90-year-old birthday book may offer autographs

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My great-great grandmother was born this day in 1859 in Greenville, and in 1913 she started recording the birthdays of friends and relatives in her Emerson Birthday Book. Often, she would put in the year of birth, as well. Printed in the book was a little verse for each day of the year. For Jan. 13:

See to it only that Thyself is here, and art and nature, hope and dread, friends, angels and the Supreme Being shall not be absent from the chamber where thou suitest.

And under that date, the beautiful penmanship of Mary (Cummings) Bennett Lord is easily recognizable. In some cases it appears that “Ga,” as the family called her, may have used the slim volume as an autograph book, although I can’t always tell that.

Nor can I figure out, in many cases, whether a woman’s name is her married name or her birth name. Most of the names, it appears, are from the Guilford-Abbot area. Here are some of the names entered, some with additional information I have gleaned elsewhere:

. Mabel Elliott, Feb. 20, 1880.

. Eva E. Wills, Feb. 25, 1878. She was probably Eva E. Ward, who married Harry Wills of Auburn July 24, 1904.

. Ida M. Hudson, May 13, 1858. She was Ida May Bennett, daughter of Charles B. and Sarah (Boardman) Bennett, who married James Hudson of Guilford Feb. 6, 1879.

. William H. Pratt, June 1, 1869.

. Jennie Olive Robinson, June 9, no year listed.

. Helen Bennett, June 12, 1865. She was Helen A. Huff, married to Freeman H. Bennett.

. Agnes G. Hammond, June 22, 1895.

. Millicent Tompkins, June 30, 1895. She was Millicent E. Leeman, who married Clyde V. Tompkins March 29, 1916.

. Leslie M. Seabury, July 6, 1884.

. Lucy M. Smart, July 22, 1895, possibly the daughter of Eliphalet and Clara (Lowell) Smart.

. William Rogers, Aug. 8, 1877.

. Ella J. Trafton, Aug. 31, 1859.

. Hazel Bennett, Sept. 10, 1897.

. Sadie E. Boies, Oct. 1, 1859.

. Bessie M. Brown, Oct. 16, 1896.

. Evelyn L. Boothby, Oct. 23, 1862.

. Nina Davee Rogers, Nov. 28, 1878, the daughter of Ga’s sister, Jennie Cummings. She married Arthur L. Davee of Dover-Foxcroft, Nov. 27, 1879.

. Katherine Reynolds, Dec. 20, 1907.

. Ida M. Bearce, Dec. 29, 1873. She was Ida M. Hutchins of Parkman, who married Veete L. Bearce July 11, 1897.

. Maria Works, Dec. 30, 1858.

If you have a relative whose name or signature appeared in Ga’s birthday book, write Family Ties and I’ll send you a photocopy of that page.

A few weeks back, I wrote that the next meeting of the Penobscot County Genealogical Society would be Jan. 18, then we ran a correction that the date is Jan. 15. Indeed, the date is Wednesday, Jan. 15. Richard Newcomb of Hampden will speak on the Hannibal Hamlin family at 6 p.m. in the Lecture Hall at the Bangor Public Library.

Also at 6 p.m. Jan. 15 (the same time, alas!), Frank Spizuoco of the Dexter Historical Society will give a talk on that society’s Bert Call collection of photographs, in the story room downstairs in the children’s department at Bangor Public Library. The exhibit itself of pictures of the North Maine Woods and Katahdin is on display Monday through Saturday during January at the library.

Note for people 50 and over: Phil Getchell will offer “Beginning Your Search,” a session on genealogy for members of Penobscot Valley Senior College, 9:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, Jan. 23, in the Lecture Hall at Bangor Public Library. The class is free for current and prospective members of the college.

To register, call 581-1947. Program registration is required by Jan. 15, so that enough learning materials will be available.

The Senior College offered 10 six-week courses of various types taught by volunteers at the University of Maine in Orono last fall. A six-week spring session will be offered at UM starting March 7, with classes meeting on Friday mornings or afternoons, with topics yet to be announced. Annual membership dues are $25 a person, $40 a couple. Each course costs $25, including materials. For information, call 581-1947; e-mail seniorcollege@mainecenteronaging.org; or visit the Web site, www.mainecenteronaging.org.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangordailynews.net.