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Title
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Diary of Nellie (Helen) Converse Carr, 1878-1968
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Description
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Nellie (Helen) North Converse Carr was born on October 1, 1877 in Otsego County, New York and died on April 24, 1968 in Unadilla, New York. She married William Carr on November 21, 1907. William Carr was born on Sept 13, 1866 in Wisconsin and died on Dec 24, 1941 in Otego, New York. Both Nellie and William are buried in Flax Island Cemetery, Otego. They had two children, Helen Francelia Carr Daniels (1909-2004?) and Norma Alice Carr Leonard Collins (March 30, 1912 - May 5, 2005). Norma & Neil Leonard had two children, Alicia (born Jun 29, 1929) & Rita (born Dec 19, 1931). Alicia (Ione Leonard McNutt) Pagano is the transcriber of her grandmother's diaries and has provided the description as well as extensive explanatory notes in the attached files.
Nellie Carr lived most of her life in Otsego County, primarily Gilbertsville, Unadilla, Otego. During the 1889 period their home must have been near Cope's Corners. Oregon (Oregen Rd?) is mentioned. She went to Morris Training Class. She and her sister Carrie Carr Cope both taught school for several years before they were married. Carrie married Walter Cope.
The family moved to Norwich around 1902 and then back toward Gilbertsville by 1906. They lived near the Adelbert Leonard farm, River Rd. & Rt 3, as noted in her 1906 diary. She taught in the school house on River Rd near Route 3. Mr. Leonard was her superintendent. Later they became related by marriage when, in 1928, his son Neil married her daughter, Norma. (These are the parents of the transcriber, Alicia Pagano.)
During her marriage to William Carr they lived on Lobdell Rd just outside of Gilbertsville, a mile up the dirt road (then) from the Tillson's. In the early 1940s after the death of her husband, she moved to live part of the time with a cousin, Jessie Teed in Unadilla or with her daughter Helen in Otego. From 1954-1959 she lived with Mrs. Seaman on Main St. in Unadilla. She lived her final years from early 1959 until her death in 1968 with her daughter Norma and Norma's second husband, George Collins, in Sidney, NY, just across the river from Unadilla.
The following is a list of JOURNALS & ITEMS of NELLIE (HELEN) CONVERSE CARR. Originals are in the possession of DANIEL NEIL (MCNUTT) PAGANO. The diaries were
saved by Norma Alice Carr Leonard Collins, then by Rita Leonard Mott and given to Daniel Pagano in 2016. They were transcribed by Alicia Ione Leonard McNutt Pagano, granddaughter of Nellie Carr.
1889 Small red leather cover. Excelsior Diary. 2x4"
1902 Dark Red Leather cover, National Diary. Also 1941 on bottom of pages.
1906 Dark Red leather cover, National Diary. Beginning May 5, 1940 is on same page.
Some days no writing in 06, just 1940.
1940. Written in 1906 book
1941 Written in 1902 book
1943 Dark Red, National Diary. Has 1943 and 1949 starting March 20, 1949.
1944 Red 5 year diary from Betty and Mary.1944-1948 written intermittently each year
1945 "
1946. "
1947 "
1948 "
1952 Small brown notebook w wire edge. 2x5"
1954 Desk Dairy. Red 4"x7"
1955 Desk Dairy. Red 4"x7"
1957 Aug 1 - Mar 27, 1959. Small 6 ring black book, 3x5.
1959 July-December Brown wire back notebook 6 x 8"
1960 Jan 8 to Feb 1, 1961 Black and White Square Deal composition book
1961 Feb 1, 61- Feb 13, 1962 Black and While Square Deal composition book.
1964 Aug 20- 1965 and - Mar 18, 1966. Metal ring tan composition book
1966 Mar 19- Feb 1, 69. Black & white Composition book.
1967 Feb 2-Oct 26 plus Nov 8.
Editorial comments from Alicia Pagano (transcriber):
I began to copy the diaries of Gramma Carr in November 2016 and am in the process of copying other years which are now available. As of December 15, 2016 I have copied through the 1940's. I have tried to use the same format for each of the diaries to make them easier to read.
Although I have been able to understand most of the writing, I have used italics to indicate the few words that I did not recognize. I have dated each entry by day of the week because it helped to enhance the interpretation of her writing as many activities were carried out on specific days. I have added comments from my memory as I read these journals. Sometimes I realize I have made errors in understanding something as I gain new information from later diaries.
Reading Gramma's writings I have begun to feel as if I am reading a novel (the novel of my own family) and I have had a difficult time putting it down. I want to transcribe "just one more month." I feel that my grandmother has bequeathed her memory to me.
I am impressed by the active social and economic community in which my grandmother lived. They were constantly "calling" on family members and neighbors, especially in Mt. Upton and Gilbertsville. Often they stayed for dinner (at noon) or supper. In the later years it was Unadilla, Otego, Oneonta and beyond. They went to churches in Mt Upton as well as in Gilbertsville when they lived there and in Unadilla and Otego later.
By connecting what was said as well as what was implied, I believe these diaries reflect not only the lives of my family and their community, but life in rural Otsego County and Upstate New York during these years. One is able to follow the transitions from horse and buggy and an expansive train and bus system to today's major reliance on private vehicles. The development of phones and electricity are noted as well and I remember some of these in my own life; for example, our first telephone. Barter and trading among neighbors is especially noted in the 1930s and early 1940s. Neighbors helped each other in various ways. When there was a need, the neighbors were present.
Through these diaries, I have gained a new understanding of and appreciation my family, and I am now connected to the vibrant history of my family. During my high school teen years I was very active in school, community, and church and did not notice the many comings and goings of my family. After high school I went away to college, was married, and lived in Germany, Ohio, Florida, Washington, DC., and finally New York City. I visited home briefly and always considered Unadilla my "home," but I never returned to live Upstate until I retired from New Jersey City University in 2004 and moved into the home of my mother in Sidney.
At the time I retired, my mother, Norma (Carr) Collins, was in her 90's and was no longer able to live in her own home. I would take her for rides around Gilbertsville and the roads on which she lived and traversed during her childhood. She would relive her life as we rode along, telling me her stories and life in that world of her childhood. Her memories were rich. After each visit, I wrote her memories in a journal and still intend to place them on record in the future. (Written December 2016)
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Subject
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Farming
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Women
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Family
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Social life
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Creator
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Nellie (Helen) Converse Carr
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Source
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Alicia Pagano
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Publisher
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Cooperstown Graduate Program
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Date
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1878-1968
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Format
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pdf
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Language
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en-us
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Type
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Diary
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Coverage
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1878-1968
A 1 N.ConverseCarrDiary1889(1).pdf
A 2 N.ConverseCarr1902,06(1).pdf
A 3 N.CarrConverseDiary1940,41(1).pdf
A 4 N.ConverseCarrDiary1943,4,5(1).pdf
A 5 NConverseCarrDiary1946,7,8,9(1).pdf
A 6 Gma Carr Diary 1952, 54(1).pdf
A 7 Gma Carr Diary 1955, 57(1).pdf
A 8 GmaCarrDiary1958,59(1).pdf
A 9 Gma Carr Diary 1960(1).pdf
A 10 Gma Carr Diary 1961,2,4(1).pdf
A 11 Gma Carr Diaries 1965,6(1).pdf
Nellie Converse Carr.jpg
Alicia Pagano.jpg