they can be found in this book Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Maine.

On the back of photo, Grace wrote:

 

My Great Great Grandmother Elsie Fuller Berry Means

She is the great granddaughter of Westbrook Berry one of the “original 16” to settle Machias, Maine and a direct descendent of the first white child born there. She married Otis Witham Means in 1837. This portrait is part of a collection made my great grandfather’s niece, Grace Adele Means. Her mother, Francis Adele died when Grace was a child and she was raised by Elsie Means, her grandmother. Grace sent this collection of ancestors’ photos to my great grandfather William Means, my grandmother Harriet Means Johnson and my mother Louise Adele Johnson Rier in 1924, when Mom was 4 years old.

The Berry family came from Devonshire England with the Mason colony in 1630, originally settled along the Piscataqua River that later divided the states of Maine and New Hampshire.

They eventually settled in Machiasport, Maine where Benjamin Berry took his land title from the Indians at “Berry Farm.”

“This colony brought the first cattle to New England and were looked upon with contempt by the Mass. Colony, for they came to fish not pray.”

“On this land I was born, land always owned by one of the Berry family.” ~ Grace Means

From Grace to William:

From Grace to my mother:

“She was the perfect mother. I know for she was a mother to me when God took mine.” – Grace Adele Means

It’s nice to know that I am not the first to blog about Elsie Fuller Berry Means. After a summer family gathering a few years ago, my son Eric Snowdeal III was “photoblogging” about the ancestors!

My Great Great Grandfather Otis Witham Means

From NYC, Grace Means sent portraits of the ancestors to my great-grandfather William Means, Christmas 1924. She also sent the collection to my grandmother Harriet and my mother, Louise Adele Johnson. On the back of Otis Means’ portrait, Grace wrote to William:

From Grace to Harriet. She packed in family history all along the margins. Grace wanted to make sure no one forgot the Means family and where they originated!

Grace entrusted the portrait collection to my mother and passed on a serious responsibility to the four-year-old.

…”Of Scottish (Clan Menzies) of English-Puritan lineage, his personality and bearing ring true….to the Gaelic origin of the name, Mein or bearing “of majestic expression.” See Red and White Book of the Menzies, Library of Congress, Washington DC. 2nd Edition. One look at his face confirms his origin…’

“Make it your duty and your pleasure, dear little girl to preserve your inheritance and pass onto others when you are as old as your grown up cousin of whom you may think all through the years as having much love for you her namesake…”

 

 

 

 

 

Portraits of the Ancestors

Francis Adele Means.

Often in the last years of her life, Mom asked me to retrieve precious items from upstairs that she could no longer reach, the stairs an obstacle for advanced osteoarthritis.

“There is a big, white plastic bag by the nightstand in my bedroom. The contents are valuable. I want to see it.”

I retrieved said plastic bag. Mom delicately pulled the contents onto her lap, one by one.

“These photos can never be lost. They contain your history.”

I helped her sort through the portraits and read the meticulous writing on the back.  I had never seen them before, never  knew that the Means family were descendents of an ancient Scottish clan, the Menzies from county Argyll. The portraits were a gift from my grandmother Harriet’s cousin Grace to family members, Christmas of 1924. She sent these portraits to my great-grandfather William, my grandmother Harriet, and my mother Louise Johnson Rier. Most survived at the ancestors’ home where I grew up.

Mom passed me the portrait of Grace’s mother, Francis Adele. Grace and Mom both shared her middle name. “Look what she wrote to me on the back of her mother’s photo,” Mom said. “I was only four years old.”

“To Louise Adele Johnson from grown up cousin Grace.”

…“She was so fond of her little brother, Louise’s granddaddy that Louise must always love her and keep her picture renewed when it may fade after years. So her memory will be held sacred and coming generations may know and reverence her dear face.”

The same portrait was sent to my great-grandfather William.

This House Has a Soul

The Wedding Clothes of my Great-Grandparents, William and Nellie Means

2016. The wedding attire of my great-grandparents William and Nellie Means are displayed at the Gates House, Machiasport, Maine in an impressive collection of antique wedding clothes.

William and Nellie were married July 1, 1880. They had 4 children: Otis, Harriet, William, Elsie. Harriet is my grandmother.

William and Nellie celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary July 1st, 1905 reported in the Bangor Daily News on July 5th. “The celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Means, held at their elegant home on Broadway, Saturday evening, July 1st was an exceedingly enjoyable occasion for all. The house was tastily decorated throughout with roses, ferns, wreaths and Madeira vines hung in arches and along the banisters and alcoves, interwoven with pinks and flowers of varied tint and hue.

Two hundred invitations were responded to and by as many friends, who appeared and heartily greeted the happy couple in a decidedly informal way. The bride and groom of twenty five years ago, received in their wedding suits, which had been meticulously preserved. The silk poplin, pearl colored dress, and white gloves of the bride and conventional black suit of the groom caused much merriment by reason of the antiquated style of the garments.”

When I was growing up, I loved to explore the attic and open the trunk that held William and Nellie’s wedding clothes. Later in my mother’s life, she would ask me to bring them to her for she could no longer get upstairs, little less the attic.

I laid the precious clothes across her lap. “Why is there a safety pin in the back of Nellie’s dress?” I asked.

Mom smiled, her eyes danced. “Bob and I wore these clothes for an 8th grade play. I had to use a safety pin to keep the dress on. It was the last time the dress was worn.”

Bob is my mother’s brother, born a year before she was. They started school together (Mom was four years old) and both graduated from Machias High School in 1936. Mom was 16 years old.

 

Health advice, Politics, Prohibition and the KKK

Letter from Grace Means. July 1924.

