Elizabeth was born in Erie, PA on October 31, 1904 to John and Clara Wright. John was 36, a doctor His father was also a doctor. The family was from the Jamestown, NY area. Clara Keller Wright was 32, a local girl whose family had emigrated to the US from Germany several generations ago. They were married in 1900. This was their second child. Eduard, born on October 8, 1902, died a week after he was born.
Elizabeth lived on 247 West 8th in a home that doubled as a doctor’s office.
She shared an early recollection of her uncle Harry Kellar, from when she was five years old and Harry and his wife Eva stayed at the house in Erie . She didn’t like Eva because she had a pink peignoir with ostrich feathers around the neck.
The 1910 census shows that at some point after her birth, Clara’s father, Eduard Keller had moved in with the Wrights. Eduard was now in his 60s and a widower. His wife, Christina Weindorf had died back in 1896.
Death of Clara Keller Wright
In November 1911, Clara contracted bronchial Pneumonia and dies. Elizabeth is just 7 years old. The side story was that John Wright believed in fresh air and kept the house open when Clara was suffering with a cold believing that it would help her recover.
Two years later, on January 1, 1913, John Wright marries Katherine Hayes Law, also a doctor . They subsequently have a daughter, Virginia Law Wright on December 3, 1914.
Move to California
Elizabeth, now just turning 8, is shipped off to Los Angeles to live with with her aunt, Anna Marie Keller Buck and her husband, Malcolm Buck as well as Harry Kellar, now a retired world renown magician. Her grandfather, and Harry’s brother, Eduard, accompanies her. Eva Kellar passed away in 1910. She returns briefly to Erie after 3 years.
In 1917, Elizabeth, now 12 years old, again moves to Los Angles. Her grandfather, Eduard, dies in 1919. There is a nationwide epidemic, The Spanish Flu.
Elizabeth goes to school in LA until she is 16 years old. Her second recollection is of Los Angeles when they lived on Wilshire place. This was after Ava died and “my aunt Mamie and her husband Malcolm were living there, I didn’t go to school I spent all of my time playing with the many children in the neighborhood, taking French lessons, going on picnics etc. and cool here he was always very busy the rest of the time was taken up with numerous friends mostly theatrical.”
“He came to visit at intervals in Erie he would visit always bearing gifts he was an awful tease! I remember him handling me a present I could not open. I tired and tried. I struggled and struggled but no luck. I finally burst into tears without he pulled a string and the noose came loose to the reveal a purse with a $10 gold piece in it.”
“When I went back to LA the second time, in 1917, I was supposedly suffering from a pulmonary infections. I was as the scar is still there I enrolled in the virtual intermediate school, Uncle Harry had moved into a new house on Ardmore. It was a lovely neighborhood and I knew everybody during the flu epidemic when the schools were closed. Uncle Henry conducted classes for the entire neighborhood at the house. He had infinite patience with the children and when classes were over we went out to skate ! He never talked about his early life at least not to me I’m sure I would’ve remembered something . Aunt Mamie used to talk a bit but her tales were a bit on the gruesome side so I’m not sure what was true and what wasn’t.”
Note from PWK
You may recall my mother lost her mother, Clara Keller, when she was four. Her step mother and her father sent her to California to live with Uncle Harry, allegedly because she had TB and the climate would be better for her. (Mother always thought they wanted to get rid of her.) Also, when she was sent back the second time, she apparently suffering from a pulmonary infection. Again, this is about the time of the Spanish Flu epidemic.
Anyways, I remember the story from my mother when she lived with Uncle Harry in Los Angeles. His niece, Anna Buck, was doing a séance in the front pallor for an elderly lady. When she called up the lady’s dead husband, a deep voice was heard in reply. My mother, perhaps about age 12 who happened by watched in fascination, then replied. “Aunt Anna, I know how you do that. Uncle Harry is down in the basement talking thru that tube.”
A true story.
Eduard Keller dies in 1919 in LA. His body is returned to Erie, PA for burial.
Death of Eduard Keller
The 1920 census shows Elizabeth still living with Harry Keller, his wife, Eva, Malcolm Buck and his wife, Anne Marie Buck.
Elizabeth was send East to Chatham Academy, in Chatham, north of Danville, VA where she spent some time measured in months in the latter part of 1921. They were unable to produce any records and it is likely she did not finish a year there. Then she went on to Erie.
It is not clear what happened at Chatham. Letters show that Dr. Wright had found Chatham for her but why she was pulled out is unclear.
