Welcome to the Northam Family History
This is the story of the Northam family of Indiana, compiled with love by "Nan."
"I want to thank my Grandpa Clarence Walter Northam for the material to put the vast majority of this presentation together. His love of photography and desire to preserve old pictures in slides — noting on most of who and what was in them! His fierce interest and research in family heritage and documentation. He collected everything, loved bargains (if one is good, five is better!), loved to travel, but most of all loved his family. I also want to thank my Grandmother Hattie LaRue Fessler Northam for putting up with everything! Going to their house was one of the very best memories of my childhood!"
All family relationships throughout this presentation are linked to Clarence Walter Northam as the central point of reference.
Clarence Walter Northam and Hattie LaRue Fessler Northam
Northam Coat of Arms & Family Tree
The Northam Coat of Arms — apparently, the Northam family descends from Knights! The document "Heraldry" discusses the Coat of Arms in detail.
Clarence always made a point to tell the family that they could join the Mayflower Society because they were descendants. However, a "Northam" was not on the Mayflower itself — the connection comes through other ancestral lines. He preserved a note about these Mayflower ancestors among his saved documents.
The following slides (4–21) are photographs of a very old family tree and several documents that Clarence thought were important enough to photograph. Some may be duplicates — he believed in thorough documentation!
Northam Coat of Arms
Northam Coat of Arms (detail)
Old Family Tree — Document 5
Old Family Tree — Document 6
Old Family Tree — Document 7
Old Family Tree — Document 8
Old Family Tree — Document 9
Old Family Tree — Document 10
Old Family Tree — Document 11
Old Family Tree — Document 12
Old Family Tree — Document 13
Old Family Tree — Document 14
Old Family Tree — Document 15
Old Family Tree — Document 16
Old Family Tree — Document 17
Old Family Tree — Document 18
Old Family Tree — Document 19
Old Family Tree — Document 20
Old Family Tree — Document 21
Related Documents
Thomas & Matilda Northam — Clarence's Grandparents
Thomas Northam (born ~1821) was Clarence's grandfather. There is not a great deal of information about him except that he was somewhat new to the area and not immediately "acceptable" to Matilda's family.
His wife, Matilda Swain Northam (born August 2nd, 1823), came from a well-established family. Her father was Jethro Swain and her mother was Susanna Leonard. The story of Matilda — called "Tildy" — tells of an incredible journey: she and Thomas trekked all the way from North Carolina to Indiana with three small children, eventually settling in Sumner, Indiana (later known as Arlington).
Sumner was settled around 1840 by several people from southern states, many from North Carolina. It was named for Charles Sumner, the abolitionist. Around 1900 the settlement faded and the area became known as Arlington.
The cabin pictured below is in North Carolina — the very birthplace of Job Walter Northam, Clarence's father, and the home that Thomas and Matilda left behind when they made their great journey north.
Thomas Northam (~1821) — Clarence's Grandfather
Matilda Swain Northam (born August 2, 1823)
Matilda Swain Northam
Matilda Swain Northam
The cabin in North Carolina where Job Walter Northam was born — the home Thomas and Matilda left behind
Jethro Swain — Matilda's Father
Susanna Leonard — Matilda's Mother
Map of the route Thomas and Matilda took from North Carolina to Indiana
Farm of Emily 'Jane' Northam Powell (oldest daughter of Thomas and Matilda)
Farm of Emily 'Jane' Northam Powell
Related Documents
"Tildy" — The story of Thomas and Matilda's trek from North Carolina to Indiana, written by Mabel Northam
Job Walter & Amanda Northam — Clarence's Parents
Job Walter Northam (born March 6, 1852) was Clarence's father. He married Amanda Matilda Gordon Northam (born January 23, 1856) and together they raised 10 children.
Job's father Thomas died when Job was just 16, and as the oldest son, Job immediately began helping to support the family. The family told stories of his Mother Matilda being incredibly industrious: besides the usual housework and gardening, she grew flax, wove fabric, made clothes and household linens. After being widowed she would do housework for others — reportedly running between work and home. At night she would weave baskets to sell.
When Job was almost 21, he married Amanda (who was only 16 at the time). He was able to buy 52 acres of land near his mother's home and built a house for his young bride. He also built a large barn, sawmill (with a carpentry shop), and a blacksmith shop. Later, he owned the local threshing machine. His doctor once said: "Mr. Northam has lived 120 years in the last 40 years. For he has done the work of three men."
