Final Thoughts

Carol once told me that my mind "is a storehouse of useless trivia."  One example is that, for some reason, I've never forgotten my high school English teacher telling us that the Greek epic, the Iliad, is the story of one brief section of the ten year long Trojan war which doesn't include either the beginning or the end.  On a much smaller scale, the same thing could be said about this blog.  I've read that people (at least in England) began using last names during the 1300's.  If so, that means to the present day, Winder family history is about 700 years long (and counting) of which this blog covered a little over a hundred, and definitely not the beginning or the end.  Indeed it's unlikely it will ever end.

Earliest known picture of a Winder - Mary Ann Winder (Hudson) and James W. Winder about 1880

With regard to the present and the future I think, and hope, this blog has recorded and told the story of a period in our family history that could have been lost.  Now each line of Winder descendants can pick up their own family's story at the end of the immigrant generation and carry it forward.  The good news is that in almost every case there are enough people still living who can contribute to that history.  I intend to do that for my family and I encourage everyone else to do the same.

In terms of the past, my biggest regret is not being able to take the story further back.  In genealogy there's a term called a "brick wall," the obstacle that makes it impossible, with any degree of accuracy, to move past a certain point.  The brick wall in the Winder family is the uncertainty about William Winder's birth and his last name.  William claimed he was born in Gloucestershire in 1822, but there is no one on the surviving public record born in that year with that name.  The problem is that there were so many births in that period which never got on the public record so it's an obstacle that most likely will never be overcome, although I'll continue to try.  Taking the family back about 200 years is no small accomplishment, but since the Proctor line (James W. Winder's wife's family) has been traced back almost 500 years, it would be nice to get further back with the Winders.

Youngest Winder descendant - Sophie Ann Zinn in October of 2013

Some time ago I circulated a New York Times article citing a study that families that know their family history are better off than those that don't.  Best of all, according to the study, were family histories that are not a constant record of growth and good things, but those that include both ups and downs.  While in our case, the good far outweighs the bad, the Winders had their ups and downs which makes them fully human, but still a good example for all of us who have come afterwards.

Ultimately, I've come to think of the Winder story in terms of the last lines of George Eliot's great novel, Middlemarch, and there is probably no better way to end this blog:

'"for the growing good of the world is partly dependent upon unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill for you and me as they might have been, it is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs."

World War II and Beyond

News of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States' entering World War II came to most people directly or indirectly by radio.  While the specifics of the date and location of the attack were a surprise, most Americans believed it was only a question of time before the country was drawn into this second global conflict and they were correct.  Within the Winder family, James and brother-in-law, Philip Shaw were too old for military service so the major issues for the immigrant generation of Winders revolved around life on the home front, a more challenging experience than what they had experienced during World War I.

Trenton Evening Times - December 8, 1941

In 1941, the annual median income was $2000, almost exactly James Winder's income in 1939.  James was 63 in 1941 and although it hasn't been confirmed, it appears he retired around 1943 when he turned 65.  If so, he was one of the first group of Americans to receive social security.  Retirement in 1943 might have been prudent as refrigerator manufacturing was one of the industries hardest hit by the shift to a wartime economy.  Not long after Pearl Harbor, in March of 1942, James once again served as an honorary pall bearer for a pillar of Grace Church, Harry Klagg, Jr., Alf Blake was one of the "real" bearers."  Even though in their 60's, James and wife, Mary, prepared to do their "bit" for the war effort as in August of 1942, they earned certificates to serve as air raid wardens.

World War II gas ration stamps, courtesy of Paul Shubnell, as a postal worker, Paul's father was in the "B" category and entitled to additional gas beyond the basic ration

Other than one other article we will look at later, the two above references are the only times the Winders were mentioned in the newspapers during World War II.  We can get still, however, get some sense of their war time lives by looking at the larger home front experience, especially rationing.  Rationing began in 1942 and gradually placed major restrictions on almost every aspect of domestic life.  Gasoline rationing (not to mention tire rationing) dramatically cut back automobile usage as drivers were placed in three different categories for which they would receive stamps authorizing them to purchase gasoline.   This began with "A," the most limited allocation of four gallons a week (later cut to three) which at 15 miles per gallon allowed for an estimated 60 miles of driving per week.  Categories "B" and "C" allocated additional gallons based on criteria like essential war work and specialized professions like doctors.  Although this sounds fairly stringent, one study estimated that 50% of drivers were in the "B" and "C" categories.

