100 Cents Paid Clemmer and Miller Marriage License Bond

 Rockbridge County, Virginia, June 28, 1842

Know all men by these presents, that we William K. Clemer

and Joseph Miller   ---  ----  ---   are held and firmly bound

unto John McGregory Lieutenant & acting Governor of the commonwealth

of Virginia in the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars to

which payment well and truly to be made to the said Governor

and his successors for the use of the commonwealth, we bind

ourselves our heirs executors and administrators jointly and

severally firmly by these presents. Witness our hands and

seals this 28^th day of June 1842

   The condition of the above obligation is such that where

as a marriage is shortly intended to be had and solem-

nized between the above bound William Clemer, and Nancy

Jane Miller, daughter of the above bound Joseph Miller

 

Now if there is no lawful cause to obstruct the said mar-

riage then this obligation to be void otherwise to remain

in full force and virtue.

                                              William K Clemmer  {seal}

 Teste                                    Joseph Miller  {seal}

David Hutcheson D. C.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Nancy Jane (Miller) Clemmer, 1817-1885

My Miller ties begin with 3^rd Great Grandmother Nancy Jane Miller born November 17, 1817. She was the second child of Sarah Hawpe and Joseph Miller from Rockbridge County, Virginia. Nancy married William K. Clemmer in Rockbridge June 28, 1842. After their marriage, they made their home in neighboring Augusta County, Virginia.

I’ve always wanted to write a post featuring Great Grandmother Nancy. I have assorted documents and census records for the couple but few solely for Nancy. Recently, I located a news clipping about Nancy J. Clemmer’s passing.

The Valley Virginian published in Staunton, Virginia reported Great Grandmother’s death in their Thursday, March 12, 1885 issue:

   “On the 17^th of February the messenger of death visited the residence of Mr. Wm. K. Clemmer, and took the wife and mother. She had suffered for some weeks from a stroke of paralysis. Her remains were at St. Johns (Reformed) Church; funeral service by the Rev. Mr. Shreckhise.”

Nancy J. Clemmer was known as “the wife and mother”—a mother to 12 children and a wife to William for 42 years.

The Clemmer children:

1.     Mary Elizabeth Clemmer born 13 Feb 1843 in Augusta County, Virginia; died 18 Apr 1862 at the age of 19.

2.     George Lewis Clemmer, born 5 Jun 1844, Augusta County, Virginia; married Letitia Ann Lange, 13 Oct 1870, Deerfield, Virginia, United States; married Elizabeth A. McClintic, 1891; died 31 Jan 1920, Rivershead District, Augusta, Virginia.

3.     Sarah Jane Clemmer, born 20 Oct 1845, Augusta County, Virginia; married Robert Dunlap Firebaugh, 9 Dec 1866, Augusta County, Virginia; died 12 May 1938.

4.     Joseph Henry Clemmer, born 7 Mar 1847, Augusta County, Virginia; married Sarah Jane Snyder, 24 Mar 1870, Arbor Hill, Augusta, Virginia; died 24 Jun 1901, Augusta County, Virginia.

5.     Rachel M. Clemmer born ca 1848.

6.     Trusie Estelin Clemmer, born 22 Apr 1849, Augusta County, Virginia; married John Martin Baylor, 9 Sep 1867, Middlebrook, Augusta, Virginia; died 1 Apr 1911.

7.     Emma Roberta Clemmer, born Dec 1851, Virginia; married Newton J. Baylor, 21 Oct 1875, Middlebrook, Augusta, Virginia; died 1930.

8.     Emily Clemmer was born about 1852.

9.     Annie Eliza Clemmer, born 14 Aug 1855, Augusta County, Virginia; married William S. Cochran, 30 Dec 1886, Middlebrook, Augusta, Virginia.

10. Luella B. Clemmer, born 15 Nov 1856, Augusta County, Virginia; married Millard F. Palmer, 8 Nov 1877, Augusta County, Virginia; died 16 Dec 1916.

11. John Letcher Clemmer, born 5 Jan 1859, Virginia; married Mary C. Bosserman, 6 Oct 1881; died 4 Aug 1941.

12. Carrie W. Clemmer, born Apr 1864, Virginia; married William Camper Bosserman, 24 Nov 1887, Augusta County, Virginia; died 1949.