The family attended the Blue River Wesleyan Methodist Church, built in 1854. The church had strict rules: no playing on Sunday, no playing cards, women must not cut their hair and must always wear long sleeves, no jewelry including wedding rings. Many women received watches as engagement gifts instead. Job Walter and Amanda devoted their lives to following these rules — though some of their children later "defected" as adults. Clarence was one of the defectors.
The house burned down on Mother's Day 1921, and Job Walter and Amanda lived in the wood shop while a new house was being built. Job became bedridden that summer. He would ask Amanda to sit by the kitchen fire so he could see her and be happy. As the end came near, he said: "As I come down the road and get a sight of home, I think it is the best place on earth." Job Walter died September 22nd, 1921 — just months before what would have been their 50th wedding anniversary.
Amanda died August 20th, 1927 in Fairmount, Indiana, very suddenly of heart trouble while attending the annual camp meeting of the Wesleyan Methodist Church.
Job Walter Northam — Clarence's Father
Amanda Matilda Gordon Northam (born January 23, 1856) — Clarence's Mother
Job Walter and Amanda Northam
Job Walter Northam — Pillar of the community (lower right). He served as trustee and circuit court clerk.
Job Walter Northam
Job Walter's car — an "Enger," probably around 1910. He was one of the first in the community to own a car.
Amanda Gordon Northam — Charter member and president of the Missionary Society
Amanda's Family — The Gordons
Amanda's father was Hezekiah Gordon (born September 4, 1818). There are no pictures of Hezekiah. Amanda's mother was Mary (Polly) McDuffie Gordon (born May 13, 1818). Her brother Uriah Gordon (born July 1853) was a carpenter who made a beautiful China cabinet for Clarence and Hattie as a wedding present.
Amanda's nephew Dane Gordon became a doctor.
Mary (Polly) McDuffie Gordon — Amanda's Mother
Mary (Polly) McDuffie Gordon
Mary (Polly) McDuffie Gordon
Emily "Jane" Gordon Beckner — Amanda's Sister
Emily "Jane" Gordon Beckner
Uriah Gordon — Amanda's Brother, a carpenter
Dane Gordon — Uriah's son, a doctor
Uriah Gordon, his wife Lizzie, and son Dane
The Farm & Community
On the 52 acres Job Walter purchased, he built a thriving homestead. The one-room School #9 was just south of his land — every one of his 10 children attended up to the 8th grade there.
Job Walter and Amanda's house
Matilda at her spinning wheel
School #9 — the one-room schoolhouse all of Job and Amanda's children attended
School #9
Blue River Wesleyan Methodist Church, built 1854
Job Walter and Amanda's house
Job Walter and Amanda's house
The sawmill Job Walter built
The sawmill
The blacksmith shop
The threshing machine Job Walter owned
The threshing machine
The threshing machine
Later Years Together
Job Walter and Amanda
Job Walter and Amanda
Job Walter and Amanda
Job Walter and Amanda
Job Walter and Amanda
Related Documents
Map of the Job Walter Northam farm, drawn by his oldest daughter Rosemary Northam Johnson
The Ten Children of Job Walter & Amanda Northam
Job Walter and Amanda Northam raised 10 children. The following sections tell the story of each of them. Three photos give us a glimpse of the siblings together across the decades.
Elva Amanda Northam Branson — oldest daughter (born April 8, 1873)
1951: The remaining Northam children in birth order — Flora Branson, Emma Macy, Charlie Northam, Ethel Hufferd, Chester Northam, Mary Hester, & Clarence Northam
The boys — Chet (in the dark vest), Charlie & Clarence
March 1970, taken at Mary's house — Mary, Clarence & Chester
1. Elva Amanda Northam Branson (born April 8, 1873)
Elva Amanda Northam Branson (born April 8, 1873) was the oldest daughter. She married John A. Branson at the age of 22. Unfortunately, she died young at only 29, leaving no children. The cause of her early death is unknown.
2. Flora Northam Branson (born October 22, 1875)
Flora (maybe Florelle?) Northam Branson (born October 22, 1875) married Fletcher Grant Branson and had 3 children. She was the typical farm wife of her time — wearing a long, patched cotton dress with a coverall apron topped with a bonnet. She lived a frugal life in an old farmhouse with no conveniences.
