Morris, Robert Martelle

Notes:

Robert and his wife were married and divorced five times.

Robert married Buswell, Lois M. on 26 Feb 1956 in Turner, Androscoggin Co., ME. Lois was born on 27 Jun 1928 in Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; died on 12 Oct 1995 in Lewiston, Androscoggin Co., ME. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Morris, J.R.
2. Morris, E.R.
3. Morris, B.M.
4. Morris, S.A.
5. Morris, K.L.
6. Morris, N.J.

Nelson married Damon, Lillian Viola on 11 Jan 1930 in Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME, and was divorced in 1942. Lillian (daughter of Damon, Wilson Martelle and Keene, Hazel Laura) was born on 10 Aug 1910 in Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; died on 03 Jan 1979 in Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; was buried in Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Tombstone Photo: Yes
• Census: 12 Jan 1920, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME

Notes:

In a phone conversation with her granddaughter Karen Morris she told us that Lillian was known as the little wild redhead. She got her middle name from her.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Tombstone Photo: Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; Buckfield Village Cemetery
• Census: 15 Jun 1900, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME
• Census: 24 Apr 1910, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; Farm laborer
• Military: 12 Sep 1918, South Paris, Oxford Co., ME
• Census: 12 Jan 1920, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; Farmer
• Census: May 1930, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; Farmer
• Census: 05 Apr 1940, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; Farmer
• Census: 9 Apr 1950, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; Woodsman for Lumber Co

Notes:

Wilson started out in life as a premature baby. He was born at home and to keep him warm he was put in a shoe box over top of a water bucket on the wood stove. Wilson owned a farm that Bradbury had before him. Wilson and his brothers also did a lot of logging and Wilson owned a pair of oxen to drag the lumber out of the woods. He was very proud of the work that those oxen could do. Like most of the Damon's he loved to hunt for both food and pleasure. His favorite pastime to relax was fox hunting. His parents are buried in his funeral plot.

Wilson married Keene, Hazel Laura on 27 Dec 1909 in East Sumner, Oxford Co., ME. Hazel was born on 04 May 1893 in Turner, Androscoggin Co., ME; died on 29 Apr 1972 in Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; was buried in Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Tombstone Photo: Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; Buckfield Village Cemetery
• Census: May 1903, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME
• Census: 24 Apr 1910, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME
• Census: 12 Jan 1920, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME
• Census: 05 Apr 1940, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME
• Census: 9 Apr 1950, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME

Other Events and Attributes:

• Tombstone Photo: No headstone, only a small stone that says "Father". Buried alongside son Wilson.
• Census: 25 Jun 1870, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME
• Census: 28 Jun 1880, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME
• Census: 15 Jun 1900, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; Farmer
• Census: 10 Apr 1910, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; Living with brother John L. Damon
• Census: 13 Jan 1920, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; Living with Virgil DeCoster, listed as Hired Man

Notes:

1870 Census: listed as "Joseph B."

Tombstone in Buckfield marked only "Father and Mother", next to Wilson.

Bradbury was a very fun loving guy with a good sense of humor. He was known for his practical jokes on family and friends. He was a small man in stature only measuring 5'3''. He worked his dad's farm and had a farm of his own which Wilson took over later. He raised cattle for both milk and beef. Milk went to the local dairy. Beef was shipped to Boston, along with apples from his orchard. His main cash crop was corn that he sold to a local cannery. He sold pigeons to sell in Boston which he sold as fresh "quail". He worked in town as a butcher, in the winter and was suspected to sell deer meat as veal.
When the train went into the creek it was never set up again for freight. This changed a lot of commerce trading for Buckfield. Getting products to Boston now was impossible. Cash was tight and Bradbury turned to running Rum from Canada threw Smuggler's Notch in Vermont. This was across a lake and Bradbury would keep most of the rum on the outside of the boat connected by ice thongs and if chased would squeeze the top and the rum would drop to the bottom of the lake making it easier for him to get away or at least have nothing to get caught with. He sold his rum to a local pharmacy who had a run in with the town. One Sunday morning the preacher warned his Parrish that anyone who drank could not cross the threshold of his church next Sunday. Later that week the church and the school next to it were burned down. No one was arrested but the pharmacist left town never to return and his accomplice was never revealed. Local gossip has it that Brad was part of this incident. He spent a lot of time with a man named Larry Fisher and they were partners in the rum running.
As time went on his wife Viola left him; traveling with a salesman named Joe Bowles; to Boston. He sold pots and pans and known to locals as a Jew boy. She went to Boston with him and divorced Bradbury and later married Walter Reed. She took Elbert her youngest son with her never to return to Buckfield except to be buried with Bradbury.
Bradbury was a hunter and a fisherman as most men in those days were. He was a heavy drinker and a chain smoker. When he died they gave him nicotine pills so he would lay still and die quitely. He lived his last days living with his son Wilson.
John Linwood Damon Jr. told Brian Edward Damon these stories as he had first hand knowledge of his uncle and talked about him with a smile and a chuckle. He ended each story with the disclaimer " or so I heard".

Bradbury married Gammon, Viola Abbie on 18 Nov 1883 in Canton, Oxford Co., ME. Viola (daughter of Gammon, Charles Harrison and Sturtevant, Mary B.) was born on 08 Oct 1867 in Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME; died on 01 Oct 1918 in Brockton, Plymouth Co., MA; was buried in Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Tombstone Photo: No headstone, only a small stone that says "Mother". Buried alongside son Wilson.
• Census: 01 Aug 1870, Hartford, Oxford Co., ME
• Census: 04 Jun 1880, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME
• Census: 15 Jun 1900, Buckfield, Oxford Co., ME
• Census: May 1910, Greene, Androscoggin Co., ME

Notes:

As time went on his wife Viola left Bradbury;traveling with a salesman named Joe Boulos to Boston. He sold pots and pans and known to locals as a Jew boy. She went to Boston with him and divorced Bradbury and later married Walter Reed. It is thought that her relationship with Joe Bowles was one of convenience; simply a ride to Boston. She took Elbert her youngest son with her never to return to Buckfield except to be buried with Bradbury.

On the 1910 Census, it states that Viola had given birth to 10 children, of which 7 are living. We only have accounted for 8 births.

Notes:

Married:
Married by Alvarado Hayford, JP