MARTHA ELIZABETH PURDOM

RETURN TO WILLIAM JACKSON PURDOM

LETTERS IN THE CAN

One time when Ella Mary Starling Herring was a little girl, she was at Martha Elizabeth Purdom Jolly Starling's home. Martha Starling was sick in bed and Ella Mary Starling Herring was staying there to help Martha Starling. Martha Starling had hung a can, from an old ice cream maker,behind the dresser in her bedroom. Martha Starling told Ella Mary Starling Herring to get the container and bring it to her, which Ella Mary did. There were letters in the can and Martha Starling asked Ella Mary to read them out loud to her. Ella Mary seemed to think they were love letters written to Martha Starling from her first husband, William James Jolly. After Ella Mary read them to Martha Starling, she had Ella Mary place them back in the container and hang them behind the dresser. Ella Mary was not sure if Mr. Jolly died or they separated, but Martha was still thinking about him. (Linda Dianne Herring Crompton found out that they were divorced.)

Charley Jolly

Birth: Dec. 26, 1870

Death: Jul. 9, 1896

Burial:
Purdom Cemetery
Volusia County
Florida, USA

Created by: Bertha Avery-Hood
Record added: Mar 07, 2011
Find A Grave Memorial# 66624302

FIND A GRAVE

Martha Purdom Starling & Martha Carolyn Starling's Trip to New York

Told to Linda Dianne Herring Crompton by Martha Carolyn Starling Russell:

In 1929, Ira Carroll Starling Sr. got passes to go to New York for his daughter, Martha Carolyn Starling (Russell), and his mother, Martha Elizabeth Purdom Jolly Starling, to visit Homer & Rosella Bennett. Rosella Bennett was Ira's sister. Ira Carroll said his mother, Martha,would not know how to handle traveling on the train, so that is why he sent his daughter, Martha, with her. Everything went well on the trip. Della Jones Starling was sure to let the Bennett's know, ahead of time, that they were coming. They were met at the Pennsylvania train station by the Bennett's. When they got ready to go back home, Rosella Bennett packed them a lunch and pears to take on the train. When they got to Washington, D.C. they had to change trains. Martha was 12 and she had to get her grandmother, Martha Starling, age 77, and the luggage off the train. The pears had rotted in the paper bag and the bottom fell out, making a mess on the train. Martha was trying clean them up when the porter came through and said the train was going to switch right away, and that they had to get off the train now. So Martha left the garbage and got off the train. Martha got a porter to help make sure they got on the right train from there. This was a two day trip.

Martha Elizabeth Purdom Jolly Starling

When Roland Rufus Starling first died, Martha Elizabeth Purdom Jolly Starling lived by her self. Her home was in Holly Hill, Florida and did not have runing water in the house. There was a flow well, just outside the kitchen door. The yard had a big wooden picket fence around it. There were big oak trees in the front yard. This home was not near the beach.

Martha Starling was a person of good morals.

There was a white family, near the corner from Martha Starling, that had two sons who drank alot. Martha called the sons, "Rot gut Charlie" and "Pukey Blackie".

Martha Starling was living in Holly Hill when her son William Joseph Starling married Inez Louise Conrad.

Martha Starling did not work after Roland Starling died. I don't know if the children helped with money or if she was able to support her self.

Martha Starling lived in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1948 when Laura Nettie Purdom LaFollett left 1/2 of her estate to be divided among her 9 siblings and their heirs.

At one time there was a man that lived with Martha Starling. Ira Christopher Starling, Martha's son, paid him to take care of Martha because she was not able to care for her self.

Dr William James Jolly

Birth: 1848
North Carolina, USA

Death: Sep. 23, 1940
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma County
Oklahoma, USA

Family links:
Parents:
  Andrew Absalom Jolly (1821 - 1918)
  Rhoda Jane Goodyear Jolly (1825 - 1910)

Siblings:
  William James Jolly (1848 - 1940)
  Charles Franklin Jolly (1853 - 1933)*
  Marshall E. Jolly (1859 - 1919)*
  Mary Jolly (1864 - 1924)*

*Calculated relationship