Histories and Mysteries: Family Stories and Genealogy : Venus Perry Creager North, 1900-2002

Venus Perry

Venus Perry was my grandfather's sister. She was born 19 November 1900 near the town of Harp in Franklin County, Kentucky to James Madison Perry and his wife, Alice Myrtle Rodgers. Venus was a redhead with freckles, like her mother.

About 1906, Venus's parents moved the family to Frankfort, Kentucky. The family is found there on the 1910 census. On 9 June 1914, Venus's father died. She was 13 years old.

According to Venus's daughter, Mary Lou Marshall, "Venus got her schooling in Frankfort. She remembers having to cross two bridges to get to school. A few years ago I took her to Frankfort for a visit. The bridges were still there but the "railroad" bridge was no longer in use. In 1992 when I visited Frankfort that whole area has changed and I couldn't find those bridges. Venus completed one year of high school majoring in commercial courses. At an early age she memorized the prepositions and never has forgotten them. She played girl's basketball on a team. They wore middy blouse and big pleated bloomers and played at half time & between games. Venus went to a Southern Baptist Church when she was a young girl."

(I'd like to especially thank Mary Lou Marshall for allowing me to include her stories about her mother, Venus.)

Venus moved to Muncie, Indiana, when she was about 16. She came to visit a family friend, Crit Sharp, and decided to stay. She worked at Ball Brothers on a machine for about a week, then went to lawn mower & nut and bolt factory.

According to Mary Lou Marshall, Venus's mother became uneasy about her being away from home so long, so Venus went back home to Kentucky for awhile. But she came back to Muncie and her mother Myrtle, brother Jim, and grandfather John William Rodgers also moved to Muncie. The 1917 city directory listing shows John W. Rodgers, a blacksmith; Mortimer Perry, working at TW Warner; Myrtle Perry, widow of James M.; and Venus Perry, working at Republic Iron & Steel.

The family rented an apartment from Marion "Doc" Clifton's sister. Venus's mother met Doc, they married and moved to his farm near Jamestown, Indiana. Venus went to Jamestown with her mother for awhile, but later came back to Muncie to work.

Venus Perry

More from Mary Lou Marshall: "Venus boarded at the home of her friend, Cecil Schmidt. Cecil's uncle, Henry Creager, came home from the western oil fields for a visit. While visiting his sister, Pearl (Creager) Schmidt, he met Venus. That evening Cecil and her date had already left when Henry asked Venus to go to the show. This was the first day Henry and Venus met. They got home from the show after Cecil had come home and Cecil was flabbergasted that Venus had gone out with 'Uncle Henry'. Henry hadn't planned to stay in Indiana, he was just home for a visit. Three months after they met they decided to get married. Venus laughingly said "He met his Waterloo". Venus went to her mother's home at Jamestown to prepare for the wedding. She and her mother prepared linens, etc. in just one week. They were married at the farm near Jamestown, Indiana, May 15, 1920."

William Henry Creager

William Henry Creager was born 22 September 1889 in Blackford Co., Indiana. His parents were Ezra Creager and Louisa E. Weller.

While Venus was preparing for her wedding, Henry purchased and furnished a house for them at 1120 North High Street, Hartford City.

Venus and Henry had five children. Because a couple of them are still living, I will not list details about them here.

The 1930 census shows the family in Hartford City, Blackford County, Indiana.

More from Mary Lou: "Before moving to East Franklin Street in a new house, the family lived on West Washington Street, West of the Sneath Glass Company. Henry could walk back through the fields to his work at Overhead Door. Venus laughingly tells the story of the chickens they kept while living at this location. One hen came in an open door and layed her egg in the house. The chickens would follow Henry as he walked to work till they tired and came back to the house.

Venus became active in the Wesleyan Methodist Church. She served as Sunday School Teacher, Thursday night prayer meeting leader and board member. She kept up these activities until well up in her eighties.

In the spring of 1937, the family moved to a farm Southwest of Hartford City. August of 1937, Henry died of heart trouble as a result of childhood rheumatic fever. Venus was left with 5 children to rear, ranging in age from 6 to 16." Henry was 47 years old.

Henry's obituary:
"Henry Creager succumbs to a Heart Ailment
Death occurs at family home southwest city Monday afternoon
Native this county
Was factory superintendent of Overhead Door Corporation

