Victor Perre Nye

As I stated in my last blog entry on Holiday Waters Nye, my daughter, Victoria-Holiday Waters, she is named after my mother’s father Holiday Waters and his father Victor Perre. They were both men who were greatly love by their family, friends and community. Today’s entry is on Victor Perre Nye.

Victor was born on August 3 1886, in Franklin Twp., Beaver Co., Pennsylvania to Michael Piersol and Harriet Hartzel Nye. He was the 11^th of their 12 child and was known to family, friends and the community as Perry Nye.

Although his father was a teacher, Perry didn't finish school. He had a couple of jobs over the years as noted on census records, but his longest was as an "engineer" in the local water company. In the 1900 Census it states that Perry was a day laborer and later in the 1910 and 1930 census he was listed as farming his own land and on the 1920 census he was listed as an Engineer.

Perry married his wife, Mary Louella Graff on Mary 6, 1908 in Ellwood City, Lawrence Co., Pennsylvania. They had 11 children: Dorothy Flossie (Daufen), born Jan 16, 1909; Holiday Waters, Feb 1, 1910; Thelma Neva (Moreland), Jan 6, 1912; King Robert April 1, 1914; George Adam, Sept 19, 1915, killed in a car accident, June 23, 1935; Alma Mildred (Ritter, White), April 29, 1917; Mary Louella (Bowers), May 10, 1919; Harriet Elizabeth (Waterfield), July 19, 1922; Grace Esther (Jessop), Dec 1,1923; William Howard, June 26, 1925; and Ilene Virginia (Young, Senerth, White), Oct 26, 1930.

Perry lost his job as engineer with the water company during the Depression and continued farming on his land. This didn’t provide much money, so he also dug coal. Despite the family's poverty, Perry would not to accept welfare.

Perry enjoyed hunting despite the fact that he accidentally shot off his little finger when he was 16. When he and the other men went hunting, the women would stay behind and prepare a feast. When the men returned, there would be a celebration with hard cider and plenty of food. Perry also enjoyed square dancing with his wife.

Perry chewed tobacco but wouldn't let his children smoke. He said he'd make them eat the tobacco if he ever caught them smoking it, however several of his children did pick up the habit despite this threat.

On Feb 27, 1935, Perry Nye died while working in a coal mine. He was pushing a coal car out of the mouth of the mine when he suffered a heart attack. At the time my Grandfather, Holiday was with his father digging coal, while his brother ran for help Holiday stayed with his father. My Pappy carried his father’s body back to the farm later to be laid to rest at the St. Mark's Lutheran Cemetery, Franklin Twp., Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

In correspondence with Brian Bowers he shared with me some poetry that his mother had written soon after the passing of Perry. It expressed the great love that she and her siblings had for their father. In doing my family history I have enjoyed meeting via email several cousins who were children and grandchildren of Perry’s siblings and they all spoke of him with great love and affection. One cousin spoke of how Perry had a great talent with animals. He said that Perry could through soft voice and a kind hand make any beast his friend. He also said that Perry played the fiddle and when they would come back from hunting he was always asked to play.

I, of course did not know my Great-Grandfather, but I knew my Pappy and all my Great-Aunts and Uncles and they were all good, funny, and loving people and so they must have had a good, funny, and loving father. So that is the first reason that I named my daughter after him; the second was because I loved my Pappy dearly. I know that he was happy that I named her after his father. I called my Pappy while still in the hospital to let him know and I remember him choking back tears and saying he thought it was the best name he’s ever heard. That was the last conversation I had with my Pappy.