She did like growing fruit and sharing it with others. It is said she was soft-spoken and very kind, but her husband was not. She had scoliosis and grew quite stooped as she grew older. She died at the age of 77 of spinal cancer.
Flora Northam Branson (born October 22, 1875)
Flora Northam Branson & her husband Fletcher Grant Branson
Flora Northam Branson document
3. Estella Northam Pitts (born January 31, 1878)
Estella Northam Pitts (born January 31, 1878) was said to be the "pretty" one. She married Emory Junius Pitts and had 3 children. Emory was a Wesleyan preacher as well. They eventually moved to Marion, Indiana where they both became teachers at Marion Wesleyan College. It was said they were "a thoroughly nice family!"
A postcard she sent to Amanda in 1918 cost just 1 cent to mail! Sadly, Estella died at the age of 50 of breast cancer. She was the only one of the children who didn't live in the local area.
Estella Northam Pitts (born January 31, 1878)
Estella Northam Pitts
Estella married Emory Junius Pitts
Estella's family
Estella's family
Estella's family (her children are the last three)
4. Emma Josephine Northam Macy (born March 14, 1880)
Emma Josephine Northam (born March 14, 1880) married Earl Cicero Rigsbee in 1902 and had 3 children. Their oldest son Marvin became a successful dentist. However, Emma and Earl divorced in the early 1920s — it turned out Earl was a "philanderer!"
Emma then remarried Eugene "Gene" C. Macy, a widower with 2 grown sons, the local schoolteacher, several years older — and described as a very kind man.
Emma's daughter Wilma was described as "a rather religious zealot with a very intense difficult personality." But through it all, Emma stayed calm, employing the "Northam disposition." As Nan explains: "Matilda may have lost her Quaker birthright, but her children and their children were raised in the 'Quaker way' — calm, gentle and soft-spoken — but with a 'will of iron.'"
One evening Emma went over to Clarence & Hattie's house for a nice dinner. Clarence took her home that night. The next day they found her sitting in her chair with her coat still on — she had suffered a stroke.
Emma Josephine Northam (born March 14, 1880) with husband Earl Cicero Rigsbee
Emma Josephine Northam
Emma — a few years before her death
5. Charles 'Charlie' Thomas Northam (born September 12, 1884)
Charles "Charlie" Thomas Northam (born September 12, 1884) was nice, but "a bit of a fussy person." He had a bad stomach and would only eat certain things. He was also very "officious." He worked as the janitor at the Arlington school, and in his eyes, it was his school.
Charlie and his wife Sylvia lived in town (Arlington, population ~500). Their house had a big front porch with 2 porch swings. Their social life was to sit on the swings after their early supper and keep an eye on "his" school and the rest of the town. If there was anything going on — Charlie and Sylvia knew about it!
Charlie was one of the children who left the Wesleyan Methodist church as an adult.
Charlie Northam, his wife Sylvia, son Charles Walter, and daughter Vivian
Charlie Northam and son
Vivian Northam
Charlie and Sylvia Northam
Charlie and Sylvia Northam
Charles 'Charlie' Thomas Northam (born September 12, 1884)
Charlie Northam
6. Pearl Northam
Pearl was the next child. She died as an infant, and there are no pictures of her.
7. Ethel Northam Hufford (born April 9, 1889)
Ethel Northam Hufford (born April 9, 1889) was the only daughter that left the Wesleyan Methodist church after becoming an adult. At 21, she married John Milton Huffard.
Ethel and John were both very good businesspeople. They started with a successful chicken farm, carefully noting which breeds performed best and were most in demand. In November 1929, John went into business with W. W. Zike to create a hatchery in Rushville, and Ethel ran it alongside him.
Ethel was an early modern working woman. She dressed in stylish clothes, got her hair done every week, kept her house immaculate, and was very precise about everything. She had a very friendly demeanor and was approachable.
Her son Fred, however, "could just never get his act together." He lived right behind Ethel with his wife and 4 boys. It is said Ethel practically supported his wife and children while he was off doing things he shouldn't be doing. A tribute from one of her grandsons (Fred's son) reads: "A quiet demeanor, but a pleasant smile and a very Christian character. I remember such phrases such as 'A body might want to think on that.' That body would be ME. I appreciate that she stayed close despite Dad-Fred's abandonment."
