Fearless Female Blog Post: March 5 ~ At the Corner of Bread and Cookies

My father, Dick Seavey, and my mother, Marilyn Bustin, met at a place I have written about before. And dear Cupid, in the guise of mutual friend, Winnie Cooper, found the perfect assignment at Cushman’s Bakery in Portland, Maine, in the early Spring of 1954.

Fresh out of the Navy, Dick was working in the Bread Room at the Bakery’s Store #5 at 107 Elm Street. Following a couple of summers working there during high school, and with no money for college, it was only natural for Marilyn to return to work there following graduation from Deering High School in 1949.

Having graduated from South Portland High School the same year, Dick knew many of the same people, many of whom would remain friends of theirs for years to come.

The above pictures were taken while they visited 

with Dick's sister and brother-in-law 

in their mobile home

While visiting Washington with friends that Spring, Marilyn sent Dick this postcard (postmarked March 29, 1954):

“Dear Dick -
Hello again and how are you today? It is real warm here today. Just been shopping. Going to a show tonight. Don’t know if another letter will get to you before I do or not. Gee wiz, I really never knew I could miss anyone so much, but I do. Should be home by 6 Sunday night. I wish you would call me. If you want to that is. Hope you miss me a little. See you soon. Love, Marilyn”

I guess he did, because they were married the following September, and were married for 56 years.





Lisa Alzo of  The Accidental Genealogist blog is presenting her Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month series in honor of National Women’s History Month.

Fearless Females Blog Post: March 1 ~ Favorite Female Ancestor

Pauline Lovell (1880-1958)

It only stands to reason that my favorite female ancestor would be one whom I have written about before. I have referred to my great grand aunt Pauline Lovell in earlier posts, but have now picked her out of the line as my favorite female ancestor to celebrate Women’s History Month 2013 (a daily blog prompt launched by Lisa Alzo, the Accidental Genealogist).

I am drawn to Great Aunt Polly because of her impact on my father in his youth, and by the fact that, as a single woman living around the turn of the century, she seems to have been indispensible to so many family members in their hour of need.

She, along with my great grandmother Alice, was born in Lewiston,  Maine, on April 3, 1880, the eldest daughter of Wallace Lovell and Louisa Brackley. By 20, however, she was a maid for the Herbert Harmons of Noyes Street in Portland, and domestic work seems to have been her lot in life.

By 1910, she was still in Portland, but an important event had occurred in those intervening 10 years. A child had been born to her sister Alice, and this child was my grandmother Mattie. The reason this is significant is that Pauline would play a major role in Mattie’s life, almost from birth, and this influence was evident to me even in my own childhood.

You see, Alice and their cousin Mark Leighton were Mattie’s parents, and because of that circumstance, Mattie was practically abandoned by her mother. It was Pauline, or Polly as she was known, who, for all intents and purposes, raised Mattie to adulthood and beyond, with the attention being returned in kind to her in her later years. The proof lies in the census record for 1910, showing Polly living with her own grandmother and little Mattie, age 4, on Olympia Street, in East Deering, in Portland.

Although I have few records of where she lived and/or worked for the following 20 years, I have to assume that she was assisting greatly in the upbringing of my grandmother. Her own mother, Louisa Washburn, widowed from her third husband, was living in Portland in the 1920 census, and would die later that year. But Pauline was not living with her at this point. I am told she worked as a housekeeper for several doctors' families in Portland. I believe she made frequent trips to New York City, where her mother lived for a time. Some signers in an old autograph book of hers that I found attest to friends she had there. There is no evidence that she ever married.

Thanks to the digitized 1924 Portland Tax Records, I did find that she owned a residence in 1924, in East Deering at 36 Olympia Street, and I believe this is the house my grandmother called home. My grandmother reminisced quite often about swimming in the nearby water off East Deering as a child, and she instilled a love of swimming in my dad, my aunt, and us grandchildren.

Pauline Lovell's
36 Olympia St.
Portland, Maine
1924

These may have been difficult “mothering” years, since family lore says Mattie was sent to St. Joseph’s Convent in Portland at one point. This move wasn't permanent, however, because, by 1930, Mattie had met and married Howard Seavey, and my father was born in November of that year.

I have always heard that Mattie’s 50-year-old Aunt Polly came with the marriage, moving in and living with Mattie, Howard, and their two children for the rest of her active life. By the 1940 census, they were all living at 81 Pine St., in South Portland. My dad remembered her living with them at an earlier (1936-37) address at 77 Deake St. in Portland,

I can only assume that this was “pay back” on my grandmother’s part. My father remembered Aunt Polly chewing tobacco, which I think is wonderful. What a household it must have been to grow up in.  She was also diabetic apparently, and this left a deep impression on my dad. In his later life, when he acquired this disease, memories of his aunt’s suffering haunted him.

Pauline Lovell, 77 years old, sunk into a diabetic coma at Maine General Hospital and passed away on February 23, 1958, just shy of my 3rd birthday. I am sorry I have no personal memories of this strong, determined woman who played such a crucial role in the lives of my grandmother and my dad.

