Who Was Clifford Ross Hayes? Adding to the Hayes Family Tree....

 The San Francisco Examiner

Wednesday, June 1, 1892

newspapers.com

    Who was Clifford Ross Hayes? This name came up in a search I was doing through newspapers.com the other day.  I was very surprised to see that Frank and Sallie E. Hayes had another child, as I always thought Lester Franklin Hayes was an only child.  Lester was my great grandfather; he married my great grandmother Emma King in 1908 in San Francisco.  Clifford Ross was Lester's younger brother!  Quite a discovery! 

    Clifford was born when Sallie was 36 years old, and when Franklin was 38 years old.  He was born 10 years after his older brother Lester.  There are no records discovered (yet) of any other children born between Lester's birth in 1882 and Clifford's birth in 1892.  

 The San Francisco Examiner

Wednesday, June 1, 1892

newspapers.com

       

 San Francisco Chronicle 

Thursday, June 2, 1892

newspapers.com

    Funeral services were held shortly after Clifford's death at the Hayes home,  18 Elgin Park, in San Francisco.  Hayes family members in attendance with Frank and Sallie Hayes were most likely Lester and Lillie Ross Hayes, Franklin's mother.  The death date for Lillie's husband Robert is unknown at this time, so he may or may not have been alive in 1892.  Frank's brothers Joseph and William were possibly in attendance.  Sallie's Crawford siblings (Mary and George) were living in San Francisco, and may have also attended.  Sallies' parents John Washington Crawford and Sarah Byerly Crawford were still living at the time in the city, and may have attended. Members of the Cummings family may have also been present.  It must have been a very sad and somber gathering for everyone, especially Franklin, Sallie and Lester. 

   I don't know why Clifford didn't live past his first birthday.  His death certificate or any records of burial may have been lost in the 1906 Great Earthquake.  He may have been buried in one of the original San Francisco cemeteries which were  later moved to Colma after 1900.  Robert Hayes had purchased plots in the Lone Mountain Cemetery in 1863. Bodies from this cemetery (later named Laurel Hill) were not completely relocated to Colma until after 1940, and unclaimed headstones were reused for seawalls and erosion control.  Many were used for lining rain gutters.  Clifford's funeral notice did not give a place of internment, so we just don't know what happened to his body after his death. 

 Clifford Ross Hayes

b. ? 1891 d. May 31, 1892 aged 1 year. 

Image from Pinterest

   

    Clifford was given the middle name Ross, which was his paternal grandmother's maiden name.  Lester and Emma gave their first daughter the same middle name:  Dorothy Ross Hayes.  In memory of Lillie Ross Hayes and Clifford Ross Hayes.  I have added Clifford to the family tree where he will no longer be lost to time or forgotten. 

#52Ancestors52Weeks...Weeks 38 and 45...Symbol and Colorful....An Invitation to a Straw Wedding..."One Is For Paper, Two Is For Straw"

 

 This card measures 4 1/2" X 3 1/2" and was an invitation to the wedding anniversary gathering of Robert and Sallie Hayes, my great great grandparents. 

 

   This colorful little card was found with papers from the Hayes side of the family, and dates from 1884.  The colors in the corner decoration are as vibrant today as they were when they were printed 140 years ago!  What was a "straw wedding"? It was a mystery...

    The little invitation was found in its original envelope, addressed to J.W. Crawford and Wife (Sallie's parents).  At the bottom, the word "Present" was written.  Did John and Sarah need to bring a present, or were they counted as being present?  I'm not sure! 

   I did some research on wedding anniversary customs during the Victorian period. The earliest known references to wedding anniversary symbols and gifts were silver for the 25th and gold for the 50th; these customs originated in the Germanic region during the Middle Ages. Wood became a symbol around 1875 and gifts made of wood were given at the 5 year mark of marriage to reflect strength and durability.   Queen Victoria popularized the 60th Diamond Anniversary after she  used her Diamond Jubilee to celebrate 60 years on the throne.  Diamonds symbolized passion and commitment. 

