Life History

Notes

• [WFT Pedigree #1068 dec of capt nathaniel turner.FTW]     [BrøderbundWFT Vol. 1, Ed. 1, Tree #1068, Date of Import: Aug 7, 2000]     Thefollowing was published in the "Waterbury American," 1912.     "THEYCOULD HARDLY BE TOLD APART As like As Two Peas Were Urena And IreneSchevalier     Now Mrs. Coley and Mrs. Beach, they live at 890 NorthMain Street and celebrated there, on Friday May 10, the Completion of74 years of life. Twins are always interesting.  If they look verymuch alike as they usually do, they delight in the mystification thisaffords.  They may even be deceived themselves, as in the case ofJules and Julian Jordan, the well known singers and composers of RhodeIsland, when one, who studied at a summer music school, invited histwin to the closing concert, saw him coming, rushed forward to greethim, and ran up against his own reflection in the glass of the door.If a pair of twins lives to advanced age they are especiallyinteresting to everybody, whether personally acquainted or not.Waterbury has such a pair of twin women at 890 North Main Street, whocelebrated, on May 10, the completion of 74 years of life.  They areMrs. Urena Coley and Mrs. Irene Beach; and are two as healthy andhappy women as are often met. Urena and Irene Schevalier, twindaughters of William Schevalier were born in Goshen, May 10, 1838 andspent their early life in that ancient Connecticut hill town.  Theambrotype picture of them taken 55 years ago (1857), when they were19, shows two-clear-eyed, plump, rosy-cheeked young women, awed intounwonted seriousness by the responsibility of sitting for a picture,but comely enough to make havoc with the hearts of the young men oftheir day and neighborhood; and, if tradition speaks the truth, thisis exactly what they did.  They were "as like as two peas," as thesaying goes, until long after the marriage of each.  During childhoodthey could hardly be told apart, except by their relatives and mostintimate friends.  Many a young man was deeply chagrined to find thathe was talking with Irene when it was Urena he supposed he wasaddressing-and vice versa-and the sisters had many a sly laugh at suchhappenings. Neither sister married until past 20-a somewhat advancedage for matrimony in those days, when even 13 or 14 was not thoughttoo young to take up married life, in some cases, and 17 and 18 -yearold brides were common,  Doubtless both were enjoying life too much toenter too readily into marital bonds.  Irene was the first to succumbto Cupid's arrows; becoming, just after she was 20, the bride of EbenNorton, and going to live in Thomaston, (then Plymouth Hollow.)  Ayear and a half later Urena, too, capitulated, and promised to love,honor and obey Hiram T. Coley, and also removing to the thrivingvillage where the famous Seth Thomas clocks are manufactured. It wassoon after Urena's marriage that the Civil War broke out, and PlymouthHollow, like its neighbors, was deeply stirred.  Patriotic meetingswere held at which fiery speeches were made; man after man enlisted,and finally the husbands of the twins decided that duty to theircountry called them to the front, and they marched away with theSecond Heavy Artillery.  Urena never saw her husband again, and thoughIrene's husband returned, it was only to die.  Hiram Coley was killedwhile lying between two friends, in a trench, at the battle ofWinchester.  He rose up to shoot, a ball pierced his head, and he fellback lifeless.  His friends took charge of the body and saw that itwas sent back to his home, where, with that of Irene's husband, EbenNorton, who died from disease contracted in the army, which sapped hisvitality, it rests in Thomaston's cemetery.  (Not true, since Eben isburied in a glacial terrace overlooking the Naugatuck River inNaugatuck, or one of the towns farther south.  I found it there duringthe 1950s.) Mrs Coley was so affected by the death of her husband thatshe determined never to marry again, and up to this time has notwavered, although she says she does not know what she may do "whenthose pictures get put in the papers."  Her daughter-in-law, Mrs.Elbert E. Coley, advised the photographer not to make the picture ofthe twins today too good-looking, saying that the elder Mrs. Coley hadbeen a widow so long that she could not bear the idea of some manfalling in love with the picture and marrying her.  A few years afterthe close of the war, Irene married Porter Beach of Thomaston, whodied about eight years ago.  Mrs. Beach never had any children, butadopted a daughter, now Mrs. Moses Ariel of Thomaston, who is themother of three children, Miss Edith Ariel of Litchfield and Sherwoodand Kingsley Ariel of Thomaston.  Mrs Coley has one son, Elbert E.Coley, with whom she and her twin reside at 890 North Main Street; andthree grandsons, Elbert Harold Coley, who is married and lives inTariffville; Howard Coley, a student at Pratt Institute; and WesleyColey, who attends the Crosby High School Mrs Coley and Mrs Beach areexcellent types of the old school New England women.  They are happyand contented, and interested in the things of every day life.  Mrs.Beach is especially fond of cats and dogs, having as pets four of theformer and one of the latter animals, who are devoted to theirmistress.  Neither believes in votes for women. They say the idea of awoman voting is too much for them; that the place for woman is athome, and there she should stay.  Both are members of the SecondCongregational Church."         Published in the "Waterbury American,"May 1912:     To be mere twins is somewhat of an honor, but to betwins and seventy-four years old is more than an honor.  Such is thecase with Mrs. Urene Coley and Mrs. Irene Beach who celebrated theirseventy-fourth birthday Friday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. E. E.Coley, 890 North Main Street.  During the day they were the recipientsof many post cards, over two hundred being sent and may dozens ofcarnations.  The principle event of the day was the surprize partygiven in the evening by a number of their relatives and friends.Vocal and instrumental music made the time pass pleasantly andrefreshments were served as a finale to the delightful affair.  Thosepresent included Mr. and Mrs. George Chapman, Mr. and Mrs. AlfredParsons, Mr. and Mrs. Moses Ariel, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Shepard, Mr.and Mrs. Louis Totten, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Goodrich, Mr. and Mrs. FrankKetchen, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Coley, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Merrillo, Mrs.K. Dikeman, Miss Carrie Dikeman, Miss Madeline Rosa, Mrs. FrancisSpring, Miss Hattie Spring, Mrs. Adolf Ruffer, Mrs. John Holmes, MissMay Goodrich, Mrs Ellen Moulthrop, Ivan Adams, Rufus Chapman, HowardColey and Leslie Coley.

Sources

• 1. World Family Tree Vol. 1, Ed. 1
  • Name: Release date: November 29, 1995;
  • Tree #1068
• 2. WFT Pedigree #1068 dec of capt nathaniel turner.FTW