Mattie Leighton Seavey with her Aunt Polly
circa 1930

On Horseback (Sort of) - Wordless Wednesday

Robyn (2), me (4), on horseback (aka Dad)

1959

Living room floor, 11 Bonnybriar Rd., South Portland, Maine

(Got to love that wallpaper!)

“Oh, Sailor!” Waikiki in ‘50 -- Treasure Chest Thursday

Recently I came upon this oversized postcard (9 x7!), postmarked November 25, 1950, that Dad sent to my grandmother, while he was on leave in Hawaii.  I am amazed that it is in such great condition.



 

“Dear Mother,
I read in the paper that there is quite a lot of snow on the east coast. Here the sun is shining and it is quite warm. On Thanksgiving day I went swimming. I’ll bet you didn’t. ha ha.

‘King Solomon’s Mines’ is playing at the Waikiki theatre. I may go there. I am wearing blues today because I haven’t got any clean whites. Got to send some to the laundry.

Your loving son,

Richard”

Dick Seavey in his “clean” whites

Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger!

Childhood Friends - Dad in the 1940 Census

In 1940, my father was living at 81 Pine Street in South Portland, Maine, in what is known as Ferry Village, and attending Hutchins School.

The newly released 1940 U.S. Census shows the entire family:

Seavey, Howard C, age 43, with 1 year of high school completed, working as a laborer at the U.S. Post Office (my grandfather)

Seavey, Mattie L, age 34, with 2 years of high school completed (my grandmother)

Seavey, Richard P, age 9, with 2 years of school completed (my father)

Seavey, Pauline L, age 6, with 1 year of school completed (my aunt)

and

Lovell, Pauline M, age 59, with 8 years of school completed, working as a maid in a private home (my grandmother’s aunt, who raised her, a who lived with the family for as long as my dad remembered)

On the same page of the 1940 Census, at 75 Pine Street, appear some familiar names:

Thompson, Elizabeth K, age 73 (known as “Grammy” Thompson)

Griffin, Elizabeth, age 33 (her divorced daughter)

Griffin, Donald L, age 6 (her grandson)

and

Griffin, Beverly J, age 2 (her granddaughter)

Elizabeth Griffin, fondly known as “Lib,” was my grandmother’s closest friend. While she was going through her divorce, she would often send Don to stay with my father’s family.  It was during these childhood days, Dick at 9 and Donny at 6, that a friendship bloomed, a friendship that lasted until both were grandfathers themselves.

Daddy's Got a Brand New Ride !!

 

My dad (Richard P. Seavey, 1930-2010) went into the Navy right out of high school, but soon realized that he was desperately homesick. After his discharge in 1953, he returned by bus to South Portland, Maine. Without even a driver's license, he went right over to Forest City Chevrolet and paid cold hard cash for this 1950 Chevy Bel Air. How he drove it back to Bay View Avenue no one remembers! 

He also walked down to the RED & WHITE and bought a case of G.I. quarts of beer, which he hauled all the way back up the hill! Guess he was glad to be back in the Great State o' Maine.

Dad was never mechanically inclined. Luckily, his soon-to-be in-laws would take care of his cars very well over the years. But he WAS very protective of his car, constantly checking to make sure all the doors were locked before leaving it anywhere. He was even questioned once in my memory by a cop about his circling his own car, because he suspected Dad was trying to figure out how to break into it!

Treasure Chest Thursday - 7 Point Pupil

During the 1930's and 40's, the Maine Public Health Association ran a program in the public schools called 7 Points of Health.  As part of this program, public health nurses would visit elementary school children around the state, checking each child in 7 different areas: teeth, hearing, vision, posture, throat, growth, and birth registration. The last category probably required the child to bring some documentation to school.

In those days, children did not visit pediatricians on a regular basis, like they do today.  Sometimes, this was the only means by which parents could gauge their child on his or her growth and development.

For successfully meeting the requirements each year, children were rewarded with a pin and a certificate.

This is my father's pin from Grade 3 at Hutchins School in South Portland, Maine.  He was 10 years old.

My father's colored 7-point star, with his picture pasted in the middle.

My father's Seven-Point Certificate.

Those Places Thursday - St. Barnabas Hospital

    In the Portland, Maine of the late 1920's and early 30's, there were several medical facilities founded by individual physicians, and, as such, were known as their "private hospitals."  My mother, for instance, was born in 1931 in Dr. Leighton's Private Hospital on Emery St. in Portland.

    Dr. William Lewis Cousins also founded his own hospital, Dr. Cousins' Private Hospital, which later was named St. Barnabas Hospital, where my father was born in 1930.

As Harold Boyle described St. Barnabas, in the following 1978 "The Way It Was" article for the Press Herald, "many prominent Maine persons were born in it and it supplied the Woodfords area with its first emergency facilities."

Thank goodness my mother marked this clipping!

