Eleanor Norcross Stratton
My Great Grandmother
Family Crest.
Family
Eleanor Stratton was born in Grafton, Massachusetts in 1909. She moved to Arlington, Mass. and lived most of her life there. She was the oldest of six children in her family. Melville N. Stratton, her father, was born in Colorado, and ended up working as an agent for the Educational Bureau. (Now there is a school in Arlington named after Melville. It is called Stratton Elementary in his honor!) Her mother, Helen E. Stratton,was born in Grafton as well in 1880.
Timeline of her life. (Her life on top, world on bottom)
Eleanor and John Geary
This picture shows Eleanor with her husband John. It was taken on a family vacation to Bermuda.
Eleanor and her son Paul
A family photo taken of Paul as a young boy with his mother Eleanor.
Cambridge, Mass. in 1910
This photo shows what Cambridge looked like in 1910. Cambridge was right next to the town of Arlington where Eleanor grew up.
Education
Eleanor graduated from Fitchburg State Teaching College in 1934. The college is located in the town of Fitchburg, Mass. After graduating, Eleanor took the job as a teacher and worked until she was married to John Geary in 1936. Back then women couldn't work if they were married because the great depression had left many men jobless. When she was older, she tried to start teaching again as a substitute, but didn't like it and stopped working.
Students in the Library at college
This photo shows student in the library at Fitchburg Teaching College in the 1930's.
Fitchburg College
This image shows the front of the college that Eleanor went to.
Meeting at Fitchburg College
This shows women at a meeting in Firchburg College.
Wars
Eleanor lived through both of the world wars, the Vietnam war, and the Cuban missile crisis. Her son Paul (my grandpa) was in the Vietnam war as an adviser in 1966-'67. Later, both of her sons, Richard and Paul were involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis. They were both stationed on ships blockading the island during the conflict. Luckily, neither of them were hurt in the wars.
Birth Record from Grafton, Mass.
This shows the births of people in Grafton. Eleanor is included near the bottom of the list.
U.S. Federal Census 1920
At this time, Eleanor was 10 years old. The census also shows her mother, father and siblings, and notes that her father works for the Education Bureau.
Birth Records
This document shows the birth records from the town of Grafton, Mass. for the year 1909.