The FARRIS family - Generation 5
George Vineyard "Vin" (16 Nov 1890 Edwardsville, Madison County, Illinois - 8 Mar 1934 Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado)
Vin married to Lena Rosella CRITES (16 Aug 1892 E. Fork Township, Montgomery County, Illinois - 4 Jun 1930 Coffeen, Montgomery County, Illinois) on 1 Jan 1909.
Lena was the daughter of Samuel Hardy & Laura A. (Enzor) Crites.
4 Children
1 - Kennith (1909 Illinois - 1909 Illinois)
2 - Dallas (1916 Illinois - 1993 Hawaii)
Dallas married John DOUGLAS, they have one son, John. She lived in Hawaii most of her life. Her husband and son still live there.
3 - Paral Vineyard "Vin" (20 Jan 1924 Coffeen, Montgomery County, IL - 7 Jan 1993 LaPuente, Los Angeles County, CA) (This is the line I follow)
4 - Yvonna "Vonnie"
Vonnie married Fredrick ROSS and they have two children: Fred & Linda. Yvonna legally changed her name to Vonnie.
View Photos for Vin & Lena
Notes on Vin Faris -
In 1909 he worked the coal mines for a while in Illinois. In the later part of his life he worked for the Pacific Electric Railway in California. He was the Conductor for the "Red Cars".
The information and pictures below came from the Orange Empire Railway Museum at Perris, CA. "The two photos were clearly taken on the Pacific Electric Railway which served the South California area from Long Beach on the South to San Fernando on the North and as far East as Riverside. In fact, the PE, also known as "Red Cars" was the biggest electric interurban railway in the country. The result of a consolidation of several smaller companies shortly after the turn of the century, passenger service was sold off in 1954 and the last rail lines abandon in 1961. The present Blue Line of Southern California Rapid Transit is built on the Pacific Electric's Long Beach Line.
A few interesting links: The Electric Railway Historical Association, The Red Cars Return and the Railroad Retirement Board.
The cars show in the photos were built for local service.
The 302 dates from 1913 and was known as a "Stepless Dragon" or "Hobbleskirt Car". This style of car construction lasted only for a few years, the direct result of the transit industry's effort to build cars that could be boarded by women wearing the "hobbleskirt" style then in vogue. Cars of this type were out of service and scrapped by 1934. The photo in front of the 302 had to be taken between 1913 - 1921 as the 302 was renumbered to 52 in 1921.
The 345 was the small single track car known as a "Birney" (after it's designer) used in many cities in the 20's & 30's.
The 345 was a one man car, designed to reduce costs by combining the duties of Motorman and Conductor. The 345 was built in 1920 and was taken off the PE roster in 1941.While the "Birney" Cars were widely used throughout the PE, the "Stepless" cars were evidently used primarily or only in Los Angeles proper and Long Beach. Since the PE provided only a very limited local services in Los Angeles proper its a good chance this photo was taken in Long Beach where the PE offered extensive local service.
The coin changer around his waits shows he was a Conductor. By the nature of it's construction, "Stepless" cars like the 302 required a two man crew - a Motorman to run the car and a Conductor (who was in charge) to collect the fares".
He was living in Lafayette, Colorado in 1928. Vin is buried at the Lafayette Cemetery in Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado.
Notes on Lena Rosella Faris -
Lena committed suicide - to
read the article click here.
Lena is buried at the Olive Hill Cemetery in Coffeen, Montgomery County, Illinois.
Generation 5 - Samuel and Laura (Ensor) Crites
Generation 4 - George W. and Hester (Sawyer) Farris
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