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Nellie was enrolled in school at the age of 16 1/2. Nellie attended Slippery Rock for one summer term and then taught school, at Denny's Mill, in Cabot and at Clinton above Freeport. She was courted by (he went across the river on ice cakes to do so) and eventually married Harry Elwood Kennedy on 26 September 1905, three days after her 22nd birthday in the home of her parents by the Rev. William Porter Townsend. Members of the bridal party were Emma (Mrs. W. W.) Sarver and Dr. Edwin P. Kennedy.

Harry and Nell lived in Swissvale when they were first married and he worked as a secretary at American Steel Wire Company in Swissvale, or near there. Their first child, Ruth, was born here in 1907. Because of his health, he was advised by the doctor to "get out from the noise" and so forth and he was only too glad to move to the country. They bought acreage from the Kennedy farm in Cabot next to his brother, (Clifford and his wife Effie who lived in the homestead), "with not even a shrub or tree, any buildings on it and gradually built it up." They lived a short time with Uncle Cliff and Aunt Effie until Grandpa Hesselgesser and others helped them get a small house moved. They remained on this farm in Cabot and had another 5 children: Marion, Mae, Florence, Gene and Helen. (one stillborn- Alice?)

Nellie was a full-time homemaker and mother on a busy farm. She not only helped with the farm work, particularly the milking, she raised turkeys for income and baked 6 to 8 loaves of bread every week! I remember her as a friendly, round, bustling person and I remember she was a good cook and always had a large garden behind the house. Preparation for threshing day was considerable and Aunt Effie always helped her with the cooking, then Aunt Nellie reciprocated by helping Aunt Effie down the road when they needed help on their threshing day.

Nellie was an active member of the Cabot Methodist Church and seventh degree member of the Winfield Grange. Nellie and Harry celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with an open house reception from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Cabot Methodist Church in September(?) 1965. She had Reynaud's disease (a circulatory disease) and, after a lengthy time in the hospital, died of a stroke on June 20 of 1966 at the age of 82 3/4 and was buried at St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery.

References

Last data update: Sep 27, 2018.

1900 United States Census document, Winfield Township, Butler County, PA; Enumeration date: June 15th, 1900, page 7, lines 87-98 Citation post date: 2009-07-04

Personal genealogical research information and notes provided by Nancy Lee (Hesselgesser) Sutton, Citation post date: 2006-07-29