My parents were : Fearon Joseph HUGHES b. 1869 - d. 1938 Mary Bella SHEFFLER-HUGHES b. 1871 - d. 1941 Niagara Falls, Niagara Co. NY. They were married on Dec. 27th, 1893 in Bellefonte, Centre Co. PA.
CHILDREN:
My hair was dark brown and very long (Never cut until 1924) and my eyes are Blue-Violet, hence, my (nick)name "Violet".
My schooling consisted of 1st grade through 8th grade. My favorite subjects were Math and History. In the eigth grade, I was given the part of "Pocahantas" in the school play and I wore my hair in a long single braid. The school was a two-room schoolhouse. I remember my brother Joe on the 1st day of school in the first grade. He had to sit under the teacher's desk for being noisy !
I received good grades and recall oral math quizes after school. I don't remember if I won or not.
There were two boys in school, I liked. Leonard BREON and Walter SWITZER. Leonard would take me bicycle riding on his handlebars and was related to one of my teachers, Mr BREON.
I also remember another nice boy named Walter, he later served in World War II.
As a child, I recall we moved a lot. Dad had to go where ever there was work. Early in the 1900's we lived in Prossertown, PA., where Dad manufactured Pig-Iron. It was in real demand at that time. Axes were made in a town called Axemann, named after the owner of the company and the product. His first name was Fearon, pronounced "Fern", I think my Dad was named after him.
There was also a plant in Lewiston and the men worked alternately, where-ever the work was.
A Spring creek ran along one side of a road in Axemann. It was a fast flowing, bubbly creek. One street, called "Irish Hollow" played a special part in my life. Dad's father (James Hary HUGHES b. 1831 Centre Co.) built three houses there and Uncle George HUGHES and Aunt Sally lived in one of them. We lived in a big house which had a spring creek with the coldest water. Everyone loved it. The church we attended there, still stands and is still in use. It was donated by Mrs. MANN and I attended Sunday School there. Aunt Sally always wore her sun bonnet. We loved to go there.
The train there ran between Axemann and Lock Haven in one direction and Axemann and Bellefonte in the other. We would sometimes ride on it.
When I was 14 or 15 years old (1912) we moved to Bellefonte and lived on Valentine Street. One day, my sister and I went to Milesburg, PA. to an Ice Cream Social, where I met Kelly (Lloyd George KELLERMAN). He didn't tell me his real name at first, however we started dating.
In 1916, my family moved to Niagara Falls, N.Y., where I got a job at the Spirilla Corset Factory. In the fall, Kelly moved to the Falls and got a job in a drugstore. We were married on July 19, 1917.My dress was White with a full skirt, collar and full sleeves. Mother made it. My hat was White with a bird on the brim. On our wedding day, we spent time at Goat Island, taking pictures of each other.
We later moved to Ontario Street and lived in a Duplex. We lived there for two months. Kelly heard Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. was hiring, so he went to Akron, Ohio and landed a job.
After our daughter Helen Belle KELLERMAN was born, she & I took the train and joined Kelly in Akron. We lived with friends of Kelly's until we found an apartment on Third Avenue. Our son, B. was born there.
Later we moved to Springfield Lake. Our friends Amelia and Harry HAFER had a daughter, Eleanore. Kelly helped Harry build a house with the understanding that Harry would help build ours. Before that happened, the HAFERs decided to move to Goodyear Heights. Kelly then decided not to build. So. we move to Frazier Avenue in Goodyear Heights in Akron. Our son F. was born there.
Helen later married Arthur Melvin ROTH and moved to Inman Street. Meanwhile, I was active in East High School and Betty Jane School P.T.A. I was President of Betty Jane P.T.A. for two years (1936 to 1938). I also helped with the school Lunch program a couple of days a week, during WWII. Later, for 10 years, I worked at Polsky's in Housewares and Luggage from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. I was a fill-in whereever they needed me. I donated blood to Red Cross until age 64.
Kelly and I did a lot of traveling with our friends, the COOPERs. We went to Michigan,camping on the Ausable River near Lansing many times. The men did a lot of Trout fishing. We took two trips out west, one with Helen, Art and children to visit his brothers and sisters and one to Disneyland. Went to Alaska by car and trailer with the COOPERs as well.
Kelly was quite the photography buff and took many, many slides of our trips, which today hold many dear memories.
After Kelly's retirement from Goodyear and 40 happy years of marriage, we moved into an apartment just around the corner from our house on Frazier to Newton Street.
On Christmas, 1975 Kelly passed on at the age of 78 and to date, I am still living in the apartment, have made several friends and attend social and family functions.
Our daughter Helen still lives in Akron with her husband Arthur. (Two sons w/wives, still living). Needless to say, their children have children of their own and I have 10 great-grandchildren with number 11 on it's way this December 1987.
Frances Violet HUGHES-KELLERMAN beloved wife, mother, grandmother and gr-grandmother d. at the age of 96 on Aug. 1, 1994. At the Sumner-On-Merriman Assisted Living Home.