William has been diagnosed with angina pectoris and barely avoided a trip to the hospital in Portland. In response to his letter, Grace dishes out advice on health, diet, and reduction of stress, especially that caused by William’s worries about his daughters, Harriet (my grandmother) and Elsie.

“We can’t see far ahead but I believe I’m safe in predicting that Hattie’s days will soon brighten! The children will soon be a help – and Elsie will have her boy to comfort her. Don’t let family cares disturb the hours that should be rest and recouperation for you.” 

Grace reports that her health problems are receding due to a rigorous health regime. She eats no meat, just fish, no potato, no white bread, no cereal, no sugar … “I was starch poisoned… I’ll get to normal on a very comfortable toboggan – It is a necessary treatment! ” 

She is busy and working with a photographer to reproduce the ancestors portraits for William and his family. She will send them soon. Grace has no way of knowing at the time that 92 years later (or perhaps she does), this collection would be in the possession of William’s great-granddaughter who is busy preserving them in 2016.

The Means family have been proud Protestants and Masons for generations. Grace expounds on the political scene. The governor of Maine isn’t acting like a true Republican.“I tho’t we had a Republican governor! What a waste of genius for a bright man to be with such a bunch!” 

Grace writes that Maine US Representative Pattangall is taking NY by storm. He lost a bid for the Maine governorship in 1924 to Republican Owen Brewster who was supported by the KKK. Pattangall’s speeches at the Democratic convention that year proposed inserting an anti-Klan plank into the party platform, despite the presence of an estimated 300 Klansmen in the hall. The attempt was met with vehement hissing and booing of Klansmen along with fist fights, chair tossing, and destruction of convention decorations. The plank was voted down, and with it the potential presidential candidacy of Catholic Al Smith. In 1924, Pattangall was a Democrat and a son of Pembroke in Washington County,  known for his support of education and galvanizing the Republican party against the KKK. Perhaps at Grace’s urging, he will defect to the Republican party in 1926.

Grace is incensed at the politicians of the time, the Catholics and Christopher Columbus’ bogus claim at discovering America.

“… are they building another Ireland? They claim this is a Catholic country since Christopher Columbus discovered it – and I’m told the K.C. oath puts loyalty to Church before country! Christopher discovered San Domingo or San Salvador – but he never heard of the mainland and if he had – he was an Italian Jew – born in Genoa – sailing for the Catholic dynasty Isabella – Seif Ericsson and numerous French fishermen probably discovered our mainland long before Columbus. And, anyway they can’t call it a Catholic country – for Englishmen, Protestant and not a Catholic in the crowd, established the first surviving government and tho French Catholics fought 80 years they did not win it anyway from them.”

Grace Adele Means

 

Grace Means was the niece of my great grandfather William Gordon Means, the daughter of his elder sister Francis. But Grace was raised as his younger sister since her mother died “of a long illness” at the age of 27, not long after Grace was born. Grace finished school in Machias, lived in South Boston, then moved to New York City to work in the publishing establishments setting illustrations and photographs on the lithographic offset press. She never married and had no children. She became a long-term NYC resident, living in the precarious region between Manhattan and Harlem at 519 West 121st Street, but her family was that of William and Nellie in Downeast Maine. Grace regularly wrote letters to William, sent books for his library and grandchildren, photographs and descriptions of the ancestors as she remembered them.

In 1923, Grace wrote to wish William a happy 68th birthday. The family had fallen on harder times but she still sent him books.

“Yesterday I got off to you a box of books by parcel post insured. During the campaign RV Jollitt, (secy to WHH) who is a friend of Dr. Will Howe, Indiana University (and one of the authors), had several sets of these school readers sent him by Dr. Howe. After they were published by Scribners – the State declined to appropriate so they were not used. RVJ gave me a set I’ve just taken out of storage…so I’m sending a book for each grandchild. I leave it to you to perform a miracle because I’m one short of covering your 7…”

“The book containing the Canadian Captive is for you to keep with other family data to be handed on to coming generations! Thus we keep the fires burning…”

Grace had difficulty finding work and sold some furniture “to keep life supported.” She has been interviewed by Major General Harbord, Brigadier General John J Pershing’s understudy and now President of Radio Corporation of America. In the meantime, she was counting every dollar.

…“I had to use the Christmas check in spite of myself but it will go back as soon as I get busy – for I don’t want to add to your burdens. Our family has its troubles but we are strong and courageous, loyal to each other and have staunch old blood in our veins and we must show it by calmly meeting these trials as a part of the human heritage. It’s a long road that has no turns. Brighter days are ahead – We can’t always see the light but it shines somewhere and we’ll get a peep at it if we are patient and strong.” 

Two letters remain that Grace wrote to William Means. The letter below was mailed January 28, 1923. I hope it is legible here. Grace was frugal and used old paper folded in fourths, writing on each side and sometimes in the margins. And, the last pages were on tissue paper with writing on both sides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Means and Getchell Families

Circa 1910. On the porch of the William Means home at the corner of Broadway and Gardner Avenue, Machias, Maine.

The family of my great-grand parents William and Nellie Means on the porch at 24 Broadway in Machias. L to R. Ethel Means (sitting, wife of their eldest son Otis) and children. Standing: William Means Sr. my great grandfather. Sitting: Nellie Means, my great-grandmother. Next to her, Nellie’s mother, Martha Jane Holmes Getchell (I have blankets, quilts and her embroidery in my home today), my great-great-grandmother. Far right, Nellie’s sisters Dora Getchell Dennison and Thirza Getchell Flynn. Thirza was a hat maker and owned a millinery shop in Machias. I do not know the identity of the woman in the front, it will take more research, but she sure looks like someone I would love to have known.