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Note: In the 1920 US Federal Census it shows Ethel, at 7 years of age, living with her grand parents, Josiah and Harriet Sirbaugh at 22 Spring Street, in New Creek, Mineral, West Virginia. Her brother Ira W., and her sister Nellie V. lived with them also. Both of their parents were deceased. The other 3 siblings lived with the Buxton's. Their grandfather, Josiah was a carpenter for houses, he was 67 years old.
The 1930 US Federal Census shows that Ethel lived with her Uncle Brook and Aunt Luetta Buxton at 81 Hazel Avenue in Baltimore County, Relay, Md. Also living at the house was her cousins Kathleen, and Leonard Buxton. Her grandmother, Harriet Sirbaugh, at the age of 75, lived with them too.
Mike and I used to address Kathleen as Aunt Kathleen, even though she and Ethel were cousins, and both, in their later years, came down with Alzheimer's disease. Looking back Ethel started earlier than Aunt Kathleen with Alzheimer. She started with it at the age of 57, which is early for the disease. We eventually had to sell her home in Elkridge, Md. and had an addition built on to our home in Pasadena, Md.,in which she lived with us for 5 1/2 years. . I could write a long story on how horrible a disease Alzheimer disease but my only wish is that no one else in the family comes down with it. Ethel was diagnosed with the disease when the public was just beginning to aknowledge what Alzheimer's was all about. When I was pregnant with my 4th child I knew we could no longer take care of her at home, mostly because of her own safety. She developed pneumonia, and from there she was able to go into the hospital. Dr. David Rose, who was her Dr. at the time, was able to get her transferred into the Lorein Nursing Home in Columbia. There she lived for 12 years before at the age of 85 she passed away. What I remember the most about Ethel was her laughter. She was a 4 ft. 11", little redhead, with the prettiest blue eyes. Even when she had the disease pretty badly you could still depend on hearing her laughter. I know she is her grandchildren's guardian Angel, now. My daughter, Dawn, inherited her red hair and blue eyes and her love of poetry. My daughter, Amanda, has inherited her love to paint. Mike was her only child.
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