Three stories marked by a distinctive cupola, it stood at 231 Woodfords St., opposite the present-day Woodfords Congregational Church.  As described by Michelle Souliere, on her great blog, Strange Maine, "the hospital boasted a terraced lawn, a broad, glass-enclosed sun parlor, an elevator, and refrigerator ice gleaned exclusively from Sebago Lake."

 

Remembering Dad–A More Than Good Enough Grandpa

Why is do the most loving, considerate and dedicated of parents always worry that they are not all of those things?!
All of the grandchildren will tell you that they always looked forward to going to Grandma and Grandpa’s, and one of the reasons was all the FUN they would have with Dad.  Yet, he always worried, starting with Nathaniel, the oldest, to Daniel, the youngest, if he was a good enough Grandpa.
From shooting pool, to swimming and fishing, to walking the beach, to just listening to his stories and jokes, there was always fun and laughter to be had, and those times are the most precious memories of all six of his grandchildren.
In our family, is seemed perfect that Father’s Day was in the summer (well, early summer in Maine, more or less), because that meant getting in the water and other outside activities. Dad loved it when the grandkids came to visit in the summertime, and it was a joy to see him being a “more than good enough Grandpa” to all of them.

Dad, Nathaniel, and Stephanie, Thomas Pond, South Casco, 1989

Dad and Stephanie, Scarborough Beach, 1989

Dad and Nathaniel, Fun Town, Scarborough,1986

Come On In ... The Water's Fine !

 

When you talk about getting in the water, you're talking about my father's side of the family. Naturally, growing up in Maine, we have access both to "the beach," by which we mean the ocean, but also the lovely lakes all around us. My love for being near the water comes directly through my dad, who came by it honestly, from his own upbringing.

His mother, my grandmother Mattie Seavey, who grew up in the East Deering neighborhood of Portland, Maine, and, who remembered swimming as a child in the tranquil waters of Casco Bay, loved to swim and always had her suit and bathing cap ready to go at a moment's notice.

As a young woman, she worked at the Poland Spring House, and probably took off with her girlfriends for a quick dip in the nearby lake when she got off the switchboard. Here are a couple of her scrapbook pictures taken from around that time, in the swimsuit styles of the 1920s:

 

Grammy Seavey (Mattie Leighton) on the left 

 

Grammy Seavey (Mattie Leighton) on the right

Later, she and my grandfather, Howard Seavey, spent a lot of time at Woods Pond, in Bridgton, Maine, where he had grown up. Here they are, drying off before heading back home, probably in the 1940s:

 

Howard and Mattie Seavey

My dad loved the water and was a strong swimmer, both in the frigid waters of Casco Bay, and in the many lakes he fished and swam in. Here he and my Aunt Polly, his younger sister, are, probably at Willard Beach in South Portland, around 1935 or so:

My dad, Dick Seavey, at Willard Beach, circa 1935

My aunt, Polly Seavey, at Willard Beach, circa 1935

Memorial Weekend marks the beginning of summer for many families.

Time to get out that suit!

((Written for the 4th Annual Swimsuit Edition of Carnival of Genealogy))

One Year Gone and Missed Every Day

One year ago today, we lost Dad. The following are quotes from his eulogy, written and delivered by his only granddaughter, my daughter Stephanie Claire Schaffner:


"Richard Seavey lived the dream. I honestly believe he never thought he would get from life what he did and therefore, he left this world with no regrets. I guess you could call it a blessing in disguise, but my grandfather was a bit naïve; a wife and family that loved him dearly was more than he ever could have dreamed of. He woke up every day with a smile on his face and a kiss for my grandmother…it was as simple as that. That’s what my grandfather was: a simple man...


...I was asked by my cousins to speak on behalf of the grandchildren today and it’s a hard task to sum up how we all feel in a few words. What I do know is that we are lucky. We are the six luckiest children in the world to have grown up with a man like him to look up to and to share memories with. On a day like today it’s hard to think about anything but what we have lost, but I would like everyone to remember what we gained through this man. We learned values, gained insight, and most importantly, shared laughter with him. All of which can never ever be replaced. I am incredibly happy to know that my cousins, five very special boys and men, will have the memories of our grandfather to turn to when they have their own families. If they take even one attribute of our grandfather with them into their family lives, I’m sure they will be successful husbands, fathers, and grandfathers...


...There’s no one in this world that could ever take the place of such a beloved man. Although he was many different things to many different people, and each grandchild loved him in their own special way, throughout his life, I know that being a father and grandfather were the roles that truly completed him..."


Stephanie Claire Schaffner, April 8th, 2010, South Portland, Maine

Treasure Chest Thursday - SPHS Graduation 1949

My dad was a 1949 graduate of South Portland High School.

Some of the teachers he had were just starting their teaching careers back then, but were still teaching when I went through SPHS, some in their last year before retiring.  In the program from his graduation ceremony pictured below, Miss Madeline Perazzi accompanied the singing of  " The Spirit of the Red and White." 

 She was still there when I graduated in 1973.  And there's dad's name, Seavey, Richard Packard, under "General Course."