World War II ration folder - courtesy of Paul Shubnell 

How much any of this effected the Winders is unclear as we don't even know if they owned cars at this time.  As city dwellers, they had access to public transportation, not to mention convenient railroad service to both New York and Philadelphia.  Food rationing, however, was another matter and beginning in 1942 caused major changes in daily life.  Early in May of 1942, all of the Winder families went to their local public schools to receive their ration books with sugar the first commodity to be restricted.  Under an honor system, people were to disclose the amount of sugar on hand which was deducted from their initial allocation.  At first ration coupons were good for a specific amount of sugar or other commodities, but in March of 1943 when rationing spread to processed foods, meat, cheese and other items, ration stamps began assigning point values to different products.  Now home makers like Edith, Florence and Mary Ann had to budget not just dollars, but points.  To further complicate matters, stamps were only valid during certain time periods so stores like A&P ran newspaper ads to help people keep track.

Trenton Evening Times - May 4, 1942

In order to encourage re-cycling, additional ration points were awarded for fats and oils that were returned to local butchers.  Detailed instructions were also provided on saving and preparing cans so that the tin could be re-used.  Families extended their food supplies through victory gardens, a government program that ultimately produced 40% of the nation's vegetables.  Living in urban Trenton, it's not clear how much space the different Winder families had for gardens, but it was certainly limited.  Even with supplemental food sources like victory gardens, families had to cut back on meals.  The World War I innovation of meatless days was revived, usually Tuesdays and Fridays with cheese now rationed, eggs became a popular substitute.

Trenton Evening Times - March 25, 1943

Not surprisingly, rationing led to an active "black market," - a term first used in France in 1940.  While the phrase suggests nefarious doings in dark alley ways, a "black market" transaction took place any time a commodity was sold for an amount over a price ceiling or was transferred without ration coupons.  Accordingly such transactions were more common than we might think and it's not impossible the Winders occasionally partook.  In the end as Richard Lingeman wrote in Don't You Know There's a War On?, "Americans endured rationing for the rest of the war - grumbling, conniving, sacrificing and for the most part complying."  Certainly the Winders experience in Trenton was easier than their British relatives where the ration was reportedly 2/3's that of the United States.

Perhaps one of the last surviving pictures of Mary Ann Hudson, adults pictured are Alice Walsh (Winder) and Mary Winder, the children are Peggy and Jim Walsh.  Jim has just finished a day's work at the ship yards

Although James' generation was too old for military service, a number of their sons and sons-in-law did serve and fortunately all survived the war.  There was, however, one death in the family during the war years as Mary Ann's long life ended on June 27, 1944.  According to her obituary, she had been ill for some time which at 86 isn't surprising.  Mary Ann lived an exceptional life.  In England, she not only became a skilled china painter, but was a wife and mother, running a household with four children which she helped move 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.  After 20 years in her new country, helping her children reach adulthood, Mary Ann lost her husband when she was only 52 and lived another 34 years as a widow.  Active in church and Eastern Star activities, not forgetting her family in England, Mary Ann was survived by 11 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, not to mention then unborn future generations who benefited from how she lived her life.

Trenton Evening Times - June 27, 1944

Mary Ann's death meant the breakup and sale of the house at 331 Rutherford Avenue which took place in June of 1945 at the end of World War II.  Reportedly worth $4000 in 1940, the proceeds along with any other assets presumably were divided among her four children.  Elsie for one needed some financial help as she would now be living on her own.  Ultimately Elsie had an apartment at 10 West End Avenue in Trenton where she lived for the rest of her life.  Elsie remained active in the Order of the Eastern Star and at St. Michael's Church where there is a memorial in her honor.  As an elderly woman on her own in an urban area, Elsie had problems including minor injuries when struck by an automobile and as the victim of a robbery.  She died on December 14, 1962 and is buried in the Riverview Cemetery, I believe in the family plot.