She died at age 68 of colon cancer.
Ethel Northam Hufford (born April 9, 1889)
Ethel Northam — Graduation picture
Ethel (3rd from right on bench), husband John (to her right), daughter Evelyn (right end). Note: her hair is cut and she's wearing a necklace — quite the rebel!
Ethel sporting a stylish hat and wearing a necklace and earrings
John Milton Hufford — Graduation picture
Ethel at work at the hatchery
8. Chester 'Chet' Oliver Northam (born March 20, 1893)
Chester "Chet" Oliver Northam (born March 20, 1893) was a fiery redhead and the "wild child" of the family. Clarence idolized him, and so did Clarence's children!
Chet had a real talent with mechanical things and was drawn to cars. In early 1918, Chet joined the Air Corps and went overseas as a tail gunner — though he had really wanted to be a pilot. He was fascinated with airplanes.
After leaving the service in April 1919, he learned to fly, bought an Army Surplus Curtiss Jenny biplane, and started "barnstorming" — traveling to fairs doing stunts and taking people for rides. He was wonderful with Clarence's children: very soft-spoken, gentle and patient, helping them build little balsa wood planes.
There is a famous family story about the time Chet landed his plane in the field across from Clarence's house and offered to take the two oldest children for a ride (Rosemary, age 9, and Richard, age 6). It was a two-seater open cockpit biplane. The kids weren't scared at all — but their mother Hattie was terrified!
Unfortunately, the Depression hit and barnstorming stopped making money. Chet started drinking heavily — becoming, as Nan describes it, "an out-of-control roaring alcoholic." This was before AA, and he was heading toward a life on the street.
Then he met a woman named "Jo." Hattie Jeurushia "Jo" Andrews Northam turned him around completely. They married in 1934 — Chet was 20 years older than Jo. He sobered up before the wedding and stayed sober the rest of his life. They had a daughter, Shirley Ann Northam Singleton. Despite everything he had done to his body in his younger years, Chet lived to the age of 81.
Chester 'Chet' Oliver Northam (born March 20, 1893)
Chet working as a mechanic (he's the one in overalls standing by the hood)
Chet in early 1918 — joined the Air Corps
Chet went overseas as a tail gunner
Chet and his training plane
A Curtiss Jenny — the same model as Chet's barnstorming plane
Hattie Jeurushia "Jo" Andrews Northam — the woman who turned Chet's life around
Chet Northam
Chet and Jo's daughter Shirley Ann Northam Singleton
Shirley Ann Northam Singleton
Chet's small family
Chet's family
Chet's family
Chet got a job at the Chevy service center — he became known as the best body man in the area
Chet in later years
Chet in later years
9. Mary Lorena Northam Hester (born September 25, 1898)
Mary Lorena (Elizabeth) Northam Hester (born September 25, 1898) was the 7th daughter and 9th child of Job Walter and Amanda.
Her father sent her to a Wesleyan college, but it only lasted one semester — Mary wanted to get married, and she did! She married Everett W. Hester, nicknamed "Scratch," who was described as "a bit of a character — very nice, but a real jokester!" They had 3 children: John, Laura, and Phillip. John became a pharmacist, but tragically in his early 40s, he got divorced and moved back home — he had destroyed his life with drugs.
Mary was much more relaxed than her older sisters. She liked making fudge and having "wiener roasts." She also enjoyed drawing and was quite talented.
Mary lived to the remarkable age of 93. For several years she was the Northam "matriarch" with lots of nieces and nephews and their families. She once said she felt like she was "Aunt Mary to the world" — and she loved that. Mary and Clarence lived their entire lives less than a half mile apart.
Mary Lorena Northam Hester (born September 25, 1898) — she's on the right in the white blouse
Mary (on the right)
Everett W. Hester 'Scratch' — Mary's husband, known for being quite the jokester!
Everett 'Scratch' Hester
Scratch's parents — they don't look like jokesters, but they probably were
Mary Lorena Northam Hester
Mary Northam Hester
One of Mary's drawings — she was a talented artist
Another of Mary's drawings
Another of Mary's drawings
Mary Northam Hester in her later years
Clarence Walter Northam — 'Dingbat'
Clarence Walter Northam (born August 29, 1900) was the 10th and youngest child — maybe a little spoiled, but a wonderful man.
