Mollie Alma Bartley

BURT/BURTT

                                                  By Roger Crosby 1-Mollie Alma Burtt daughter of Silas and Franceanne Elizabeth Pravila (Wiggins) Burtt was born 27 Nov 1895 in Royalton New Brunswick Canada. She grew up on a farm over looking Mars Hill Mountain in Mars Hill Maine. When she was 6 months old she fell from a shelf and injured her left eye which never healed correctly. When she was 17 (1912) she was in church and a neighbor (Lewis Bartley) who had lost his wife in April of that year was there with his 3 children. The oldest Fay (4 years old) turned around and looked at Mollie. Mollie said she felt very sorry for the children not having a mother.  Mollie and Lewis married 24 December 1913 at Mollie’s home in Royalton. Lewis Allison Bartley was born in Knoxford N.B. 24 January 1883 the son of Leonard and Matilda (Lawrence) Bartley.	 Lewis married Addie Toms in 1907. She was born 1 January 1885 the daughter of James and Dora (Cronkite) Toms. Lewis and Addie had the following children 	Fay Alberta        born 12 May 1908 Knoxford  	Iva Mytle            born   5  Mar 1911 Knoxford 	Donald Leonard born 20 Mar 1912 Knoxford Addie died 25 April 1912 probably of birth complications.

Lewis and Mollie had the following children in Canada Mytle Isabel born 20 Jul 1914 Knoxford Cecile Eldora born 13 Nov 1916 Knoxford Lewie Leonard born 22 Jul 1918 Knoxford Ina Mary born 8 Mar 1920 Knoxford Lewis and Mollie had been renting farms and wanted to buy their own. Lewis had a cousin in Clinton Maine that told them there were good farms in central Maine at reasonable prices. Mollie said one of the houses they rented in Canada was so infested with fleas they had to douse it with kerosene. In 1921 Lewis purchased a farm in Clinton Maine at Morrison’s Corner near Louise’s cousin. Mollie and Lewis brought 5 of the children, Fay, Mytle, Cecile, Lewie, and baby Ina by train to Clinton. Iva and Donald stayed in Canada with Lewis’s brother Austin. Lewis’s cousin met them at the train with a horse and wagon to move their belongings to their new home. Lewis and Mollie had the following children in Maine Eldon Earl born 5 Jan 1922 in Clinton Eddie Allison born 25 Jan 1924 in Clinton Phyllis Franceanne born 11 Dec 1925 in Clinton Glennis Alice born 13 Aug 1928 in Clinton Floyd Raymond born 18 Apr 1931 in Clinton Lewis worked at Keyes Fiber in Shawmut, Fairfield across the river from the farm. Mollie and the kids took care of the farm. Lewis died of cancer 7 Apr 1952. Mollie died 13 Aug 1995 age 99.