Katherine Carey – Place

“Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.” - George Eliot

I have poems written by my Great -great Aunt Katherine that need to be shared. I want to keep her memory alive and even though I never knew her I heard enough about her to know that she was a remarkable woman. So first let me introduce you to my Aunt Kate.

Katherine was my maternal grandmother’s aunt. She never had children and took a liking to my grandmother Grace. She was born to Benjamin Parker Carey and Jane (Scutt) Carey in February 1878 in Pennsylvania. Aunt Kate was prolific poet.

Her first husband, 37 years her senior, was William Emmett Kirby, a Union Civil War Veteran and successful businessman. The exact date of the marriage is not known but according to census records she was still living with her mother in 1900. He had one daughter from a previous marriage. He died on August 7, 1907 in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. His will left everything to his daughter.

She returned to live with her mother until June 30, 1915 when she remarried. Judson J Place. 22 years her senior became the love of her life. They were married in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.

Much of their time was spent in Daytona Beach, Florida and I like to imagine the two of them led a Great Gatsby life style. Full of parties, friends and maybe even few scandals.

Sadly Judson passed away in 1932 at Daytona Beach, Volusia County, Florida and is buried there.

I haven’t much information about Aunt Kate after this other than she moved back to their home in Pennsylvania. She passed on April 21, 1934 and is buried at Valley View Memorial Park, 1162 Lakeland Drive, Scott Township, Jermyn, Pennsylvania 18433. (Block 800 / Section S / Lot 3 / Space 4)

Katherine Carey-Place 1878-1934

Copyright Roy Richard