  Anniversary gift lists became popular in the mid to late 1800's, along with the societal rage for the proper format in invitations. The symbols on the invitation had to match the year (if you notice on the above invitation, it shows grass or reeds to symbolize straw), and had to be worded "just so".  The annual dates also needed to be on the card.  The dates above are 1881 and 1884.  Robert Franklin Hayes and Sallie Crawford were married February 18, 1881 in San Francisco.  

All of these gifts were symbolic of how the marriage was progressing and maturing through the years.  These could change, depending on which list you were using! 

  This was the only list I could find that mentioned straw.  Cotton was a more popular symbol, but straw was an older and more traditional symbol, especially in England and Germany.  Since Sallie's mother Sarah Crawford was born in Wurttemburg, Germany, choosing a straw wedding may have been a reflection on Sarah and Sallie's German heritage. 

    What does straw symbolize? It may symbolize humble beginnings, or that straw can bend and flex (think compromise) or that straw is ready for the next phase of growth (the harvest is yet to come after starting out as shoots full of potential).  Just as humble straw forms the foundation of a mature wheat field, a couples' steady devotion during the early years establishes a field ripe for a lifetime of love. 

     I wonder what would constitute a gift relating to straw? A nice picnic hamper perhaps? A straw door mat? A rattan basket?  Per custom, all gifts were displayed for guests to see, and they were mentioned in the local newspaper along with the giver.  I wish I had been invited to the celebration at 10 Elgin Park to witness the event! Robert's parents Robert Hayes and Lillie Ross Hayes lived at 10 Elgin Park in San Francisco, and it looks like Robert and Sallie were living there at this time also. 

What to buy?

Taken from the Eureka Herald and Greenwood County Republican of Eureka, Kansas April 20, 1894

    What is interesting is that this appears to be a three year anniversary, not a two year anniversary.  Robert and Sallie were married in February of 1881, and their only son Lester was born April 2, 1882.  This "wedding" was held on February 21st of 1884.  There is some debate on what constituted an anniversary (as we use the term today) and a "wedding" after the initial marriage as it was used in Victorian times;  dates may have been calculated differently.  At any rate,  Robert and Sallie were married 37 long years, as Robert passed away in 1918.  

   Any way you look at it, using genealogical ephemera is a fascinating way to use items to help provide insight into the lives of our ancestors.  Sometimes the research is just as fun as holding and wondering about the actual object!

References:

 Victorian-American Wedding Anniversaries by Kristin Holt l Mar 6, 2020  https://www.kristinholt.com/archives/22267

 Traditional Second Year Anniversary Symbol-Straw  anniversaryideas.co.uk

 Now You Know: Why Are There Special Gifts For Each Anniversary Year? l Merrill Fabry July 6, 2017

 https://time.com/4771179/history-anniversary-gifts-paper-silver-gold/

Relationship Reference:

Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Margaret (Betty) Hayes Hansen->Emma King Hayes m. Lester Hayes ->Robert and Sallie Hayes

    

    

#52Ancestors52Weeks....Week 49 Theme...Handed Down....Have I Told You About Our Rocking Chairs??...

 This  Glider Rocker belonged to Anna King. 

The crewel work California Poppy pillow was made by Margaret Boothby for Dorothy Arthur. 

   Handed down...most families have unique, treasured items that have been handed down through the generations. These items serve as a bridge between the past and the present.  Our family seems to have acquired an eclectic collection of rocking chairs over the years, each with attached precious memories of family members that used them and the stories that accompany each rocker.  These are some of our handed down rocking chairs, as well as some rocking chairs that are still waiting their turn to be handed down in the future.  Pull up your favorite rocking chair and a cup of tea and read on....

  This first rocking chair belonged to my great great grandmother Anna Levers King (1862-1941).  

 Anna King with Spot.

 Turn of the century, photograph taken somewhere in the Bay Area (on the ranch?)  From the King Album. 

