Frank L. Reynolds b. 28 Nov 1880 French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA d. 17 Feb 1949: A Bisbee Family History

1880 - 1949 (68 years)

Name	Frank L. Reynolds [1, 2]
Census	2 Jun 1880	French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA [3]
Birth	28 Nov 1880	French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA [4, 5, 6, 7]
Gender	Male
Census	4 Jun 1900	French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA [8]
Census	29 Apr 1910	French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA [9]
Census	21 Jan 1920	French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA [10]
Death	17 Feb 1949 [7, 11]
Burial	Wattsburg Cemetery, Wattsburg, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA [7]
Burial		Frank L. Reynolds Photograph by William F. Bisbee
Person ID	I2976	Bisbee
Last Modified	28 Jun 2009

Father	Erastus D. Reynolds, b. 28 Jun 1844, , , New York, USA d. 29 Jul 1884, Wattsburg, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 40 years)
Mother	Ruth Ann Bisbee, b. 21 Jan 1838, Lebanon Town, Madison, New York, USA d. 2 Jun 1906, French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA (Age 68 years)
Marriage	28 Jun 1871	Wattsburg, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA [5, 12, 13]
	An 1881 Atlas of Chautauqua County, NY shows a 50-acre parcel, with house, fronting on Old State Line Rd. belonging to Mrs. R. A. Reynolds.
Family ID	F57	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Event Map

	Census - 2 Jun 1880 - French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA
	Birth - 28 Nov 1880 - French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA
	Census - 4 Jun 1900 - French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA
	Census - 29 Apr 1910 - French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA
	Census - 21 Jan 1920 - French Creek Town, Chautauqua, New York, USA
	Burial - - Wattsburg Cemetery, Wattsburg, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA

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Pin Legend : Address : Location : City/Town : County/Shire : State/Province : Country : Not Set

Notes

Frank was mentally retarded and for much of his life. Until his death in 1949 he collected a Helpless Child disability benefit stemming from his father's Civil War service.
(Medical):On April, 1907, Frank L. Reynolds was examined by the Veteran's Administration. The guardian (Addison Reynolds) states that he (Frank) has grown up in about the same condition as at present, is harmless and childlike, and has had to be cared for as a 5 yr old child. He is age 27, 5'-9" tall, weighs 120 lbs, light complected, with blue eyes and light brown hair. "He is a slender rather delicate young man with flabby muscles and soft hands. Crown of head quite small and facial expression bashful and boyish and indicates very limited intelligence. He talks with some contortions of the mouth and is unable to articulate many words. Cannot speak his whole name distinctly. He seems to understand our simple questions imperfectly. He cannot count above ten and cannot read or write. The chest is small and sternum prominent and there are bronchial rales and some cough from a chronic bronchitis. He is phhysically weak and thus unable to do manual labor. His motions are slightly uncertain. Cannot chop wood with an ax. He is unknown to any member of this board. His guardian states that he had no special malpractices, but has at times a violent temper. He can under the immediate direction do some light chores. His disability is a feeble mindedness bordering on imbecility and he is totally unable to care or take care of himself. And his condition indicated that he has always been so. He is not insane. He is nearly idiotic, but should be strictly classed as extremely feeble minded." [14]

