Annis and Orland, Venus and Mars

One of my favorite family jokes, which always falls flat, is "Grandpa was from Mars, Grandma was from Venus." My children smile uncertainly. The grandkids look confused.

"Don't you remember the book that was all the craze a few years ago? Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus?"

Blank stares. Finally somebody will say, "Oh. Ha-ha."

Mars and Venus are both ghost towns now. Annis Hubbard's mother Jane took a homestead in Venus in 1886. Orland Carver's family moved to nearby Mars a few years before that, in 1877. Venus is marked on the map below. Mars is just a little bit southeast, in Royal. (If Royal doesn't show up, make the map a little larger by clicking on the "+" sign.)

Grandpa

Orland William Carver Sr. was born in Wisconsin on Nov 20, 1869. We've heard he was born in Janesville, but La Valle, Sauk County, Wisconsin seems more likely based on the family's location in 1870. His parents were Cyrus Hoyt Carver and Mary Jennette Allen.

Grandpa was the youngest of eight children: Seven boys and one girl. My father thought the girl's name might be Nettie; however, an unknown person on Familysearch.org has it listed as Roxy. This girl died at age 11. All of the boys lived to adulthood. They were: Dorr, Orin, Loren, Oliver, Donley, Barton and Orland.

Notes on spelling: Mary's middle name may have been spelled Jeanette, Jenet, Janet, or Jennette. Dorr's name has been spelled Dorr, Dor, and Door and in one record, David. Donley has also been spelled Donaley.

The family moved from Wisconsin to Nebraska with a group of other settlers. Among them was a man named Samuel Haskin, who appears to have been a close family friend. The Haskins and Carvers took homesteads near each other.

As they reached adulthood, some of the Carver boys also took homesteads in the Mars area, Grandpa included. Homesteading in Nebraska was not an easy life for any of these families, and over the years many moved away.

Grandpa and ? and Alta, maybe

My dad's early notes say that Grandpa's first marriage was to Grandma, but later he updated those notes to indicate a previous marriage to an unknown lady, and that they had one daughter named Alta. I haven't found any information about this marriage or child.

Grandpa and Grandma

I haven't seen any confirmed photos of Grandpa. Dad describes him as stocky, white, medium height, brown hair, blue eyes. Good luck getting a sketch artist to draw that for you! But since I don't have a likeness of his face, I'm going to show you the next best thing, a photo of his handwriting.

This is from Florence Sholes' marriage license. I think it says something like, ”I give my consent Miss Florence and Mr Carey to be married. Orland W. Carver.”  Since the sides are cut off and his handwriting is not quite as pretty as Dad's, it is hard to decipher. Below that is Grandma's handwriting.

We don't have any family stories about how Grandpa and Grandma met, but here is my theory. One of the Haskin girls, Mercedes, married Grandma’s brother, Edmund Hubbard. I imagine that at some point Annis came by to visit her brother, and there was Orland, neighbor man, with his keen good looks and stunning penmanship.

Maybe they met at one of those dances the Carvers liked to host. He winked. She blushed. They danced. And then they got married, proving once and for all that poor Grandma's man-picker was in serious need of repair.

I want to say good things about Grandpa, I really do. Here are some things.

• He used to rock the kids to sleep and sing them hymns.
• He fathered children who grew up to be good people.
• My father loved him.
• Without him, I would not exist.

OK. That's all I've got. I'm just not sure what was going on with him, but it seems like life started out well enough but went downhill over the years. Whatever was wrong, Grandpa, I'm sorry for you and wish your life had been better. More than that, I'm sorry for your family.

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Florence Sholes and Clarence Carey

Updated 6/21/18 to include Census and Draft Registration Information

As mentioned previously, Annis Hubbard and Charles Sholes had one daughter, Florence Octavia Sholes, born on December 31, 1890. I don't know how much time she spent with her biological father. Chances are she didn't know him, but that is conjecture.

• Her parents were married in 1889, and Annis filed for divorce in 1895. 
• The divorce papers say that Charles had been gone for more than five years, I think. The handwriting gets really hard to decipher. 
• Florence was 6 at the time the divorce was filed.

April 1906 -- O'Neill, Nebraska
At age 16 Florence married a 27-year-old from Iowa named Clarence Dean Carey. Don't lose track of Uncle Clarence. He just keeps showing up in this family. We name a Carver boy after him. We marry him, twice. And we have a lot of children with him.

May 1910 – Washington, Knox, Nebraska 
The census shows the family living in Washington, Knox, Nebraska.

1910; Census Place: Washington, Knox, Nebraska; Roll: T624_849; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0127; Image: 918; FHL Number: 1374862.

