Thelma Louise BLESSING

Born

13 February 1923 , Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA

Died

23 September 2002 , East Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Parents & Family of Thelma Louise BLESSING

Parents

2 recorded View parent relationships

Grandparents

3 recorded View grandparents

Spouses, Marriages & Children

1 recorded relationshipView family relationships

Family Tree

Open family tree View pedigree chart

Born: 13 February 1923 in Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA

Parents of Thelma Louise BLESSING

Father

Carl Heinrich "Charles Henry" BLESSING

Mother

Marie Berchtold PELTON

Grandparents of Thelma Louise BLESSING

Paternal grandparents

Carl "Charles" Theodore BLESSING Frances Mary "Fannie" MESICK

Maternal grandparents

Maternal grandfather not yet recorded Rosina BERCHTOLD

Spouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):

Thelma Louise married George Edward MERRITT 10 December 1945 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA . The couple had (at least) 2 children.
They divorced. George Edward MERRITT was born 13 December 1922 in Troy, New York, USA. George Edward died 12 June 1997 in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA. George Edward was the child of Dennie Kimball MERRITT and Ida V HEBERT.

Thelma Louise BLESSING died 23 September 2002 in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
Details of the family tree of Thelma appear below.

FAMILY HERITAGE READING

Books Connected to This Family

Family history

Forever Cousins: Eight Generations of the Theinert Family

Thelma Louise BLESSING is connected to the family history explored in this book.

Explore this family history

A true Maine story

Androscoggin's Secret

Discover the story behind the 1900 murder of Jessie Cobb in Lewiston, Maine, and the world families were talking about at the time.

Discover the story

Spouses, Marriages & Children of Thelma Louise BLESSING

Thelma Louise BLESSING married

George Edward MERRITT
Marriage date: 10 December 1945
Marriage place: Hartford, Connecticut, USA
George Edward MERRITT was the child of Dennie Kimball MERRITT and Ida V HEBERT

Marriage notes:

GEORGE MERRITT THELMA BLESSING 1945-12-10 HARTFORD

www.ctatatelibrarydata.org

They divorced in 1969.

Name: Georg E Merritt

Race: White

Birth Date: December 1922

Birth State: New York

Number of Previous Marriages: First

Education: 8 years elementary

Certificate Number: 4606

Spouse Name: Thel

Spouse Race: White

Spouse Birth State: Connecticut

Spouse Birth Date: February 1923

Spouse Number of Previous Marriages: First

Spouse Education: 1 or 2 years high school

Marriage State: Connecticut

Marriage Date: December 1945

Separation Date: March 1966

Children Under Age 18: One

Plaintiff: Wife

Plaintiff Town of Residence: Hampton, Connecticut

Decree Date: 10 Sep 1969

Type of Decree: Divorce granted to wife

Grounds for Divorce: Cruelty

Case Contested: No

Court Docket Number: 159524

Superior Court County of Decree: Hartford

Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Divorce Index, 1968-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

Original data: "Connecticut Divorce Index, 1968-1997." Database. Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford, Connecticut. Archive Collection Number: DR09368.

Children of George Edward MERRITT and Thelma Louise BLESSING

Shirley Anne MERRITT

Born: 24 April 1947, Windsor, Connecticut, USA
Died: 4 January 2020, Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA

Married: Roy Lincoln SMITH 14 March 1964 Place: Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA

Married: Thomas Michael BURKE 15 April 1977

Married: Robert Coleman SOUCIER 1 April 2011 Place: East Hartford, Connecticut, USA

George Edward MERRITT

Born: 9 October 1950, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Died: 19 September 2008, East Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Married: Melonee A GEBEL 21 March 1987 Place: East Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Add Life Event

Have another record or photo?
Add a life event, census record, military record, obituary, achievement, or photograph for Thelma Louise BLESSING.

Life & Records

Photos, life events, and historical records for Thelma Louise BLESSING.

How to read this timeline
Records about Thelma Louise BLESSING and family appear alongside historical events from the same years. Each item is labeled so you can quickly tell family records from historical context.

Show:

Use these buttons to focus on the ancestor's own records or the wider historical context.

