Nellie Spencer (1880-1978)
From My Research Wiki
Nellie Spencer was born August 10, 1880 in Burlington Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Henry C. Spencer (1844-1929) and Amanda J. Dunn (1850-1925).
Nellie was left deaf after a bout with scarlet fever. The family story goes that she contracted the disease from hand-me-downs from her sister Augusta who died from scarlet fever in 1876. The speculation is that their mother put Augusta's clothes away when the little girl died and brought them out for Nellie to use and that Nellie contracted the disease from the clothes. That's the story anyway.
Nellie was originally sent to a school for the deaf/mute in Philadelphia but, during one visit, her father (Henry Clay SPENCER) found she was in the kitchen doing housework rather than attending classes & he took her home. His grandson, Carlyle Spencer, indicated grandpa Henry told them he wasn't paying the school to make her work; she could do that at home. Later, she attended the first deaf/mute school in Scranton and received a much better education.
Around 1951 she was living at 101 Thomas Street in Towanda.
Contents |
First marriage
Nellie first married Howard Wilbur about 1905. She would have been 25 years old.
Children
- Byron W. Wilbur (1905-?)
- Leonard P. Wilbur (1906-?)
Second marriage
Nellie later married Wilson Watts but they did not have any children.
Back to Spencer
After her second marriage Nellie went back to using Spencer.
Death
Nellie died December 31, 1978 at the County Manor in Burlington Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania.
