Clara Kirkman (1890-1969*) was the first of five children born to Charles W. and Phoeba Anna Kirkman. The family lived in a small house in Cambridge, Ohio through the early years of the Twentieth Century, even after Charles divorced Anna and left to start a second family.
Clara worked for one of the Cambridge-area pottery companies. She married another potter, Jesse Ray Kildow, in 1919. Clara and Ray had a daughter, Juanita, in 1920. When Ray died just 7 months later, Clara's mother Anna and sister Irene helped her deal with the problems of single motherhood.
Clara Kildow raised Juanita and worked as a potter and glass moulder in the Cambridge factories. Then, sometime in the mid-1930s (historical records have not been found as of March 2019), she married Frank Adams. The marriage did not last long. By 1940, Clara Adams was living with Juanita and son-in-law Carl at their home in Coshocton, Ohio. She worked as a hotel cook there until the family moved to Newark, Ohio. She retired and spent the rest of her life caring for her grandsons and helping Juanita keep house.
Clara's fried chicken, homemade noodles, and tapioca pudding are fondly remembered decades later. Her love of Limburger cheese is less fondly remembered.
She was an enthusiastic Cleveland Indians fan, listening to every game on her Bakelite Silvertone radio.
She kept pet birds. Her favorite was Petey, a parakeet who had free run of the house.
Clara Kirkman Kildow Adams—who had been born 13 years before the Wright brothers first flew their plane—died on July 22, 1969, two days after Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon. She was survived by her daughter Juanita, two grandsons, and siblings Guy Kirkman, Mildred Kirkman McVicker, and Charles A. Kirkman. Her parents, sisters Bessie (1896-1899) and Irene, and Frank Adams had all died before her.
*Records give conflicting birth dates for Clara, but she said she was born on January 18, 1890. In later years, she signed her name as Clara K. Adams or Clara Kildow Adams.
Clara worked for one of the Cambridge-area pottery companies. She married another potter, Jesse Ray Kildow, in 1919. Clara and Ray had a daughter, Juanita, in 1920. When Ray died just 7 months later, Clara's mother Anna and sister Irene helped her deal with the problems of single motherhood.
Clara Kildow raised Juanita and worked as a potter and glass moulder in the Cambridge factories. Then, sometime in the mid-1930s (historical records have not been found as of March 2019), she married Frank Adams. The marriage did not last long. By 1940, Clara Adams was living with Juanita and son-in-law Carl at their home in Coshocton, Ohio. She worked as a hotel cook there until the family moved to Newark, Ohio. She retired and spent the rest of her life caring for her grandsons and helping Juanita keep house.
Clara's fried chicken, homemade noodles, and tapioca pudding are fondly remembered decades later. Her love of Limburger cheese is less fondly remembered.
She was an enthusiastic Cleveland Indians fan, listening to every game on her Bakelite Silvertone radio.
She kept pet birds. Her favorite was Petey, a parakeet who had free run of the house.
Clara Kirkman Kildow Adams—who had been born 13 years before the Wright brothers first flew their plane—died on July 22, 1969, two days after Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon. She was survived by her daughter Juanita, two grandsons, and siblings Guy Kirkman, Mildred Kirkman McVicker, and Charles A. Kirkman. Her parents, sisters Bessie (1896-1899) and Irene, and Frank Adams had all died before her.
*Records give conflicting birth dates for Clara, but she said she was born on January 18, 1890. In later years, she signed her name as Clara K. Adams or Clara Kildow Adams.
Clara Kirkman (1890-1969*) was the first of five children born to Charles W. and Phoeba Anna Kirkman. The family lived in a small house in Cambridge, Ohio through the early years of the Twentieth Century, even after Charles divorced Anna and left to start a second family.
Clara worked for one of the Cambridge-area pottery companies. She married another potter, Jesse Ray Kildow, in 1919. Clara and Ray had a daughter, Juanita, in 1920. When Ray died just 7 months later, Clara's mother Anna and sister Irene helped her deal with the problems of single motherhood.
Clara Kildow raised Juanita and worked as a potter and glass moulder in the Cambridge factories. Then, sometime in the mid-1930s (historical records have not been found as of March 2019), she married Frank Adams. The marriage did not last long. By 1940, Clara Adams was living with Juanita and son-in-law Carl at their home in Coshocton, Ohio. She worked as a hotel cook there until the family moved to Newark, Ohio. She retired and spent the rest of her life caring for her grandsons and helping Juanita keep house.
Clara's fried chicken, homemade noodles, and tapioca pudding are fondly remembered decades later. Her love of Limburger cheese is less fondly remembered.
She was an enthusiastic Cleveland Indians fan, listening to every game on her Bakelite Silvertone radio.
She kept pet birds. Her favorite was Petey, a parakeet who had free run of the house.
Clara Kirkman Kildow Adams—who had been born 13 years before the Wright brothers first flew their plane—died on July 22, 1969, two days after Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon. She was survived by her daughter Juanita, two grandsons, and siblings Guy Kirkman, Mildred Kirkman McVicker, and Charles A. Kirkman. Her parents, sisters Bessie (1896-1899) and Irene, and Frank Adams had all died before her.
*Records give conflicting birth dates for Clara, but she said she was born on January 18, 1890. In later years, she signed her name as Clara K. Adams or Clara Kildow Adams.
Clara worked for one of the Cambridge-area pottery companies. She married another potter, Jesse Ray Kildow, in 1919. Clara and Ray had a daughter, Juanita, in 1920. When Ray died just 7 months later, Clara's mother Anna and sister Irene helped her deal with the problems of single motherhood.
Clara Kildow raised Juanita and worked as a potter and glass moulder in the Cambridge factories. Then, sometime in the mid-1930s (historical records have not been found as of March 2019), she married Frank Adams. The marriage did not last long. By 1940, Clara Adams was living with Juanita and son-in-law Carl at their home in Coshocton, Ohio. She worked as a hotel cook there until the family moved to Newark, Ohio. She retired and spent the rest of her life caring for her grandsons and helping Juanita keep house.
Clara's fried chicken, homemade noodles, and tapioca pudding are fondly remembered decades later. Her love of Limburger cheese is less fondly remembered.
She was an enthusiastic Cleveland Indians fan, listening to every game on her Bakelite Silvertone radio.
She kept pet birds. Her favorite was Petey, a parakeet who had free run of the house.
Clara Kirkman Kildow Adams—who had been born 13 years before the Wright brothers first flew their plane—died on July 22, 1969, two days after Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon. She was survived by her daughter Juanita, two grandsons, and siblings Guy Kirkman, Mildred Kirkman McVicker, and Charles A. Kirkman. Her parents, sisters Bessie (1896-1899) and Irene, and Frank Adams had all died before her.
*Records give conflicting birth dates for Clara, but she said she was born on January 18, 1890. In later years, she signed her name as Clara K. Adams or Clara Kildow Adams.