Death of Harry Kellar
Harry Keller dies on March 10, 1922. Elizabeth is now 17 years old.
Elizabeth now called Betty, graduates from Central High School in June of 1922.
In the fall of 1922, she went to Simmons College. It appears that Uncle Harry paid for her college tuition. She is shown in the Erie PA City Directory in 1925 and 1926. She is in the Simmons yearbook as the class of 1926. There is no record of her participation in any activities. However, her profile says:
“Our good Betsy is right there when it comes to parties.(from dancing to tobogganing), to posters, committee work and lunchroom management. She will even aid and abet high minded social workers, striving to amuse the hoi polloi. Betsy is a pillar of the house of fund and frolic, a staunch and loyal member of the great order of the S. O. S. and an intelligent student. May her soul rest in piece.”
Major: House hold Economics
Activities: Executive Board; Waitress Sophomore Luncheon, Poster Committee Sophomore Follies, Usher Senior Faculty Reception, Usher Dramatics, Publicity, Junior Show, House Senior Dorm S. O. Society.
Marriage to Burbank Somers
Enter Burbank Hooper Somers, a Harvard student, who is living in Winthrop Hall. Harvard campus is adjacent to Simmons College. Burr is the son of George and Mary Somers of San Francisco. Born on May 7, 1903, he graduated from U of California Berkley in 1924 and is now graduating with a Masters from Harvard Business as well.
George is Dr. George Burbank Somers, clinical professor of obstetrics & gynecology at Stanford Medical School & Physician Manager of the Stanford Hospital. The Somers have two boys, Burbank and a younger brother Willard. They live on Mountain Road in Palo Alto. George was born in 1862. Mary was born in 1869, which makes her about 35 years older than Elizabeth.
George Somers had passed away the previous fall to Encephalitis/Brain Fever/ Sleeping Sickness”. —————————————–
It was likely Arbovirus encephalitis. It is caused by various viruses that are carried by insects (such as mosquitoes and ticks). Arboviral infections are seasonal, occurring primarily in summer and early fall, and are clustered in specific regions. When it strikes, it can be very serious, causing personality changes, seizures, weakness, and other symptoms depending on the part of the brain affected. The disease attacks the brain, leaving some victims in a statue-like condition, speechless and motionless. Between 1915 and 1926, an epidemic of encephalitis lethargic spread around the world. The exact number of people infected is unknown, but it is estimated that more than one million people contracted the disease during the epidemic which directly caused more than 500,000 deaths. Many of those who survived never returned to their pre-morbid vigor. They would be conscious and aware – yet not fully awake; they would sit motionless and speechless all day in their chairs, totally lacking energy, impetus, initiative, motive, appetite, affect or desire; they registered what went on about them without active attention, and with profound indifference. They neither conveyed nor felt the feeling of life; they were as insubstantial as ghosts, and as passive as zombies.
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Burr and Betty first meet sometime during Betty’s senior year at Simmons. She graduates from Simmons in June of 1926. They fall in love and Burr asks Betty to marry him. She accepts. She returns to Erie after her graduation and prepares for her upcoming wedding.
Prior to their wedding, the Somers family, Mary Somers, Burr and Willard, travel to France. Burr continues on from Le Havre to NYC on Aug 25, 1926. His mother, Mary and Willard Somers return on November 10, 1926. Interestingly she and Willard do not accompany Burr back to the US, rather remain in Europe until November.
Betty and Burr are married on September 11, 1926. The ceremony was solemnized by the Very Reverend Francis Blodgett. She was attended by Anne Bliss Morrison and by her younger step-sister, Virginia Wright. She is given away by her father, Dr. John Wright. The wedding is attended by Mrs D. A. Wright, Elizabeth’s Grandmother. Bill Washabaugh was the best man. A gown of white taffeta, made plain, but with bouffant skirt, was worn by the bride. It was covered with the tulle of her veil, which was adorned with a small cluster of white flowers. She carried a shower bouquet of bridal flowers. No one from Burr’s side of the family attend the wedding. Nor do they wait until his mother and brother return from France.
The couple planned a short eastern trip before returning to Erie and then continue on to California.
Death of John Wright
Betty returns to Erie in December following the death of her father, John Wright on December 13, 1926 and then returns to California.
Death of Burbank Somers
In the Spring, Burr passes out while playing tennis with Elizabeth. He says “I have the same thing my father had”. Burr dies on April 15, 1927 from Encephalitis, just seven months after they are married. Apparently while passing thru the Panama Canal, Burr is bitten by a mosquito and catches Encephalitis/Brain Fever/ Sleeping Sickness. Burr is buried in Colmar, San Mateo County, California.