He attended School #9, skipped a grade (and despite being a year younger than his sister Mary, they graduated together). His mischievous nature earned him a legendary nickname: one Sunday after church, he was chasing around with friends and ran straight into the preacher, nearly knocking him over. The preacher, a bit irritated, called him a "Dingbat" — and the name stuck. Most everyone who knew him called him "Dingbat" or just "Ding" for short.
Clarence had a bit of a mischievous look about him, but nothing really bad — just a spirit of fun. He was passionate about football. Since the high school didn't have a team (not enough students), he and Chet joined a semi-pro team, the Arlington Athletic Club. They played in the same league as the Decatur Stanleys — starring George Halas, who later created the Chicago Bears! They played in hay fields after the hay had been gathered and made about $15 per game.
Clarence once told the story of being at the bottom of a pile, desperate to get the weight off him. He grabbed a clump of hay stubble and jammed it into the closest leg — only to realize it was his own leg.
It is said that 1921 may have been an eye-opener for Clarence. In May, the family home burned down. Then his father Job Walter — undoubtedly the most important man in his life — got terribly ill and died that fall. Clarence became the head of the household. After this, his perspective on life seemed to change.
Clarence Walter Northam (born August 29, 1900) — 10th child of 10
Clarence at School #9 — he's the one standing at the far right
Clarence — with a characteristically mischievous look!
Job Walter and Clarence in front of their house
Clarence (2nd from left, sitting cross-legged)
Clarence's High School basketball team — The Purple Breezes. Clarence is 2nd from the right.
Clarence's graduation picture from the yearbook
Only 10 people graduated in 1917 (printed for a 1968 alumni banquet, which is why it includes Mary's married name)
Arlington High School
History of the Arlington school
Clarence's High School Graduation Announcement
The Marines & Parris Island
Right after graduation, Clarence and some friends took a road trip to North Dakota — sparking his lifelong love of travel! That fall of 1917, both Mary and Clarence were enrolled at Houghton College. According to memoirs by Clarence's daughter Rosemary, it was probably Job Walter's idea — Mary wanted to get married and Clarence wanted to join the Marines.
It lasted only one semester. Mary got married the following summer, and on his 18th birthday, August 29th, 1918, Clarence joined the Marines. He trained at Parris Island, South Carolina. His goal was to be sent to Europe — but by the time he was trained and ready, WWI was nearly over. There was a shortage of wheat, so the troops ate nothing but grainy cornbread the entire time he was there. It was years before Clarence ate cornbread again.
Clarence was very proud to be part of a special military display at Parris Island, where he participated as part of the left wing. Because disease was rampant due to close quarters, soldiers were frequently quarantined. Clarence ended up quarantined, and since he wasn't able to go to Europe, he chose to leave. He received an honorable discharge, as he was needed at home to help with the farm.
Clarence (right) on a road trip right after graduation — they went all the way to North Dakota!
Mary & Clarence
Clarence and Mary before leaving for Houghton College
At Houghton College
Clarence with friends at college — Clarence is on the far right
Clarence joined the Marines on his 18th birthday, August 29, 1918
Clarence at Parris Island, S.C.
Basic training at Parris Island
At Parris Island
At Parris Island
At Parris Island
At Parris Island
At Parris Island
At Parris Island
At Parris Island
Clarence was very proud to be part of this military display — he participated as part of the left wing
Parris Island training facilities
Parris Island
Parris Island housing
A letter Clarence received from his girlfriend just before leaving Parris Island
Nina Moore & Clarence's Social Life
Before the Marines, Clarence had been seeing Nina Moore, a woman from Carthage, a small town about 8 miles north of Arlington. Nina was very different from most women Clarence knew — very outspoken, opinionated, and "a bit on the wild side." They had been an item for about 3 years. Eventually, Clarence started spending time in Shelbyville — about 15 miles south and much larger. There, he met a "shop girl" at Goodman's Department Store: Hattie LaRue Fessler.
Nina Moore
Nina Moore
Nina Moore
Nina Moore
Nina Moore
Nina Moore
Nina Moore
Nina Moore
Nina Moore
Nina Moore
Nina Moore
Nina Moore
Friends, Football & the Arlington Athletic Club
Clarence and friends — after the Marines he helped his father on the farm, and spent time with friends
Clarence and friends
Clarence and friends
Clarence and friends
Clarence and friends
Clarence and friends
The Arlington Athletic Club football team — Chet is 2nd from the right sitting on the ground; Clarence is 2nd from the right in the center row. They played in the same league as George Halas's team — which became the Chicago Bears!