I wish I knew more about Nancy Jane Miller aside from a few dates and places. Readers, it’s my hope you’ll be able to tell me about my 3^rd Great Grandmother.

You might enjoy reading WM. K. CLEMMER’S SPECIAL PARDON, 52 Ancestors 52 Weeks

Mrs. Sarah Jane Clemmer Passed April 14, 1917 Staunton, VA

Today I’m sharing 2^nd Great Grandmother Sarah Jane Clemmer’s death certificate issued in Augusta County, Virginia April 15, 1917.

Mrs. Sarah Jane Clemmer’s Death Certificate

Obtained from Ancestry.com

Grandmother was born Sarah Jane Snyder July 17, 1847 to Adam Snyder and Hannah Hull in Augusta County. Her parents are named in the death certificate. Earlier this year I published 2 posts about 3^rd Great Grandfather Adam Snyder’s life. You can read them by clicking here and here.

William Stover, a son-in-law, supplied the Registrar with the information in the document. Grandmother died in Addie M. (Clemmer) and Wm. Stover’s home at 914 Nelson St. in Staunton April 14, 1917.

Dr. Fred E. Hamlin began treating Sarah Jane December 1916 for heart problems. He saw her the day before she died. Dr. Hamlin determined the cause of Grandmother’s death to be chronic valvular disease of the heart.

Thirty-one years earlier Sarah Jane married Joseph Henry Clemmer March 24, 1870 at Arbor Hill, Virginia. They had five children:

   Katherine Hannah Clemmer born Feb. 6, 1871, married Robert Lee Trimble about 1893, died Sept. 13, 1955. They had a large family—Howard, Charles, Homer, Elmer, Robert, Elwood, Fred, Harry and Helen Katherine.

   Addie M. Clemmer born August 29, 1872, married William J. Stover circa 1899, died Jan. 26, 1928. A son named for his grandfather, Joseph H. Clemmer Stover, born about 1907 and died as an infant.

   James Clyde Clemmer (my great grandfather) born July 18, 1875, married Ella Virginia White June 7, 1905, died Dec. 7, 1928. Ten children were born—Janie Agnes in 1906, my Grandmother Lucy Leora 1907, Lynwood 1909, Helen Katherine 1911, Elsie Virginia 1912, Alice Cornelia 1915, Lewis Clyde 1916, William Joseph 1919, Eugene Brown 1921 and Ray Stuart 1924.

   Emmet Joseph Clemmer  born May 23, 1883, married 1908 Anna Grace Clemmer (daughter of Samuel Taylor Clemmer and Annie Runkle), died 1958. Jackie D. Clemmer was their only child born 1926.

   William Spiegel Clemmer born June 14, 1886, married Jan. 15, 1924 Eleanor Herring, died 1949. No children.

2^nd Great Grandfather Joseph H. Clemmer died in 1901 leaving Grandmother a widow for 16 years. They’re buried at Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church Cemetery, Middlebrook, Virginia. Findagrave.com has photographs of Joseph and Sarah’s tombstones. You can see them at http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=38684827.

Workday Wednesday: The Clemmer’s Come North to Work at the New York State Homeopathic Asylum in Middletown

The State Homeopathic Asylum of Middletown, New York was built in 1874 and was the first established hospital for the care of the insane in the country.

The hospital grew from one building on a 250 acre farm to become known as a ‘city within a city’. In past years the State Hospital housed patients in Pavilion One and Pavilion Two as well as Annexes One and Two. There was a medical library for the staff that also included a large literary collection for the patients. The grounds included an entertainment hall, superintendent’s residence, blacksmith shop, nursing school, laundry cottage, infirmary, bakery, kitchen, staff house, nurses and attendants’ home, coach house, drug store, fire house, and power house. A baseball club included both patients and staff. The Middletown State Hospital was a major employer in the area.

The early superintendents believed in work therapy. They felt it was beneficial for the patients to be busy and productive. Work therapy helped the State Homeopathic Asylum become self-sufficient. Farming was an important aspect of patient treatment and at the same time was financially advantageous to the ‘city within the city’.

The local newspapers regularly published accounts about hospital events and staff.