Betty decides to stay in California living with her mother in law. She has no one in Erie, her parents both had died, she did not want to live with her step-mother, and her grandparents on the Keller side were also dead. At this point, she was married for only seven months. During this period, she had returned to Erie following the death of her father. And she has suffered thru the period leading to the death of Burr of a debilitating death from Encephalitis, which put him into a stupor for two weeks prior to his death. But she bonded with Mary Somers and will live on the Somers Estate in Woodside, CA and travel with her for the next almost ten years.
Some of this story comes from Mary Kauffman. As Mary tells the story, they were in Edinboro on vacation. She as a young 12 year old asked her mother about the initials EWS on her luggage. Betty was angry and said she had already told her that she was married before. Mary said, oh, did you get a divorce, thinking how terrible that would be, and boy was she mad! Betty said NO, and then told her the story. Amazing she carried that luggage all those years…brown with black stripes. Probably a wedding gift from his family.
George “Willard” Somers and his wife lived in an adjacent home on the Somers Estate. Betty gradually comes out of yet another tragedy making local friends, working and enjoying the social life of San Francisco in the roaring 20’s.
She travels with Mary Somers on a trip around the world. Records show Egypt, Italy, Spain, France and other places. They return from Cherbourg France to NYC on June 2, 1930.
She continues to live with Mary Somers and Willard Somers and his wife Tinkie who are in the adjacent house on the Somers Estate. Census in 1930
She travels from SF to NY on the Santa Pablo in Nov 10, 1933, a common way to cross the country in the ’30s. Then she goes on to Erie.
Courtship of Walter and Betty
It is on this trip that she likely meets our future father, Walter Lee Kauffman 2nd. Walter has been in Erie since 1930 and is working for Lovell Manufacturing Company as the Chief Engineer. Almost 40 years old, he is a confirmed bachelor, and lives with his brother, P Barton Kauffman (Bart) and their widowed mother, Kate. The Kauffman’s had moved up to Erie from Youngstown where they had resided with and near his great uncle Walter Lee Kauffman. During that time, Walter had developed several inventions, one of which was for a wringer washing machine. Lovell hired him to get the invention and retain his services. Anyways we know little of their relationship at that time. She returns to California.
In 1935, she decides to travel east back to Erie to visit. At some point during this visit, she reconnects with Walter. Over several dates, they realize that there is a real attachment. Near the end of that trip on Saturday, November 9, 1935, she goes to a party at Zelda Seldon’s home. Zelda is a mutual friend and queries her whether she would like Walter to escort her to the party. It is at this party that the relationship solidifies. Walter drives her to Cleveland where she boards a bus to return to CA the following day. Walter says later that he walks around Cleveland for several hours pondering why he let her get on that bus. What begins is a flurry of letters and telegrams and phone calls leading to their engagement in March and marriage in April.
She keeps every letter and telegram between them, a fascinating read.
Before I go any further, I realize that I need to put this romance in prospective. Elizabeth lives in California, Walter lives in Erie. There is a three hour time difference and 3000 mile distance between them. In those days, one might travel by boat in 3-5 days from SF to NY. By bus, it was 5 days, by train it was 4 days. A plane took a day but the frequency of crashes was so high that it was not a consideration. One sent a letter for $0.03 or by airmail $0.12. One took a week, the other 2 days. A telegram cost $0.25 and took a few hours. A phone call took a half hour to set up and cost $20 which is $500 in todays dollars given that a good job paid $0.30/hour in 1930.
Upon returning to Erie, Walter sends a telegram and Betty sends a letter about the wonderful time that they had the previous Saturday and how excited she is that he has fallen in love with her.
In December, Walter sends her a letter describing his history, growing up in WA, his education, his military history, his parents and how they inspired him, his job and future prospects and some health issues. Betty sends a letter back confirming her love for him.
January finds them discussing what their future might look like. Walter is very busy with work, dealing with new products, a labor strike, job offers and a mother who has fallen and broken her hip and suffered a heart attack. Betty is planning how to relocate to Erie, when to tell Mother Somers, exiting a job, and excited about a new life.
