The story of Asaph Perry

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ETHEL STORY LINE
Opening Marriage Business Woman Amanda Westbrook Church Mother

By the early 1890s Asaph had moved to Canton and was courting Ethel Smith. Their courtship was formal, but heartwarming. Ethel's affection for Asaph had a simple and almost childlike character, but she never lacked compassion. The two married on October 1, 1895 and had their first child, Mary Helen, in October of the following year. In March 1898, their second child, Ethel Bertie is born.

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Learning the Story

Engaging students in the love story of Ethel and Asaph should be a comparably simple task. Students can explore the world of late 19th century courtship and marriage through the writing of Ida May Beard. In 1898, Ida May Beard published a short autobiography titled "My Own Life, or, A Deserted Wife." Although the story is one of lost love and betrayal, it opens with an account of Ida May and her soon to be husband John Lewis Beard. The account should provide teachers with an opportunity to explore, in broad terms, the rituals of 19th century courting. Teachers can also have students account for the veracity of the story and place the story in its proper context in terms of how it relates to the story of Ethel and Asaph.