Chester's father was Horace V. Armstrong, and mother was Mary. During the 1860 Census, they lived with Elijah and Mary Armstrong, originally from Connecticut. Their small son Chester was only 3 at the time. They lived with Horace's sisters Lydia, Lorinda and Caroline also. By the 1870's Horace and Mary were out on their own in Geneseo with their 14-year-old son Chester and 4-year-old son Fred. By the 1880 Census, Chester was a farmer, and living with his wife Mary at his parents Horace and Mary's farm in Geneseo.
No further census data is available until 1910, which shows Bertha Armstrong as a 22-year-old single woman living with her parents on Avon Rd. in Geneseo. By the 1920 Census, Bertha has married Wright R. Henty and they live with her parents (Chester and Mary) and their 5-year-old son Clifford. Amongst the box of photographs, I found a stamped envelope addressed Mr. and Mrs. George Sleggs (Nellie and George, Mabel's parents) postmarked from Geneseo. Inside was a birth announcement that reads "A Little Son named Dallas Calvin has safely arrived at the home of Mr. & Mrs. W.R. Henty. Born Nov 14th, 1923." However, this child is not listed on the 1930 Census, which only shows Wright R. Henty (age 42) living with Bertha A. (age 43), Clifford A. (age 15) and his mother-in-law Mary J. Armstrong (age 77). Wright is listed as a farmer, living on Henty Rd. in Geneseo.
Diane LeClair remembers her mother Jean Carmichael Marquardt mentioning that she had a Henty cousin living in Geneseo. I suspect that this was Clifford, who died in July 1991.
After all of this research, I suspect that the "Mary" Chester married was actually Mary Jane Sleggs, William Sleggs' second daughter (George's sister). That would explain the numerous photographs and the birth announcement sent to Mrs. George Sleggs. That would also make Jean and Clifford cousins. Most importantly, the dates coincide nicely. Since Mary Jane Sleggs was born in 1853, she would be 77 for the 1930 Census. If you know otherwise, please contact me .
|
| Bertha Armstrong Henty |
|
Henty Birth Announcement |