Trenton Evening Times - December 17, 1962 

Elsie's death followed that of her two older siblings, James and Edith.  Surviving his mother by only seven years, James died from cancer on April 22, 1951.  His funeral was held at Grace/St. Paul's Church in Mercerville as the Grace congregation had moved out of Trenton.  In addition to holding services at the funeral home, his Knights of Pythias brothers observed last rites at their next meeting.  In addition to his wife and four daughters, James was survived by five grandchildren, a sixth grandchild was born after his death.  James' wife, Mary died in 1954, she and James are buried in Ewing Church Cemetery, along with Alf and Hannah "Sis" Blake.

Trenton Evening Times - April 23, 1951

On April 16, 1955, about a year after Mary Winder's death, Edith Winder Shaw died of a heart attack at her home in Hamilton Township.  Although Edith's name doesn't appear  in a lot of newspaper articles, she was also apparently a member of Chapter 22 of the Order of the Eastern Star.  Edith was pre-deceased by husband, Philip who died in 1949, they are buried in Colonial Memorial Park.  At her death, her only surviving child was daughter, Edith Hartpence, as well as six grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Trenton Evening Times - April 17, 1955

While it's not surprising that Florence, as the youngest sibling, lived the longest, and she out lived her siblings by almost a quarter of a century.  Florence had been living with her son, Leonard, in Trenton, but died at Bayview Convalescent Home at the age of 96 on December 25, 1985.  Sadly for a woman who had lost a husband and daughter to tragic accidents, she was also pre-deceased by another son, James William Winder Carr.  In addition to Leonard, Florence was survived by sons, Leon, Earl, daughter, Mary Ann, 10 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and even one great-great-grandchild.  Funeral services were held at the Broad Street Methodist Episcopal Church and her body was cremated.  While I have no idea who was responsible, it's fitting the headline on her obituary includes the Winder name.

Trenton Evening Times - December 27, 1985

The Trying Thirties

When James R. and Mary Ann Winder debated the advantages and disadvantages of leaving England for the United States in the early 1890's, the biggest advantage was clearly the potential for financial advancement for both them and their children.  There can be no question of the accuracy of that judgement, but life in the United States was not immune to hard times.  The Winders saw this first hand a year or so after their arrival during the panic of 1893, the worst economic decline to that point in American history.

Apple sellers in New York City 

No matter, how bad that may have been, however, it paled in comparison with the great depression of the 1930's.  Unlike other hard times, the depression was far more than a downturn in the business cycle.  By the end of 1932, 10 million Americans were unemployed and many American communities experienced bread lines and "Hoovervilles," (shanties named derisively after President Herbert Hoover), not to mention the unemployed selling apples on street corners.  As the Roosevelt administration prepared to take office in March of 1933, banks began closing down nationwide as they were unable to satisfy the "run" of depositors, demanding their money.

A "Hooverville"

Almost simultaneous with taking office, FDR called for a bank holiday in an attempt to give banks teetering on the abyss some breathing space.  Based on accounts in the Trenton Evening Times, it appears Trenton was spared bank failures and that local financial institutions didn't need the "holiday" and were, in fact, reluctant to participate.  How the Winders fared in this global economic cataclysm is more difficult to know.  In 1930, James was a wood-worker at C.V. Hill & Co., Philip Shaw was still working for the railroad and the eldest Carr son, still at home, was a draftsman, also at C.V. Hill.  No matter the economic conditions, there was probably some demand for refrigerators, although the slow down in new housing construction plus hard up families delaying replacing existing units had to hurt business.  Similarly, railroads had a certain level of stability, although ridership (commuting and holiday) had to have suffered due to unemployment and fewer people able to afford vacations.  Elsie Winder would seem to have been especially vulnerable as music lessons were most likely an early casualty of people cutting back.

While there may not have been "Hoovervilles" in Trenton, there were certainly bread or flour lines like this one at the Thropp Factory

To my knowledge there is no anecdotal information of any of the Winder families suffering significant hardships during the depression.  One piece of hard data is available in the 1940 census, drawn from a question about 1939 income.  According to this data, James' 1939 income was $2050 from 46 weeks of work, suggesting some plant shut downs in slack periods.  James also indicated his income came from more than one source, most likely carpentry work especially during any periods he didn't work at C. V. Hill & Co.  While the amount seems almost infinitesimal to us today, it was almost exactly the median American income in 1941 and, by far, the highest of the four families.  Edith's husband, Philip, earned only $780 as a railroad brakeman while wages in the Carr family totaled $1100 from two sources, son, James William Winder Carr ($500) and his uncle, Earl, ($600).  Lowest of all was the $350 for Edith and Mary Ann, all of which came from the former's music lessons.  At the beginning of the 1930's, almost 80% of all American families had annual income of less than $3000 and its doubtful these figures improved very much during a decade long depression.  So as low as those figures were, it appears the Winders were well within the norms for the time.

