BUEMOND, Cora

CORA BUEMOND, age 4

Worcester Massachusetts

This photo was located this week at Stone Soup Antique Gallery in Ballston Spa, NY, in a booth which contained several photos of families in Vermont.

No year is given on the photo, but it appears to have been taken around 1890.

The photo bears a trademark of "Baker, 406 Main Street, Worcester." No State is mentioned. There are several towns in America named Worcester, including Vermont and Massachusetts. According to Langdonroad.com, a website I often use to pinpoint locations of turn of the century photographers, there was a studio called "Baker & Knight" located at 406 Main Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.

The inscription on the back clearly says "Cora" but the surname is less obvious. It looks like either Buemond, Burmond, Briemond, or Brumond. She is identified as being 4 years old at the time.

The first record I found on Ancestry.com about this Cora Buemond was a Vermont Death Record.  It shows that she was born 17 June 1885 in Paxton, Mass. (a town about 8 miles NW of Worcester, Mass). So I think I am on the right track, and that this is the girl in the photo.

This Cora May Buemond died May 25, 1957 at age 71, in the town of Saxton's River, VT. (I bought other photos from the same booth that day, one of which was taken at a studio in Saxton's River.) She lived most of her life in nearby Rockingham VT. Her parents are reported as Henry Alonzo Buemond and Lilla L. Simonds, both of whom were born in Rockingham Vermont. Her husband was David Nelson Stearns (1882-1978, son of Henry Aaron Stearns and Ann B. Dartt).

(Please see also recent post on ALDRICH family as the mother in those photos has maiden name of Dartt.)

1900 CENSUS > Vermont > Windham > Rockingham
BUEMOND, Henry A., head, May 1855, 45yo, born in VT or English and Irish parents, farmer
BUEMOND, Lilla, wife, Jun 1860, 39yo, born in VT of NH and VT parents
BUEMOND, Cora M., daughter, Jun 1885, 14yo, born in Massachusetts
BUEMOND, Pearl L., daughter, Jun 1889, 10yo, born in VT

The headstone for sister Pearl (or Pearle) clarifies the spelling of the surname as BUEMOND. Pearl married Homer Tanner and lived to be either 99 or 100 years old.

1910 CENSUS > Vermont > Windham > Rockingham
STEARNS, David N., head, 27, married 5y, born in VT of VT parents, plumber and tinworker
STEARNS, Cora M., wife, 24, 3 children/3 living, born in MA of VT parents
STEARNS, Nelson H., son, 4, born in VT
STEARNS, Norman J., son, 3, born in VT
STEARNS, Marion L., daughter, 1, born in VT

1920 CENSUS > Vermont > Windham > Rockingham
STEARNS, David N., head, 36, born in VT, plumber
STEARNS, Cora M., wife, 33, born in MA
STEARNS, Nelson H., son, 14, born in VT
STEARNS, Norman James, son, 12, born in VT
STEARNS, Marion L., daughter, 11, born in VT
STEARNS, Gardner Burnap, son, 8, born in VT
STEARNS, Faith Evelyn, daughter, 6, born in VT
STEARNS, Helen (Ellen) May, daughter, 1, born in VT

The 1930 Census shows the following changes:
The family now lives in Saxton's River VT. Husband David is now a retail merchant. Sons Norman (22) and Gardner (19) both live at home and work in a gear factory. Also at home are daughters Faith (16) and Ellen (11).

The 1940 Census adds a great deal of useful information. It appears that the Great Depression of the 30's drove a couple of the adult children back home to live with David and Cora.

1940 CENSUS > Vermont > Windham > Saxtons River> Pleasant Street
STEARNS, David, head, 56, plumber
STEARNS, Cora, wife, 53
STEARNS, Norman, son, single, 31, laborer at cemetery
STEARNS, Ellen, daughter, single, 21, public school teacher
STEARNS, Nelson, son, married, 33, plumber at FS Fontler? Co.
STEARNS, Gladys (Walker), wife of Nelson, 41
STEARNS, James, son, 7 (son of Nelson & Gladys)
STEARNS, Willis, son, 5 (son of Nelson & Gladys)
KENISTON, Faith, daughter of David & Cora, married, 26

The headstone for Cora's parents (Center Cemetery, Heath Massachusetts) shows Henry A. Buemond (1855-1932) and Lilla L. Simonds (1860-1932). Lilla's memorial at Findagrave  indicates her parents are Joseph Simmonds and Harriet Derby-Simmonds. She has a sister named Eva Simonds.

This obit for Henry Buemond was found in the Springfield Republican (Mass) Newspaper, Monday Feb 29, 1932.