  This rocker is a platform glider rocker, first patented in the late 1880's.  Anna's daughter Emma (my great grandmother "Nana"), took off the arms and added a padded back after it was handed down to her.  She handed it down to her daughter Dorothy who took it all apart.  Auntie Dot handed it down in a box to my mother, and luckily all the pieces and parts were still together. Mom had a furniture restorer in Grass Valley strip off the old black finish and remove the padded back which revealed the spindles. The rocking chair was given a new life and now graces Mom's living room. It is still used during get togethers.  Because of the frame mechanism the chair gently glides back and forth instead of rocking.  It still creaks a bit, but that just adds to the charm!

Fun Fact:  Did you know that rocking chairs were considered to be feminine chairs uniquely suited to the needs of  women? In the mid 1800's men were never seen in public in a rocking chair.  Rocking chairs were generally limited to private use at home. Kovel's Antique Trader  antiquetrade.com

  

 Antique child's rocker from 1906.  It has always been referred to as "Uncle Jack's rocker".  

 

 I have posted a picture of this next rocker before...it belonged to Master Jack Hansen and I am sure it was used by his little brothers Bob and Harold (my maternal grandfather) as well. It made its way to Mom's house; it has recently been handed down to little JackF. who is the great great nephew of Jack Hansen. I think Uncle Jack would get a tickle out of knowing that his rocker is still in use today by Jack and his little sister Audrey...

 Jack Klemmet Hansen (1906-1986).  He was photographed with his younger brother Robley (Bob) Hansen (1909-1986) sometime in the summer or fall  of 1909.  From the Hansen Family Album.

  

 Little Mary's  vintage cane rocking chair.  

   This precious little rocking chair was handed down from Little Mary Macioccos to my paternal grandmother Terry Boothby (Nino) and now to me.  It is of unknown vintage and origin but looks like it may have been re-caned and stained at some point.   Nino added the padding in the 90's to match her living room decor, and the padding has been there ever since. I requested Little Mary's  chair in 1995 after Nino's passing; I have used this little rocking chair to rock my grandbabies and read them stories for the last 8 years. It is surprisingly comfortable and I fit perfectly! I am sure it was a perfect fit for Little Mary  also.  

The padding has helped protect the cane weaving over the years. 

   Mary Negri  Macioccos was born in Rocca d'Arazzo Italy in 1909 and married Antonio Macioccos (also known as Nino) in San Francisco in 1929.  Somehow, Nino and Little Mary became lifelong friends of my grandparents Nino and Sterl, and attended many family get togethers and dinners over many years.  I have fond memories of Little Mary always laughing and joking with my Nino and Uncle Frank.  Nino Macioccos passed away in 1973 and Little Mary passed away in 1990.  

 Can you spot Little Mary? 

L-R:  Nonna, Dottie, unknown couple, Nino, Little Mary, Aunt Dena and Uncle Frank in the back row, and Nino (Little Mary's husband) on the far right.  Photograph taken at my parents' wedding held at the Grass Valley Methodist Church June 25, 1961. 

Little Mary seated next to Dad.

Photograph taken at Nino's home in Sonoma, California during Easter celebrations.  This may have been in 1986 or 1989, as there is a stork on the table next to the Easter Bunny...

Also pictured are Dottie (on the left) and Chet and Muriel on the right. 

 An Eastlake rocking chair that was in the Hayes family home and is now in the possession of StephanieE. 

The Eastlake detail....

  This Eastlake chair was in the home of  Franklin and Sallie Hayes (my great great grandparents) at 3818 22nd Street, San Francisco.  The home, built in the 1880's, was found to be structurally sound after the Great San Francisco Earthquake in 1906.  The rocking chair, along with a matching  side chair and another larger chair, were in the home until the death of Lester Hayes (my great grandfather) in 1969.  All three pieces were restored by my grandmother, Betty Hayes Hansen, and then distributed to family members after that.  The rocker was handed down to my sister. 

 Lester Hayes

Photograph taken before 1969 at an unknown location. 

   

   Mom's maple rocking chair

Photograph taken in Stockton, California 1962 right after my birth. We spent a lot of time together in this rocker...

