Willard Lynn Fuller- Bella Blanche Cleveland

Willard Lynn Fuller was the son of Hiram Fuller and Lettie Lucinda Fuller. Even though his parents shared the same last name there was no family connection between the two family lines. His birth is registered in the Underhill, Chittenden, VT town records. The date is September 27 under the year 1878. In many subsequent records his birth is listed as 1879 but the original record is 1878. The entry lists his parents as Hiram Fuller & Letty Fuller, Hiram of New York and Letty of Underhill. ---------- Willard grew up within the family circle of the extended Griffin family in nearby Essex. His grandmother Sylvia Griffin Fuller and her two sisters, Rosetta Griffin Hunt and Electa Griffin Wolcott, according to family letters, lived in a close family circle. The families of his two uncles, Orlo and Harrison Griffin also lived close by. ---------- We find a marriage record for Willard Linn Fuller and Belle Blanch Cleveland, dated July 15, 1902, in the Georgia, Franklin, VT town records. Willard is listed as age 24 of Underhill, the son of Hiram J Fuller and Lettie L Fuller. Belle Blanch Cleveland is listed as age 26, born Georgia, VT daughter of White Cleveland and Lydia Montefiore. ---------- Most of the Cleveland family histories list the birth of Bella as September 6, 1872. Many of the census records offer differing ages for Belle. This circumstance results in a little confusion when trying to find the original record of her birth. In her marriage record her age is give as, 26, which would suggest a birth in 1876. In some census records her age is give as the same as Willard or 2 years older again 1876. The 1900 census provides a date of September 1873. Her death record implies a date of birth in about 1873. All of the children in the family of White Cleveland have their birth recorded in the Georgia, VT town records. There is an entry dated September 5, 1872 for a Luna B Cleveland the daughter of W & L S (Montefiore) Cleveland. My interpretation is that this is our Bella. The “B” in the entry stood for either Bella or Blanch and she went by Bella nickname Blanch or Blanch nickname Bella the remainder of her life. It also seems that she made an effort to minimize the 6 years difference in their age, with her being the older, by offering a different age for the census records. ---------- There is a mystery regarding the date of death of Willard’s mother Lettie. The last record of her is the 1900 Census. There is no existing death record nor has a gravesite been discovered. She may have already passed away before his marriage. The Griffin family letters hint that Willard’s grandfather, also named Willard Fuller, was quite financially successful. He find evidence of this success in an entry in a 1898 yearbook for the University of Vermont for the Chemical Society. Listed, as a member of the Society is freshman, W. L. Fuller. In 1898 only well to do families could send a son to college. In the succeeding census records Willard’s profession is listed as engineer. ---------- In 1910 Willard is living in Oil City, Venango, Penn. Oil City is considered to be the birthplace of the modern petroleum industry. It would seem that he spent his professional carrier in that industry. From 1920 to 1940 he made his home in Parkersburg, Wood, West Virginia. We find Willard and Bella Fuller listed in the city directory for those years. The entry lists him as a civil engineer Eureka Pipe Line Co. ----------- The death of Willard, Bella and their son Willard Jr. are all found in the Ohio death records index. At the time of their death their residence is listed as Portsmouth, Scioto, Ohio. Portsmouth is not too far from Parkersburg on the Ohio side of the Ohio River. Willard’s death is listed as October 5, 1960 at the age of 83. The death of Bella B Fuller is dated June 7, 1969 at the age of 96. ---------- Willard Lynn Fuller Jr was born September 16, 1906 in Oil City, Penn. As a young man he is listed in the Parkersburg City Directory next to his father. His death is also recorded in Portsmouth, Ohio on December 22, 1961. __________________________________ Willard Fuller / Lettie Fuller / Sylvia Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin of Killingworth