Fishing Friday - 52 Ancestors - Charles Alvin Burrell

Birth

My great grandfather, Charles Alvin Burrell, was born in Medway, Massachusetts, on Christmas Day in 1887 to Everett Augustus Burrell, a boot maker, and his wife Mabel Estella (Burr).¹ It was a either a short pregnancy or a quick marriage as his parents had married seven months earlier on the 29^th of May.² They had a small family for the times, producing one more child, a girl, Addie May in 1889.³

Early Childhood

Sometime after Charles’ birth, his father changed careers and became a motorman for the Boston & Lynn Railroad Company. The family moved from West Medway to Revere in 1889.⁴ In 1899 they were living at 13 Bellingham Avenue in the Beachmont area of Revere⁵ and in 1900, when Charles was a student in school, they had relocated to 35 Dedham Street.⁶

Career

In 1905 at the age of 18, Charles began his career as a clerk for the paper firm, Stone & Forsyth Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts.⁷ In 1910, while living with his parents and sister in a rented apartment or rooms at 243 Parker Avenue in Revere, he worked as a paper salesman.⁸ He continued to work in the paper manufacturing business through 1913 as a clerk,⁹ 1920 as a traveling salesman,¹⁰ 1921 as a buyer 1930 salesman of wholesale paper,¹¹ and 1940 as a traffic manager.¹² Charles gives Stone & Forsyth Co. as his employer on his World War II draft card in 1942.¹³ Charles continued to work in the paper business for Stone & Forsyth until his retirement. An active man, Charles did not retire for long, quickly becoming the Foxboro Town Tax Collector, a job he held until his death.¹⁴

Family

Charles married Mabelle Manderson Hill on 23 September 1911 in Revere, Massachusetts. Walter S. Eaton, Minister of the Gospel, Wenham, Massachusetts performed the marriage.¹⁵ After their two week honeymoon, Charles and Mabelle settled at 95 Reservoir Avenue in Revere with Mabelle’s parents, William M. and Annie Hammond (Connor) Hill.¹⁶ They were still living at 95 Reservoir when their first daughter and my grandmother, Barbara Manderson, was born in 1913.¹⁷ Their second child, Thelma, was born in 1914 in Belmont, Massachusetts where they were living.¹⁸ Their third child, Charles Alvin Jr., was born in 1918 in Watertown, Massachusetts.¹⁹ The last born was Constance in 1921.²⁰

Social

In 1921 Charles became a member of the Masons joining the Pequossette Lodge in Watertown.²¹ He went on to become a master of St. Albans Lodge and Keystone Chapter of Foxboro as well as a patron in the Order of the Eastern Star. At his death in 1969 he was deacon emeritus of Bethany Congregational Church in Foxboro. He was also a member of the Massachusetts Tax Association.²²

Death

Charles Alvin Burrell passed away on the 28^th of July in 1969. He led a full and active life and was well regarded by those who knew him.²³

^1-23 Sources available upon request.

Happy Fishing Friday!

Scrappy Gen

Let’s Remember!

This challenge 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is provided by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small  (Don't you just love that title?). I am jumping in on week three, which will be my week one, but I am ommitting the number count in my title so as not to confuse anyone...or me. Thank you, Amy, for this challenge. Weekly recaps by Amy can be read here. 

As a bonus, because I am the Scrappy Genealogist, each of my posts will include a heritage page featuring my ancestor. Hope you enjoy them! Wondering about the Fishing Friday title? That's fishing for family Friday.