Fourth Generation
Dudley Martin Tharnish was born on December 6, 1910, in Sardinia, New York40, the child of William Tharnish and Vera Weatherlow. Shortly after his birth, Dudley was, apparently left with his mother, when his father began a new family with Bessie Skinner. The whereabouts of Dudley during his early years is not known. Then in 1930, Dudley was living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, working as caretaker in a dog kennel43.
On August 18, 1931, Dudley married Stella E. Arter at Lockport, New York41. Stella was born on December 4, 1913, the daughter of LaFayette Chester Arter and Joanne Verdilla Troupe40.
The children of Dudley and Stella are:
Fifth Generation
| i. | Ida Mae Tharnish | Ida Mae was born about 193047, and she died in July 1977. Ida Mae married (1) Walter Huston and (2) Arthur Fay Price. |
| ii. | Donald M. Tharnish | Donald was born on May 15, 193240, and he died on July 8, 195140. |
| iii. | Shirley Ethel Tharnish | Shirley was born on July 26, 193355. She married Ralph B. Parkin. |
Shortly after the birth their children, Dudley and Stella parted, probably by divorce. The 1940 U.S. Census shows Stella was in Fremont, Wyoming; she is working as a ranch hand and she is listed as single42. The same Census lists her residence in 1935 as Billings Montana, showing that their separation occurred before 1935. Stella eventually remarried, first to Adam Addison and second to Donald Hackleman. Stella died on January 22, 197721,42.
Note on Ida Mae Tarnish:
The 1940 Census also holds an interesting surprise in the pages for Ontario Center in Wayne County, New York. One entry shows Ida Mae Tharnish, age 9, living with Walter
Dalaba and his wife Ellen47. Ida Mae is listed as their niece. Further, this entry records that they were living in
East Aurora, New York, near where Dudley had lived. So whose child is this? The 1915 New York Census for Ellicottville, New York shows that LaFayette C. and
Anna V. Arter had a daughter named Ellen58. But is the wife, Ellen Dabala, the same person as the daughter, Ellen Arter?
The answer comes from a record in Lackawanna County Pennsylvania, which records the marriage of Walter Dalaba to Ellen
Arter59, showing that Ellen Dalaba is the sister of Stella Arter Oakes58. It
is almost certain the Ida is the child of Dudley and Stella.
In 1939, Dudley was living at Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he filed his Draft Card44. At the time he was working at the Main Power Plant of the Minneapolis Street Railway Company44. It is likely this is when he became acquainted with his next wife, Elaine Skrove.
On March 11, 1941, Dudley married Elaine A. Skrove at Northwood, Iowa45. Elaine was born on January 8, 1922, at St. Paul, Minnesota, the daughter of Thomas Skrove and Agnes Sherve. In 1944, Dudley and Elaine were living at Batavia, New York, but may have moved to Wyoming county where they purchased land and sold land between 1948 and 196246.
The children of Dudley and Elaine are:
Fifth Generation
| i. | Lois Elaine Tharnish | Lois Married Ted Stone. |
| ii. | Margaret Louise Tharnish | Margaret married Dennis Tomski. |
Finally, sometime after 1962, Dudley and Elaine parted, probably by divorce. Elaine remarried to Everett Seward and lived until June 15, 200221, 16 years after Everett died.
Dudley married for a third time to Isabel Tiede. Isabel was born on February 17, 192540, the daughter of Friedrich Tiede and Bertha Nadler. She had previously been married to Kenneth Vern Hale. Dudley and Isabel may have settled in Alexander, New York, where he died on January 11, 198140. It is not known when Isabel moved to Batavia, New York, where she died on May 23, 199740. Her obituary states that "She was predeceased by her husband, Dudley Tharnish in 198140", showing she was Dudley's third wife.
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