Stella Naomi (Hough) Healey, 1875-1974

Stella Naomi Hough was born in Clarksburg, Decatur Co., Indiana on 3 January 1875.  Her parents were Rev. Milton Thomas Hough and his wife, Martha Jane Alcorn.

Stella Hough, age 3, ca 1878, tintype

The family moved around a lot, perhaps because of her father's occupation as a minister.  By the 1850 census, when Stella was five, they were in Marion, Grant Co., Indiana.  The family was shown as: Hough, Milton T., wm 40, married, minister; Mattie J. wf 40 wife, keeping house; Rosalie, wf 14, daughter; Homer, wm 11, son; Stella N, wf 5, daughter.

Stella Hough, age 4, ca 1879

By 1885, the Houghs were living at Lyons, Rice Co, Kansas.  The 1885 Kansas state census shows the family as: M.T. Hough, 45, m, w, married, minister; M.J. Hough, 45, f w married; H.H. Hough, 16, m w; S.N. Hough 10 f w.

The following photo is of the family home in Lyons, Kansas.   A note on the back says Stella lived there when she was eleven years old.

Hough Home, Lyons, Kansas about 1886

By January 1889, the family was in Holton, Jackson Co., Kansas.  On 19 January 1889, Stella's mother, Mattie (Alcorn) Hough, died.  Stella was 14 years old.

Stella Hough, age 15 (ca 1890)

A few months later, in September 1889, Stella's father, Milton, remarried to Mary Victoria Cain.

Stella was living in Moniteau Co., Missouri by June 1893 when she and George Howland Healey applied for a marriage license.  Stella and George were married at the Christian Church in Tipton, Moniteau Co., Missouri on 14 June 1893.  Stella's father, Rev. Milton T. Hough, performed the marriage.  Stella was 18 years old and George was 19.

 George Howland Healey was born 14 November 1873 in Jasper Co., Indiana.  He was the son of Joshua and Julia (Howland) Healey.  I will do a separate post about George; I want to focus mostly on Stella in this post.

Henry Sylvester Healey

On 16 November 1894, at Sedalia, Missouri, Stella gave birth to their first child, a son they named, Henry Sylvester Healey, after one of George's uncles.

About 1895, George and Stella went to Washington, D.C. where he worked as a printer in the Government Printing Office.  But they were back in Indiana by 27 January 1896 when their second child, a son they named George Warren Healey, was born at Brookston in White County.  They had moved to Brookston so George could work as the editor of a newspaper there.

George Warren Healey ca 1899 (baby in the window is his sister, Vera)

On 10 August 1896, young Henry Sylvester died of cholera at Brookston, Indiana.  He was only about 20 months old.  He was buried at Weston Cemetery in Rensselaer, Indiana.

Stella and George's next child, daughter Vera Voynne Healey, was born 6 June 1898 at Brookston, Indiana.

Vera Voynne Healey

The 1900 census shows the family living in Brookston and gives the following information:  "Healey, George H., born Nov. 1872, age 27, married 7 yrs, born IN, father born Canada (Eng), mother born IN, occupation publisher, renting home, can read, write & speak English;   ---Stella H., wife, born Jan 1875, age 25, married 7 yrs, had 3 children & 2 still living, born IN, father born IN, mother born Missouri, can read, write, speak English;    ----George W., son, born Jan 1896, age 4, born IN, father & mother both born in IN;  ----Vera V., daughter, born June 1898, age 1, born IN, parents both born in IN;  ----Julia A., mother [George's], born Feb 1840, age 60, had 5 children with 3 still living, born IN, father born New York, mother born New Jersey, can read, write, speak English;  ----Maud J., sister [George's], born Apr 1880, age 20, single, born IN, mother born IN, father born Canada, occupation publisher, can read, write & speak English"

Another daughter, Ivah Maud Healey, was born at Brookston on 14 August 1900.

On 27 October 1900, Stella's father, Milton T. Hough, died at Holton, Kansas.

Stella (Hough) Healey about 1900

Sometime between August 1900 and December 1905, the family moved to Rensselaer, Jasper Co., Indiana.  George became active in the Indiana National Guard and became the publisher of the Rensselaer Republican newspaper.

George W., Ivah, and Vera Healey

Ivah (top), Vera (middle) and George W. Healey

On 23 December 1905, another son, Adna Julian, was born at Rensselaer, Indiana.  The family usually called him "Jim."

In September 1908, the family was living in the "Old Tyler House" on North Weston St. in Rensselaer.  That house has since been torn down.  The following picture was taken there.

Healey Family, 6 September 1908

Identities (left to right) per the back of the photo:  "Rensselaer, Indiana, in George Healey's yard 'Old Tyler House.' Taken in 1908.  September 6 1908.  Maude Healey Mills, Edward Mills, George W. Healey, Mrs. Anna Mills, Vera Healey, Carry Jasperson, Ivah Healey, Stella Hough Healey, Adna Healey, George H. Healey, Mrs. Julia Healey."  Maude was George H.'s sister; Julia was his mother.

