Generation 12: My namesake

Edwin Argetsinger
Source: Private Collection

Edwin grew up in that farm house on Rumsey Hill Rd and then June 5, 1918 he was drafted into the US Army to serve for World War 1. This was the second draft of the war, Edwin had missed the first one in 1917 because he was not yet 21 years of age. He reported to Camp Jackson, SC in September of 1918 and was honorably discharged December 31, 1918, as the war was over.

Edwin Argetsinger Draft Registration Card
Source: Ancestry.com

Edwin Argetsinger Muster Roll Abstract
Source: Ancestry.com

A year later, on December 24, 1919, he married a lady by the name of Laura Elizabeth Snyder. He was 22 and she was 19 years old. I would later be named after her.

Laura Elizabeth Argetsinger
Source: Private Collection

Interestingly the couple pops up in Ithaca City Directories. The earliest I found was 1921.

Source: Ithaca City Directory 1921

Source: Ithaca City Directory 1925

 It appears Edwin's youngest brother Merton lives with the couple in 1927.

Source: Ithaca City Directory 1927

Ithaca City Directory 1932

Source: Ithaca City Directory 1942

It is interested to note that the "CU" abbreviation in the last directory entry stands for Cornell University. I know Edwin worked with the horses at Cornell. In the 1942 directory, he is listed as an engineer there, my grandfather remembers him working in the heating plant.

Edwin Argetsinger at Cornell University
Source: Private Collection

Laura's family lived in a farmhouse outside of Ithaca, it remains in the family to this day. I have many fond memories of going up there, exploring the woods and playing in the creek. There are actually two houses: the small farmhouse and the large one. Below is a picture of the small farmhouse. Edwin and Laura had two children: a daughter Barbara Lucille born November 14, 1920 and then a son Robert Leigh on August 5, 1923. My grandfather, Robert, was actually born in the front room.

Small Farmhouse, Ithaca, NY Today
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

A cousin (in hat), Barbara, and Robert

Laura, Barbara, Robert and a cousin (child in hat)

Robert and Barbara 

Laura and Edwin separated after the birth of Robert, because of this Laura and the children spent a lot of time at her family's farmhouse. Sadly, Barbara was hit by a car while playing in front of the house and she died on August 25, 1927.

Barbara Gravestone
Source: ancestry.com

The death would temporarily reunite Edwin and Laura, however they would eventually divorce around 1933. After the separation, Laura went to work for IBM on the assembly line. There she met George Allen who was an accountant for IBM. They married around 1945-46.

Big Farmhouse
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

George had relatives (his father) from Rochester, NY (about 3 hour car ride away today) who had always wanted to try their hand at farming, because of this George Allen bought the big farmhouse which sits across the street from the original farmhouse.

Barn at the Big Farmhouse
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

Unfortunately, George's relatives never made the move down to Ithaca, so Laura and George lived on the property and farmed it themselves. They raised cows, pigs and chickens. Although today the pig pen and chicken coop have since been torn down, the house and barn still remain.






Beside the house is a pasture that backs up to a hill with a creek running down it. Still to this day I love hiking up that hill.

Creek behind Big Farmhouse
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

Old Logging Road Beside Big Farmhouse
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger