Fifth Generation

130. Edith May ROOT was born on 30 July 1877 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^{1,164,190,214,276} She appeared in the census in 1880 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁶⁴ She appeared in the census in 1885 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.²²⁰ Edith appeared in the census in 1895 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.²²¹ She graduated in 1896 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³²⁵ from the Tomah High School. Between 1896 and 1904 she was a school teacher in Coles Valley, Adrian Township, Monroe County, WI.³²⁶ Edith appeared in the census in 1900 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁵⁴ She was living with her parents and her occupation was "School Teacher." ³²⁷ She wrote a post card to her sister Eva in which she wrote: "Dear Eva. We rec'd the card you sent the boys. Didn't you get my last letter telling how we were .... (illegible)? We are all well again. Ronald has been cutting teeth and had earache, too, the first of the week, but he felt Mon like himself. Yesterday, Mary came & stayed with baby and I went to the church supper last night. Robert was in the country. I have not begun house cleaning yet. Want to begin Mon. Expect you are looking for Mother next week. I haven't heard from home in over a week.... (several words unreadable).. for all. Edith."

"Ronald" was her oldest son and "Robert" was her husband, but the identity of "Mary" is not known. She appeared in the census in 1910 in Sparta, Sparta Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁶⁸ She appeared in the census in 1920 in Glendive, Dawson County, MT.³²⁸ Edith lived at her home in Glendive, Dawson County, MT in September 1923.²²⁷ She and her children could not be located anywhere in the U.S. in the 1930 Census. She appeared in the census in 1930 in Helena, Lewis and Clark County, MT.²²⁵ Her household was at 605 Ninth Avenue and her occupation was "Teacher, Public School." (Her surname is listed as "Donis" in the Ancestry.com census index.) She appeared in the census in 1940 in Madison, Dane County, WI.³²⁹ Her occupation was "Rooming House, Roomers." Edith lived in Madison, Dane County, WI after about 1943.^330,331 A letter to Blanche Griggs from Edith dated 2 October 1943 listed her address as 229 Clifford Court in Madison. (Blanche was the daughter of Edith's younger sister, Eva.)

In the letter, she mentioned that her sister Lottie had received a letter from Vern Griggs the prior July in which he told Lottie about his family. Edith also mentioned that she was about to mail a Christmas package to Glenn Griggs, who was stationed overseas in the Army.

She then told Blanche about her children: Ken had enlisted in the Army Reserves and was then stationed at Camp Kearnes, Utah, but was slated to transfer to Alaska; after that, he was to go to Miami to Officers' Candidate School, followed by being sent to Harvard University in Boston to pursue his degree in Business Administration. Her son Leighton was stationed at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, and was flying between there, Boston, and Washington, D.C. And her daughter Grace had joined the Waves the prior April and was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, near Chicago. Her son Ronald and his family were living in Minnesota.

At the end of the letter, she mentioned that, "When (her son) Ken left, I took a small four room apt. near the Wis(consin) Gen(eral) Hospital. It is very comfortable, but I get pretty lonesome....If you can come to M(adison), do come to see me. Bring your girl (Doris Mae), too, if you can. Doesn't seem possible that she is in High School." She died on 15 June 1966 at the age of 88 in Sparta, Sparta Township, Monroe County, WI.^1,134,214

Edith May ROOT and Robert L. "Rob" DAVIS were married on 12 October 1904 in Monroe County, WI.^{204,214,310,332,333} (Harold Root's research lists their year of marriage as 1902. The Monroe County Marriage Record Index does not list a date. Tomah Journal articles dated 7 October and 14 October 1904 note their marriage.) Robert L. "Rob" DAVIS, son of Thomas D. DAVIS and Grace Williams LLOYD, was born on 12 September 1869 in Adrian Township, Monroe County, WI.^{136,164,214,328} He appeared in the census in 1870 in Adrian Township, Monroe County, WI.¹³⁶ He appeared in the census in 1880 in Adrian Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁶⁴ Rob appeared in the census in 1900 in Adrian Township, Monroe County, WI.⁵⁴ He was the Head of Household, with his brother John and sister Grace living with him, and his occupation was "Farmer." He lived in Sparta, Sparta Township, Monroe County, WI about 1904.³³² He appeared in the census in 1910 in Sparta, Sparta Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁶⁸ His residence was at 400 South Water Street in the 4th Ward and his occupation was "Dealer, Farm Implements." Rob appeared in the census in 1920 in Glendive, Dawson County, MT.³²⁸ His occupation was "None." He died on 17 March 1923 at the age of 53 in Montana.^214,305

Edith May ROOT and Robert L. "Rob" DAVIS had the following children: