Laura Ann Sharpe 1849-1942
Laura Ann Sharpe lived an interesting life. Born 19 Jul 1849, she died in Cleveland on 8 Feb 1942.
Looking for any photos, memories, papers, connections, etc., regarding her life in the Cleveland area (including Cuyahoga and Lorain counties). Here are a few leads:
1880 Census: boarder in household of Henry McElwin in Elyria (Lorain Co)
1892-1893 In Cleveland directory at 188 Arlington, occupation nurse
1900 Census: nurse in household of Arnold C. Saunders at 1645 Euclid Ave.
1910 Census: nurse in household of Libbey Saunders (widow of Arnold C.) at 7407 Euclid Ave NE (also sons Clarence R & Arnold C. Saunders Jr, and servants Kate McCall, Benjamin Gill, Anna McDowell and Floremce Dumwell)
1920 Census: lodger (no occupation) in household of Peter Morrison at 8303 Linwood Ave (also Peter's daughters Alexa and Erma)
1930 Census: patient in the Miller-Hunt Boarding House at 1843 Wadena St., East Cleveland (Esther Miller, registered nurse, and Ella O Hunt, partner, registered nurse, nursing home; 4 other patients)
1937-1939 City directories on Ancestry.com omit large portions of alphabetical listings, including names beginning with S
9 Feb 1942 Cleveland Plain Dealer obit: "Miss Laura Ann Sharpe, 92, a private nurse here nearly 40 years, died yesterday after a long illness at the home of Mrs. Bertha Courtney, 2423 Euclid Heights Boulevard, Cleveland Heights, with whom she had lived the last 30 years. Born in 1849 in Boston, Miss Sharpe came to Ohio to attend Oberlin College, but later returned to Boston, where she was graduated from the nursing school of Massachusetts General Hospital. After her graduation Miss Sharpe came to Cleveland, where she was a private nurse among prominent families. Although she had been retired since 1912, she was active in the Red Cross here during World War I."
NOTE: In 1937 and 1939, the Courtney address was 2493 Euclid Hts Blvd. In 1930, Laura Ann Sharpe was not living with Courtney, who was then listed as a Home for Aged at 12712 Euclid Ave., in the census. Thus Laura Ann had not "lived with" her for 30 years. This could be a misprint for 3 or could have meant that they had known each other for 30 years. Mrs. Courtney's obit says she came to Cleveland in 1912, the year Laura Ann's obit says she retired.]
1 Jun 1942 The estate of Laura ann Sharpe was relieved from administration and payment was authorized to creditors from her savings account. This was pursuant to a petition to the Probate Court by Kenneth R. Taylor.
The petition stated that Taylor had known her "for nearly half a century," and that to his knowledge she had no known next of kin. Taylor stated that he found among her papers a written statement signed by her dated 12 Jun 1929, which gave her date of birth as 19 Jul 1849 and that her father was Henry W. Sharpe who died when she was eight years old and that she was the only child. She wrote that she had lived in Cleveland 42 years [1929-42= 1887]
and had no heirs and had "never known of any relatives of any kind or degree."
Taylor further said that she had given away most of her belongings "some 15 years ago," and the few remaining items of sentimental value had been distributed "to the few friends of Miss Sharpe who had known her throughout her lifetime in Cleveland" following the her wishes "informally expressed in memoranda found among her papers."
Neither the written statement nor any of the memoranda were provided by Taylor to the court, nor are any of the friends named.
Payments were made from the savings account to pay a physician, a pharmacy, a funeral home, an account at Halle Bros. co., the Plain Dealer, Cuyahoga Probate Court costs, the firm of Squire Sanders & Dempsey, and Canon G. Russell Margate of Trinity Cathedral for officiating at the funeral. The rest went to Taylor for unreimbursed accounting and management services.
In 1930, Kenneth R. Taylor (age 50, insurance agent, came from England 1896) and wife May, were living at 1327 Richmond Rd., in Lyndhurst. The 1900 census shows Kenneth R. Taylor age 28, office clerk, coming from England in 1891, living in Glenville with his mother and two brothers. He died between 1944 and 1958 and May Brothers Taylor, widow of Lyndhurst, d. 17 Mar 1958.
It is hoped that some record or memory of Laura Ann Sharpe may be found through the descendants of people who knew her, some of whom are named above.
More Replies:
-
Re: Laura Ann Sharpe 1849-1942
Heber MacWilliams 5/01/13