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Note: iving with Isaac and Hester Wilcox. "New Jersey State Census, 1905," database, <i>FamilySearch</i>(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMHP-69H : accessed 16 November 2015), Hester E Harris in household of Isaac Wilcox, , Warren, New Jersey, United States; citing p. 16, line 99, Department of State, Trenton; FHL microfilm 1,688,628.
The source for the marriage of Hester and Edward is the research of Dick Musselman which is listed in its entirety below:
The search for the spouse of Hester Harris, b. 23 Dec.1880, Blairstown, NJ, was conducted at the Warren County Courthouse and the Warren County Public Library, Belvidere, NJ.
A search of the Surrogate’s records at the courthouse found multiple Estate file entries for men named James Harris in Warren County. The one of interest to our research included the following entries:
James R. Harris, died Intestate 8 Jan.1895, Blairstown, Warren Co., NJ
(Doc. File #I9-26) Petition (Book #4, page 45):
Anna M. Harris, widow, on 18 Feb. 1895 renounced her right to
Administer the estate in favor of Nicholas Harris of Belvidere, NJ.
James R. Harris was survived by:
Anna M. Harris, widow, Blairstown, NJ
Nicholas Harris, son, Belvidere, NJ
Mary M. Savercool, daughter, Marksboro, NJ
Hester Emily Harris, daughter, Blairstown, NJ
Letters (Book #4, page 17), Bonds (Book #4, page 331, Book #5,pp.425, 658), Inventory (Book #17, page 64), Surrogate Orders (Book #2, page 320, Book #3, page 18), Accounts (Book #5, page 443):
Included a payment to Hester E. Harris on 6 Apr. 1896.
O.C. Minutes (Book #15, pp.264, 293,339, 340, 409):
Listed the sale of 12½ acres of land sold by the estate for $800.60 to
cover outstanding debts. The property had been acquired in 1871.
No estate files were recorded in Warren County for a Hester Harris or an Anna Maria Harris.
A search of several Warren County recorded Deeds found additional information on Hester Harris:
<u>Warren Co. Deed Book #192,pp.312-313
</u> Grantor: Elizabeth O’Neil, Easton, Northampton Co., PA
Grantee: Hester E. Harris, Belvidere, Warren Co., NJ
Date: 3 Apr.1911
Amount: $300
Description: A lot of land in the town of Belvidere, Warren Co., NJ
along Race St. and an alley.
<u>Warren Co. Mortgage Book #84, pp.400-401
</u> Mortgagor: Hester E. Harris of Belvidere
Mortgagee: Emma L. McMurtrie
Date: 4 Jun. 1914
Amount: $400
Description: Mortgage on the property acquired and described in
Warren County Deed Book #192, pp. 312-313. Satisfaction: This Mortgage was cancelled on 30 Apr. 1932 and
assigned to Mary M. Savercool. (note: Mary M. Savercool was named as a daughter in the Estate of
James R. Harris. This entry leaves little doubt that Hester E. Harris was
the second daughter of James R. Harris named on the same document. Hester was not yet married at the time of this Mortgage
on 4 Jun. 1914.)
<u>Warren Co. Deed Book #330, pp. 540-541)
</u> Grantor: Hester E. Harris Ruff, widow of Belvidere
Grantee: Nick Narras of Belvidere
Date: 15 Nov.1947
Amount: $1.00 and other valuable considerations
Description: Two properties in Belvidere, NJ:
#1: Conveyed to the Grantor by Deed on 7 Apr. 1904; recorded in
Deed Book #181, p. 27. #2: Conveyed to the Grantor by Elizabeth O’Neil on 3 Apr. 1911,
known as 18 Race St., Belvidere; recorded in Deed Book #192, p. 312. (note: This entry indicates Hester E. Harris did marry at
least once between 1914 and 1947. Her husband’s surname was
Ruff.)
The Warren County Recorder of Deeds office holds two old Marriage Record books listing marriages through 1875. Marriage Book #2, page 34 included the following entry:
<i>16 May 1859: James R. Harris and Anna M. Harris of Knowlton by Rev.
Robert H. Reeves. </i>
I found no Estate file entries or Deed Book entries for a Hester Ruff or a potential husband with the surname Ruff.
A search of local Warren County cemetery records and newspaper obituaries at the Warren County public library’s history room in Belvidere found no entries for a Hester Ruff or her husband. A search for an entry for Hester Hunter (her grandmother) also produced no results.
The following entries were found in the listing of burials at the Belvidere Cemetery, Belvidere, NJ:
Mary M. Savercool; b. 1856, d. 28 Nov.1947
John Wesley Savercool; b. 1851, d.27 Dec. 1941
The 1920 Federal Census for Belvidere, Warren Co, NJ included the following entry:
Edward S. Ruff, age 61, b. PA
Ester E. Ruff, age 39, b. NJ, parents b. NJ
Name Esther E Ruff
Event Type Census
Event Date 1920
Event Place Belvidere, Warren, New Jersey, United States
Gender Female
Age 39
Marital Status Married
Race White
Birth Year (Estimated)1881
Birthplace New Jersey
Father's Birthplace New Jersey
Mother's Birthplace New Jersey
Edward S Ruff Head M 61 Pennsylvania
Esther E Ruff Wife F 39 New Jersey
CITING THIS RECORD
"United States Census, 1920," database with images, <i>FamilySearch</i>(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4YT-44V : accessed 15 March 2016), Esther E Ruff in household of Edward S Ruff, Belvidere, Warren, New Jersey, United States; citing sheet 10B, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,821,072.
The 1930 Federal Census for Blevidere, Warren Co., NJ provided some additional information:
Mary M. Savercool, head of household, age 73, widow
Hester E. Ruff, half-sister, b. abt. 1882, married, age at first marriage:
36, both parents b. NJ (note: This 1930 entry appears to have at least one error. If Mary Savercool’s husband died in 1941 per the cemetery entry, she was not a widow in 1930. If Hester Ruff was still married in 1930, where was her husband? I suspect the entries were reversed; Hester was the widow and John Wesley Savercool may have been in a nursing home or elsewhere.)
The 1930 Federal Census designation of Hester E. Ruff being the half-sister of Mary M. Savercool provides proof that their father James R. Harris was married twice.
The property transactions listed for Hester Harris/Ruff line up with important dates in her lifetime. Hester’s mother died in 1904 the same year she acquired her first property in Belvidere, NJ. Hester’s half-sister, Mary Savercool, with whom she lived, died in 1947 the same year she sold the Belvidere property.
I could not find any additional obituaries for Hester Ruff in either Warren Co. NJ or Northampton Co., PA. A search of Social Security Death Index entries found the following:
Hester Ruff
SS #343-26-5042 Last residence: Illinois
Died: Oct. 1963
This entry suggests Hester probably removed to Illinois after the sale of her residence in 1947. I did not attempt to do any additional follow-up on this information.
An earlier search at the Warren County Courthouse also failed to find any Estate file or Deeds recorded in the name of Hester Hunter.
Note: Hester E Harris is on the 1905 census in Warren County, born c. 1881, l
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