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Ethel STEPHEY was the daughter of David STEPHEY and Emma HIGGINS.
Ethel STEPHEY was born 21 September1896 in Fairbury, Illinois
In December of 1923 Ethel married Keith Leslie in Brookfield, Missouri.
Ethel and Keith had one child, who is still living, and then were divorced.
Ethel was forced to riase her child as a single mother, which was very difficult thing to do in that era. The depression was also just beginning.
Fortunately Ethel was a professional woman. She was a registered nurse. She became Superintendent of a hospital in 1928, and with this responsibility she was required to reside at the hospital. Fortunately for Ethel, her young child was able to live with Ethel's brother and sister, neither of whom were married at that time. Ethel bought a car so that she could travel the 15 miles to be with her child on her days off. It was very rare in those days for women to drive. Ethel was a very independent woman. There were also times when her child could stay her at the hospital on the weekends and in the summer. When Ethel's child was 16, Ethel's sister Ferne married, and Ethel took a job as a school nurse. Ethel got an apartment, which allowed Ethel and her child to be together.
This page was last updated on February 22, 2003