Helen Hunter Follansbee ~ 52 Ancestors #51

I am participating in this year's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge from Amy Johnson Crow.

In a roundabout way, I'm writing about a second great-aunt of mine, Helen Rainey Hunter (1886-1939).

My great-grandfather, Percy Earle Hunter, was the second of ten children of James Hunter and Mary Freeland. Mary died in March 1902 and James died in October 1902, and his obituary reports that since his wife's death, "he has never been the same man he was before."

When their parents died, Percy took responsibility for many of his younger siblings, the youngest of whom were 10 (Curtis Carr Hunter), 14 (Mary Lois Hunter), and 16 (Helen Rainey Hunter). (I still need to look to see if there are official guardianship records.)

Therefore when Percy's sister Helen Rainey Hunter got married in 1909, it was "Mr. and Mrs. Percy E. Hunter" who announced the marriage of their sister.

"Marriage Announcement," The Pittsburgh Press, 15 October 1909; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/141365338 : accessed 22 December 2018), p. 24, col. 3.

William and Helen (Hunter) Follansbee lived in Pittsburgh their entire lives and had three children: William U. Follansbee III (b. 1912), and twins, Lois Hunter Follansbee and Mary Freeland Follansbee (b. 1915). Although two of these children married (William and Mary), there were no grandchildren.

Helen and her children attended my grandparents' 1931 wedding, signing the guest list and appearing in the group photo.

I believe she is behind and between my grandmother and her father in the 1931 wedding photo. This would be just before her 45th birthday. Her older brother, Percy, is 58 in this photo. Grandmother was 24.

Helen (Hunter) Copeland, Helen (Hunter) Follansbee, Percy Earle Hunter

The only other record I could find was Helen's death certificate, which reported that she died at age 53 of colon cancer. ["Pennsylvania Death Certificates, 1906-1966," Ancestry.com (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5164 : accessed 22 December 2018), certificate file no. 76326, record for Helen Hunter Follansbee, d. 24 September 1939.]

If any Hunter family members have any memories or photos of this Follansbee family, please let me know in the comments.

Winter and Ice Skating ~ 52 Ancestors #49

I am participating in this year's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge from Amy Johnson Crow. Each week has an optional writing prompt and this week's writing prompt is Winter.

These are my parents in January 1964 (if the "Jan 64" date was close to when the photo was taken). My dad, Charlie Pyle, loved to ice skate and we all learned how to skate soon after learning to walk.

Looks like it was cold enough for the pond in Dedham (Massachusetts) to freeze well enough for skating early that winter!