Birdie is called Cora on all censuses. Only her tombstone and her death
certificate reflect the name Birdie C. Watson. She was the third of eight
children and her mother was only 20 years old when she was born. Her father
Charles Shaler Watson was a traveling salesman that sold window polish, but by
the time she was six years ago., her father had relocated the family to Kansas
and died.
Cora's mother Annie took work as a housekeeper. Somehow Annie saved enough money
to return to Allegheny County with her children. Here she took in boarders on
Juniata Street, to support her family. When she was 16 Cora's mother married
Richard Bird, a tinsman. Two years later her older sister Lillie married one of
her mother's boaders, Andy Frank. The following year, her mother gave birth to
a son, Richard Bird, Jr.
As her mother started a new family with her step-father, Cora was welcomed into
her sister Lillie's home where she assisted her sister with her household and
worked in a cracker factory to support herself. When her mother moved to West
Virginia, Cora remained in the home with her sister Lillie and her family,
living with them for almost twenty years. During that time, her brother-in-law
Andy Frank obtained employement with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Cora's
grandfather Robert Patterson had worked for Pennsylvania Railroad for 34 years
before his retirement, and now Cora also was able to obtain employment with them
working as a cleaning lady in the Round House.
When her mother returned to Pittsburgh, her step-father remained in West
Virginia and Cora chose to live with her mother and her step-brother Townsend
Bird. After her mother died, she continued to live a few houses away from her
sister Lillie, until her own death. Cora never married, and suffered from
severe headaches. She was 61 when she died.
certificate reflect the name Birdie C. Watson. She was the third of eight
children and her mother was only 20 years old when she was born. Her father
Charles Shaler Watson was a traveling salesman that sold window polish, but by
the time she was six years ago., her father had relocated the family to Kansas
and died.
Cora's mother Annie took work as a housekeeper. Somehow Annie saved enough money
to return to Allegheny County with her children. Here she took in boarders on
Juniata Street, to support her family. When she was 16 Cora's mother married
Richard Bird, a tinsman. Two years later her older sister Lillie married one of
her mother's boaders, Andy Frank. The following year, her mother gave birth to
a son, Richard Bird, Jr.
As her mother started a new family with her step-father, Cora was welcomed into
her sister Lillie's home where she assisted her sister with her household and
worked in a cracker factory to support herself. When her mother moved to West
Virginia, Cora remained in the home with her sister Lillie and her family,
living with them for almost twenty years. During that time, her brother-in-law
Andy Frank obtained employement with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Cora's
grandfather Robert Patterson had worked for Pennsylvania Railroad for 34 years
before his retirement, and now Cora also was able to obtain employment with them
working as a cleaning lady in the Round House.
When her mother returned to Pittsburgh, her step-father remained in West
Virginia and Cora chose to live with her mother and her step-brother Townsend
Bird. After her mother died, she continued to live a few houses away from her
sister Lillie, until her own death. Cora never married, and suffered from
severe headaches. She was 61 when she died.
Birdie is called Cora on all censuses. Only her tombstone and her death
certificate reflect the name Birdie C. Watson. She was the third of eight
children and her mother was only 20 years old when she was born. Her father
Charles Shaler Watson was a traveling salesman that sold window polish, but by
the time she was six years ago., her father had relocated the family to Kansas
and died.
Cora's mother Annie took work as a housekeeper. Somehow Annie saved enough money
to return to Allegheny County with her children. Here she took in boarders on
Juniata Street, to support her family. When she was 16 Cora's mother married
Richard Bird, a tinsman. Two years later her older sister Lillie married one of
her mother's boaders, Andy Frank. The following year, her mother gave birth to
a son, Richard Bird, Jr.
As her mother started a new family with her step-father, Cora was welcomed into
her sister Lillie's home where she assisted her sister with her household and
worked in a cracker factory to support herself. When her mother moved to West
Virginia, Cora remained in the home with her sister Lillie and her family,
living with them for almost twenty years. During that time, her brother-in-law
Andy Frank obtained employement with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Cora's
grandfather Robert Patterson had worked for Pennsylvania Railroad for 34 years
before his retirement, and now Cora also was able to obtain employment with them
working as a cleaning lady in the Round House.
When her mother returned to Pittsburgh, her step-father remained in West
Virginia and Cora chose to live with her mother and her step-brother Townsend
Bird. After her mother died, she continued to live a few houses away from her
sister Lillie, until her own death. Cora never married, and suffered from
severe headaches. She was 61 when she died.
certificate reflect the name Birdie C. Watson. She was the third of eight
children and her mother was only 20 years old when she was born. Her father
Charles Shaler Watson was a traveling salesman that sold window polish, but by
the time she was six years ago., her father had relocated the family to Kansas
and died.
Cora's mother Annie took work as a housekeeper. Somehow Annie saved enough money
to return to Allegheny County with her children. Here she took in boarders on
Juniata Street, to support her family. When she was 16 Cora's mother married
Richard Bird, a tinsman. Two years later her older sister Lillie married one of
her mother's boaders, Andy Frank. The following year, her mother gave birth to
a son, Richard Bird, Jr.
As her mother started a new family with her step-father, Cora was welcomed into
her sister Lillie's home where she assisted her sister with her household and
worked in a cracker factory to support herself. When her mother moved to West
Virginia, Cora remained in the home with her sister Lillie and her family,
living with them for almost twenty years. During that time, her brother-in-law
Andy Frank obtained employement with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Cora's
grandfather Robert Patterson had worked for Pennsylvania Railroad for 34 years
before his retirement, and now Cora also was able to obtain employment with them
working as a cleaning lady in the Round House.
When her mother returned to Pittsburgh, her step-father remained in West
Virginia and Cora chose to live with her mother and her step-brother Townsend
Bird. After her mother died, she continued to live a few houses away from her
sister Lillie, until her own death. Cora never married, and suffered from
severe headaches. She was 61 when she died.
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