Trenton Evening Times - May 22, 1933

As difficult as finances may have been for the Carr family, things were even more difficult early in the decade when they suffered a second accidental, tragic death.  In December of 1932, 16 year old Mildred F. Carr was near the stove when her dress caught fire, burning her badly.  She lingered on for almost five months before succumbing in May of the following year.  A far happier event took place the next year, in October of 1934 when Florence's eldest son, Leon was married to Esther Parkinson at St. Luke's Church in Trenton with his aunt Elsie playing the organ.  For the rest of the decade there are multiple accounts of a Mrs. Florence Carr who was very active in the 11th ward Republican Club including playing the piano at one function.  The musical connection suggests this was "our" Florence, but another Mrs. Florence Carr lived literally next door to the club's facility on Home Street.  The Carrs lived at 1928 South Clinton Avenue which based on a look at a 1935 Trenton map appears to be in the 11th Ward so this could still be "our" Florence.

Trenton Evening Times - October 14, 1934

After moving away during the 1920's, Edith and Philip Shaw were back in Trenton during the 1930's, living at 1223 South Clinton Street, apparently not the same road as South Clinton Avenue.  By living in Trenton, Edith was able to do more things with her family such as a millinery meeting at 743 Stuyvesant Avenue where along with James' wife, Mary, Hannah "Sis" Blake, and Ethel Proctor, she was able to make herself a hat by the end of the day.  Living in Trenton also brought Edith closer to her daughter Edith Hartpence who had two children of her own.  Some what more distant was her younger daughter, Phyllis Scarboro, living in Delaware Township in Hunterdon County.  By 1940 Phyllis and her husband, Lloyd,  had four children so that all told Edith and Philip had six grand children.

Left to right, Phyllis Scarboro, Mary Ann Hudson and Edith Shaw with Phyllis' daughter, Mary Ann in the front.  Mary Ann Scarboro was born in 1934 which would probably put this picture in the late 1930's

Although four years older, James lagged somewhat behind Edith in grandchildren with two by the end of the 1930's, eldest daughter Alice's two children. James was pretty much out of the public eye during this period, although over the course of the decade his name does appear seven times in the newspaper as a pallbearer at various funerals.  This appears to be a reflection of how highly regarded he was by the families both at church and beyond.  Of special note is his serving as an honorary pallbearer at the funeral of George Cockram, a long time leader at Grace Church,  a place which clearly played an important role in James' early adult life.

Trenton Evening Times - August 14, 1932

While James apparently was no longer active in church leadership, he and wife Mary were still members at Grace.  In April of 1935, both of them were appointed to a committee of seventy (based upon the biblical "second seventy"), formed "to stimulate religious activity in the parish."  Also serving was old friend and brother-in-law, Alf Blake who was still a member of the vestry.  Absent from the media were any accounts of James and his lodge affiliations.  While James remained a member of the Pythias Lodge for the rest of his life, during the 1930's coed social events became the norm and many lodges "were somewhat anxiously seeking members," which may account for a lack of coverage in the media.

Trenton Evening Times - August 18, 1932

Down the block from James and Mary were Mary and Elsie, still living at 331 Rutherford Avenue.  Elsie clearly remained active in her music teaching although there was little or no notice in the newspapers.  My guess is that like James' lodge activities, this was more a function of changes in what newspapers deemed newsworthy.  Mary Ann was in her seventies through most of the decade, turning 80 in 1938.  Along with Elsie and daughter-in-law Mary, she was active in Morning Star Chapter No. 22, Order of the Eastern Star.  Although she was the oldest, Mary Ann had outlived all of her siblings save sister Agnes.  She still had family in England, however, and must have thought of them as tensions escalated throughout the 1930s.  War clouds were gathering and unlike a quarter of a century earlier, the outbreak of war in Europe in September of 1939 couldn't have been a big surprise.