Clan Munro USA
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Bess Whiteley

Bess Whiteley

Female 1886 - 1963  (76 years)

Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All

  • Name Bess Whiteley  [1, 2, 3
    Born 2 Aug 1886  Gaylord, Otsego Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Female 
    Died 9 Jul 1963  Rogers City, Presque Isle Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Buried 12 Jul 1963  Rogers City, Presque Isle Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Person ID I35912  Munro
    Last Modified 23 Dec 2010 

    Father Whiteley,   b. Est 1861,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Family ID F21430  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Neil Campbell Monroe, M.D.,   b. 10 Dec 1870, Aldborough, Elgin Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 Feb 1949, Rogers City, Presque Isle Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 78 years) 
    Married 5 Sep 1905  Millersburg, Presque Isle Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Children 
     1. Neil Campbell Monroe,   b. 16 Aug 1906, Millersburg, Presque Isle Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 27 Oct 1906, Millersburg, Presque Isle Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 0 years)
    +2. Donald Mortimer Monroe,   b. 2 Nov 1907, Millersburg, Presque Isle Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 Apr 1962, Detroit, Wayne Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 54 years)
    +3. Margot Grace Monroe,   b. 11 Sep 1910, Millersburg, Presque Isle Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 22 Jul 1991, Rogers City, Presque Isle Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 80 years)
     4. Beth Monroe,   b. 1 Jul 1912, Millersburg, Presque Isle Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 6 Jan 2004  (Age 91 years)
    +5. Robert Whiteley Monroe,   b. 11 Jan 1914, Millersburg, Presque Isle Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 31 Dec 1973, Wyandotte, Wayne Co., Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 59 years)
    Last Modified 20 Jan 2009 
    Family ID F12347  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Bessie was the daughter of Henry and Luella (Piper) Whiteley. She adopted the name Bessie Kennedy Whiteley from a loved minister. She was called "Grega" by her grandchildren. It was the closest approximation to the word grandmother by her oldest grandson when he began talking.

      The following is from a column written by her brother Hal Whiteley at the time of her death. It appeared in the Presque Isle County Advance on 18 Jul 1963.

      The recent death of my sister Bess Monroe brings back many memories. I was the youngest member of the Whitely family. I had curls until I managed to cry them off after quite a struggle. Father and Mother and all the other children, my brother Harry, my sister Grace and my sister Bess, all poured their love on the youthful child, Harold. Now they are all gone. I am the last of the family.

      My sister Bess and I were the youngest of the Whiteley family. I remember when we came to Millersburg we roamed the woods and followed the streams to the lakes. It was an easy trip up the Ocqueoc River to the Bernhart Lakes. Bess was a good shot with a 22 rifle. We ran logs together on the river when the drives were coming down.

      We were sent to Howe, Indiana to go to school and lived there with elderly Aunt Ellen. Schools in Millersburg at that time were not too hot. Bess graduated from high school. I had to quit after finishing the eleventh grade as our father had passed away and I had to go to work.

      Bess was quite a rebel, a non-conformist. She probably caused more trouble to the Howe school system than they have ever had, before or since. I remember that in her senior year as she was about to graduate she was expelled from school. Bess and another girl in the class initiated what was perhaps the first skip day. The entire class took off without leave and went on a picnic. the ring leaders were called on the carpet by an irate board of education.

      The president of the board called upon my Aunt Ellen to tell her of the dreadful thing her niece had done. He ran right into a buzz saw. Maybe Aunt Ellen didn't approve entirely but she wasn't going to let anybody trample on her kin. I remember (I was behind the door listening) that she remarked, "When you were young didn't you ever have a desire to rattle the old bones a little?" All the members of the school board had whiskers enough so they didn't have to wear neckties. The board president left with a red face, the two girls were reinstated and graduated, and no doubt the board was relieved when Bess left for good.

      I think that all the Monroe children will remember their home as one filled with love, laughter and other children. Frank Ware, who lived in the neighborhood, said to me the other day, "I always remember the Monroe house. All the kids in the neighborhood could, and did, go there and were welcome."

      In later years as the children went out on their own and the family circle grew, the Monroe house was still large enough for all. It was that way to the end. Happily, Bess was not alone. Beth was always with her.

      In the evening of life she had a long illness, but it was one in which she suffered no pain and no anxiety. When the call came it was gentle, while she was asleep.

      Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA [6]

  • Sources 
    1. [S466] Clan Munro files - Ritter, Donna Lou, Donna Lou Ritter, Email from Donna Lou Ritter (drlulu@worldnet.att.net) - Des cendants of Niel Munro - 21 Mar 2000 - p. 45 (Reliability: 3).

    2. [S466] Clan Munro files - Ritter, Donna Lou, Donna Lou Ritter, Email from Donna Lou Ritter (drlulu@worldnet.att.net) - Des cendants of Niel Munro - 21 Mar 2000 - p. 46 (Reliability: 3).

    3. [S693] Clan Munro files - Munro, Ronald Geyer, Ronald Geyer Munro, Obituary of Beth Monroe from the Presque Isle County Advance (Rogers City, Michigan) - 15 Jan 2004 (Reliability: 3).

    4. [S466] Clan Munro files - Ritter, Donna Lou, Donna Lou Ritter, Email from Donna Lou Ritter (drlulu@worldnet.att.net) - Des cendants of Niel Munro - 21 Mar 2000 - p. 47 (Reliability: 3).

    5. [S466] Clan Munro files - Ritter, Donna Lou, Donna Lou Ritter, Email from Donna Lou Ritter (drlulu@worldnet.att.net) - Des cendants of Niel Munro - 21 Mar 2000 - p. 45, 47 (Reliability: 3).

    6. [S466] Clan Munro files - Ritter, Donna Lou, Donna Lou Ritter, Email from Donna Lou Ritter (drlulu@worldnet.att.net) - Des cendants of Niel Munro - 21 Mar 2000 - p. 45-47 (Reliability: 3).