Sources

[S2309] Viola Drake Bisbee, compiler, Geneology of The Bisbee Family (I) - Viola Drake Bisbee, (June 2000, Bisbee Family Connection, Decatur, MI), p. 57.
[S1225] Margaret Jane Dunnihoo, Two Brothers in the Pennsylvania Triangle, (Erie, Pennsylvania: self published, 1974.), p. 12.
[S2071] Reynolds, Erastus D. (I2561): 1880 US Census, (www.ancestry.com (2005): National Archives and Records Administration micropublication T9, roll 815; enumeration district (ED) 57, enumerated page 2B, master page 374B, line 25, dwelling 22, family 22; image downloaded 11/3/2008.), 1880-French_Creek.57.2.jpg.
[S1810] Reynolds, Erastus D: Birth of Children, (Washington, D. C.: National Archives).
[S42] Reynolds, Ruth A. Bisbee: Widow's Declaration (CWPF), (Washington, D. C.: National Archives).
[S973] Reynolds, Ruth Ann Bisbee: Probate, (Chautauqua County Courthouse, Mayville, New York, (decree) volume 19, page 284, (letters) volume 9, page 262).
[S1817] Reynolds, Frank L: Gravestone, (Wattsburg Cemetery, Erie County, Pennsylvania).
[S2458] Reynolds, Addison Elmer (I91): 1900 US Census, (www.ancestry.com (2004): National Archives and Records Administration micropublication T623, roll 1014; enumeration district (ED) 95, sheet 2B, page 16B, line 87, dwelling 44, family 45; image downloaded 11/10/2008.), 1900-French_Creek.95.4.jpg.
[S2459] Gorndt, Charles H. (I2995): 1910 US Census, (www.ancestry.com (2006): National Archives and Records Administration micropublication T624, roll 929, enumeration district (ED) 134, sheet 9A, page 113A, line 6, dwelling 199, family 201; image accessed 12/29/2008.), 1910.NY.Chautauqua.French Creek.134.17.
[S2461] Reynolds, Addison Elmer (I91): 1920 US Census, (www.ancestry.com (2005): National Archives and Records Administration micropublication T625, roll 1090; enumeration district (ED) 140, sheet 7A, page 262A, line 37, dwelling 166, family 167; image downloaded 11/10/208.), 1920-French_Creek.140.13.jpg.
[S1818] Reynolds, Frank L: Death (CWPF), (Washington, D. C.: National Archives).
[S1457] Reynolds, Ruth A. Bisbee: Marriage, (Washington, D. C.: National Archives).
[S43] Reynolds, Erastus D: CWPF, (Washington, D. C.: National Archives Soldier's Pension Application No. 420 002 Soldier's Pension Certificate No. 330 497 Widow's Pension Application No. 319 872 Widow Certificate No. 223 608 Disabled son's Pension Application No. 861 333 Disabled son's Certificate No. 634 942).
Ruth Bisbee married John W. Reynolds about 1860 in Smyrna, Chenango, New York, by whom she had two normal, healthy children, Addison and Nellie. After John's death in 1866, Ruth moved to French Creek, Chautauqua County, New York, across the road from her father. In 1871 she married her first cousin, Erastus D. Reynolds, and had two children by him: Frank L. and Mary Jane Reynolds. Frank was severely retarded and his intellectual capacity never exceded that of a child, five to ten years old. In her will, Ruth directed that her son Addison care for his half-brother after her death. On 28 October 1907, Addison became guardian to Frank and collected a Helpless Child disability for him, stemming from his father's Civil War service. When Addison died in 1942, a trust company in Pittsburg was appointed gaurdian. Frank went to live with his sister Mary Jane Gorndt, who, in the opinion of Veteran's Administration Field Examiners, was of limited intelligence, and displayed signs of extreme nervousness. "She was a frail neurotic type of person." A neighbor had convinced Mary Jane that she should not accept any money from the government to avoid a lot of red tape and trouble. For years, she adamantly refused to take Frank for a Veteran's Administraion physical examination. She even went so far as to hire a lawyer to make the government stop paying Frank's monthly benefit. Frank's legal guardian, the trust company in Pittsburg, refused to allow his disability payments to be discontinued. The Veterans Administration found itself in the unusual position of fighting for Frank to keep his benefits against the wishes of his family. Frank was paid a Civil War disability pension up until he died in 1949.
[S43] Reynolds, Erastus D: CWPF, (Washington, D. C.: National Archives Soldier's Pension Application No. 420 002 Soldier's Pension Certificate No. 330 497 Widow's Pension Application No. 319 872 Widow Certificate No. 223 608 Disabled son's Pension Application No. 861 333 Disabled son's Certificate No. 634 942), Pension Application No. 861 333 (Helpless Child).