With a sculptured seat and curved back spindles, this rocker is very comfortable...and this is a stock photograph from the internet.  I could not find a good picture of just the rocking chair itself... it was always occupied!

   This is Mom's maple Boston-style rocking chair that was purchased before my birth.  Mom says she sat in about 50 rockers before she choose this one.  This rocking chair was always in my parents' living room on Banner Mountain and must have a thousand coats of Pledge on it by now, liberally administered by my sister and myself every cleaning day.   It is a beautiful rocker with many beautiful memories that go with it.  

 Mom's rocker is a Nichols & Stone Boston Rocker, circa 1961

 

   This is my rocking chair, and was given to me by my husband for our first Christmas together.  It is very similar in style to Mom's chair, but is a little smaller in proportion and fits me perfectly.  I rocked both of my children in this rocker.  

AmyA.'s rocking chair circa 1990 or so...

   One last rocking chair to share in this post.  This reproduction press-backed child's rocking chair was given to our daughter after she was born in 1989 by my parents.  It has gotten quite a bit of use not only from our daughter and her collection of dolls, but from our granddaughter who uses it when she stays at "Nana and Papa's" house.  I hope it lasts as long as some of our other rocking chairs! 

  I am sure I may have missed a rocking chair or two here and there, but these are the ones with the most memories.  They have been  taken care of, lovingly used and handed down to new generations.  It doesn't matter how old or new they are, they all are family treasures that hold sentimental value and give us tangible connections to our loved ones.  They help keep our family history alive. 

#52Ancestors52Weeks....Week 42 Theme...Full House...The Hayes Family at Home Somewhere on 22nd Street

  Robert Franklin and Sallie (Crawford) Hayes at home in San Francisco (top right).  Who were the rest of the people in their parlor?  

The clothing styles date this photograph to between 1906-1909. 

      The theme for this week is Full House.  This picture was found in with the Hayes Family papers and was most likely taken by Lester Hayes who was around 23 years old at the time.  He was an amateur photographer and had a studio located at 3818 22nd Street, a 2 unit home that the Hayes owned. 

  According to the 1900 census, the Hayes rented out one unit of the 3818 property (the other was the photography studio) and  Franklin, Sallie and  son Lester lived at 3822 22nd Street, just two doors down from Lester's studio.  They owned this home also. 

   The mystery is....who were the rest of the people posing for the picture?  

 

  

Robert Franklin Hayes married Sallie (Sarah Elizabeth) Crawford in 1880.  They were my great great grandparents.  The picture in the background (above Franklin's head) was found in the King album, and was most likely taken by Lester Hayes. Lester married Emma Lavinia King, my great grandmother, in 1908 in San Francisco. 

    The same picture observed in the Hayes' parlor. From the King Album. Date and location unknown. 

     Possible identifications for the couple on the top may be Franklin's brother William and his wife Dorthea Christensen Hayes (from Denmark).   Posed with them may be Lillie Ross Hayes, the mother of Franklin and William (and brother Joseph). William, Dorthea, their young children and Lillie were living at 18 Elgin Street (Elgin Park) on the 1900 census. This was Lillie and Robert Hayes' family home since 1876.  

   Who are the rest of these lovely ladies?  The two women in the middle, left to right, may be mother and daughter.  The young lady at the bottom of the picture may be related to this group.  The woman on the far right is a mystery!  None of these women fit any relationships or ages in the Hayes or Crawford family tree.  They may simply be good friends or neighbors.

  Who is who is just speculation on my part.  But it is fun to enjoy the moment of the photograph.  Franklin and Sallie are looking directly at the photographer (probably their son) while the rest of the group is focused on a point to the photographer's left.  It is a happy and relaxed group; they seem to be very familiar with each other.  It was not a formal picture but more of an impromtu gathering of family and friends.

   The Hayes were proud of their parlor.  They exhibited several pictures that are familiar.  The large picture to the left is of Lester Hayes as a boy...this picture is now hanging in the dining room of my mother.  

