Lettie Lucinda Fuller / Hiram John Fuller

Lettie Lucinda Fuller was the daughter Sylvia Griffin and Willard Fuller. Sylvia Griffin of Essex and Willard Fuller of Westford married in Essex, VT on January 1, 1840. The census records place the Fuller family in Lamoille County, which is just north of Essex. The census lists Lamolle County or Cambridge, Lamoille Co. as their place of residence. The Griffin family letters mentions the family in one of three places, Cambridge, Jeffersonville or Eden. Cambridge is in fact a neighborhood in the larger Jeffersonville. Eden is a short buggy ride away. It seems that Cambridge was used as the reference point for the three communities in the census records. Deed records show that Willard Fuller owned large farms in each of those communities. In information gathered from a number of records we can place Lettie’s birth in Eden on August 12, 1856. ----------- There is a marriage listed in the Cambridge, VT town records for Lettie Fuller and Hiram J Fuller dated November 30, 1875. It can get confusing when two people with the same last name marry. ---------- Hiram John Fuller was the son of Daniel Fuller and Prudence Baxter. Gathering the hints from a number of records we can place his birth in Bangor, Franklin, New York June 11, 1852. Identified as Hiram “J” Fuller in the census records on the marriage certificate for his second marriage he signed his name “Hiram John Fuller” Even through he was born in New York his parents made their home for most of their years in Jerico, Vermont. ----------- The census records place the young couple in Underhill, VT in 1880. Listed are Hiram-28, Lettie-24, Willard L-2 and Fern, a male, age 9/12. ---------- There is a birth recorded for Willard Fuller in the Underhill town records. Dated September 27th, 1878 his parents are identified as Hiram Fuller and Lotty Fuller. ---------- We also find a birth record for a second son in the Underhill records. Dated November 8, 1879 it does not register his name instead it reads “(no name) Fuller, Male”. His parents are listed as H J & Lotte Fuller. His name is written as "Fern" the 1880 Census. ---------- Tracing the history of the Fuller family is hampered by not having access to the missing 1890 census. However we do have a record of them in the 1900 census taken in Essex, VT. On the death of her father, Willard Fuller, Lottie had inherited a farm in Essex. The 1900 census registers; Hyrum- June 1854, Lottie- Aug 1856, Willard L -Sept 1878, Floyd F-March 1888, born in Nebraska, Max- May 1892. Another key hint that we get from the 1900 Census is the record of births entered for each mother. In this case the census notes that Lottie had given birth to 4 children with the 3 still surviving. The 3 survivors are listed in that 1900 census. Missing is the "Fern" listed in the 1880 census. ---------- In a time when there was very good record keeping we do not have a birth record for Floyd F Fuller in Vermont. This supports the idea that he was truly born in Nebraska. This argument is supported by the fact that the census records consistently record Nebraska as his place of birth. His marriage license further defines his place of birth as Omaha, Nebraska. When Floyd registered for the military draft he listed his date of birth as March 24, 1888. There is nothing in the surviving family history that explains the how and why of the family being in Nebraska. Recorded as "Floyd F" in the 1900 census we find Floyd's full name in both his draft registration and marriage license. Both give his name as Floyd Fern Fuller. ------------ The "Fern" found in the 1800 census and missing in the 1900 census is missing in a number of different ways. His birth record was written "no name". Referred to as "Fern" in 1880 his death record lists his name as Wayne Miner Fuller. It seems that his name evolved over some time. His death is recorded in the Essex town records. Dated February 22, 1889, the record lists a son age 9 years, 6 months and 16 days old the son of Hiram and Lettie Fuller. The age listed by the clerk is an approximate match for the "Fern" born in Underhill in 1879.---------- The birth of the “Max” found in the 1900 census is found in the Essex, VT town records; May 6, 1892 Shirley Max Fuller, parents; Hiram and Lettie (Fuller) Fuller. The birth record is one of the few times we see the name “Shirley” used. For the rest of his life “Shirley” referred to himself as Max Day Fuller. ---------- We get a confirmation of the children and their names from their grandfather, Willard Fuller’s, will; ---------- “And whereas said Lettie J. Fuller deceased at said Essex on June 12, 1905 leaving Willard L. Fuller, Floyd F. Fuller and Shirley Max Fuller now known as Max Day Fuller her only children then living”. ---------- For a long time Griffin family histories has used the name Lettie Lucinda Fuller. In many places she is referred using variants on Lettie such as Lotty. However in the formal legal document of her father’s will she is referred to as Lettie J. Fuller. That is in contrast with her Death Certificate that lists her name as Lettie L. Fuller. The Lettie L spelling is also used on a number of other documents. Her Death Certificate is filed in Essex. It gives her death as June 12, 1905 after a 3 ½ year battle with cancer. The clerk miswrote her birth as August 12, 1865 instead of the 1856 indicated in all of the census records. Given that mistake he miscalculates her age as 40 instead of 50. Her parents are identified as Willard Fuller and Sylvia Griffin. The certificate notes that she was buried in Essex Junction. Her parents and sister Electa are buried in the Village Cemetery in Essex Junction. There is no listing for her there but I suspect that somewhere in the cemetery she and her son Fern are buried. ---------- Hiram John Fuller was born in Bangor, Franklin, NY. June 11 1852. The 1900 census list the date as June 1854. The other census records consistently suggest a date of birth in 1852. After Lettie’s death Hiram took a second wife. The marriage of Hiram John Fuller and Eluisa Rogers in recorded in Essex Aug 3, 1907. Hiram signed the document, “Hiram John Fuller”. Hiram is found in the 1910 and 1920 census records living in Moretown, Washinton, VT with his son Floyd F. Hiram and Eluisa / Lovisa are buried in the Watertown Cemetery. Hiram’s death certificate records his death on August 11, 1929 in Watertown, VT. Eluisa / Lovisa died in 1937. ---------- We have previously posted a biography for Willard on the Blog (Jan 2017). Willard Lynn Fuller was born in Underhill September 27, 1878. He died in Portsmouth, Ohio October 5, 1960. ---------- Wayne Miner (Fern) Fuller was born in Underhill November 8, 1879. Wayne died in Essex, February 22, 1889 --------- Floyd Fern Fuller was born March 24, 1888 in Omaha, Nebraska. Floyd married Fanny Lovisa Rogers October 30, 1908 in Essex. Floyd lived in Washington Co, VT through the 1940 census. Late in his life we find him in living in North Carolina. The death of Floyd Fern Fuller is registered in the North Carolina Records. His date of birth is give as March 24, 1888 and his date of death as May 14, 1991 in Henderson, Henderson Co, NC. Floyd and Fanny are buried in the Bethel Wesleyan Church Cemetery in Henderson County. --------- Shirley Max Fuller was born in Essex May 6, 1892. Born before the original township was subdivide Max was born in what is now Essex Junction. Using the name Max Day Fuller, Max married Laura Porter Aug 9, 1917 in Burlington, VT. The name of Max Fuller is found in the University of Vermont yearbook, The Ariel. By 1920 Max and his wife are living in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Records indicate that he worked for the State Department of Health. He died January 4, 1970 in Chester, Virginia. His death certificate lists his father as Hiram John Fuller and his mother as Lettie Fuller Fuller. ------------------------------------------------------------- Lettie Fuller / Sylvia Griffin/ Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin of Killingworth