Homer Edgar and Mira Bears Wickenden Family

MEMOIR:  Homer wrote a memoir, included as Chapter VI of the Memoirs of the Thomas Rogers Wickenden Family.  Memoir, Homer Edgar Wickenden.pdf  

FAMILY TREE: This is Homer Edgar Wickenden's basic pedigree chart. There is also a dynamic tree view and many additional tools for Homer's genealogy.  https://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/Wickenden-Family-Tree-411. 

Homer Edgar Wickenden (20 Dec 1890) married Mira Bears (abt 1900) on 10 Jan 1925 and is the father of 2 children and the grandfather of 2 grandchildren. 

Listed below are details on up to five generations of descendants. Also see Homer's DNA Descendants and Family Tree & Genealogy Tools for more views.

1. Ann (Wickenden) Walters (01 Nov 1925 - 11 Oct 2019) m. Jack Walters (abt 1925 - 29 Nov 2012) on 10 May 1958.
2. 1. Donna Lynn Walters (13 Jun 1960)
   2. John Scott Walters (31 Oct 1962)
3. Ruth (Wickenden) Abel (09 May 1931) m. Alan Otto Abel (abt 1930) on 16 Jun 1956.
4. 1. Thomas Alan Abel (01 Dec 1957)
   2. Gwenneth Allyn Abel (05 May 1960)

Picture taken in 1940 at wedding of Mary Dee Wickenden and Vincent Scofield.

PAINTINGS.  Homer was a man of many talents, including being an accomplished painter.  Here are two of his paintings from the collection of Ruth Knapp - the daughter of Fred Knapp and Dorothy Winans Knapp, who was the daughter of Ruth Wickenden Winans and Leslie Haines Winans.

LETTERS:  Two letters written by Homer from Camp Sherman and a letter to Homer from John Wickenden in Deal, Kent, were found in his brother Tom's files and are uploaded below.  Other letters to and from Tom, Homer and from Mira can be accessed from the Thomas H. and Dee Shuman Wickenden page.

Letter from Camp Sherman, May 2, 1918.pdf,  Letter from Camp Sherman, May 5, 1918.pdf 

John Wickenden (Deal, Kent, 1937) to Homer.pdf

OBITUARIES:  Homer obit.pdf  Homer obit 2.pdf  Homer obit 3.pdf

Elmira Bears Wickenden

As the former Executive Secretary of the National Nursing Council for War Service, Mira was the third woman in history to be awarded the Medal for Merit, the nation's highest civilian award. The medal was presented to her by the US Surgeon General, Dr. Thomas Parran. The citation notes that the award was in recognition of her "exceptional meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the was effort."  Mira was instrumental in establishment of the U. S. Cadet Nursing Corps in 1943, and the substantive recruitment of 179,000 students and more than 100,000 nurse volunteers, 76,000 of whom were assigned duty with the Army and Navy.

News of the award 

SECOND GENERATION

I.     ANN WICKENDEN WALTERS

Ann Wickenden was born in New York City to Homer and Elmira Wickenden. She grew up in the suburb of Bronxville, NY and went to college at Denison University in Ohio where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Ann went on to Yale University where she obtained a Master of Nursing and stayed on the faculty for two years before moving to New York City to work at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital ER.  Ann Wickenden married Jack Walters on May 10, 1958, in Bronxville. While living in Bronxville they had a daughter Donna Lynn on June 13, 1960, at the Lawrence Hospital and a son John Scott on October 31, 1962, also at the Lawrence Hospital.

Jack was transferred to Hartford, CT so they moved to Simsbury, CT where they lived until the late 60s. At that time, they moved to Lombard, IL briefly before moving on to Glen Ellyn, IL where the kids grew up. Jack worked for Clarage Fan Co. (later it became Zurn) and Ann went back to school to earn a credential to become a school nurse. She took care of five junior high schools.

The children went to Glenbard West High School. Following graduation, John attended Drake University where he majored in Journalism and began his career in broadcasting calling sports events and working as a sportscaster. Donna went to College of DuPage and Southern Illinois University.

When Jack retired Ann became a weekend private duty nurse. When she retired, they moved to Hot Springs Village, AR where they built a house in 1992. Jack and Ann enjoyed golf and bridge with friends. Ann substituted in the nursing department at Jessieville School for several years. She served as a Deacon and then as an Elder at their church. She and Jack also oversaw the Shepard group program at the church in 1993. Ann was also very active in PEO, AAUW and served on committees and boards of those and several other organizations.

Jack passed away on November 29, 2012. At that time Ann moved to Good Samaritan where she lived independently until her death on October 11, 2019.

[Contributed by Ann's daughter, Donna Nix]

II.     RUTH WICKENDEN ABEL

VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH RUTH WICKENDEN ABEL AND DEBBIE GRIFFIN: By the 2020's seven members from three generations of the Thomas R. Wickenden families had retired and moved to Southern California and, eventually, to The San Antonio Gardens in Pomona, just down the street from Claremont Colleges.  Current residents include Ruth Wickenden Abel and her cousin, one generation removed, Debbie Griffin.  Ruth is the younger daughter of Homer and Mira Wickenden, who was resident of The Gardens before her.  Debbie is the granddaughter of Ida Wickenden Nixon, who was also a resident of The San Antonio Gardens for many years, as was Debbie's mother Tish Nixon Johnson.  In the interviews on this video, Ruth and Debbie describe their Wickenden ancestors and their lives before and after they came to live at The Gardens. 

Interview with Ruth Wickenden Abel and Debbie Griffin 

AUDIO INTERVIEWS WITH RUTH WICKENDEN ABEL:  Ruth Wickenden Abel and Tom Wickenden  meet for lunch on the few occasions that Tom is in Los Angeles each year visiting his children.  On one such occasion Tom asked Ruth a number of questions about her family and her memories of relatives.  Ruth's responses have been transcribed and attached below.  However, Ruth's wonderful sense of humor and Tom's interest and amusement at her comments come through more forcefully in the audio recordings attached here.

Interview #1 - The Second Wickenden Reunion in Granville (1952).m4a 

Interview #2 - Lakeside Vacations.m4a

Interview #3 - Homer and Mira.m4a

Interview #4 - Wickenden Aunts and Uncles.m4a

Interview #5 - More Aunts, Uncles and Cousins.m4a

Interview #6 - More Cousins and then Denison.m4a

Interview #7 - Ruth's Sister Ann and their Families .m4a

TRANSCRIPTIONS OF AUDIO INTERVIEWS WITH RUTH WICKENDEN ABEL:

Transcript #1 - THE SECOND WICKENDEN REUNION IN GRANVILLE (1952).docnx

Transcript #2 - LAKESIDE VACATIONS.docx

Transcript #3. HOMER AND MIRA WICKENDEN.docx

Transcript #4 - WICKENDEN AUNTS AND UNCLES.docx

ABEL FAMILY UPDATES:

2022: Abel Family Update 2022.docx