My Family History

Erin Porter

EDC 326

The Porter Family

Miles Porter = Margaret Lovell Noel James Wayne = Mary Josephine Joros   

Miles Gordon Porter = Mary Elizabeth Wayne   

Kathleen Patrick Wayne William Whitcomb Paul Noel Ann (1944-) (1945-) (1951-) (1958-1958) (1962-

Erin Porter (1984-)

Noel James Wayne

Noel James Wayne was born on April 13, 1895 in Chateaugay, Franklin County, New York. During WWI he worked in the maintenance department for the Army. He was stationed in France for most of the war. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. When he returned home he married Mary Josephine Joros and they had two daughters Mary Elizabeth Wayne and Margaret Mary Wayne. He worked at Northern States Power Co. for 33 years. At the time of his death he was head switch board operator at the High Bridge Power Plant in St. Paul, Minnesota. He died at age 60 of a heart attack.

Mary Josephine Jaros

• Mary Josephine Jaros was born on December 20, 1898 in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. She was married to Noel James Wayne and had two daughters Mary Elizabeth and Margaret Mary. During the great depression she worked as a seamstress to make extra money. She died in St. Louis Park, Hennepin County, Minnesota on January 9, 1965 at age 67. She is buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery next to her husband

• She is holding my father here outside

1101 Churchill Street.

Miles Porter• Miles Porter was born on December 7, 1873

in Ceresco Township, Blue Earth County, Minnesota. He married Margaret Lovell and they had 6 children: Charles Francis (Died as Infant) (1911-1911), Stella Margaret (1906-1976), Mary Joyce (1909-1994), Barbara Ellen (1913-1988), Patricia Jean (1917-), and Miles Gordon (1919-2003). He ran for county attorney and did not win.

• One day the Porters took a boating trip in a Lake in Minnesota. One of his daughters Joyce fell in the water and he jumped in the lake to save her. Joyce survived but Miles did not and he ended up drowning to death. As result my Grandfather Miles Gordon never knew his father. He died on July 19, 1919 at age 46.

Margaret Lovell

• Margaret Lovell was born in September 1884 in Vernon Center, Blue Earth County, Minnesota. She had six children one who died at birth. She was forced to raise her children on her own when her husband Miles Porter died in a boating accident. She died in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, on June 19, 1937; she was 52 years old.

• Here she is holding my Grandfather in August 1920.

Auntie and Uncle Frank• This is Stella Margaret Porter Clague and her

husband Frank Clague. Frank Clague was a U.S. representative for the state of Minnesota from January 1, 1903, to January 1, 1907. He served in the Minnesota Senate from January 1, 1907 to December 31, 1915 and was a judge of the ninth judicial district of Minnesota from January 1, 1919, to March 1, 1920. Frank and Stella became quite wealthy and decided to have no children so they financially aided her mother and sisters and brother (my grandfather) during the great depression. They lived on an estate in Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Her mother Ellen Porter lived with them at their estate until her death on January 9, 1925. Stella died in 1958 and Frank died in 1952. Both Frank and Stella provided a lot of support to our family.

Miles Gordon Porter• This is my grandfather

and he was born on November 26, 1919 in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota.

• He never met his father who died in a boating accident saving his sister. Here he is with his four sisters, his mother, and Auntie holding him.

• Miles went to Central High School in St. Paul, Minnesota.

• When he graduated he went to the University of Minnesota to study law.

Mary Elizabeth Wayne Porter

• Mary Elizabeth was born on May 10 1922 in Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota. Her parents were Mary Josephine and Noel James Wayne.

• Growing up as a child of the great depression she learned to live with what she had even though she was fortunate enough to have a father with a job. She would put cardboard in her shoes to make them last longer and window shop with her father for beautiful china.

And then they met…• When attending the University of

Minnesota his sister Barbara rented a floor of a house and my Grandfather decided to live with her in college. The house happened to be owned by my Grandmother’s parents who rented one floor of their two story house in Como Park to make extra money. The story goes that my Grandfather would always sit up and wait for my Grandmother to come home from her dates and then he would see if she ever kissed them. He had his eye on her from the start and with much determination he finally won my Grandmother over.

