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Mae-Ruth Safstrom
Adopted fathers name Safstrom
Jan. 29th 1918 -  July 23rd 2006 (88)
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* ​So far the only thing I'm sure of is that Ruth was adopted by the Alex E. Safstrom family as seen in a 1930 census report as "Adopted Daughter" then newspaper clippings showing 1936 marriage to Paul Ryder Peterson. After that seen things seem to have gone off the rails or at least that's the way I feel continue checking on when she might have widowed Paul Peterson or divorced.

** In 1956 win Ruth adopted father dies and news write up lists Ruth as living in Buffalo. So she is in Buffalo during 1956- important to know. Along with Ruth's obituary which states she moved to Buffalo in the late 1940s, in both times she carries the name. Ruth Freer.
 

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Note

Her name can be found:

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Ruth Fay

Mary Fay

Mae ruth Safstrom (adopted parents last name)​

​Next possible Ruth name is FREER says she was married and lived in Lackawanna, New York (Freer may be 2nd husband after Peterson)

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NOTES:

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Ruth gets married same year as her sister, 1936

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1) Ruth married May 30th 1936​ (Age 18 so it's her first marriage to Paul R. Peterson. so.... Virgil Leroy Freer must be her 2nd marriage) Freer was used as her name in her obituary. 

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Some basic potential findings are Ruth's first married Paul H Peterson then divorced around 1956 and married Virgil Leroy Freer. One newspaper obituary says she came to the Buffalo area in late 1940s. More details to come.

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2) Virginia married August 8th 1936​​ She married Leland H. Palmer 

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​One reported home of Ruth is in Lackawanna, New York 79 Tracy Parkway, Lackawanna, NY. No Google maps for it but Zillow has a trailer for sale at 90 Tracy Parkway in Lackawanna so it may be a trailer court at this time or even then.

Second address shown was 75 Wood St., Buffalo, NY. Under her last maiden name also. 75 Wood St. in Buffalo is actually in Lackawanna and it is just a few blocks from her previous Tracy Parkway address this time. It's an older house.

Virginia and Ruth Fay c1928

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1913

Ruth’s husband is born. Sept 12th 1913 Making him 4 years and 8 months older than Ruth.

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1920

 Claude's marriage to Harriet 1917

1920 Census dated Jan. 2nd 1920 from McKean County PA.

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​This census is helpful as it shows Claude is married to Harriet in 1920. The separation then divorced was supposed to ever happened around 1921. It also shows how young the children were. I believe the children were named Ruth and Virginia, but they list them as Mary and Virginia.

Harriet Married in 1917 at 16 years old. She is 18 now in 1920.

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1930

1930 Census

 

Name Mayruth (looks like they wrote Mary Ruth) age 12 "adopted daughter"

Father's name Axel Safstrom - Axel was born in Pennsylvania, but his father was born in Sweden.

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1936

Smethport Pa.  is 19 miles from Bradford, PA

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1956

​April 9th 1956

 

Ruth adopted father dies at 81. Note Ruth apparently is married again with a different name. "Freer"

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1958

Very probable this is Ruth's husband. From the Buffalo evening news September 6, 1958 Paul R. Peterson

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1965

Probably Ruth husband

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Paul R. peterson

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1990

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2000

​Timothy Paul Peterson of Rochester New York passes. His mother survived him name of Ruth Peterson of Buffalo and his father Paul R Peterson survived him. Paul did not die. I believe until 2002 and Ruth did not die until 2006. Important to know there are brothers and sisters which I believe we've seen the name Mary Murray, and before

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2002

​Again, 1883 Electric Ave., Lackawanna, NY is a trailer/RV park. 

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​On a personal note, the places Ruth was alleged to live in. Lackawanna is right by the ice cream shop Mr. Lawson used to take Dusty and I to along with the trailer court looking area where Louisa and I turned in a sick bird way back in 2002. Hard to wrap my mind around that Ruth may have been living in that area when Louisa and I were living in Hamburg from 1993 till present.

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1945

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1950

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2006

​Ruth and Paul married in PA 1936-

This article states Ruth moved to the Buffalo area in the late 1940s. You will notice that her husband's date of service was from May 21st 1945 through January 19th 1946 him getting out of the service coincides with Her arriving in Buffalo late 1940s. Potentially he got out of the service in Bradford Pennsylvania then the two of them moved to Western New York.

Ruth has Children: See if any are still living in this area. William Freer, Barbara Flasher, Maryanne Swinford. 

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Lived in Lackawanna for the past 30 years. 2006 - 30 =1,976 about.

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** Survived by children. Not husband- so they probable divorced. Then He remarriage. So she was on her own for a while

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1940

House no. 37 Colegrove St 

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At house number 27, Paul's parents are living.

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1940

Paul's parents are living a few houses down the street from Paul and Ruth.

 

House no. 27 Colegrove St 

1940 census

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The next block over from Where, Ruth and husband Paul R Peterson are living you see Paul's parents who were born in Sweden living listed as farmer.

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1946

Paul R. Peterson father dies

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1956

​In 1956 Ruth and Paul are living in Lockport New York- Number 10 Pound Street Lockport New York may not be there anymore number 12 and others are so it is a correct street name

​From their marriage in 1936 up to at least this .1956 Ruth and Paul are still together

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1956

Buffalo evening news, July 11, 1956

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​Virgil Leroy Freer and Ruth take out a loan shoulder together as of July 1956

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1959

​On Jan. 10th 1959 Virgil (31) was cited for traffic violation address reported was 164 Elk Street Buffalo, which is 1.9 miles from an earlier address at 47 Saint Saint Stevenson Street north of the triangle

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1960

47 Saint Stevens Pl., Buffalo, NY is only one and a half miles from Spaulding

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1961

Buffalo evening news, March 14, 1961

Under the heading business names, Virgil apparently opens a new collision shop.

V & B collision. 1.4 miles from his elk Street home. 234 Seneca St. Buffalo, NY.

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​I I think we finally have the right guy Lackawanna checks out the name Mary Ruth Peterson gives me all the indications that that was her maiden name or previous name before taking on FREER

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1950

Virgil Leroy Freer

Ruth MH 32 checks out putting age of birth 1918 she's with new husband here since his report of New Jersey

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