[Raymond V. Mitcheel > grandson of 9 & 10, granddaughter of 11 & 12]
Raymond Vaughn Mitchell, Sr
BIRTH: 07 AUG 1897, Biddeford,York,Maine
DEATH: 7 Nov 1964, Chelsea,Kennebec,Maine
Elsie Farrar Plummer
BIRTH: 2 February 1899, South Portland, Cumberland, Maine, United States
DEATH: 7 August 1955, South Portland, Cumberland, Maine, United States
Raymond Mitchell Sr
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| Raymond V Mitchell, b 1897 |
Raymond was born to William Lampher Mitchell (1871-1943) and Edith May Hussey (1874-1940). He was the oldest of 4 children:1. Raymond Vaughn Sr (1897-1964) m 1920 Elsie Farrar Plummer (1899-1955), m2. 1946 Ruby Beatrice Gibson (1905-1996)
2. Mildred Verne (1900-1996) m. 1926 Alfred Hale Taylor (1899-1991)
3. Donald Day (1904-1906)
4. Alice May (1905-1989)
His father William is listed as a machinist on Alice's birth record. In 1906, brother Donald passed away of pneumonia. At the time, they had a 7 month old Alice as well. Family stories indicate that the stresses from the tragedy caused Edith to have a nervous break-down that led to William and Edith splitting up and sending their children away.
More details can be found on the page for William and Edith. In short, after about 1906/1907, Raymond Sr. had only limited interaction with his parents, as they both went their separate ways and remarried. Edith continued to live in Biddeford for the rest of her life until she died in March 1940. William married and went to live at Kennebunkport for the remainder of his life.
Raymond Sr was sent to the Good Will Home in Fairfield, Maine, where he appears on the census as of April 1910. The Good Will home was a school where boys being raised in at-risk home situations could learn and work and thrive, whereas at home there was trouble. While away at the Good Will home Raymond Sr. made several requests to come home, but due to the unknown tensions, Edith would not allow it.
Elsie Plummer
Elsie was born in 1899 in South Portland to Edward Plummer (1860-1941) Isa May Libby (1867-1931)
Elsie was the youngest of only two children:
1. Norman Alvin (1889-1969) m1. 1914 Hilda M Gardiner (1886-1941) m2. 1948 Helen P Ayer (1897-1990)
2. Elsie Farrar (1899-1955) m.1920 Raymond V. Mitchell (1897-1964)
In 1900, the Plummers were living in South Portland. Ed, Isa, Norman and Elsie are listed with Grammy Libby (Harriet A) living with them as a widow. Ed is noted as being a professional photographer and having been fully employed the prior year. Later in life, Ed owned a tire shop, then later kept a second-hand store with odds and ends for sale.
They happened to be in Canada for the 1901 Census (March 31). Edward and Isa, Norman and Elsie are listed in the household in Hochelaga, which is a district in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Travelling with them was Isa's younger brother Lloyd Libby (1876-1931), Isa's mother, Harriet Ann Farrar Libby (1846-1931), and Isa's brother Veranus (1868-1940). They are listed as Congregationalists (religion).
As of 1920, Ed, Isa, and their 21 year old daughter Elsie are living back at home, which iteratively was called 30 Summer Street, Q Street (on the corner with Broadway), then renamed Churchill Road. Grammy Hattie Libby (75) and Uncle Veranus "Vene" (51, retired) lived with them. Ed runs a vulcanizing shop.
Life Together
Raymond had been living as a boarder on Preble Street at the time of their marriage. He worked as a dry goods shipper. Raymond Sr. and Elsie married on 28 February 1920. The marriage wasn't approved by the Plummers, in general, because Raymond Sr. was not esteemed very highly. Unfortunately, this led to some degree of isolation for the Mitchell family, as Raymond Sr's family had already disassembled a decade earlier. They had four children:
1. Olive May Mitchell (1921-1986) m 1940 Albert F Barnes (1917-1993)
2. Harriet Farrar Mitchell (1923-1990) m 1942 Melvin Everett Hawkes (1920-2007)
3. Mildred Alice Mitchell (1926-1998) m 1943 James Eugene Crocker (1922-1998)
4. Raymond Vaughn Mitchell Jr (1931-Living) m Madelyn Joyce Hall (1932-Living)
The family had moved to Fairfield for a while, while Raymond Sr. worked for Hannaford's (grocery) at Waterville. That's where Raymond Jr. learned to walk. Cousin Napoleon "Leon" Libby had a house in Pleasantdale, which is where Elsie moved with the children when times got bad.
Raymond Sr. and Elsie divorced sometime before 1940. Elsie was a single parent for the rest of her life, gratefully the recipient of help from Uncle Len Libby and a few others. Life was certainly not easy during the depression with a young family to care for and absent one husband. Further complicating things, in 1941 Elsie had a cerebral hemorrhage that left her paralyzed on the left side. She walked with a limp and had diminished mobility on her left side.
Elsie was a very talented artist, and painted a large portfolio of scenes of New England village and coastal scenery. She did other crafty things and was a wonderful mother.
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