White, Samuel Minor & Emma Flora Atwood

My great-grandfather, Samuel Minor White, son of William Martin & Ellen C. (Hill) White, was born 7 July 1873 in Stonington, Connecticut, and died 2 July 1949 in Abington, Massachusetts. He married 21 November 1902 at Rockland, Massachusetts, Emma Flora Atwood, my great-grandmother, who was born 5 January 1873 in Abington, and died 2 February 1955 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, daughter of Reuel Gardner & Louisa Jane (Atwood) Atwood.

Samuel was named after his granduncle, Samuel Minor White (1808-1894). When he was about 12, he ran away from home because he did not get along with his stepmother. Samuel would not discuss with anyone his whereabouts between leaving home and marrying Emma Flora, although his sons speculated that he probably went to sea. He had been told that his mother was dead, research revealed that his parents were actually divorced and that his mother was living in the poor house of Stonington with two illegitimate children who were born after the divorce.

In 1901 Flora was working as a bookkeeper. She was working in Whitman, Massachusetts, where her cousin lived when she met Samuel. Samuel & Flora were married by Fred Hovey Allen, Clergyman. Samuel was a hard-working laborer and in 1905 was working in a box mill. Flora inherited the house at 170 Linwood St. in Abington, where the couple raised their three sons. She had a baby grand piano she loved to play.

In the summer of 1911, Flora & Samuel survived a deadly heatwave that killed more than 2,000 people in the northeastern states.

My grandfather, their son, remembered that their house had a huge elm tree with an oriole nest and a lawn swing. Flora treasured her bed of dark red peonies. The family always had one horse, one cow (sometimes up to three), sometimes pigs, chickens, ducks and rabbits. Samuel worked at a slaughtering house and at times slaughtered his own pigs. Each morning he left a list on the kitchen table of chores to be done by his sons, which weren’t always completed.

During the boys’ college vacations, a man came to cut firewood into stove lengths and all helped to stack the wood in the basement. Samuel also worked for a Mr. Dudley peddling ice. The ice was harvested from Mill Pond and the wagon served the city of Brockton. Sometimes the ice was harvested with horses. The horses pulled chisels which cut the ice, which then floated down the pond where machines pulled it up to the ice house. Sometimes a team of horses would slip into the water. Ladies would have to order the ice desired, and a meat cart came once every two weeks. My grandfather and his brothers would wait for the cart and a slice of bologna was often tossed out to them.

Flora & Samuel were known as Grammy & Grampy to their grandchildren. My mother spoke fondly of them, which is why I wanted to be called Grammy by my grandchildren. Tim didn’t want to be called Grampy, though, so he goes by Grandpa. Samuel died of colon cancer five days before his 76th birthday. Flora died of an ear infection and mastoiditis at the age of 82.

Flora & Samuel were the parents of three sons:

1. Earl Martin “Bob” White, born 5 December 1902 in Rockland, died 9 October 1965, age 62. He married 22 June 1927 in Braintree, Massachusetts, Ruth Lois Tilden, who was born 20 October 1905 in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and died 7 July 1991 in Bourne, Massachusetts, daughter of Henry Edward & Ruth Ann (Crocker) Tilden.

2. John Everett White (my grandfather), born 8 June 1905 in Rockland, died 4 April 2001 in Dennis, Massachusetts, age 95. He married 30 November 1929 in Harwich, Massachusetts, Emma Freeman Thompson, who was born 8 June 1906 in Lynn, Massachusetts, and died 3 September 1996 in Dennis, daughter of Martin Freeman & Amanda Eliza (Hamblin) Thompson.

3. Lincoln White, born 11 February 1909 in Abington, died 31 August 1993 in Monson, Massachussets, age 84. He married 18 April 1936 in Colrain, Massachusetts, Marjorie Elizabeth Cary, who was born there 14 January 1913, and died 5 March 2004 in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, daughter of Herbert Francis & Elizabeth (Blagborough) Cary.

Reuel & Louisa (Flora’s parents) and their children lie buried behind the large stone, with flat stones marking the individual graves. Other Atwoods, children mostly, lie buried in front of it with various kinds of stones. I’m not sure how these Atwoods are connected to Louisa & Reuel.

Last Revised: 30 August 2024