Henrietta Karnes Truby

Henrietta Karnes Truby
born:  Nov 16, 1860 - Fertigs, Venango County, Ohio
died:  Feb 6, 1923 - Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio

Henrietta was the wife of John Calvin Truby and the mother of Ula Jacob Truby, whom we consider to be the head of our collective family.  She was the daughter of Jacob Karnes and Frances "Fanny" Stewart.  It is through Henrietta's paternal line that we are related to President Barack Obama (for those of you who wish to claim bragging rights).

 

Henrietta was married to John Truby about 1881 and they were the parents of:  Emmett Andrew, Hazel O, Jacob Eula, Fern A, Lyman Irvin/Isaac, Gilbert, Mabel Inez and two children who died in infancy prior to 1900 that I have been unable to find.  Her married life was pretty much contained within John Truby's post, however, through reading of her death, we learn that she was well respected in the community in her own right.  She was religious and attended the Church of Christ in Tiffin.
 

The circumstances of her death were such that they deserve an entire post dedicated to just that as her death closely intertwines with her daughter, Fern.  Henrietta passed away from lobar pneumonia due to influenza which she contracted while taking care of her daughter, Fern.  You'll see on her death certificate that it even states she contracted the illness "at the home of her daughter" which must have weighed heavily on Fern when she learned of her mother's death.

 

First, let me give you a quick overview of the Truby families while they were living in Tiffin.  See map below.

 

1920:

21 Minerva St - John C, Henrietta, Hazel and Lyman Truby as well as Thomas, Fern, Earl and Ralph Ashton

38 Liberty St - Ula, Ethel, Dalton, Norman, Henrietta, Walter and Lillian Truby
    *  John Truby dies in the Toledo State Hospital for the Insane nine months after the census is taken.  Fern and Tom Ashton moved between 1920 and 1923 to 22 Jackson St.

1930:
149 W Davis St - Lyman and Flossie Truby  

    *John and Henrietta Truby as well as their daughter, Fern, have passed away.  Hazel is in the Toledo State Hospital for the Insane where she dies two months and six days after the census is taken.  Ula and Ethel have moved to Lake Township, Wood County, Ohio.  Fern's husband and children have moved to Green Creek, Sandusky County, Ohio. 

I'm going to pretty much let the death certificate and newspaper articles speak for themselves. 

Tiffin Tribune  - Feb 7, 1923

Tiffin Tribune  - Feb 10, 1923

Tiffin Tribune - Feb 13, 1923

News-Herald (Franklin PA) - Feb 14, 1923

Family plot at Fairmont Cemetery in Tiffin OH

John's date of death is incorrect and should be 1920.  John is actually buried in Fertigs Cemetery in PA and not in the family plot which was purchased in 1923 by Ula Truby and Tom Ashton.  Hazel died in 1930 and she is buried in the family plot, however, the marker was never engraved to include her date of death.

 

Children of David and Mary Truby - Clara

Clara L Truby
born:  Mar 28, 1874  -  Rockmere, Venango County, Pennsylvania
died:  Jan 24, 1951  -  Oil City, Venango County, Pennsylvania

Clara was the 10th and last child of David and Mary Bortz Truby.  Clara lived at home with her mother until Mary's death in 1900, we can assume, caring for her mother.  As was the custom at the time, marriage was the next step for Clara as occupations for women were very limited.

On June 5, 1901, at the age of 27, Clara was married to Willard Cecil Ball, a 42-year-old widower.  He was the son of William Wallace Ball and Emeline Adele Wells and was born June 25, 1852 in Newtown, Forest County, Pennsylvania.  His first wife, Ida Sarah DeMang Ball, had passed away Aug 22, 1895.  It does not appear that Willard had any children with either Sarah or Clara.   

Clara Truby Ball  -  sister of John C Truby

 

Willard was also a first cousin twice removed to the actress Lucille Desiree Ball of "I Love Lucy" fame.  Lucy was born in Celeron, Chautauqua County, New York. Clara most probably knew Lucy as a child since Lucy was 11 years old at the time of Willard's death on Apr 9, 1922 in Stow, Chautauqua County, New York.  Celeron and Stow are a mere nine miles apart.

After Willard's death, Clara moved back to Oil City and apparently worked as an "agent" along with George B McCollum.  It is unclear whether George owned a real estate agency or was merely another agent working with Clara.  Clara and George were married on Mar 19, 1928 in Erie PA.  They appear to be living at the same address in Oil City, although I suppose this could have been the address of the real estate agency, if it was owned by George.  

 

 

After their wedding, Clara and George moved to Erie PA.  It appears that they lived a life of retirement as neither the 1930 nor the 1940 census shows an occupation for either of them.  A 1951 City Directory also shows no occupation for them.  In 1930, they were boarding in the home of John and Rose Million.  But in 1940 they are living in Cranberry Twp, Venango Co in a home which they own.  This census indicates that Clara has only completed 2nd grade which is not at all unusual for a woman of her generation.  In 1951 they are living at 105 Wilson Ave in Oil City.

 

Clara passed away in Oil City Hospital from arteriosclerotic heart disease.  She is buried with her husband, George, at Sunset Hill Memorial Gardens in Cranberry PA.  

