Friday, June 23, 2017

1885-1911 Autograph Album of Vanetta E. (Ogier) Heal of Camden, Maine; Passed on to Sister Frances D. Ogier


Autograph album with inscriptions from 1885 to 1911 that originally belonged to Vanette E. Ogier, "Vannie", of Camden, Maine, and then apparently passed on to her sister Frances Deborah Ogier, "Fannie", after Vannie's death in 1906.

See another post that features an 1880s-1890s autograph album that Fannie herself kept; many of the people who inscribed pages in Vannie's album also inscribed pages in Fannie's.  And Vannie herself, as Mrs. J. H. Heal, inscribed a page.

Vannie's album measure approximately 8" by 6" and contains the sentiments of over 30 of her friends, including a page inscribed by her future husband James Henry Heal of Lincolnville, Maine, and another stamped with the name and address of J. H. Heal of Camden, Maine.

An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appear at the end of this post.

Sadly, the first few pages of the album are missing, including the title page and what might have been a page with Vannie's own inscription.  Her identity as the album owner was teased out through the inscriptions of
  • Henry G. Smith of Boston, Massachusetts, who called her "Vannie" and "The belle of Camden Me."
  • Clarence Ogier, who directed his inscription of 1911 to his aunt Fannie, who was apparently then in possession of the album.  Fannie was Vannie's older sister.



From brief online research, hopefully correct:  corrections and additions requested

Vanetta E. Ogier, "Vannie" was born in 1870, the daughter of Samuel Emery Ogier and Martha Ann (Heal) Ogier.  About 1889, according to the 1900 Census, Vannie married James Henry Heal, son of Henry Heal and Julia Ann (Dickey) Heal.  They had two daughters, Grace Mina Heal and Helen A. Heal, before Vannie died in 1906.   Vannie, James and his second wife Bertha (Green) are buried in the Mount View Cemetery at Camden, Maine.

Grace inscribed a page in the album in 1907, after Vannie's death.


If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Surnames in the Album

AAdamsEEastman [2]PPackard
BBucklinHHarrisParker
CClevelandHeal [3]Pendleton
Coleman ?KKellerPoleman ?
Colley [2]KempRRichmond [2]
CooksonKennistonSSherman
CoombsKnowltonSmith
CrawfordMMegquierStowe
CrockettMoodyTTibbetts
CummingsOOgier [2]WWaldron


Inscribers in the Album

AClarence E. Adams of Camden, Maine; inscribed on March 5, 1885
BLeila M. Bucklin of Camden, Maine, inscribed on February 3, 1885
CMary P. Cleveland of Camden, Maine; inscribed on February 4, 1885
Helen A. Coleman; the surname looks more like Poleman; followed by initials that might be CHS, perhaps Camden High School
F. L. Colley of Belfast, Maine; inscribed on January 31, 1888; presumably Fred L. Colley, brother of inscriber Frank H. Colley - see a photograph of Fred L. Colley here
Frank H. Colley of Belfast, Maine; inscribed at Camden, Maine, on July 10, 1885; brother of inscriber Fred L. Colley
Flora E. Cookson of Camden, Maine; inscribed on July 28, 1889
Herbert E. Coombs of Atlantic, Massachusetts, inscribed on August 27, 1892
Carrie C. Crawford of Camden, Maine; inscribed on March 7, 1885
Lizzie G. Crockett of Rockland, Maine; inscribed on June 9, 1885
Sibelle Cummings of New York City, inscribed on January 1, 1885
EMabel F. Eastman of Camden, Maine; inscribed on April 1, 1885
Marietta Eastman, inscribed at Camden, Maine, on May 31, 1885
HW. H. Harris of Belfast, Maine; inscribed on March 20, 1886
Grace Mina Heal of Camden, Maine; inscribed on June 26, 1906. She was Vannie's daughter, born about 1893.
James H. Heal of Lincolnville, Maine; Vannie's future husband James Henry Heal
Stamped name of J. H. Heal, Camden, Maine; presumably Vannie's future husband James Henry Heal
KLottie M. Keller of Chelsea, Massachusetts; inscribed on August 27, 1892
James Kemp, inscribed at Camden, Maine, on July 13, 1887
Evie L. Kenniston of Camden, Maine; inscribed on January 25, 1885
Fred H. Knowlton of Camden, Maine
MC. F. Megquier, inscribed in February 1890
Harry Moody of Camden, Maine; inscribed on March 1, 1886
OClarence Ogier; inscribed on October 22, 1911, to Fannie, who was Vannie's sister. Apparently the album passed to Fannie after Vannie's death in 1906. Clarence's father was Samuel Emery Ogier, Jr., brother of Vannie E. (Ogier) Heal and Frances Deborah Ogier, "Fannie".
Vanetta E. Ogier, "Vannie", album owner; she would marry inscriber James Henry Heal
PAurelius A. Packard of Belfast, Maine; inscribed at Camden, Maine, on March 7, no year written
Theresa Parker of Camden, Maine
Sadie Pendleton of Lincolnville, Maine; inscribed on December 23, 1885
Helen A. Coleman; the surname looks more like Poleman; followed by initials that might be CHS, perhaps Camden High School
RA. Richmond of Camden, Maine; not sure of middle initial; could be F or T or ?
May Richmond of Camden, Maine; inscribed on January 18, 1885
ST. E. Sherman of Camden, Maine; inscribed on March 4, 1885
Henry G. Smith of Boston, Massachusetts, inscribed to "Vannie... The belle of Camden Me".
Alice G. Stowe, inscribed at Washington on August 25, 1886, presumably Washington, Maine.
TMiss Mabel Tibbetts of Camden, Maine; inscribed on January 2, 1887 or 1889
WA. A. Waldron of Chelsea, Massachusetts [not sure of first initial], inscribed at Camp Canaan at Camden, Maine, on August 3, 1886. If A. A. Waldron, he might have been Albert A. Waldron.




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