Name:	Clarence D Carey
Age in 1910:	31
Birth Year:	1879
Birthplace:	Iowa
Home in 1910:	Washington, Knox, Nebraska
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital Status:	Married
Spouse's Name:	Florence Carey
Father's Birthplace:	Iowa
Mother's Birthplace:	Germany
Household Members:	Name Age Clarence D Carey 31 Florence Carey 19 Laverne Carey 3 Esther Carey 1

Jan 1920 – Mullen, Boyd, Nebraska
By 1920 the family has moved to Mullen, Boyd, Nebraska. This is about 16 miles east of Spencer, where Orland and Annis are living in 1910.

1920; Census Place: Mullen, Boyd, Nebraska; Roll: T625_980; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 25; Image: 524.

Name / Age / Birth Year:	Clarence D Carey / 40 / abt 1880
Birthplace:	Iowa
Home in 1920:	Mullen, Boyd, Nebraska
Race / Gender:	White / Male
Marital Status / Spouse	Married / Florence O Carey
Household Members:	Name Age Clarence D Carey 40 Florence O Carey 30 William L Carey 12 Esther I Carey 11 Marvin E Carey 9 Richard H Carey 7 Harold E Carey 5 Louie G Carey 3 8/12 Mable M Carey 1 4/12  Ida G Carey 0 4/12

Sept 1918 – Bristow, Boyd, Nebraska
Per Clarence’s WWI draft registration, the family is in Bristow, Boyd, Nebraska, where Clarence is farming.

May 1921 -- Florence dies in Bristow
I feel like Aunt Florence was probably exhausted all of the time. She had nine kids in 14 years. Shortly after the birth of child number nine, on May 22, 1921, she died of peritonitis.

After her death, Clarence and the children went to stay with Annis and her second husband, Orland Carver, in Norfolk, Nebraska. They put up a tent in the back yard and camped out while Clarence tried to figure out what to do.

It must have been very hard for a low-income farmer/laborer with that many children to figure out how to care for them and make a living at the same time. Annis helped, but she was not in good health. Some of the children ended up in foster care or were adopted out.

From Dad's Journal

Here is an excerpt from my father's journal about this family.

"Florence had died at the age of thirty-three or thirty-four, at the birth of her ninth child. I could scarcely believe it -- nine children in fourteen years.

"Eleven days later, a 1914 Overland full of Careys came to a halt in our driveway. The kids probably didn't pile out according to age; and I'm not too sure whether fourteen-year-old William LaVern was even along. I think he probably came later by bus or train.

"Be that as it may, twelve-year-old Esther was there. A pretty child she was, and almost petite. She had probably been holding the baby during the ride, although ten-year-old Marvin or eight-year-old Richard could have -- or perhaps even seven-year-old Harold. However, it would hardly have been wise to delegate this chore to five-year-old Louis Gustave (Gussy), four-year-old Mabel, or two-year-old Ida Grace, known to us as Gracie.

"Esther and Dick could have passed for twins, had he been big enough. The rest of the family had lighter colored hair -- more on the brownish order -- and it wasn't wavy like Esther's and Dick's. Neither was Vern's. As for that tiny bundle they called "Clareton" (Clareton Lee) I just couldn't tell whom he looked like. I remember well, however, that Clarence, his father, took Clareton from Esther's arms, carried him to my mother, who stood waiting in the doorway of our three-room house, and placed him in her arms.

"'Here Grandma', he said smiling, 'take him. He's yours.'

Dad goes on to explain that between the Carvers and Careys, there were 16 people in a three-room house. Dad and his brother Ashton were already sleeping out back in a tent due to lack of room. The solution? Grandpa and Clarence emptied out the tent and created double bunk beds (full sized beds that several children could cram into at once.)

"Poor Mom! Can you imagine a sick person managing a home with so many children in it? I don't know how she managed to cook for such a gang, even with the help of Esther and Sina. Drainboards? Sinks? Faucets? Not in our house. We simply washed in one dishpan, rinsed in another, and somehow stacked the dishes on the table to drain.

"The family made do like this most of the summer, until Clarence Carey found a house for rent. Eventually the government stepped in and put several of his children in fostor homes, much to his distress. The baby, however, stayed with Grandma.

"When Grandma was hospitalized, Sina quit school to watch Clareton. She did her best to care for him, but after Grandma died and Grandpa left home, it was more than she could do."

I'm not sure of the timing of all of this. Grandma died in 1925 but I don't know when she was hospitalized. Dad's sister Sina Belle Carver would have been about 14 when Florence died and 17 when Annis died. Eventually Sina married Clarence, but that's a story for another time.