Wedding Bells Ring!

September 10,

1943

• After college my Grandfather joined the navy where he was a pilot. He received a lot of training but the most he ever did in the war was fly up and down the east coast looking for submarines. My Grandmother kept busy taking the role of Rosie the Riveter. She worked at an ammunition plant.

During the war, my Grandfather was stationed all over the country. It was when he was last stationed in Atlantic City that Miles and Mary started their family first with

Kathleen and then with Patrick my father.

After the war…• Mary and Miles settled in

Jackson, Minnesota which is located in the southern region of the state. There my Grandfather was an attorney and followed in his father’s footsteps by running for county attorney. Just like his father he lost. On September12, 1951 William Whitcomb Porter was born. Here he is with my father Patrick.

Mary, Miles, Kate, Pat, and Bill all moved back to Minneapolis, Minnesota where he received a job with the Minnesota State Legislature writing laws that aided to the unemployed. He mediated cases for those who thought that they had been fired from their jobs. He worked here until he retired. In April 24, 1962 they had their final daughter Noel who was named after her Grandfather.

Politics• Politics were always of

interest in the Porter family. My Grandmother Mary, her sister Margaret, and Kate all helped campaign for John F. Kennedy. My Grandfather would never say who he voted for even though you could figure it out by listening to him at the dinner table. My Grandmother however was never quiet and one night wrote a 12 page letter to President Nixon telling him how furious she was and sent it off to the White House

• Source :http://4umi.com/image/people/John_F_Kennedy.jpg

Death of an Era• My Grandmother died on

March 13, 1996 from a heart attack. On the way to the hospital, the diamond in her engagement ring fell out of its setting and into the snow. My Grandfather rented a device to melt the snow and sifted through every inch of snow until he found the diamond to repair her ring before she died. My Grandfather then died on January 9, 2003 where he is now with his true love.

The Spencer Family• Benson = Van Blerken Unknown From• Bergum, Norway  George Albert = Lucy Benson Fred Kimmel = Alice ThompsonSpencer  Francis- Marion- Lillian----------------------------- George Spencer = Katherine Kay Kimmel

 Sandra Susan- JoanieGodfrey 1 Daughter I son:2 Daughters: Erin JakeCallie OckermanElizabeth Prue

My Great, Great GrandparentsUnknownFrom Bergum, Norway. There were born and died there.

They had 13 children. When her children came over to America they wanted to bring their mother but were to afraid to do. During this time anyone who died on a ship would be thrown overboard and her children felt that it was important for her to have a proper barial. So she never followed her children to America and died in Norway.

Great Grandmother Alice

My Great Grandmother Alice came to America when she was 14 years old from Bergum, Norway. She was born in 1874 and came to America in 1888. When she came to America she changed her name to Thompson. Her original name is still unknown but is probably related to her home in Norway. She changed her name because of the large amount of Norwegians that were being discriminated against in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The first fair housing act was passed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1932 because of the discrimination that was taking place against Norwegian Immigrants.

Great Grandma Alice

• Great Grandma Alice was a business woman. She owned a candy shop in downtown Minneapolis. Famous entertainers would always stop buy to eat her candy when they were performing in the city. Alice had no children until Grandma Kay at age 39. She delivered Katherine Kay Kimmel at home with a midwife, cleaned up, put the baby in her basket, and went back to work. She was wiped out during the great depression and had to close her story because no one could afford to buy candy.

Katherine Kay Kimmel with her Fred and Alice Kimmel

• Fred Kimmel was born in Germany in 1879. He was five years younger than his wife Alice. He died from surgery complications from gall bladder surgery.

Baby Katherine Kay Kimmel

• Here is Great Grandma Alice with Grandma Katherine Kay

Grandma Kay’s High School Graduation

The Spencer's

• George Albert Spencer was born in 1848 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was one of two boys. When he was two years old his parents and brother moved to Augusta, Main where his father owned a lumber business. When he was a teen his parents sent him to Canada to avoid sending him off to the civil war because so many people had been killed in Gettysburg.