By February, the pressure is too much. They know that they have to meet again and make that big decision. Letter’s and telegrams plot trips to CA or Erie or Chicago or Cleveland, or some place where they can meet again. Meanwhile, Walter’s mother, Kate is struggling and Lovell is shutdown with a strike. Walter however feels very upbeat because Betty is cheering him up. They decide that a phone call is in order. As was the requirements in those days, a telegram was sent where they set a date and time for the call, ten o’clock Eastern Time Friday. The number Erie – 73172 is confirmed by another telegram. While we don’t have a record of the call, Betty agrees to come to Cleveland by train. The trip takes a few days. Plans are made. Then another bombshell. Mother Somers has a heart attack. After a few days things calm down. She has nurses and Willard lives next door. So, Betty feels that she can make the trip. The trip is now for Betty to come to Erie and stay a period of time, like a week or even two.
I have to insert this story on Uncle Walt. For those of you new to the blog, Uncle Walt is Walter’s namesake and Uncle. He is a bachelor, living in Youngstown. I will do a blog on him later. Anyways, the story is that Uncle Walt, now in his 70s (he lives to be 91), has stopped driving but has a driver, Jackson. So, told by Walter Lee Kauffman 2nd, “So, Uncle Walt wants to go out for a drive and Jackson brings the car around, all cleaned and polished and ready to go. So, Uncle Walt climbs in on the passenger side and had to tinker a bit. Try the cigarette lighter and the horn just to see if his old pal was ready to go. Then he hits the starter motor. Jackson had left the car in gear, reverse. The car leapt backwards and Uncle Walt grabbed onto the steering wheel in a panic and stomped on the gas petal in the process. Helen (housekeeper) screamed, Bozo (the dog) leapt to safety, as Walt and the car careened backwards up the street, over the curb and crashed into a tree. Gasoline leaking from the crumpled tank, the fenders and bumper wrapped closely around the tree and Uncle Walt climbed out, white and shaken but unhurt. All this from Helen under pledge of secrecy so he forwarded messages thru Helen to the various people involved.”
Betty responds about Valentines Day flowers and goes on to discuss a trip into the city where she acquires an all time record of tickets, two for parking and one for going 40 MPH in the city! I should mention that she regularly has acquired speeding tickets in the local towns and had served time doing public projects such as feeding the needy or clean up as penalties assessed by the local judges. At this time, she found out that the policeman was from Pennsylvania and “I finally convinced him it would be very inconvenient for me to appear in court on account I was busy packing and he changed the offense to not slowing down at red light which it seems is very slight. He did this with the air of conferring a great favor and said it would be very embarrassing to explain to his pals because he didn’t usually give people tags for silly things like that.”
Another side story about Betty. In her later years, she suffered from cataracts making it difficult for her to see to drive. She lived in a home with a small neighborhood, a circle which looped around 20 or so homes and connected by a short road with a stop sign out to the main road. She would drive down to the stop sign and wait until another car came out of the neighborhood, then pull out and follow them up until she was at the nearby shopping center. She would then pull off into the center and do her shopping. After a close call or two the word was out and one day the police came to the front door to get her drivers license. She was quite indignant and reluctantly gave it up. But she made mention of her Irrocable California Drivers License. Here it is. If you look carefully, you can see “GOOD UNTIL REVOKED” stamped in the middle. Not quite IRREVOKABLE but who’s telling! ?
She is off from CA to Chicago by Streamliner. Another phone call is made and Walter agrees to meet her there!
The next letter on March 20 finds Betty in Erie and Walter on a quick business trip. She says she misses him but she loves the beautiful ring!
The last letter on March 22 is about what she should be shopping for for their honeymoon, bathing suit or sweater.
By the end of March, they have told their friends and their engagement is going public.
The Times [San Mateo, California] March 22 1937
The engagement of Mrs Burbank Somers to Walter Lee Kauffman has been announced in Erie, PA.
Mrs Somers, who is the former Miss Elizabeth Wright, made her home with her mother-in-law, Mrs George Somers of Woodside, for many years after the death of her husband. She is the daughter of the late Dr. John H.[sic.] W. Wright of Erie, where she lives at the present.
Mr. Kauffman, who is an engineer, is the son of Mrs. Percival C. Kauffman of Erie.
No date has been set for the wedding.
Before her wedding to Kauffman, the bride-elect plans to return to the Peninsula for a brief trip. The ceremony will be small, with only the members of the families as guests.
Wedding plans are pushed forward as Kate Kauffman’s health continues to deteriorate. They are married on April 7.
They travel to Bermuda in 1937 on their honeymoon. They go on to have four children, Walter Lee 3rd, Mary Elizabeth, Peter Wright and Nancy Barton. They are married for 35 years. Walter dies in 1972, Betty in 1981.
Elizabeth Kauffman Walter Kauffman Betty and Walter