A flyer advertising one of Clarence's football games
Old newspaper article about the football league — about a quarter of the way down the last column it mentions "Dingbat & Chet"
Hattie's Family — The Fesslers & Querys
Now we step back in time to learn about the family of Hattie LaRue Fessler — the woman who would become Clarence's wife. Her family story is just as rich and fascinating as the Northams', with threads reaching back through the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, and even the War of 1812.
The Fessler Side — Civil War Connections
Hattie's grandfather on her father's side was Daniel John Fessler (born September 24, 1827). He was a Union soldier from Pennsylvania in the Civil War, and one document specifically notes that he was wounded at Gettysburg. After the war, Daniel worked as a coal miner.
His son — Hattie's father — was Samuel Morris Fessler (born April 5, 1861). His birth certificate is in German! He was born in Pennsylvania in a very Lutheran, very German area. At age 26, he got married in Shelby County, Indiana — no one is quite sure when or why he came to Indiana. He may have wanted to avoid a life in the coal mines like his father.
Samuel attended the local Christian Church and opened a store — mainly ice cream and candy, with the children helping out. He would also travel to county fairs and festivals to sell ice cream. Samuel died at age 64 in December 1925 — just five days before his wife Indiana's 59th birthday.
Catherine Elizabeth Berger Fessler — wife of Daniel John Fessler (Civil War veteran)
Samuel Morris Fessler's birth certificate — written in German!
Indiana Fessler — Hattie's Mother
Samuel & Indiana Query Fessler
Ancestry record for Daniel John Fessler — Hattie's Grandfather (born September 24, 1827)
Civil War document — Daniel John Fessler, Union soldier from Pennsylvania
The Query Side — Revolutionary War Connections
Hattie's mother was Indiana Query Fessler (born December 17, 1866). The Query family has remarkable Revolutionary War and War of 1812 connections.
Hattie's 2nd great grandfather, George Daniel Query (born August 5, 1754), was living in Maryland and participated in the Revolutionary War.
His son, Daniel Boone Query (born June 20, 1793), served in the War of 1812. Pay stubs from his service have been preserved!
George Washington Query (born January 21, 1828) was Hattie's grandfather. He married Julia Ann Forsythe Query (born January 3, 1833). They had two daughters — Lucinda and Indiana (Hattie's mother).
Indiana Query Fessler was always a devoted mother and wife. After Samuel's death, she lived in a modest house with no modern conveniences — electricity for lights only, no telephone, and she didn't drive. She loved to write letters, read the newspaper, and clip out articles. She occasionally traveled by train to visit family in Danville, Illinois. One of her favorite treats was a "Pineapple Ice Cream Sundae," and her grandchildren loved her player piano.
Indiana kept diaries most of her life. In her later years her mind faded; she moved between family members' homes. Hattie's granddaughter Rosemary once found this written in Indiana's diary: "To me the saddest thing in the world is to be old and not to have a 'place' in the world and to feel you're not wanted or needed."
Indiana died of pneumonia in March 1953.
George Washington Query — Hattie's Grandfather
Julia Ann Forsythe Query — Hattie's Grandmother
A gathering of Query women — Hattie is on the far right
Maurice, Hattie & Harry Fessler
Indiana Query Fessler (left) with her niece Daisy (right)
Two of George and Julia's daughters — Della (standing) and Daisy
Indiana Query Fessler — Hattie's Mother (this portrait hangs on Nan's wall, and Nan wears her wedding ring)
Indiana's diary — 1948 entry (mentions a visit from Richard, Phyllis, Stevie, Hattie & Ding, and a card from Rosemary about the birth of her daughter Linnea)
Indiana's diary — 1949 entry (her confusion begins to show, with repeated thoughts and random entries)
Indiana Query Fessler in her later years
The Query/Quirin family story of coming to America — includes the Query Coat of Arms (3 pages)
Ancestry record for George Daniel Query (born August 5, 1754) — Revolutionary War veteran
Ancestry record for George Washington Query (born January 21, 1828) — Hattie's Grandfather
Hattie's Siblings
Samuel and Indiana had four children:
George Daniel Fessler (born November 18, 1889) didn't take after his father — he became the local barber and lived his entire life in Shelby County, with his wife Freda Faye Marshall Fessler.
