Henderson Web Generation Five

234. LEE⁵ POOR (William⁴, Elizabeth³, Samuel², James¹); born 28 January 1881 in Pennsylvania, died June 1955 in Pennsylvania.²⁷⁶ married Luella A. [—?—], born 1879 in Pennsylvania. In 1910, the family was living two doors from Lee's father in Oil Creek Township, Venango County, where Lee was listed as a laborer in the oil business. Lee, Luella and children were living in Mounds Township, Creek County, Oklahoma, in 1920, where Lee was listed as head foreman in the "oil fields;" in 1930, the family was in Pleasantville, Pennsylvania, where Lee was listed as a lease worker and Luella was a dry goods merchant.

Lee Poor was a deacon of the Shamburg Christian Church. Lee Poor signed, as a non–relative, the affidavit of my father Ralph Z. Clifford, when my father obtained a delayed birth certificate in 1954.

Children known from the 1920 and 1930 federal censuses:²⁷⁷

	271	i.	Ellen⁶ Poor, born circa 1908 in Pennsylvania.
	272	ii.	Robert B. Poor, born circa 1909 in Pennsylvania.

244. MYRON⁵ FILETUS FOLWELL (William⁴, Sarah³, David², James¹); born 31 October 1864; died 3 February 1958;²⁷⁸ married VIVIAN S. [—?—], born August 1869, died circa 1949. There are several deeds²⁷⁹ in the name of Myron Filetus, usually recorded as M. F., naming his wife as Vivian S. His will is in Venango County Will Docket 46, page 319.

Fleet and Vivian had one child:

	273	i.	Sarah⁶ Folwell, born circa 1898. She married John C. or M. Swick, born circa 1897 of Warren, Pennsylvania (see 30 October 1950 article below). Children of John and Sarah (Folwell) Swick known from the 1930 federal census when the family was living in Warren, Pennsylvania, and John was enumerated as working in a filling station: (a) John M. Swick, Jr., born (private). (b) Robert H. Swick, born (private). (c) Richard H. Swick, born (private)²⁸⁰

Fleet and Vivian lived near my grandparents (William and Josephine Lytle Fleming) in what is called the Shamburg area, Oil Creek Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania. Fleet was an oil producer.²⁸¹ He was also a director of the Citizen Bank of Pleasantville, Secretary and Treasurer of Oil Creek Township Board of Road Supervisors, and township tax assessor. Fleet was a good friend (and relative) of the Flemings. I remember hearing many stories of Fleet from my mother and uncles, but can not recall specific ones.

The following testimonial to Fleet Folwell is from the Titusville Herald, 30 October 1950, via Heinen (1992), page 376:

FLEET FOLWELL TO BE HONORED AT OPEN HOUSE. Shamburg Man 86. Daughter and Friends Arrange Open House. There will be a birthday party this afternoon and evening for 86–year–old M. F. (Fleet) Folwell, who is the envy of just about every man who meets him … The others are envious of his physical spryness and his keenness of mind and faculties at such a ripe age, and they all hope to be like him in those respects when they reach four score and six … The party, given by his daughter, Mrs. John Swick of Warren, and neighbors, will be held at the comfortable home about a mile and three–quarters south of Pleasantville on the Plummer road, where Mr. Folwell lives alone. It will be openhouse, starting at 1 o’clock, and everyone is invited … When a Herald reporter stopped at the Folwell house last Friday to get a picture for the occasion, Mr. Folwell was busy at the barn. He has reached that maturity of mind which regards posing and primping as of little consequence, so he invited the reporter to proceed with taking his picture just as he was … Keeping busy all the time probably has something to do with Mr. Folwell’s fine condition today. No part gets a chance to rust. For several years he has been a director of the Citizen Bank of Pleasantville, for 35 years secretary and treasurer of the Oil Creek township board of road supervisors and for 7 years township assessor. He takes care of his property; cooks his own meals and as if that wasn’t enough, devotes long hours to his hobby of cabinet making … Today isn’t his birthday; it’s really tomorrow. He was born Oct. 31, 1854–“I’m a Hallowe’en fellow,” he says of himself–in a house the first one up the road from his present home. His parents were William Folwell and Lucy Miller Folwell. The family soon moved down the road, just below the present Folwell home, the Farel house, so it is evident that Mr. Folwell has never wandered very far from the acres he owns today … Because his mother was ill and his father was busy looking after her, to Mr. Folwell fell the job of directing the building of the house in which he lives. He told the reporter that parts of the original Dr. Shamburg’s office are included in it … His memories of days gone by are clear. The oil excitement at Pithole had passed when he reached the age of comprehension, but he recalls the Pleasantville and Shamburg booms, especially the latter … “People won’t believe it,” he says, “but there were as many houses in Shamburg as there are in Titusville. Why, from the house of Will Roth (down the Plumer road [present–day Rt. 227?]) there was a sidewalk around the corner of the Foggan place clear to Shamburg. On the steep hill it became steps” … The distance is considerably more than a mile … Asked about his nickname, he said that it came from an abbreviation of his middle name. A friend called him “Filete” and that word gradually became corrupted to “Fleet” … “Or it may be they call me that because I’m so slow,” he adds … The passing years have removed virtually his entire generation from the community. His wife died 11 years ago; his brother, Lynden, 11 years younger; died just recently. Now about the only person left, he says, is Will Fleming, three years younger [actually about 5 years younger], who lives near the Shamburg Church.