Birth — 1923
13 February 1923
Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA

Thelma Louise BLESSING - Charles T. Blessing (Grandpa), Thelma and Marion Blessing

Charles T. Blessing (Grandpa), Thelma and Marion Blessing

Thanks to Jenn Costanzo

Thelma Louise BLESSING - Marie Berchtold Pelton Blessing, Thelma and Marion

Marie Berchtold Pelton Blessing, Thelma and Marion

Thanks to Jenn Costanzo

Thelma Louise BLESSING - Thelma and Marion Blessing

Thelma and Marion Blessing

Thanks to Jenn Costanzo

1927 - The aerosol can is invented (Erik Rotheim, Norway)

1927 - April 7 – Bell Telephone Co. transmits an image of Herbert Hoover (then the Secretary of Commerce), which becomes the first successful long distance demonstration of television

1928 - Sliced bread (bread slicing machine) is invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder (United States)

1929 - Herbert Hoover becomes President of the United States

1929 - October 29 - Black Tuesday - Stock market crash - The Great Depression Begins - It lasted until 1941 (WW2)

1930 Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut

Name: Thelma Blessing
event: CENSUS
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
Gender: Female
Age: 7
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
birthPlace: Connecticut
estimated Birth Year: 1923
Immigration Year:
Relationship to Head of Household: Daughter
father's birthPlace: Connecticut
mother's birthPlace: Germany
enumeration district number: 61
family number: 23
Sheet Number and Letter: 9A
Line Number: 25
nara publication: T626, roll 265
Film Number: 2340000
Digital Folder Number: 4531869
Image Number: 00022
Household Gender Age
parent Charles H Blessing M 47
parent Marie Blessing F 42
Dorothy Blessing F 17
Raymond Blessing M 14
Woodrow Blessing M 10
Thelma Blessing F 7
Marion Blessing F 7
Constant Blessing F 3

Source / record details
1930 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1930 - Scotch tape is invented (Richard Drew (3M), United States)

In 1930, on February 18, Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, marking a significant milestone in the study of our solar system.

1931 - The paper towel is invented (Arthur Scott, United States)

1931 - March 3 – The Star-Spangled Banner is adopted as the United States National anthem.

1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes President of the United States

1933 - December 5 – The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution is passed, repealing Prohibition

1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)

1935 - The snowmobile was invented by Joseph Bombardier (Quebec, Canada)

1935 - August 14 – United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law

1938 - The ballpoint pen is invented (Lazlo Biro, Hungary)

1938-1944 - Sunscreen is invented (Franz Greiter, Switzerland and Benjamin Green, United States)

1938 - October 27 - Du Pont announces a name for its new synthetic yarn: nylon.

1940 Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut

Name: Thelma Blessing
Respondent: Yes
Age: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1923
Gender: Female
Race: White
BirthPlace: Connecticut
Marital Status: Single
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Home in 1940: Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut
Street: Hebron Avenue
Inferred Residence in 1935: Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
Residence in 1935: Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
Sheet Number: 3A
Household Members:
Name Age
Charles Blessing 57
Marie Blessing 51
Thelma Blessing 17
Marion Blessing 17
Constance Blessing 13

Source / record details
1940 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1941 - December 8 - (the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor) United States declares war on Japan (WW2)

1944 - D-Day, which occurred on June 6, 1944, was a pivotal World War II operation where Allied forces launched a massive invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France. Known as Operation Overlord, it involved over 156,000 troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations. The operation aimed to liberate Western Europe from Nazi German control. The landings marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, leading to the eventual Allied victory in Europe.

1945 Marriage / Partner
Thelma Louise BLESSING and George Edward MERRITT 10 December 1945, Hartford, Connecticut, USA

She was 22 years old.

1945 - The atomic bomb is invented (J. Robert Oppenheimer, et al., United States)

The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.

1945 - Harry S. Truman becomes President of the United States

1945 - On September 2, 1945, World War II officially ended with the formal surrender of Japan. The surrender ceremony took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, where Japanese officials signed the Instrument of Surrender in the presence of Allied representatives, including General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz.

1947 Birth of Child
Shirley Anne MERRITT was born 24 April 1947, Windsor, Connecticut, USA (Poquonock)

Thelma Louise was 24 years old.

1948 - Velcro is invented (George de Mestral, Switzerland)

1950 - June 25 - Korean War begins when North Korean forces invade South Korea.

1950 Birth of Child
George Edward MERRITT was born 9 October 1950, Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Thelma Louise was 27 years old.

Hartford, Connecticut, City Directory, 1953

Name: Thelma B Merritt
Gender: F (Female)
Residence Year: 1953
Street Address: 740 Kennedy rd Wdr
Residence Place: Hartford, Connecticut
Spouse:
George E Merritt
Publication Title: Hartford, Connecticut, City Directory, 1953

Source / record details
ancestry.com

1953 - Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President of the United States

1953 - On July 27, 1953, the Korean War ended with the signing of an armistice agreement at Panmunjom. This ceasefire halted the conflict between North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, backed by United Nations forces primarily from the United States. The agreement established the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the 38th parallel, effectively maintaining the pre-war boundary and creating a buffer zone between the two Koreas.

Hartford Suburban, Connecticut 1960

Name: Thelma B Merritt
Gender: F (Female)
Residence Year: 1960
Residence Place: Hartford, Connecticut
Spouse:
George E Merritt
Publication Title: Hartford Suburban, Connecticut 1960

Source / record details
ancestry.com

1961 - John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States

1961 - Vietnam War officially begins with 900 military advisors landing in Saigon.