The 1910 census finds the family still on Weston St. in Rensselaer, Indiana.  The household was: George H. Healey, head, 37, married once for 16 years, Editor of newspaper; Stella, wife, 35, married once for 16 years, 5 children with 4 living; George W., son, 14; Vera V., daughter, 11; Ivah M., daughter, 9; Adna J., son, 4; Julia A., mother, 70, widow, 5 children with 3 living.

By 1912, the family had moved to the "Randall House" on the corner of Susan and Cullen Streets in Rensselaer.   The following picture was taken on the porch of that house.

Healey family, Summer 1912

This photo is also identified on the back, though not quite so clearly as the one above.  Location was given as "Porch - Randall House, Rensselaer, Indiana."  Left to right: Florence Lyon (holding) Julia A. Lyon (4 years old), Lucille Lyon,  Martha Hall, Stella, Aunt Mary Faucett, Joe (Lyon), Vera, Dora Healey Lyon, Adna, George Healey Sr., Maud Healey Mills, Mother Healey, Ivah, Imogene, Emma Faucett Hall."

On 20 February 1915, son Homer Max Healey was born in Rensselaer.

Stella and George about 1916

In June 1916, George and his son, George W., were called up for duty (they were in the Indiana National Guard) and sent to Ft. Sam Houston in Texas.  They were sent to fight in the Mexican Border War.  Stella and the children moved to Texas to be near George.  Stella's sister, Rose, also lived in Texas.

On 22 November 1917, Stella and George's oldest son, George W., married Ida Mae Brewer in Hattisburg, Mississippi.

Then in 1918, George was sent overseas during WWI.  Stella and the children lived in Texas and New Orleans during George's absence. 

On 31 October 1918, George and Stella's first grandchild was born, George Warren Healey, Jr., son of George W. and Ida (Brewer) Healey.

By 1920, George was back from France and the family had moved back to Indiana, settling in Frankfort, Clinton Co. where George was the editor of the Frankfort Crescent News and Frankfort Times.  The family was in Frankfort for about three years.  It was during this time that daughter, Vera, met her future husband, William R. Braden.  Vera and Bill were married 24 February 1923 in Louisville, Kentucky.

On 3 February 1925, daughter Ivah married Roy Dallas Parks in Indianapolis.

By the 1930 census, George and Stella were living in Indianapolis at 2415 Alabama St.  The household lists: Healey, George H., head, renter, m,w,57, married at age 20, born Indiana; Supt. Pub. Relations, Street Railway; Stella N, wife, f, w, 56, married at 18, born Indiana; Homer M., son, m, w, 15, single, born Indiana, soda boy at drug store; Parks, Roy D., son-in-law, m, w, 37, first married at age 22, born Indiana, auto trimmer, paint shop; Ivah M, daughter, f w 29, m at age 24, born Indiana.

I am not sure when son, Jim, left home, but it was certainly before the 1930 census.  He was in Los Angeles for a time and married Tommie Kight in Yuma, Arizona in 1932.

Max married Elizabeth D. Rea in September 1935 in Madison, Indiana.

By 1942, George and Stella were living at the English Hotel on Monument Circle in Indianapolis.

Stella Naomi (Hough) Healey

On 14 June 1943, Stella and George celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Hotel Antlers, Indianapolis.  The following picture was taken at that celebration:

On 19 June 1945, George H. Healey died in Indianapolis.  Stella was 70 years old.  After George's death, Stella lived at various places in Indianapolis and shared her home with daughter, Ivah, who was also a widow.

Stella at Vera and Bill's cabin in Canada, date unknown

Stella in New Mexico, ca 1950

Stella at her 90th birthday party, January 1965

Stella Naomi (Hough) Healey died 19 June 1974, just 6 months short of her 100th birthday.  

One of several obituaries follows (from the Rensselaer Republican):  

"Graveside Rites Saturday for Stella Healey.  Stella Hough Healey, 99, of Indianapolis, passed away at 4:00 a.m. Wednesday in Greenview Manor, Indianapolis.  She had been in failing health two years. 

Born in Clarksburg, Indiana, on January 3, 1875, she was the daughter of the Rev. Milton T. and Martha J. (Alcorn) Hough.  She was married to Brigadier General George H. Healey; he passed away February 16, 1945.  Gen. Healey was a former partner in ownership of the Republican.  He merged the newspaper with the Rensselaer Journal, owned by Leslie Clark, in 1908.  Healey and Clark operated the paper together until 1921.  

A resident of Indianapolis for 40 years, Mrs. Healey was a member of Central Christian Church of Indianapolis and the Marion County Chapter of American War Mothers.  She was a charter member and first president of the American Legion Auxiliary of Indianapolis, had served as National Junior Vice President of the Mexican Border Veterans Auxiliary of Indianapolis, and was Past President of the Friday Afternoon Reading Club.
Surviving are three sons, George W. of Palms Springs, California, A. James of Santa Paula, California, and H. Max of Chicago; two daughters, Mrs. Vera Braden of Richmond, Indiana, and Mrs. Ivah M. Parks of Indianapolis; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Graveside rites will be conducted from Weston Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. Saturday with the Rev. David Fischer officiating.  Jackson Funeral Chapel is in charge of local arrangements."

Stella is buried next to her husband, George, at Weston Cemetery in Rensselaer, Indiana.  There is no tombstone.