- Oscar R Star, Head, M, W, 43, M1, 22, Wisconsin, New York, Vermont, Farm Laborer, Working Out, owns home
Hattie Star, Wife, F, W, 38, M1, 22, 8 children born - 7 living, Michigan, Michigan, –, none
May N Star, Daughter, F, W, 20, S, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, attending school
Lutheria R Star, Daughter, F, W, 18, S, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, attending school
Roy Star, Son, M, , 15, S, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, attending school
Laura Star, Daughter, F, W, 12, S, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, attending school
Murray C Star, Son, M, , 10, S, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, attending school
Cora R Star, Daughter, F, W, 7, S, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, attending school
Theodore Star, Son, M, , 3, S, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, none
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- Cora Starr Van Cruyningen, #21. one of our earliest supporters, died in December of 1993. She was always so gracious and willing to share. Cora was the last daughter of Royal Oscar Starr and Hattie Belle Maybee. On her mother's side, she descended from David Maybee 1761/62 of Canajoharie, New York. Her father descended from Dr. Comfort Starr of Ashford, Kent, England, who emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in 1635.
Cora comes from a family of eight children. Her parents homesteaded in Nebraska and built a cattle spread. Royal "Oscar " Starr vowed that each of his children would have a high school education , but Eli, the nearest town was 40 miles away. Their oldest daughter was attending school in Mt. Vernon, Washington and living with her grandparents William Edgar and Rachel Mapes Maybee. The thoughts of a warmer climate, good schools and available work induced Mr. Starr to sell his homestead and move the family to Washington State.
The Starrs packed all of their belongings, the seven children, enough food for the trip, and boarded the train for the West coast in 1907.
Cora finished high school and then graduated from Bellingham Normal with credentials in upper elementary grades. She had been dating Paul Van Cruyningen, a student a Bellingham, but since he had one more year to graduation, she took a job teaching at Skagit River in a one-room school with all eight grades and 27 students.
"I was 21 at the time and some of the eighth graders were bigger than I. They were good kids though, and I had very few discipline problems." She laughed as she remembered one incident which taught her not to keep kids after school. "The Raleigh man had stayed overnight with one of the families and a big boy had filched a bottle of vanilla from his pack." After the first recess Miss Starr saw some of the big boys slip back into their seats with sheepish grins on their faces. Pretty soon the smell of vanilla, with a touch of alcohol, filled the room. Teacher informed the children that the boys in the eighth grade would stay after school. "The little children ran home, wide-eyed with the story that heir brothers were in trouble with the teacher. AS I talked with the culprits I glanced out the window and saw each of their fathers standing in the school yard to confront the boys. Well, that was the last time I kept anyone after school. I felt the punishment was worse than the crime."
She taught two years and then in 1927 she and Paul were married. They moved to Seattle where Mr. Van Cruyningen taught. At that time a married woman could not teach, especially if her husband was a teacher.
This is when Cora began volunteer work which she continued for the remainder of her life. Paul became a principal and she soon found herself leading many fund drives for the schools. "Finally I told Paul I had to go to work in self defense," Cora said. She became a receptionist at the Washington University Woman's Club and stayed there for 25 years filling many positions. One of her favorite projects was the Children's Orthopedic Guild and much of the above information was gleaned from an article in a local newspaper, written about her and her generous service.
Her niece, Wanda Pearcy, #16, writes, "Cora was born July 14, 1903 and passed away December 25, 1993. She was a wonderful lady. She had a good life. Her husband, Paul passed away in 1988, but up until that time they did a lot of traveling. They did not have children but were blessed with lots of nieces and nephews. She moved back to Mt. Vernon in 1990 it was great to be able to spend more time with her."
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1903 - 1993 (90 years)
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