The Carey Children 

William Lavern (Vern) Carey 1907
I see Vern in the Nebraska area and unmarried in the 1940 census, nothing after that and haven't located any family members.

Esther Irene Carey 1909-1999
Esther helped to raise Clarence's second set of children, if I understand correctly.

Marvin Eldon Carey 1910-2002
Marvin moved to Portland, Oregon. My dad used to go visit him occasionally. I think. Or maybe that was Gus.

Richard H Carey 1913-1943
Richard died fighting in World War II. He is buried in Carthage, Tunisia. He was a private in the 26th Infantry 1st Division.

Harold E Carey (Beed) 1915

Louis Gustav (Gus) Carey 1916-2007
Gus also lived in or visited Portland at some point, at least this is what my vague childhood memory tells me.

Mable Mae Carey (Beed) 1919

Ida Grace Carey (Rowlette) 1920
Ida Grace or possibly Grace L. Uncertain. Her name may have changed when adopted.

Clareton Lee "Buddy" Carey (Rowlette) 1921
As an adult it appears his name is spelled Clair.

After Florence died, Harold and Mable were adopted by the Beed family. Grace and Buddy were adopted by the Rowlette family. I don't know too much more about them at this point but hope to hear more from Carey cousins in the future.

Notes:
The above excerpt from my father's journal is also published in the book "Journal of a Not-So-Perfect Daughter", Chapter 7 "Twisted Trees". Author Nancy Carver Abbott. Publisher Pacific Press Publishing Association. Originally published 1998. Kindle ebook published 2013.

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Books by D. R. Haskin

Dick Haskin is the great, great grandson of Samuel J. Haskin, who was Great Grandpa Cyrus Hoyt Carver's neighbor in Nebraska. They both came to Nebraska from Wisconsin along with a group of other settlers, and in subsequent generations the Carvers and Haskins are tied together via the Hubbard clan. (We conjecture there may have been some Haskin relationships up the line as well, but we haven't been able to pin them down. Conjecture is fun, though.)

Dick lives on the Haskin homestead and has written some books about the history of the area. Cyrus Carver's family is mentioned occasionally in these books. (They build caskets and host dances.) Carver and Hubbard/Haskin family reunions are held on Dick's property (he has set up a campground) and at these reunions he gives tours of where the Carver dugouts and property used to be, the creek, the cemetery, location of the store, and so forth.

Titles: See Dick's Books on Amazon: D. R. Haskin
Surnames: Haskin, Hubbard, Carver, others who lived in the area

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The Carver Family of New England

This book is the most comprehensive I've seen for Carver generations going back to Robert. In the case of my line, it covers Robert down through Oliver. It must have taken a long time to compile.

That being said, it is not perfect. He was working with what he had. He listed two of Oliver’s kids, left two out, and added one (John G. Carver) as a “possibility” that I rather doubt, based on Oliver’s will.

If you can find a copy, it is well worth checking out.

Note: if you have a library card with online access, check the online databases for HeritageQuest. They have an electronic copy of the book. You can also check it out from internetarchives.com (Link below)

Title: The Carver Family of New England 
Author: Clifford Nickles Carver 
Surnames: Carver

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Sally Carlson Family History

Sally is a descendant of Cyrus Hoyt Carver. Cyrus is my great-grandfather: Orland William Carver Jr --> Orland William Carver Sr --> Cyrus Hoyt Carver.

Her website has some excellent photos and family information. In particular, look for pictures of the Carver dugouts and headstones. The family moved from Wisconsin to Nebraska in 1877. The dugouts were the homes that my great uncles lived in while they were helping to build the main house on the homestead in Nebraska.

Title: Sally Carlson Family History 
Surnames: Carver, and in the future possibly Hubbard, Parks, Allen

Plus family lines from other parts of Sally's tree.

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Journal of a Not-so-perfect Daughter

Written in 1996-7, this covers my father's family of origin and includes stories from his journals. If I were writing it now, it would be a completely different book, but isn't that how life always works? 

The ebook version is OK. I wish they had done a better job of editing, particularly in the spots where we switch back and forth between my words and Dad's journal entries, but I'm grateful that they decided to create an ebook.

There are also used paperback copies for about 37 cents, and if you are one of my cousins, send email. I have some in a box in my closet. Free to you, but I need your address. (Valid while supplies last, the next 30 years or so.)  

Note: If you asked me years ago and got no answer, try again.