Harry Fessler (born April 23, 1892) and his wife Elma Mamie Gahimer Fessler had one daughter. He died at 50 from heart problems.
Maurice Samuel Fessler (born June 2, 1898) entered WWI in 1918. He contracted a terrible case of influenza and nearly died. After recovering, he went to college briefly and got his teaching credentials. He moved to New Castle (~40 miles north) and taught there the rest of his life.
And then there was Hattie — the youngest and only daughter. She might have been a bit spoiled, but she was a very good child who loved school.
The Fessler family
The Fessler family
The Fessler family
The Fessler family
George Daniel Fessler (born November 18, 1889) — Hattie's oldest brother
George with his wife Freda Faye Marshall Fessler
Harry Fessler (born April 23, 1892) and wife Elma Mamie Gahimer Fessler
Maurice Samuel Fessler (born June 2, 1898)
Samuel Fessler and family at the Shelby County Fair, ~1915 — (Left to right) sons Harry, Maurice, George with daughter Jeanette, Samuel, Indiana & George's wife Faye with daughter Neva
Indiana & Jeanette Fessler getting ready to go to a county fair, ~1923
Hattie LaRue Fessler
Hattie LaRue Fessler (born September 13, 1900) was their youngest and only daughter — perhaps a bit spoiled, but she was a very good child. She loved school and was an excellent student, earning only A's throughout High School.
She grew up in the small town of Blue Ridge, south of Arlington. Her father owned an ice cream and candy store — quite different from farm life.
As soon as she graduated, Hattie was determined to be a teacher. Rather than attending college, she took a summer course, then passed a state-mandated test to qualify for a one-year teacher's license. (The license says "Harriet Fessler" — like many teenagers, Hattie didn't like her name and called herself Harriet for a while!)
In 1919, "Harriet" got a job at a one-room school nearby. She had to drive a horse and buggy to and from school each day. Once there, she had to take care of the horse — and then start the fire, sweep, and dust before the children arrived. Hattie had grown up in town. She was decidedly not the outdoorsy type. She did it without complaining — but she did not enjoy it.
The school year ended and she did not renew her license. She moved to Shelbyville, got a job at Goodman's Department Store — something she was much more comfortable doing. She lived with roommates, enjoyed life, and dated. Then she met a boy named Clarence "Dingbat" Northam.
Clarence once took her fishing. As Nan puts it: "Doesn't everyone wear heels when they go fishing???" Despite the fishing date, she still married him on September 16th, 1922.
Hattie LaRue Fessler (born September 13, 1900)
Hattie Fessler
Hattie Fessler
Hattie Fessler
Hattie Fessler
Hattie Fessler
Hattie Fessler
The one-room school at Blue Ridge — Hattie is the little blonde in the lower left corner
Hattie's 8th grade graduation — she's second from the left in the front row
Hattie's High School graduation — she's in the very center with glasses
"Harriet" Fessler — official teachers' photo
The Gahimer school where Hattie taught — she drove a horse and buggy every day
Hattie with her school children — she enjoyed the kids and the actual teaching
Hattie with her school children
Hattie Fessler — after moving to Shelbyville
Hattie and friends
Hattie with roommates in Shelbyville
Hattie's teacher's license (notice it says 'Harriet Fessler' — she went through a phase!)
Hattie's teacher's license (copy)
Rules for Teachers adopted by the state in 1915 — rules Hattie had to follow
Clarence took Hattie fishing — she's wearing heels!
Hattie's old boyfriend before Clarence
Hattie with friends
Hattie with friends
Hattie with friends
Hattie with friends
Hattie with friends
Hattie (after a swim!)
September 16, 1922 — The Wedding
On September 16th, 1922, Clarence Walter Northam and Hattie LaRue Fessler were married.
He was a mischievous farm boy from Arlington turned Marine, football player, and aspiring traveler. She was an ice-cream shopkeeper's daughter, a reluctant schoolteacher, and a department store girl who wore heels to go fishing.
Together, they became Clarence and Hattie Northam — grandparents of the person who compiled this wonderful presentation. And going to their house, as Nan says, "was one of the very best memories of my childhood!"
This concludes Part 1 of the Northam Family History, compiled with love by Nan.