   The large picture on the right did not survive, but the frame did which was restored and repainted.  It is now a beautiful mirror hanging in the hallway of my mother. 

The smaller cabinet card on the far left is of Lester around the time of his high school graduation around 1900.

 

    I can only speculate on the reason for this gathering and subsequent photograph.  The William Hayes family (William, Dorthea, their children Lilly and Robert) and Lillie Hayes lived at number 18 Elgin Street in 1900.  By 1910 they were living in San Leandro.  Of course, the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire happened in 1906.  Looking at when homes were built in the Elgin Park area,  you see that most homes still standing today were built after 1910.  The fire had reached this neighborhood.  Lillie Hayes' will stipulated that a lot should be deeded to her son Joseph after her death.  The lot was on the west side of Elgin Park.  Was there a home left? This home had been in the Hayes family since 1876.  Was this family staying with Franklin and Sallie because they had no home?  A possibility.  

   By the 1910 census Franklin and Sallie were living at the 3818 address with Sallie's father John Washington Crawford.  It was still owned by the Hayes. Sallie continued to live at this address after Franklin's death.  The 1930 and 1940 census shows Sallie and Lester living at this address together, as Lester and Emma had divorced.  In 1950 Lester was living at this address by himself. It was still a 2 unit dwelling. 

 Redfin 

 

The Hayes home in San Francisco, California.  The 3822 home is two doors down on the left.  Both homes were built in 1900 and survived the earthquake and fire.  

Google Street View

  

   Lillie Ross Hayes was listed on the 1910 census as living at 3902 22nd Street, just up the street from Franklin and Sallie.  She was living with her son Joseph and another couple by the name of Captain John Dart and Amy Dart.  Amy was a witness to Lillie's will on March 15, 1917.   Was Amy one of the lovely ladies in the photograph?  She was obviously a family friend and neighbor who graciously added Lillie and Joseph to her home until Lillie's death in 1918.  Franklin and Sallie were taking care of Sallie's father John Washington Crawford at the time and perhaps this was the solution they came up with to care for both aging parents.  

   This was a fascinating photograph to analyze.  There are still so many unanswered questions.  But at least we get a glimpse into the Hayes' parlor.  But which parlor was it?  3822 or 3818? There is always more research to do! 

Relationship Reference:

Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Margaret Elizabeth Hayes Hansen->Lester Hayes->Robert Franklin Hayes m. Sallie Crawford 

   

                   Robert Hayes (1825-?) m. Lillie Ross (1832-1918)

I

Robert Franklin Hayes (1854-1918)

William James Hayes (1859-1912)

Lilly Hayes (1864-1878)

Joseph Ross Hayes (1867-1927) 

Decoration Day Musings (continued) and How the Hansens Celebrated the Day in Grass Valley

 

  

Greenwood Memorial Gardens Cemetery picture courtesy of Hooper and Weaver Mortuary

Rough and Ready Highway, Grass Valley, California

  I posted several days ago about the origins of Decoration Day and my paternal Great Great Grandfather's military service in the Civil War.  I wrote from the perspective of someone who never knew the term "Decoration Day";  I have only known a holiday called Memorial Day that marked the end of the school year and the beginning of summer.  Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971.  As my family did not have any family members who lost their lives in any military conflicts we did not observe the day by attending parades or visiting gravesites to honor anyone.  It was a day off from school, and marked a time of transition from spring to summer.  

  My mother, Margaret Hansen Boothby, started an interesting conversation through email about what Memorial Day meant to her,  after reading my last post.  Here are her thoughts and her story.......

"When I was growing up this holiday was always referred to as "Decoration Day".  Flowers from Nana's (Emma King Hayes Van Duzer) garden were taken out to Greenwood Cemetery, the graves were weeded and raked, then the flowers put on the graves in canning jars.  It was a day of great reverence, not for fallen military heroes or relatives, but a day to honor family dead, at least in our family.  Many families took picnics to Greenwood and ate on the lawn close to their ancestors' graves but we never did that.  If the weather was good, we might have a picnic or eat outdoors.  ALL the stores were closed as were the bars.  Earlier in the month of May there was always a discussion as to whether or not the garden flowers would be 'ready by decoration day'.  Maybe our family was different in its celebrations of the day because there were no men who had died in any wars, at least that I know of...none whose graves we went to anyway."

