My maternal great-grandmother, Mary Ellen (Courtney) Grace, was born in March 1863 in Meriden, Connecticut. She married William Grace in 1887 and had four children (Raymond Sr., Edward, Kittie and Joseph). Mary died on October 2, 1923, in Rockfall (South Farms), Connecticut, at the age of 60.
I recently discovered her cause of death. On the afternoon of October 2, 1923, the Hartford Courant reported that Mary was killed on the street directly in front of her home after being struck by a car after she had “alighted” from a trolley car.
Below are newspaper clippings covering her death and subsequent wrongful death suit filed by her son, Raymond. The case was later dismissed by the State’s Attorney.
- Hartford Driver Fatal Injuries Middletown Woman
- Sues for $10,000 for Woman’s Death
- Has Case Continued
- Hartford Man has Case Nolled
End Note: Raymond (1899-1962), my grandfather, suffered the loss of his father (William) when he was 17 in 1916, his brother James died in WWI in 1918 and then his mother in 1923. The deaths of his parents and older brother all before he was 25.
Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.
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