IX. HULDA MARIAH CAVERLY 1876 - 1928
(Redford, Charles H., Philip Jr., Philip Sr., John Sr., Peter I, Peter Gerardus, Jean)

Huldah M. Caverly was born May 25, 1876 in Bingham Township, Huron Co., Michigan to Redford and Julia (Stillwell) Caverly. Her husband Ira Edgar White was born July 12, 1874 in Port Crescent, Michigan. They married June 6, 1895 in Elkton, Michigan where Ira was working as a barber at the time per their marriage licence. Redford and family had moved there in the early 1890s. Their wedding picture below was taken by Freeland Photography in Pigeon, Michigan.

 

The other photograph appears to be a 25th. wedding anniversary picture and was taken by Tweedie who was probably a photographer in Peck, MI. The 1910 U.S. census shows Huldah and Ira living in Bay City and he is still a barber. But by 1913 they had moved to Burt, MI where he was a clergyman and in 1919 they moved to Peck where Ira became the pastor at Peck Methodist Church. Huldah died April 21, 1928 in Romulus, MI.

Huldah and Ira had five children, three of which survived. The oldest was Sadie who was born July 7, 1897. She married Russell Leach on Nov. 29, 1915 and they had five children: Agnes E. who was born Sep. 17, 1916 and died Nov. 3, 1916, George E. who was born Feb. 14, 1918 and died Mar 10, 1999 in Casper, WY, Edgar R., Elizabeth, and Sylvia. Sadie’s husband Russell died April 28, 1929. In 1934 she married Sgt. Doak Prentiss Geren. During WWII he was Master Sgt. of the 17th. Pursuit Group out of Selfridge Field, MI. He was officially recorded as having died in 1942 at Bataan from strains of heavy labor while suffering malaria and malnutrition after the infamous March of Death. However, Sadie had learned from non official sources that her husband had been bayoneted to death. She lived in Mt. Clemens most of her adult life. She died Jan. 15, 1992 in Poseyville, Indiana.

The second surviving child of Huldah and Ira was Gerald who was born April 17, 1910. Gerald married Viola Rose Durkee Nov. 26, 1935 and had one son Philip, who with his wife Nancy was living in Texas at the time of his father‘s death. Gerald was Director of Instruction for Pontiac Elementary Schools and his wife Vi was a teacher. They had been members of the First Presbyterian Church of Pontiac. In 1974 they retired to Harrisville, MI. His wife died Nov. 1978 in Bingham Farms, Oakland Co., MI. He died Aug. 5,
1993 in Independence Twp., Oakland Co., MI.

The third surviving child was Wellington who was born Nov. 7, 1912 in Burt, MI. He first married Lavern Lucas in 1935 and had a daughter Sareen in 1939. Per the Caverly Reunion log book of 1940 he and his family was living at 223 River St. in Ypsilanti, MI. He married his second wife Gertrude Gustafson in 1946 and had one son Roger Donald by her. In 1959 they were living in Hazel Park, MI. After the death of his wife Gertrude in 1976, Wellington moved to Harrisville, MI. He belonged to the Harrisville United Methodist Church and the Harrisville Lions Club there. Wellington died in Sept. 30, 1981 in Harrisville, Alcona Co., MI and is buried in Westlawn Cemetery there. The Alcona County Review states that his son was living in Duncan, OK at that time.
After Huldah had died in 1928, Ira then married Louisa Hillman in October 1929 and adopted her son, Clinton Hillman. Gerald’s obituary in the Aug. 8, 1993 Oakland Press lists “Clinton (Elsie) White of Florida” as Gerald’s stepbrother. Ira and family continued to live in Romulus where he served his last pastorate in the Methodist Church. After retirement they moved to Speaker Township in Sanilac County where he became township treasurer and a member of the Speaker Methodist Church until his death. He died Nov. 16, 1952 at University Hospital in Ann Arbor after an illness of several years. He and his second wife are buried at Elk Township Cemetery in Sanilac Co., MI.

michigan@thecaverlys.com

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