  "The name of the holiday was changed.  Not everyone was happy about that!  My family and many others of the parents' and grandparents' generation always referred to it as Decoration Day."

  "Veterans Day in the fall was a different thing.  Then, all veterans, including living veterans and those who served but did not die in wartime were honored.  Gravesites were visited and cleaned again.  One year Grandma Hansen (Vere Burrows Hansen) insisted we go to Sylvan Cemetery to visit Grandfather Hansen's grave (John Hartwig Hansen), so I remembered that.  I had no idea what the Spanish American War was all about, but it was fun to visit the cemetery."

  As I research and write my family's stories, I find that everyone remembers things in their own unique way, from their own unique perspective.   But, all versions come together to make a complete story!  I think I have a more rounded, complete view of what Memorial Day means to my family.  I have two ancestors who served in the Civil War, one from my maternal side and one from my paternal side.  The end of that war brought about a way the country as a whole wanted to remember the sacrifice.  It evolved to include the unique way my mother's family and the community of Grass Valley marked the day.  It evolved to include how I viewed the day as I grew up.  

  As I continue my research I am struck with how neglected and forgotten many cemeteries have become.  I too want to get out my rake and garden gloves and attend to hidden headstones.  I would like to decorate with beautiful flowers from my garden!   I remember my visit to the Pine Grove Cemetery in Nevada City last fall and seeing someone sitting in the sun, eating her lunch and reading for a short while. I don't know if she was sitting by a family member's grave, or if she just wanted a quiet spot to spend her lunch break,  but  I thought that was a very nice way to spend a warm fall afternoon! 

   Perhaps my generation is missing something very special, there at the cemetery.  I have listed family members whose graves can be found at the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery in Grass Valley, as well as the Old Elm Ridge Cemetery.  If you have a chance, take some flowers with you, "decorate" and visit.  The Greenwood cemetery is still kept in beautiful condition, thanks to the Hooper and Weaver Mortuary.  Other cemeteries are in much poorer conditions.  You can join groups such as the Comstock Cemetery Foundation in Virginia City, Nevada or the Hillside Cemetery Preservation Foundation in Reno, Nevada to help preserve places where other family members are buried.  That is also a wonderful way to honor and remember our  Hayes/Hansen/Burrow family members.  Those cemeteries are still open for visitation if you are interested. 

Emma King Hayes Van Duzer's plot at Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, Grass Valley, California.  She is buried with her second husband, George F. Van Duzer.  The plot is located in Block 10, #74.  

Dorothy Ross Hayes Arthur is buried with her husband William Arthur at Greenwood Memorial  Cemetery, Grass Valley, California. The plot is located in the Garden of Devotion K-3.

  

Francis Charlotte Hayes Holman is buried next to her husband Joseph Holman at Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, Grass Valley, California.  The plot is located in the Garden of the Last Supper, Sect. 30, 31, Row 16. 

Margaret Elizabeth "Betty" Hayes Hansen is buried with her husband, Harold Lloyd Hansen in the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, Grass Valley, California.  The plot is in the Garden of Devotion, K-3. 

  

  Hulda Elizabeth Hansen is listed by Find A Grave as being buried in the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery,  but doesn't list where the plot is.  She was buried in April of 1905.  

Jack Klemmet Hansen is buried in Block 7, #49 (Nankervis Plot) at the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, Grass Valley, California. 

 Dale Richard Boothby is also buried at the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, Grass Valley, California.  His plot is located in the Garden of the Last Supper.  

John and Elfreda (Levers) George are buried in the Old Elm Ridge Cemetery on Kidder Avenue in Grass Valley, California. Elfreda was Emma Van Duzer's aunt, sister to her mother Anna Levers King.  The plot is located in Block B # 125,6 and 135,6. There are quite a few George family members in this cemetery.