W. Henry Creager, 47, factory superintendent of the Overhead Door Corporation and a widely known resident of Blackford county, died Monday evening, at 4:45 o'clock at the family home southwest of this city. Death was due to heart trouble and general complications. Mr. Creager had been in ill health for the past several months and had been bedfast for the past three months. He received treatment at a Martinsville sanitarium, and later was a patient at the Blackford County hospital here for a period of three weeks. He was returned to his home two weeks ago last Friday, from the Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis, where he received treatment for slightly more than two weeks.
Mr. Creager's condition grew worse steadily. However, he bore his illness bravely and with fortitude.
Mr. Creager had been connected with the Overhead Door Corporation for the past thirteen years. His work was a contributing factor to the success of the local corporation and its products.
Prior to becoming affiliated with the local manufacturing concern, Mr. Creager was employed at the Willman Lumber Company. Previous to his employment there, he was employed at the American Window Glass factory and with the late Mason Palmer, local contractor and builder. At an earlier date he served as a construction engineer in the oil fields of the western states.
Mr. Creager had not been able to be at his work at the Overhead factory, due to his illness, since April 13 last.
Surviving Mr. Creager are his widow, Mrs. Venus Perry-Creager, five children, Clelia, James Marston, Betty Jane, Billie Clyde and Mary Lou, all at home, and one sister, Mrs. Thomas Schmidt, south High Street, One brother, Ora Creager, is deceased. Mrs. Dewey Garver, north High street, is a niece.
William Henry Creager was born in Blackford county, September 13, 1889, the son of Ezra and Louisa Weller-Creager. He was reared and educated in Blackford county, and with the exception of the period that he worked in the western oil fields, he had resided in Blackford County.
On May 15, 1919, Mr. Creager claimed as his wife, Miss Venus Perry, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Madison Perry.
Prior to moving to the farm, formerly the home of Joseph Atkinson and family, Mr. and Mrs. Creager and family resided on east Franklin street, this city.
In politics, Mr. Creager was a democrat. He was a candidate a few years ago for city councilman.
Mr. Creager was a thirty-second degree Mason, a member of the I.O.O.F. Knights of Phyias and I.O.O.F. and Knights of Pythias. He was a member and former president of the Blackford Golf Club.
Possessed of a pleasing personality, Mr. Creager was popular with all who knew him. He took an active interest in civic and community affairs and was for several years affiliated with the Hartford City Kiwanis club.
James M. Perry of Muncie is a brother of Mrs. Creager and Marion Cliffton of Indianapolis, is a half brother.
The funeral will be conducted at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon from the residence, in charge of the Rev. G.A. Payne, pastor of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Burial will be made in the I.O.O.F. cemetery.
The remains will be taken to the family home, Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock and friends may view the remains after that hour.
Pallbearers for the funeral will be Russell Bowman, Robert Woolen, Wirth Gadbury, Cecil Gough, Herbert Schmidt, J. D. Rich, Riley Bugh and Charles Moler."

Mary Lou: "Venus rented out the farming ground, raised pigs, sold milk, raised chickens, put out a large garden, canned huge quantities of vegetables, fruits, meats and managed to feed and clothe 5 children.... Venus eventually sold that first farm and bought another smaller farm and house. The house was not modern...no water piped in therefore no inside bathroom. The farming, gardening, pigs, cows, etc. continued."

The 1940 census show Venus and her family in Licking Twp., Blackford Co., Indiana. She is listed as a widow.

In 1949, Venus married Cary Creston North, a recent widower from her church. Cary was born 28 May 1896. Cary and Venus lived on the farm until they sold it in the 1960s and moved into Hartford City.

Mary Lou: "Even after moving to town, Venus could not quite give up gardening. She had a little plot at the back of her town lot where she grew vegetables and flowers..... Cary had a lot of health problems. He had an artery replacement at the Veterans Hospital in Indianapolis. He had several lengthy stays at the Fort Wayne Veterans Hospital. Venus would just rent a room close to the hospital so she wouldn't have to drive back and forth every day. He died at the Fort Wayne Veterans Hospital June 5, 1971, of carcinoma."

Cary was buried in the Hartford City Cemetery next to his first wife, Rilla.

Mary Lou: "When the house and yard became too much for her to take care of she sold the house and moved to the senior apartments Park Place on North Richmond Street. For a few years she still planted something along her patio fence. When even that became too much, she put out some artificial flowers. In May 1991, Venus suffered a stroke that left her even more physically weak. She had just recently quit driving. She didn't drive out of town anymore but she still drove to the store and to church. She gave up her apartment and went to Community Care Nursing home" in July, 1991.

More from Mary Lou: Venus told "of the time when she and Henry took the children to Bellbrook, Ohio, to visit relatives and she got one of her migraine headaches. Someone had told her that her long heavy hair might be causing some of the headaches so she went across the street to a barber shop and had her hair cut real short. That is the only time I know of that she ever had her hair cut. It didn't help the headaches. For a long time that hank of red hair was in a trunk in the attic and I liked to get it out and look at it.... Her hair was always long and very thick. She said it was bright red when she was young. She had freckles - lots of them. She was probably 5' 4" before she started losing height."

Venus died on 22 March 2002, at the age of 101. She was buried in Hartford City Cemetery.

Her obituary was published in the Muncie Star Press on 23 March 2002: It follows: "Venus C. North, 101 - Hartford City - Venus Creager North, 101, died Friday in Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie. She was a member of Hartford City Wesleyan Church. Survivors: daughter, Mary Lou Marshall; son, James Creager; 18 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and several great-great grandchildren. Preceded in death: first husband, William Creager (1937); second husband, Cary North (1971); two daughters, a son, a brother and a granddaughter. Services: 2 p.m. Monday, Keplinger Funeral Home. Burial: Hartford City Cemetery. Calling: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday, funeral home. Memorials: Hartford City Wesleyan Church."