  

Middletown Times Herald, Middletown, New York

Thursday, January 21, 1932 issue

My grandparents, great grandmother, great aunts and uncles were among the large work force required to support and care for the patients and institution. When my grandmother Lucy Leora Clemmer began working in Middletown, there were approximately 3,292 patients residing on the grounds.[1]

Great Uncle Casper Garber from Augusta County, Virginia recollects:

“Along about 1924, when Janie was 18, she found a job in the Western State Hospital, and then Lucy and Lynwood followed. They soon learned that Middletown, New York had the same kind of hospital which was paying almost twice the wages they were in Virginia, and so there was a migration to Middletown. Because the Virginians were considered good workers, they hired them as fast as they came. So Janie, then Lucy and Lynwood came to Middletown, New York to work in the State Hospital. Little did they know that this move would change the lives of the entire family in the future.”

When my grandmother arrived from Virginia, it was reported in the ‘State Hospital News’ published by the Middletown newspaper, the Daily Herald, Wednesday, August 11, 1926, 5^th paragraph.

   “Miss Lucy Clemmer from Staunton, Virginia, arrived here Sunday evening. She was met at the station by the following Virginians, who acted as a reception committee: Miss Jane Clemmer, a sister; Walter Gordon, Guy Edwards and Miss Margaret Carper. The party went on a sight-seeing tour to Newburgh and other parts of historic Orange County, and arrived home at a late hour Sunday evening.”

Lucy and Janie’s brother, Lynwood Clemmer, arrived in Middletown the same year. The three worked as attendants residing on the hospital grounds.[2]

Grandmother Lucy Clemmer

Janie and Lucy Clemmer

Standing in front of Nurses Home on Hospital Grounds

While my grandparents weren’t yet married, my grandfather James M. Joseph also was working at the Middletown State Hospital in 1926.[3] He was employed as an attendant and lived on the grounds like my grandmother.

James M. Joseph, Lucy Clemmer

and Elmer Jennings

Standing in front of Nurses Home on Hospital Grounds

Paul Hayes and Grandfather James Joseph

Great Grandmother Ella (White) Clemmer joined her children in Middletown a few years after Great Grandfather James Clyde Clemmer passed away (1928). By 1930 another Clemmer daughter, Elsie, was then employed as an attendant for the Middletown State Hospital.[4] Great Grandmother Ella was not working at this time but lived on Oliver Avenue very close to the hospital with her younger children.[5]

By 1931, Ella had become a hospital attendant and in 1933, Great Grandmother was working as a cook in the kitchen[6].  In case you didn’t notice, Great Grandmother was mentioned in the ‘News from the State Hospital’ article above, paragraph nine:

   “Mrs. Ella Clemmer left on the nineteenth for Virginia on vacation time, which will expire on the thirty-first of the month.”

All the Clemmer children made the move north from Augusta County, Virginia with the exception of daughter Helen. Helen remained in Staunton marrying Uncle Casper Garber July 5, 1930. Staunton was their home for many years.

If you would like additional reading about the Middletown State Hospital, click here to view the Centennial Chronicle The Story of 100 Years of the Middletown State Hospital 1874-1974.

---

[1] State of New York Fifty-Sixth Annual Report of the Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital at Middletown, New York to the State Hospital Commission For the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1926, page 9

[2] 1926 Middletown, New York City Directory, page 123

[3] Ibid, page 213

[4] 1930 Middletown, New York City Directory, page 119

[5] 1930 Federal Census, Middletown, Orange Co., NY, sheet no. 11B, line 65

[6] 1931 Middletown, New York City Directory, page 118; 1933 Middletown, New York City Directory, page 109

Tombstone Tuesday: James Clyde Clemmer and Ella Virginia White, Augusta Co., VA

CLEMMER

J. Clyde

1875-1928

Ella V.

His Wife
1881-1961

Great Grandparents James Clyde Clemmer and Ella Virginia White rest in Hebron Cemetery, Hebron, Augusta Co., Virginia. Their tombstone photograph can be located on FindAGrave.com (photo taken by David Simpson).

Please see an earlier post I published about James Clyde on this blog.

James Clyde Clemmer's Story 

Click below for a post about Ella Virginia.

Great Grandmother Ella "Skipped the Light Fantastic Toe"