1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense 13-day standoff in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. The crisis is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. It began when American spy planes discovered the missiles, leading to a U.S. naval blockade of Cuba and intense negotiations. The crisis ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba and secretly agreeing to remove American missiles from Turkey.

1963 - I Have a Dream Speech - Martin Luther King's Address at March on Washington August 28, 1963.

In 1963, on November 22, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza. The assassination shocked the nation and the world, leading to widespread mourning and a period of intense national introspection. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States shortly after Kennedy's death. The assassination sparked numerous conspiracy theories and investigations, with the Warren Commission ultimately concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination. Kennedy's death had a profound impact on American politics and society, marking the end of an era often referred to as 'Camelot.'

1964 Marriage of Child
Shirley Anne MERRITT married 14 March 1964, Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA to Roy Lincoln SMITH

1968 - The ATM is invented (Don Wetzel, United States)

1969 - Richard M. Nixon becomes President of the United States

1969 - July 20 - Apollo 11 - Man lands on the moon

June 17, 1972 – August 9, 1974 - Watergate Scandal began with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., in 1972. Members of President Richard Nixon's administration attempted to cover up their involvement. The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, and the indictment of several administration officials.

1973 - January 22 - Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179: The U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S.

1973 - March 29 - The last United States soldier leaves Vietnam

The cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper of Motorola. On April 3, 1973, he made the first handheld mobile phone call with the Motorola DynaTAC. This device weighed 2.5 pounds and was 10 inches long, offering 30 minutes of talk time and requiring 10 hours to charge. The first commercial cell phone was released in 1983, revolutionizing communication and leading to the modern smartphones we use today.

1974 - Gerald R. Ford becomes President of the United States after the resignation of Richard Nixon.

1977 - Jimmy Carter becomes President of the United States

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington State occurred on May 18, triggered by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake. It caused the largest landslide in recorded history, followed by a massive lateral blast. The eruption killed 57 people, destroyed 250 homes, and spread ash across the U.S.

1981 - Ronald Reagan becomes President of the United States

1981 - June 5 - First reported case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

1982 - The camcorder is invented (Sony Corp., Japan)

1983 - The laptop computer is invented (Radio Shack Corp., United States)

1986 - January 28 - Space Shuttle Challenger accident - The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members.

1987 Marriage of Child
George Edward MERRITT married 21 March 1987, East Hartford, Connecticut, USA to Melonee A GEBEL

1989 - The World Wide Web is invented at CERN (Tim Berners-Lee, UK)

1989 - George H. W. Bush becomes President of the United States

1993 - William J. Clinton becomes President of the United States

1997 Death of Spouse/Partner
George Edward MERRITT died 12 June 1997, East Hartford, Connecticut, USA

2001 - George W. Bush becomes President of the United States

2001 - September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Coordinated terrorist attacks by the extremist group al-Qaeda on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, leading to significant changes in U.S. domestic and foreign policy, including the War on Terror.

2002 Death

First Name: Thelma
Middle Name: L
Last Name: Merritt
Gender: Female
Birth Date: Feb 13, 1923
Death Date: Sep 23, 2002
Age: 79
Residence: East Hartford, Hartfold Connecticut
Birth Location: Connecticut
Death Location: East Windsor, Hartfold, CT
Record Type: Death Record
Bride's Marital Status: Divorced
Collection: Connecticut Death Records
Certificate: Hard Copy Certificate
Source Information
Source: Connecticut Department of Public Health
Years: 1949 to 2007
Description: This collection of Connecticut death records was provided by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. It contains data from 1949 to 2007.
Address: 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 0613

Obituary

Deceased Name: MERRITT, THELMA L. BLESSING
MERRITT, Thelma L. Blessing

Thelma Louise Blessing Merritt, 79, of East Hartford, passed away Monday evening, (September 23, 2002) peacefully at home. She was born February 13, 1923 in Glastonbury. She was the former wife of the late George Edward Merritt, Sr., and was the daughter of the late Charles and Marie (Berchtold) Blessing, also of Glastonbury. She leaves two sisters, her twin, Marian Garavelli of South Windsor, and Constance Connery of East Hartford; a daughter, Shirley Ann Burke of Broad Brook; and a son, George Edward, Jr. and his wife Melonee Merritt of East Hartford; grandchildren, Roberlie Smith of Broad Brook, Wendy and husband William Zern of Broad Brook, Roy Smith, Jr. of East Hartford, David Smith of East Hartford, Tammi and husband Gustavo Heredia of East Hartford, James Merritt of East Hartford, and Michael Merritt of New Britain; step grandchildren, Kim Burke of East Hartford, Thomas Burke, Jr. of Enfield, David and

Read full story

Source / record details

The Hartford Courant
Hartford, Connecticut
September 25, 2002