Brown-Crocker

Jesse Cleveland Kettells and Matilda Mierendorf were married in Boston, MA on June 28, 1910, with their friends George and Ethel Buckland as their witnesses. Dad was a salesman for the American Tobacco Company, and was transferred to New Haven, CT. Their first child, Eloise Julia was born on May 20, 1912. Their second child, Durward Walter was born on February 16, 1914 and on March 21, 1916 their third child, Richard Warren, who has always been called Warren, was born.

The family then moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where Dad soon became affiliated with the J.A. Sexauer Plumbing and Heating Company as a salesman. It was here that their fourth child, Norma Grace, was born on May 24, 1919.

The family next moved to Memphis, Tennessee in about 1926, as Dad had bought a half interest in the Simpson Plumbing and Heating Company. We bought a home with seven acres of land near Memphis, in a town call Buntyn, but Dad became dissatisfied with the business, and sold his interest plus our home, and he bought stock in a new plumbing and heating supply company being formed by friends, which was called 'Crest Manufacturing Co.' and we moved to West Roxbury, MA, a suburb of Boston. Shorthly before the birth of their fifth child, Robert George, on November 11, 1927. Dad continued to work as a salesman, and with the company growing, he took over a new territory in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, so we moved to Auburn, Maine in 1928.

Dad had transferred to the Wolverine Brass Works of Grand Rapids, MI, and when they opened a branch office and supply depot in New York City, Dad was placed in charge, and we moved to East Orange, NJ. Dad commuted to New York on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The depression of 1930-1932 caused the company to close the branch office, and Dad returned to the road as a salesman. Things were quite hard, and we moved to Orange, NJ where the rent was cheaper.

In 1932 Dad assumed the Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Delaware territory and the family moved to Frederick, Md. Eloise remained in NJ working for the Prudential Insurance Company. I moved to the Brooklyn, NY YMCA and worked for the Liggett and Myers Tobacco Co., where our friend 'Uncle George' Buckland was in charge of the advertising depot.

We had always talked of living on a farm, so in the spring of 1933, I returned to the family and we rented a farm near Frederick in a section called Daysville. We were unable to make a go of it, due to a lack of capital and inexperience. We had a good life though, but sold out on March 9, 1939 at which time we were on a farm near Creagerstown, in Frederick County. Warren had married and moved away, Norma was already married and lived in Baltimore and Eloise was still in New Jersey. I was married in the summer of 1939, so Bobby was the only one left at home.

During the War, Dad worked for the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Co., near Baltimore, and they moved to that area for the duration. When the War ended the folks returned to their home in Walkersville. We were often together, especially at Christmas time, when everyone gathered at the house for a great time. Many, many gifts were exchanged, and Mom prepared a tremendous dinner.

This all came to an end on September 14, 1959 when Mom died, and things were never the same again.

Dad was naturally lonesome, but to our surprise, in June 1960 he married Eunice Gerlack, an old friend of the family from Boston, who also had been widowed. They were good for each other and were happy together, until Dad suddenly died on March 13, 1961. Mom and Dad are buried side by side in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, Md. Eunice was cared for until she died and she is buried in Massachusetts with her first husband, Harold.

Durward W. Kettells

Family "Historian"