A moonstruck Fortean.
This one's huge. Be forewarned.
Robert Lee Farnsworth was born 3 July 1909 in Illinois—which puts him of the same generation and same background as Tiffany Thayer, midwestern men born a little too late to serve in the Great War. His father, Lee—seemingly the inspiration for Robert’s middle name; I have no reason to suspect it was a reference to the Civil War general—was a real estate broker. His mother’s name was May D., but at least one record has her as Mattie, apparently a slurring together of the fist name and middle initial. She had been born in New Jersey. Lee was 34, and May about 27 when Robert was born. He was an only child—although not by choice.
Check the 1930 census, and Lee Orville gives his age at first marriage as 30. Check the newspapers, and the story is different. He was the son of a wealthy widow, and had attended law school at Northwestern, where he was a promising student. While there, he secretly married Maude Seaton in Milwaukee. That was in 1896, a full decade before he’d marry May. The wedding did not go as planned. In 1902, Maude told a judge, "Our marriage was an elopement. We agreed to keep it secret. In living up to this agreement, I think my husband overdid the thing. He kept the matter secret even from me.” Farnsworth left Maud the day of their wedding; years later, she successfully sued to get her maiden name back.
This one's huge. Be forewarned.
Robert Lee Farnsworth was born 3 July 1909 in Illinois—which puts him of the same generation and same background as Tiffany Thayer, midwestern men born a little too late to serve in the Great War. His father, Lee—seemingly the inspiration for Robert’s middle name; I have no reason to suspect it was a reference to the Civil War general—was a real estate broker. His mother’s name was May D., but at least one record has her as Mattie, apparently a slurring together of the fist name and middle initial. She had been born in New Jersey. Lee was 34, and May about 27 when Robert was born. He was an only child—although not by choice.
Check the 1930 census, and Lee Orville gives his age at first marriage as 30. Check the newspapers, and the story is different. He was the son of a wealthy widow, and had attended law school at Northwestern, where he was a promising student. While there, he secretly married Maude Seaton in Milwaukee. That was in 1896, a full decade before he’d marry May. The wedding did not go as planned. In 1902, Maude told a judge, "Our marriage was an elopement. We agreed to keep it secret. In living up to this agreement, I think my husband overdid the thing. He kept the matter secret even from me.” Farnsworth left Maud the day of their wedding; years later, she successfully sued to get her maiden name back.