The Family of Viola Lillian Fye

Howard Melvin Fye, the son of Peter Fye and Sarah Ann Mitchell, was born in Ashland Township, Clarion County, Pennsylvania on 19 April 1872, and Rhoda Bessie Dietrich, the daughter of Brady Dietrich and Amanda Swab, was born in Salem Township, Clarion County, on 19 October 1878.

They were married by Rev. George W Cripps at his home near Mong, Clarion County, on 5 September 1897.

At the time of their marriage Howard Melvin, who was more commonly known as Mel, was a 24 year old farmer living in Mong, and Rhoda Bessie, who was known by her middle name, was an 18 year old Seamstress living in Lamertine, Clarion County. As Bessie was under 21, she needed her father's consent to marry.

Mel and Bessie had 7 children, all of whom survived Infancy. At the time of the 1910 Census they family were living on a rented farm in Ashland Township:

1910 CENSUS OF ASHLAND TOWNSHIP, CLARION COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA:
NAME:	RELATION:	RACE:	SEX:	AGE:	STATUS:	OCCUPATION:	BIRTHPLACE:
Melvin H Fye	Head	White	M	36	Married	Farmer	Pennsylvania
Bessie R Fye	Wife	White	F	31	Married	None	Pennsylvania
Wallace L Fye	Son	White	M	12	Single	Farm Laborer	Pennsylvania
Byrda O Fye	Daughter	White	F	10	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Harry N Fye	Son	White	M	8	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Sylva M Fye	Daughter	White	F	6	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Lillian V Fye	Daughter	White	F	4	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Goldie B Fye	Daughter	White	F	2	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Elsie P Fye	Daughter	White	F	4 mos	Single	None	Pennsylvania

NOTES:
1:	Living in Ashland Township, Clarion County, Pennsylvania.
2:	Mel and Bessie had been married 12 years and Bessie was listed as the mother of 7 children, all living.
3:	Mel, Bessie, and the older 2 children could read and write. The older 4 children were attending school.
4:	Mel and Bessie's parents were all shown as having been born in Pennsylvania.
5:	The above information is taken from scanned images at www.ancestry.co.uk.

1920 CENSUS OF ASHLAND TOWNSHIP, CLARION COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA:
NAME:	RELATION:	RACE:	SEX:	AGE:	STATUS:	OCCUPATION:	BIRTHPLACE:
Melvin Fye	Head	White	M	47	Married	Helper, Restaurant	Pennsylvania
Bessie Fye	Wife	White	F	41	Married	Seamstress, Private Families	Pennsylvania
Wallace Fye	Son	White	M	22	Single	Craneman, Pump & Machine Shop	Pennsylvania
Alberta Fye	Daughter	White	F	19	Single	Cooks Helper, Restaurant	Pennsylvania
Harry Fye	Son	White	M	18	Single	Laborer, Oil Refinery Works	Pennsylvania
Emma Fye	Daughter	White	F	16	Single	Cook, Restaurant	Pennsylvania
Viola Fye	Daughter	White	F	14	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Goldie Fye	Daughter	White	F	12	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Elsie Fye	Daughter	White	F	10	Single	None	Pennsylvania

Howard Melvin "Mel" Fye died on Monday, 25 October 1955 and his obituary was published the following day in 'The Blizzard' newspaper, Oil City:

'Melvin H. Fye, 83, Succumbs'

     'Melvin H. Fye, of 10 Prospect Street, died at 5 a.m. yesterday in the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. George Dodd, following an illness of several weeks. He was born April 10, 1872 in Ninevah, Clarion County, a son of the late Peter and Sarah Mitchell Fye.
    Mr. Fye spent the early part of his life in Clarion County. He moved to Oil City in 1918.
    Mr. Fye was united in marriage to the former Bessie Dietrich of Salem in 1895.
    He was employed at one time by the Pennsylvania Railroad. He was also employed by Manion Steel Barrel Works for 22 years, retiring in 1946.
    Mr. Fye was a member of the First Free Methodist Church in Oil City.
    Mr Fye is survived by the following children: Mrs. William French, Mrs. George Taylor, Mrs. Edward Madden, Mrs. George Dodd, Harry Fye, Mrs. Wilford Smith, all of Oil City; and Wallace Fye of Cleveland, Ohio.
    Also surviving are 11 grandchildren, one great grandchild and a number of nieces and nephews.
    The body has been removed to the Crawford Funeral Home. Funeral arrangements will be announced'.

It appears that Mel and Bessie's marriage ended in the mid-1920s as Bessie was remarried on 28 May 1928 to Martin Graham.

Rhoda "Bessie" (Dietrich) Graham died on Wednesday, 31 October 1973 and her obituary was published the following day in 'The Derrick' newspaper, Oil City:

     'Mrs. Rhoda Bessie Graham, 95, of 310 Oak Grove St., a retired seamstress, died at 10:05 a.m. Wednesday October 31, 1973 in the Oil City Hospital.
     She was born October 19, 1878 in Lamartine, a daughter of Brady P. and Amanda Swab Dietrich, and had lived in Oil City most of her life.
     Mrs. Graham had been employed as a seamstress by Waldo Tailoring in Oil City and later at Oil City Hospital.
     She was first married on September 5, 1895, to Howard Melvin “Mel” Fye. She was later married to Martin Graham on May 28, 1928. He died February 28, 1946.
      Mrs. Graham was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and had been a member of the GAR of Rochester.
     She is survived by five daughters, Mrs. Alberta O. French, Mrs. Emma Sylvia Taylor, Mrs. Edward J. (Viola L.) Madden and Mrs. Elsie Pearl Smith, all of Oil City, and Mrs. Leon (Goldie B.) Pierce of Dunedin, FL; two brothers, Charles H. Dietrich of Grove City and Frank L. Dietrich of Oil City; two sisters, Mrs. Emma Brown of Mercer and Mrs. Raymond (Marie) Eckelberger of McDonald; 10 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Two sons, Wallace Leroy Fye and Harry Fye, two brothers and three sisters are deceased.
     Friends may call after 2 p.m. today at the Hutchinson and Morton Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends.'

NOTES:
1:	Living at 8 Quarry Street, Oil City, Venango County, Pennsylvania.
2:	The census records that the whole family were able to read and write, and that Viola, Goldie and Elsie were attending school.
3:	The above information is taken from scanned images at www.ancestry.co.uk.