587. ARTHUR COOK10 ALMY (Irwin Holder9, Christopher8, Joseph7, Christopher6, Holder5, Job4-3-2, William1),b. North Smithfield, RI, 21 Jul 1873; d. Annandale, VA, 5 Feb 1978; age 104.
He m. Forestdale, RI, 9 Jun 1903, EMMA ESTELLE HOLMAN, b. Forestdale, 25 Aug 1879; d. Falls Church, VA, 13 Mar 1974; dau of Theodore Fleelinghuysen and Alla May (Marsh) Holman.
Children:
| i | BERTRAM STUART11, b. Forestdale, 14 Mar 1907; d. Washington Court House, OH, 10 Jul 1941. He was killed by a train with his fiancee while returning home on leave from the Army. | |
| 730 | ii | MERWIN FRANCIS, b. Lakewood, OH, 13 Jul 1920; m. Columbus, OH, 2 Nov 1943, VEDA HAZEL MYERS, b. Sandy Level, VA, 30 Jul 1920; dau of Edgar Lee and Lucy Will (Robertson) Myers. |
After their marriage in 1903, Arthur and Emma lived in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, where he was an undertakers assistant. That work was apparently not to his liking and in 1909 they moved back to North Smithfield, Rhode Island, where Arthur worked for Theodore Holman, Emma's father, in Theodore's store and on his small vegetable farm.
In 1911, Arthur, Emma, and Bertram moved to Tampa, Florida, where he worked at various jobs. In 1917, Emma's parents joined them in Tampa. Then in 1918 they all moved to Lakewood, Ohio, where Arthur worked in a steel mill in Cleveland, Ohio, during World War I. After the war and until his retirement, he was a salesman for various products.
Arthur retired in 1947 at the age of 74 and he and Emma moved to Florida. While in retirement in Florida they lived in Daytona, Orlando, Sarasota, and Lakeland. Until he reached 100 years of age he would go to the baseball spring training games in Florida and he watched regular season games on television until his eyesight began to fail a year before his death. In January 1974, when Arthur was 100 and Emma was 94, they moved to their son Merwin's home in Springfield, Virginia.
Arthur never smoked or drank hard liquor; not for religious reasons, but he was always health and nutrition-conscious. He was a champion bicycle racer in his 20's and kept physically fit all his life. In fact, he never had an operation or hospital stay in his life. While in Ohio, he ice skated into his 70's and during his retirement in Florida he played shuffleboard until almost 100. He was so good at the game he regularly beat those 20 to 30 years younger.
Arthur was a positive thinker who lived in the present, always interested in the news and events of the day. This and being active, both mentally and physically, probably accounts for his longevity. He had a sharp mind and sense of humor until the end.
Arthur's SS No. is 271-09-0619 and Emma's is 266-41-1249.
REFERENCES: FAMILY RECORDS