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HISTORY OF "THIS" TUBBS FAMILY
On November 24, 1803 Jeremiah Tubbs married Sybil Odell, daughter of
Nathaniel Odell and grandaughter of Augustine Odell, early settlers of
Queensbury, NY. In 1814 Jeremiah bought 125 acres in the Harrrisena section
from Thomas and Thankful Jenkins. Jeremiah and Sybil had six children,
Nathaniel (1805), George (1809), Seneca (1812), Betsey (1813), Jerey (1817),
and Sidney Danvers (1819). Betsey died in 1833 and Jerey died in 1840, both
were buried in Warren County, NY. The four brothers who lived to raise
families, all moved with their respective families to Jackson County, Iowa
between the years of 1846 and 1853 when Iowa was young. (Iowa became a state
in 1846).
Seneca Tubbs married Louisa D. Harris in 1835 in Warren County, New
York; they moved with their six children Sybil, Morgan, Sarah, Charity,
Harris, and Clark to Jackson County, Iowa in 1853. Seneca operated a sawmill
for one year, then purchased land and commenced breaking the land with ox
teams. He prospered, and in time was the owner of 300 acres. Charity,
Seneca and Louisa's third daughter gave birth to a son, Emmett, at age 18,
she later married Francis Keeley and had eight children by him.
Emmett Jay Tubbs married Alma Bates daughter of Abial Bates and Mariah
Dixon, of Queensbury. Emmett and Alma lived with her parents until after
their daughter Lilly was born (1880); they later moved to Jackson County,
Iowa where their next three children were born Harvey (1881), Aubrey (1883),
Lee Seomore (1885); they returned to Warren County, New York in 1887 and had
two more sons Philip (1888) and Ralph O. (1889). Philip was killed at age 11
by accidental gunshot at home, and Ralph died in 1908 at age 19, both are
buried in Evergreen Cemetary, Lake George, New York.
While Lee was growing up in Warren County, New York, in County Armagh,
Ireland, Katherine Murphy, daughter of Peter James Murphy and Mary Ellen
Kelly, had some dreams which did not agree with her father's plan to have her
marry a
man twenty years her senior, so, with her mother's blessing, she decided to
go to the United States. I'm not sure where she got the financial backing,
maybe from
her older sister, maybe from her aunt, but she embarked for New York City
aboard the Cunard's Mauretania. This ship was the pride of the Cunnard Line,
having won the Blue Ribbon by setting records for speed in both eastbound and
westbound Atlantic crossings, and retaining the record for twenty years. In
spite of the plush cabins on this ship, for First Class passengers, the
accomodations for Katherine were minimal, little more than a bunk in a vast
area filled with bunks stacked three high. Seasickness was almost impossible
to avoid in this area, with little ventilation, and many other victims.
Arriving in New York City, Katherine was employed as a dining room maid
for a wealthy family. Katherine had many stories to tell, in later years,
about this period
of her life, of her friendship with the cook, and the hierarchy among the
staff. On her day off, Katherine would visit with Aunt Sarah Gribbin and her
family. When the family Katherine worked for visited Lake George, the
servants were taken along,
and that is where Katherine met Lee Tubbs.
Soon wedding bells rang, and Katherine and Lee Tubbs decided to go to
Georgia, where there was an opportunity to earn good wages for building a
railroad into the Okeefenokee Swamp for the Hebard Cypress Company. The
problem with this job was that wages were earned only for time worked, no
sick time, and the Mosquito borne malaria was constantly infecting and
reinfecting the workers. During this period in Waycross, Georgia, the first
two children were born to Katherine and Lee, Mary, in 1912 and Rosalee, in
1914. While living in "company housing" and making purchases from the
"company store" the financial situation did not improve, for Katherine and
Lee, with two new family members. Soon they decided to move back to New York
City, where Lucy Frances was born. Rosalee caught the measles in her second
year, and when the measles were complicated with Pneumonia, Rosalee died.
Deciding that New York City was not the place for them, Katherine and
Lee, with
Katherine's sister Jenny and her husband George Wren moved to Lake George,
where Helen Jean was born. Later with help from Lee's mother Alma, they
purchased a dairy farm in Warrensburg called Sunrise Farm. There was plenty
of work for all on a dairy farm, there were cows to milk, stables to clean,
bottles to wash and steralize, and there was a house to keep, meals to cook,
and the children to mind. Also, Lee had the morning delivery of milk, and
the collection of payments for the milk. During this time two more children
were born, Marjorie and Ralph. The depression had a drastic effect on the
dairy business. What can you do when the customers can't afford to pay for
the milk? There was no payment for milk that wasn't delivered, and in many
cases, no payment for the milk that was delivered. Finally, Katherine and
Lee lost the dairy farm, with a long list of accounts receivable.
The next home for Katherine and Lee was a smaller farm farther north,
along the
Schroon River, where there were just a few animals, a vegetable garden,
fields of hay, and a large wooded area. Lee then held a job with the State
Fish Hatchery; he enjoyed the work of stocking streams and lakes with fish.
At this home, the whole family had jobs, feeding the pigs and chickens,
collecting eggs, milking the cows, working in the garden. While living here
three more children were born, Hugh, Teresa, and Anna. This is also the
place where Hugh drowned in the Schroon River at age ten. Lucy entered the
convent in Troy, Jean married and moved to Glens Falls, Mary married and
moved to Amsterdam, Marjorie was living and working in Chestertown, Ralph was
working in Warrensburg.
When Lee's uncle, Chester Bates, died he was brought to Warren County
for burial. At that time his widow and son, Edith and Linden Bates, must
have done a super job of selling New Hampshire. The farm was sold and Lee,
Katherine, and the two youngest daughters moved to Enfield, New Hampshire.
The reality of Enfield didn't match the stories that had been told, and
within a year the family, which again included Ralph, relocated to Ashland,
New Hampshire. While living in Ashland, Ralph joined the Marine Corps; Jean
and Marjorie moved to Miami, Florida; Katherine died; Ralph married; Anna
moved to Florida; Teresa married and moved to Connecticut. Lee was left
alone, and decided to retire and spend his time among his children. He moved
from one place to another staying in New York, Virginia,
Connecticut, and Florida until his death in New York.
We have since lost Ralph, Lucy, and Mary, and there are many new
members of the family. There were thirty-seven people at the Tubbs Reunion
in Waycross, Georgia. We hope that more of us will attend when Kristopher
Hinds hosts the next reunion, in 1999, in Phoenix, Arizona.
This wonderful history was compiled, labored over and reiterated by Anna Ordway.
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