Mary Fox Herron

I recently wrote about the letter Mary Herron wrote to "My Dear Aunt Betsy" , my great great grandmother, Elizabeth Fox Squibb, in 1912. It is unknown if this undated photo of Mary was taken before or after her marriage.

Mary Fox

Mary was the daughter of John P. Fox and Henrietta Strain, who in 1850 were living in the town of Esperance, Schoharie County, New York. Living in their household at the time were three other members of the Strain family, including Mary Strain, age 60, perhaps Henrietta's mother.

John Fox Household
1850, Esperance, Schoharie Co., NY

The New York state census taken in 1855 reveals much about the John P. Fox family. Mary Fox, daughter of John, appears at age 3. Mary Strain is listed as John's mother-in-law, and Betsey M. Fox, age 22, is now living with the family and is identified as John's sister, (Mary's Aunt Betsey). Henrietta is noticeably absent.

John Fox Household
1855 New York State Census
Esperance, Schoharie Co., NY

Henrietta Strain
Wife of John P. Fox
Cobleskill Rural Cemetery
Cobleskill, New York
Photo Taken by the Author June 11, 2017

Henrietta died July 3, 1854, age 33 years, 1 month and 16 days. Mary was two years old. Notice the last column of numbers in the 1855 census. The column heading not shown is "Years Resident in this City or Town". Betsey had lived there one year....since 1854. It seems likely that John's sister had come to live with them after Henrietta died to help care for little Mary.

Mary grew up, taught school, married Charles Herron, raised a family of her own and lived a long life.

Mary Fox Herron Obituary
The Bainbridge News
Bainbridge, NY, 11 May 1944

A transcription of Mary's obituary can be found on her Find a Grave memorial.

Charles S. Herron
1845-1923
Cobleskill Rural Cemetery
Cobleskill, New York
Photo Taken by the Author June 11, 2017

Mary J. Fox
His Wife
1851-1944
Cobleskill Rural Cemetery
Cobleskill, New York
Photo Taken by the Author June 11, 2017

52 Ancestors - Week 11 - "My Dear Aunt Betsy" 03 Jan 1912

In the fall of 2016 I decided to see what more I could discover about my great-great grandmother, Elizabeth Fox Squibb. I had a copy of her obituary which gave her birthplace as Cobleskill, NY, but did not name her parents or any of her siblings. I also had this copy of a letter written to her by her niece, Mary Herron. It is a goldmine of family history gems.

Letter to Elizabeth Fox Squibb from Mary Fox Herron. 

Cobleskill Jan. 3/1912
My dear Aunt Betsy,

     Here we are again at the beginning of a new year. And one of my good resolutions is to write to you more often.
     We have had splendid fall weather, right up till Christmas. Now it is good Winter, but no snow yet.
     I am alone this Winter. My daughter was married in July, and went right to housekeeping in Binghamton. It is only 90 miles, but too far to go often. Though it is nearer than where the boys are. The oldest is in Boston, and the other in New York.
     I have one grandchild. She was 4 years old last June. And her name is Betty.
     Dearie me, I am getting old too. I was 60 Thanksgiving day. Aunt Catharine is as well as usual. She comes to see me once in a while. She is about 2 blocks from me. Uncle James is two blocks the opposite way. He seemingly is 10 years younger, than when he was married to this woman, and she is only 3 years younger than he. But she gets him to go out more, and he is as jolly and nice.
     Do you remember uncle David's Margaret? Her husband was Jacob Somers. He was burried last week. She is not well, and there are no children. She lives at Seward 9 miles from here.
     So you see we are passing on. I hear from Aunt Weltha, and she seems to be as well as usual.
     Remember me to Laura, and any of the relatives.
Hoping this finds you well and comfortable, I am as ever, your loving niece
                    Mary Herron

Elizabeth (Betsy) "passed on" about a month after she would have received this letter. I hope she was well enough to read it. She would have learned that James was remarried to a woman that "gets him to go out more, and he is as jolly and nice." Mary's letter was full of other family news...and clues.

Elizabeth was living with her son, Elmer Ellsworth Squibb and his wife Susan May in Marsland, Nebraska. Apparently this letter remained with them. Many years later, after Ellsworth and May had passed, two of their daughters, Hazel and Wilma, saved any of their parents' papers and photos that pertained to family history. "Aunt Wilma",especially, enjoyed "old stuff"...antiques and family history. So thanks to these dear ladies, copies of this letter, and others, were passed down to the current generations of the family.

I set out to learn more about Mary Herron, hoping she would lead me to more of Elizabeth's family. I found Mary's memorial on Findagrave.com, including her obituary. Mary, who had been active in the Woman's Temperance Union, was a daughter of John P. Fox and Henrietta Strain. Another tidbit really caught my attention. She "was a descendant of pre-Revolutionary Dutch who settled in Schoharie County, and who fought against the Iroquois at the time of the Cobleskill Massacre." Wow. Which side of her family? And, what was the Cobleskill Massacre? What an incentive to learn more about the American Revolution than I ever learned in school. Things were about to get interesting.