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Historic 1888 Shaftsbury Signature QuiltQuilt Block #16 - Quilt Signers: May Etta (Bates) Niles  May Etta/Ettie Bates was the daughter of Truman and Celia Bates. She was born in Shaftsbury on 9 November 1869. Her father was a laborer and her mother was born in Schagticoke, N.Y. In the Census of 1880. May Ettie Bates (10) was living with her father, Truman (44) and mother, Celia (43) in Shaftsbury with Nathan Bates (68), Truman's father, and May Etta's grandfather. Also, in the household was her young brother Willie (6). Her future husband Edgar B. Niles was the son of Minerva (Bates) and Alfred C. Niles. Edgar was born 18 September 1858 in Shaftsbury. According to the Federal Census of 1870 Edgar (11) was living in Shaftsbury with his father Alfred (38), mother Minerva (40) and Edgar's siblings, Herman (16) and Maria (7) BLOCK: 48. Edgar first marries Nellie May Richardson on 7 March 1883. She was the 24 year old daughter of Joseph and Kate (Clark) Richardson. Nellie May's daughter, Katie M. Niles/Catherine Maria Niles (BLOCK 38 of the quilt) was born 15 January 1884. Nellie May dies on 23 July 1884, less than one year after her marriage to Edgar, from consumption now known as Tuberculous. TB is caused by bacteria that attacks the lungs and was the leading cause of death in the 20th century. Katie was just was six months old. Edgar then marries May Etta on 13 September 1892. She was 22 years old and he was 33. She helps raise Katie but she dies 22 August 1894 after less than two years of marriage (no death certificate was found). Edgar next marries Rose Bell Gardner on 8 April 1897. She was the daughter of Eli J. and Anna (Smith) Gardner. When they marry Rose Bell was twenty-seven. They have one son, Alfred Gardner Niles was born 14 August 1900. He dies the following year at the age of one. The Census of 1900 records Edgar (40) living on McKinley Street in Bennington with Rose (3) and his daughter Katie (16). Edgar died 10 December 1900 at the age of 42 from pneumonia. Edgar's will divides his estate between Rose and Katie as Edgar Gardner had died between when the will was drafted and when the estate was settled. Rose Bell was a widow after only three years of marriage. Rose Bell took care of Katie until Katie married Edward C. Clark Bingham on 21 June 1905. Rose marries Melvin H. Robinson 28 October 1903. In 1888, when the quilt was signed, May Etta would have been about 18 and Edgar was 30. Edgar B., Nellie May, Etta May and Edgar Gardner Niles are buried in a family plot in Center Shaftsbury Cemetery. Also, in the plot are Edgar's parents, Alfred C. and Minerva Niles. |
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May Etta (Bates) Niles
May Etta/Ettie Bates was the daughter of Truman and Celia Bates. She was born in Shaftsbury on 9 November 1869. Her father was a laborer and her mother was born in Schagticoke, N.Y. In the Census of 1880. May Ettie Bates (10) was living with her father, Truman (44) and mother, Celia (43) in Shaftsbury with Nathan Bates (68), Truman's father, and May Etta's grandfather. Also, in the household was her young brother Willie (6).
Her future husband Edgar B. Niles was the son of Minerva (Bates) and Alfred C. Niles. Edgar was born 18 September 1858 in Shaftsbury. According to the Federal Census of 1870 Edgar (11) was living in Shaftsbury with his father Alfred (38), mother Minerva (40) and Edgar's siblings, Herman (16) and Maria (7) BLOCK: 48.
Edgar first marries Nellie May Richardson on 7 March 1883. She was the 24 year old daughter of Joseph and Kate (Clark) Richardson. Nellie May's daughter, Katie M. Niles/Catherine Maria Niles (BLOCK 38 of the quilt) was born 15 January 1884. Nellie May dies on 23 July 1884, less than one year after
her marriage to Edgar, from consumption now known as Tuberculous. TB is caused by bacteria that attacks the lungs and was the leading cause of death in the 20th century. Katie was just was six months old. Edgar then marries May Etta on 13 September 1892. She was 22 years old
and he was 33. She helps raise Katie but she dies 22 August 1894 after less than two years of marriage (no death certificate was found). Edgar next marries Rose Bell Gardner on 8 April 1897. She was the daughter of Eli J. and Anna (Smith) Gardner. When they marry Rose Bell was twenty-seven.
They have one son, Alfred Gardner Niles was born 14 August 1900. He dies the following year at the age of one.
The Census of 1900 records Edgar (40) living on McKinley Street in Bennington with Rose (3) and his daughter Katie (16).
Edgar died 10 December 1900 at the age of 42 from pneumonia. Edgar's will divides his estate between Rose and Katie as Edgar Gardner had died between when the will was drafted and when the estate was settled. Rose Bell was a widow after only three years of marriage. Rose Bell took care of Katie until Katie married Edward C. Clark Bingham on 21 June 1905. Rose marries Melvin H. Robinson 28 October 1903.
In 1888, when the quilt was signed, May Etta would have been about 18 and Edgar was 30. Edgar B., Nellie May, Etta May and Edgar Gardner Niles are buried in a family plot in Center Shaftsbury Cemetery. Also, in the plot are Edgar's parents, Alfred C. and Minerva Niles.
All research for this web tour was provided to the Town of Shaftsbury by: Carol Corey-Dziubek. She would like to credit: Ancestry.com, findagrave.com