George Albert• Once in Canada,

George logged his way as a lumberjack to the Isle Royale located in Lake Superior.

• Source:http://www.minsocam.org/MSA/collectors_corner/usgs/b1309f1.jpg

George Albert Spencer

• Because of the cold winter ahead he knew that he could not stay there during the winter so he traveled across Lake Superior until he reached the mainland of Minnesota. They attempted to reach the shore in a canoe but it capsized and all the men were washed ashore. The men were rescued by Native Americans and rescued back to health. George Albert ended up finally settling in Waterville, Minnesota.

When living in Waterville, the townspeople heard rumors that Jessie James and his gang were going to rob a bank in Northfield, Minnesota which is the town next to Waterville. All the men of the town got together and were going to attempt to ambush the gang. George Albert hid above the road and when they saw the gang coming the rode on and notified the townsman that they were coming. Because of the warning the townspeople were able to stop the robbery. In the ambush Jessie James brother died as well as a jail guard.

Source:http://www.islandnet.com/~the-gang/jesse9.jpg

Aunt Francis and Aunt Lilly

• Aunt Francis and Aunt Lilly were my Grandfather’s sisters. They were teachers in the South Dakota Prairie and rode a wagon to work every day.

The Benson’s• The Benson’s were

Lucy Benson’s parents who was my Grandfather’s mother. We know that Mr. Benson was from Norway and that Mrs. Benson who’s maiden name is is Van Blerken and is most likely from Holland.

• This is a picture of Lucy Van Blercken who was my Grandfather George’s mother. We can assume that she is Dutch by the pronunciation of her name.

George Tillman Spencer

• George Tillman Spencer was born in 1900. Here he is with his brother Marion at age 10.

• My Grandfather lived to be 97 years old. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade to help support his family. He self educated himself and ended up teaching electronics at Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis. He was an electrician for Northern States Power Company for 45 years.

George Tillman Spencer married Katherine Kay Kimmel August 16, 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They had a long courtship of eight years before they finally got married. Every night they would walk around Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis and then when they would rest he would sit on one end of the bench and she would sit on the other.

• George and Katherine had three children Sandra in 1943, Susan in 1945 (my mother), and Joanie 1948.

• Here is my mother as a baby.

Susan SpencerSusan Alice Spencer was born April 28, 1945 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was born the month and they year that WWI ended. At 4 months old, my mother came down with the whopping cough and my Grandmother was told to plan her funeral. Luckily she survived. She also got the scarlet fever at age three which is how old she is in this picture. Because there were no antibiotics, she was quarantined to her crib for three weeks.

Susan Spencer • Susan went to Washburn

High School and graduated in 1963. After high school, she got married and raised two children Benjamin and Danny. She went back to college in her mid 30s to become a nurse. She got divorced in 1971. She was neighbors with my father on Grand Avenue and met him at a disco dancing class. They were married in October 8, 1982.

Patrick Wayne Porter

• Patrick was born on August 7, 1945 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. My father also became ill as a child and had the German Measles. He spent ten days in the hospital and almost died as well.

Patrick Wayne Porter

• My father graduated from southwest high school in 1963. He went to the University of Minnesota and graduated with a political science and history degree. But he decided this was not for him so he moved to Florida and became an apprentice to become a blacksmith. He moved to Kentucky to start his own business and this is where he married my mother and had me!

After college my father got drafted in the Vietnam War. He was in the Army in the infantry as a radio transmitter. His job was to carry the radio which was the most dangerous job because the antenna on the radio had to be up and that is who the enemy wanted to kill because they provided communication.

After the war he decided to follow his dream and become a blacksmith. He moved to Florida and became an apprentice to become a blacksmith. He moved to Kentucky to start his own business and this is where he married my mother and had me!

I am Erin Wayne Porter

• I was born here in Kentucky on December 10, 1984. Throughout childhood my dream was to become a ballerina/ school teacher. I am now perusing my dream of teaching as an education major at the University of Kentucky.