#148 Florence Alberta Powers ( Mary Catherine "Mayme" SeylerEllen Catherine AllisonGeorge AllisonArchibald AllisonMary KennedyJohn KennedyAlexander Kennedy )

Other names for Florence: Florence Alberta Deffler.

Florence was born 29 Sep 1907 in Salona, Clinton Co., Pennsylvania. She died 1 Jul 1997 in Latrobe, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. She was buried 3 Jul 1997 in Coles Cemetery, Derry Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.

Florence was only 17 when her mother died. Her two older sisters were married, so she took over the role of mother to her younger siblings.

Her entry in the Social Security Death Index shows her birth as 6 Oct 1907, which is inconsistent with what she said. It may be that was when the birth was reported.

We find her on the 1910 Federal Census and 1920 Federal Census with her parents.

Two years later, she married Bill and they set up house in Latrobe as we see on the 1930 Federal Census.

By the 1940 Federal Census they moved to Derry to a house on Bank St. There was no indoor plumbing: a hand pump in the kitchen brought in water from a well in the back yard and there was an outdoor privy some distance from the house. They modernized it bit by bit. However, in the late 1960s, the house burned down completely. Florence had started heating some oil on the stove and left the room for a minute. The oil spattered and lit the varnish on the cabinets on fire. Within moments the entire kitchen was ablaze and nothing could be done. When the firemen got there, one tried to go in through a door that wasn't burning, yet, grabbed a box and brought it out. Of all things that might have been saved, it turned out to be a box of old Christmas cards. They rebuilt and remained there the rest of their lives.

Florence nursed her father through a case of typhoid fever and, at one time, Florence took over the care of a friend who had tuberculosis, even though the disease frightened her.

On the 1940 Federal Census it shows that she completed two years of high school.

During World War II, she worked in a defense plant. Once the boys were grown, she took a job as an X-ray technician in Latrobe Hospital.

Each year, Florence made her own sauerkraut and continued a tradition that had been in the family for generations: serving a meal of pork and sauerkraut each New Year's Day.

Her son, Glenn, said that Florence was a good shot with a pistol. That part of Pennsylvania was fairly infested with copperheads. He said that one time he was a short way out from the house when his mother said, "Glenn, just stay back." A bit later there was a shot. He turned and saw a dead copperhead a few feet away. She had a good aim with other "weapons" as well...at her 50th wedding anniversary, they told the story of her seeing a rat running across the back porch. She picked up a stove lid, threw it and killed the rat.

Florence was given no middle name by her mother. As a teenager, wanting a middle name, she chose Alberta. In 1992, she said, "I have no idea why I picked that name...must have just liked it at the time."

She had quite a number of health problems in later years, but remained cheerful and active in her church and the community.

An obituary erroneously lists her birth place as Holisopple, Pennsylvania.

Florence married #140 William Charles "Bill" Deffler. He is the son of Charles Edward & Sara Jane (Stouffer) Deffler. He is an ancestor in the Deffler Line.

Marriage notes

They married 26 Aug 1926 in Cumberland, Allegany Co., Maryland.

 

Bill was born 17 Jan 1904 in Derry Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. He died 1 May 1995 in Latrobe, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. He was buried 3 May 1995 in Coles Cemetery, Derry Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.

He is also in the group picture «here».

Bill was an avid baseball player. When he was a young man, almost every town in the area had its own team and he played for his. He was a pitcher and, from what his friends said, "a pretty darn good one." He played catch with his sons and grandsons into the 1960s. I laughed when I read a note by his son, Bill, that said "it was tough to catch his curve ball" as I had thought the very same thing many years later. He also played the saxophone in the local dance band until the birth of his children. In later years, horseshoes became his passion. He played with a church group two or three times a week.

Bill and Florence originally lived in Latrobe, where he worked in the steel plant and Sam Aronson's Grocery Store. One of the things he did was drive a delivery truck. He told the story of starting down a hill in Latrobe one day and having the brakes completely disappear. Since he was already driving a bit faster than he should have been, it became a wild ride. He said, "I just held on and steered."

He appears on the 1910 Federal Census of Derry, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania and the 1920 Federal Census of Burrell, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania with his parents.

He appears on the 1930 Federal Census of Latrobe, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania with Florence and Bill, Jr. He is working as a heater in the steel plant and has a net worth of $30.

Later, they moved to Bank St. in Derry. His mother, Sara Jane, lived with them until her death.

On the 1940 Federal Census of Derry Bill is a truck driver. The job was either new or part-time as he had worked only 24 weeks during the last year, earning $250. His father-in-law and sister-in-law, Josephine, are living with them. It shows that he completed school to eighth grade. Their home is worth $2,000.

One year in the 1940s the well went dry and city water wasn't available. Bill dug a new well by hand. He rigged a winch and bucket at the top of the hole and would go down into it with a pick and shovel and fill up buckets. Bill, Jr. and Glenn would winch up the buckets and dump them in yard. This went on for weeks and weeks, working after his regular job and boys' school hours. Finally he hit solid rock and had to dynamite through it.

Bill really enjoyed working with wood. He had a complete shop in his basement and made many of the tables and cabinets in their home. Most of his family and friends have examples of the things he built...toys, shelves, chests, wind chimes and lamps.

Both Bill and Florence were avid Pittsburgh Pirates fans. Though they were the losingest bunch in the league through the '30s, '40s and '50s, they stuck with them until they won the pennant in 1960.

Children of this relationship:

#149MiWilliam Charles "Bill" Deffler 
#2MiiGlenn Arthur Deffler(8 Jun 1930–26 Aug 1982)

"Clintondale", The Express, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania (29 Sep 1936), p. 3, col. 4.

1910 U.S. Census, Derry Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Roll: T624_1428; Page: 31B; Enumeration District: 0115; FHL microfilm: 1375441

1910 U.S. Census, Lamar Twp., Clinton Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.. Roll: T624_1332; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0011; FHL microfilm: 1375345

1920 U.S. Census, Burrell, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Roll: T625_1573; Page: 21B; Enumeration District: 95; Image: 1032

1920 U.S. Census, Scalp Level, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Roll: T625_1662; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 88; Image: 892

1930 U.S. Census, Latrobe, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. Roll: 2157; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 74; Image: 391.0; FHL microfilm: 2341891

1940 U.S. Census, Derry, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Roll: T627_3629; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 65-30

Deffler-Powers marriage certificate, (26 Aug 1926) Cumberland, Maryland. Signed by C. R. Strausburg, Minister of Gospel

Florence A. Deffler funeral notice, clipping of unknown source.

Florence A. Deffler, Number: 200-05-0504; Issue State: Pennsylvania; Issue Date: Before 1951, Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011.

Florence Alberta Powers Deffler, cemetery notes, www.findagrave.com, #103158778.

Personal recollection of Florence (Powers) Deffler, as related to Tad Deffler.

Personal recollection of Tad Deffler.

William C. Deffler, Number: 177-03-3570; Issue State: Pennsylvania; Issue Date: Before 1951, Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011.

William Charles Deffler, cemetery notes, www.findagrave.com, #103158707.


Line Generation: 8

Relationship: Grandmother