 



 

The Blizzard (Oil City PA)  -  Jan 24, 1951

The Blizzard (Oil City PA)  -  Jan 27, 1951

 

George B McCollum, the son of Jonathan McCollum and Maria Renwick, was born June 8, 1874 and died Sept 15, 1967.

     

   News-Herald - Sept 18, 1967                     News-Herald - Sept 20, 1967

 

 















Children of David and Mary Truby - Etta and Laura

Henrietta "Etta" Truby
born:  Aug 1, 1865  -  Pennsylvania
died:  Feb 12, 1934  -  Oil City, Venango County, Pennsylvania

Laura Truby
born:  Nov 1869  -  Cranberry Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania
died:  1871-1873  -  Cranberry Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania

Etta was the 8th child of David and Mary Bortz Truby.  She was married to Thomas J Kane about 1894.  He was born Dec 5, 1864 and died Mar 14, 1927.  They were both 30-ish when they married and I haven't found any children for them so I don't believe there were any children from this marriage.   Thomas died from splenomedullary leukemia due to influenza and is buried at St Joseph Cemetery in Oil City.  Etta died from diabetes melitose and myocardio degeneration.  She is buried at Grove Hill Cemetery in Oil City.  The two cemeteries are side by side.


       Oil City Derrick  -  Mar 16, 1927

                         
                   
                                                           News Herald  -  Feb 13, 1934



Laura Truby was the 9th child of David and Mary Bortz Truby.  She appears on the 1870 census as a 6 month old baby.  The 1870 census was taken as of June 1, 1870 so she was most likely born near the very end of November, 1869 or possibly the very beginning of December.  The grave marker shows that Laura was born in 1871 and died in 1873.  Since she appears on the 1870 census obviously the 1871 birthdate is incorrect.  I believe that she probably died in 1871 as a two year old.  Since the marker was not erected until after Mary's death in 1900, I think that someone remembered 1871 and that Laura was two years old and therefore incorrectly put 1871-1873 on the marker.

Children of David and Mary Truby - Maggie

Margaret Catherine "Maggie" Truby
born:  about 1865 - Rockmere, Venango County, Pennsylvania
died:  27 Sept 1925 - Warren, Warren County, Pennsylvania

Maggie was the 7th child of David and Mary Bortz Truby.  She was married to James Bert Manross (Sept 5, 1860-Mar 22, 1927).  He was the son of James Northrup Manross and his second wife, Olive Manson/Munson.  James Northrup was a pioneer in Venango County who married three times and had 17 children. 

  obituary of Maggie's father-in-law, James Northrup Manross

 

James Bert Manross, Maggie's husband, was in the oil industry and traveled widely for his work.  That may be part of the reason she divorced him in June of 1918.  However, Maggie did not remarry and his death certificate lists her as his wife, so I believe she is the widow referred to in his obituary even though he was living with their daughter. 



Warren Times Mirror - June 24, 1918



News-Herald - Wednesday Mar 23, 1927

 

James Bert Manross and Margaret Catherine Truby were the parents of:

1.  Mary E "Marie" (b Feb 22, 1885) married Jacob Weber (Mar 20, 1878-Dec 4, 1926) on Aug 21, 1912 in Erie Co PA.  He committed suicide by drinking carbolic acid.  I don't believe they had any children together. 

  

 

Warren Tribune - Dec 6, 1926

This article is about two separate incidents.  Anna Forhmeyer is not Jacob's wife, Mary, whose name is not mentioned in the article.

 

Mary then married Henry Warnhouse on May 30, 1927 in Chautauqua Co NY.  It was her second and his third marriage.  They were 42 and 50 respectively at the time of their marriage.

 2.  Bert Daniel (Aug 21, 1887-July 22, 1954) married to Faye Muriel Dundas (1901-1994).  He died in Simco County, Ontario, Canada from a cerebral hemorrhage secondary to hypertension.  Bert and Faye were the parents of:

     Norman C (abt 1922)
     June Macey (abt 1926) married to Manuel Paul Nunes.  They were the parents of:  Judy (Marino), Cheryl (James Bemin), Karen (Patrick Feron) and Kim.
     Irma Margaret (Krill) (abt 1927)

      Jeanne (Taylor)
     Linda (Woinelowicz)
     Chuck

3.  Mildred Ellen (June 29, 1889-Mary 13, 1966) married to Frank L Iseman (1883-1974) on May 29, 1908 in Warren Co PA.  They were the parents of:
     Frank L Jr
     William "Billie" (b Mar 27, 1913)
     Gordon J (Apr 18, 1915-Aug 27, 2006)
Mildred divorced Frank Iseman on Nov 1, 1937 and left for California the very next day.  She lived in California until her death in 1966.  She apparently was very adamant when she said she was through with Frank Iseman.

Warren Times Mirror  -  Nov 1, 1937

Warren Times Mirror  -  Nov 2, 1937

Daily Independent Journal (San Rafael, California)  -  May 16, 1966

     

Maggie Truby Manross died on Sept 27, 1933 in Warren, Warren Co PA at the age of 68.

 News-Herald (Franklin PA)  -  Sept 28, 1933

Warren Times Mirror  -  Oct 2, 1933