Title: Journal of a Not-So-Perfect Daughter

Author: Nancy Carver Abbott

Surnames: Carver, Olson, Carey, Park/Parks, Sholes

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Annis Hubbard, Before Orland

Excerpt from journal of Orland William Carver Jr. Portland, Oregon, 1976.

My grandmother, Annis Loiza Hubbard, was born in Vermont in 1869. Her parents were Edmund Wilmot Hubbard Sr. and Cynthia Jane Parks (who went by Jane.) Grandma had two brothers, Edmund Wilmot Hubbard Jr. and Arthur Parks Hubbard. 

Note: My father always spelled her middle name Loiza, with a z. On her birth record it is spelled Loisa, with an s. 

Jane moved the family to Nebraska in 1886, when Annis was 17. By this time Edmund Sr. had passed away, and some of Jane's sisters had already made the move to a place called Venus, Nebraska. If you look on a map, this is just a few miles north of Orchard, near Walnut Grove.

Here is a photo of Grandma. Dad thought she was about four in this picture. I love the Little House in the Big Woods curls, and that serious face. She looks so young and so old, all at once.

Annis Loiza Hubbard, about 1873

This is the only other photo I've ever seen, with her brothers. From what I can gather, Annis was also called Annie. Edmund went by Ed. And Arthur? My dad's generation called him "Uncle P".'

Edmund, Annis, Arthur Hubbard. Before 1925. Probably Nebraska.

We aren't sure when this picture was taken. Grandma died in 1925, so obviously before that. According to those who remember him, Uncle P's idea of dressing up was a clean white shirt and a fresh pair of bib overalls, so this must have been an important event, since he is in a suit.

• Their mother died in 1897, and this looks later than that, so I don't think it's her funeral.
• Is the car a Model T? I'm not a car expert. Model T production started in 1908. This car looks well used, though, not new.
• Grandma’s outfit looks like internet photos of women's wear in the 1910s. But that spans a number of years.
• Best guesses: 1914 for Great Grandpa Cyrus Carver's funeral or 1916 when Annis and family returned to Nebraska for a visit.

Annis Hubbard and Charles Sholes

Grandma married Charles Sholes in Sherman Township, Antelope County, Nebraska on October 9, 1889. She was 20. He was 26.

Somewhere along the way Charles left, and in 1895 Annis filed for divorce on grounds of desertion, and also because he was a man of vicious and vulgar habits. At least that's what the divorce petition says. It may just be something lawyers always put in their paperwork, though. When you hear the memories of Charles' descendants from his 2nd marriage, he is described as loving, gentle, and soft spoken. It’s hard to look back and tell exactly what happened 115 years ago. My father said that the only thing he ever heard Grandma say about Charles was, "We went our separate ways."

One thing that's not hard to tell, he was handsome. Here is a photo, courtesy of his great-granddaughter Sandy Dempsey. The exact date of the photo isn't known, but it's safe to say he looked something like this when he met Grandma.

Charles Eugene Sholes. Est age 21. About 1883. Independence, Iowa.
Courtesy of Sandy Dempsey

Charles was born in Buchanan County, Iowa on May 24, 1862. His parents were Elijah W. Sholes and Sarah Root. This family was still in Iowa in 1880, but by 1885 they are in Verdigris Precinct, Knox County, Nebraska. 

Annis and Charles had one daughter together, Florence Octavia Sholes. Florence was born December 31, 890 in Venus, Knox, Nebraska.
31 DEC 1890 • Venus, Knox, 

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Bill Carver's Journal

Most of my Carver and Hubbard family stories come from my father, Orland William Carver Jr.
After he retired in 1976 he wrote a journal, or really it was more like a book draft with multiple revisions.

He wrote longhand, Palmer method, with ballpoint pens, on college-ruled spiral-bound notebooks. I'm working now to get them all scanned to digital format, because the ballpoint pen is fading fast.

Some of his wording is not entirely politically correct, but it was correct for his time. He grew up in a poor white family near the beginning of the century, and race relations between poor whites and poor people of color were often not good during those times. He doesn't mention this often in his stories, but it does come up occasionally.

Dad researched his topic and interviewed as many family members as he could. He clearly states that he doesn't know exactly where his family was when he was little, particularly during the years when they moved around a lot. He knew where they stayed for periods of time, but not necessarily when. He also remembered or had heard stories about specific incidents, but he didn't always know which incident happened in which location.

He continued to write and revise for 15 years, until his hand became so shaky that he had trouble keeping the pen on the page. Sometimes he wrote multiple versions of certain stories, and the only way I could tell which version was the most recent was by the handwriting. Really shaky? Must be recent.

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