Born: Aug 1886 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Parents: John Bilkey 1854-1920 and Cordelia Best 1856-1930
Siblings: Edgar Bilkey 1876-1910, Elizabeth Bilkey 1878-1937, Sydney Bilkey 1880-1881, Tryphena Bilkey 1881-3, Percy Bilkey 1883-1919, Ruby Bilkey 1892-?, Myrtle Bilkey 1895-?, Paul Bilkey 1900-1979
Married: Bruce Wallace Oram 1889-1920 on 11 Feb 1910 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Offspring: Elizabeth Prinnie “Betty” Oram 1915-1922
Died: 14 Oct 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA and buried with her husband Bruce in the Oram family grave at Lake View Cemetery
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Bilkey family background:
Pearl’s parents John and Cordelia came from Cornwall, England in an area to the west of St Austell that is still well known for its china clay workings http://www.cornwalls.co.uk/history/industrial/china_clay.htm
John and Cordelia were born and married in the parish of St Stephen in Brannel where their fathers were labourers in the china clay pits. During the 1881 census John & Cordelia were living at nearby Nanpean before emigrating to the USA with their three surviving children, arriving in New York on 11 April 1883. The records show that their son Percy was born six days later on 17 April in Cleveland. Then a month later on either 17 or 20 May their two year old daughter Tryphena died.
Pearl’s marriage:
Pearl was a stenographer when she married Bruce Wallace Oram on 9 February 1910.
During the 1920 census Bruce, Pearl and daughter Betty were living on Grandview, Cleveland Heights. Later that year both Pearl and her mother were widowed and Pearl moved to Felton Road in South Euclid Village, Cleveland. It was there that Pearl’s only child Betty died of the effects of a throat goitre in 1922.
1528 Felton Rd where 4 adults and 2 children lived in the 1930s. 2013 ‘Google Street view’.
By the 1930 census Pearl was the ‘head of household’ living at 1528 Felton Road in South Euclid Village, Cleveland, a house that had been built in 1918. She had been joined by her mother Cordelia, brother Paul and sister Ruby Schepley with two young sons, but without her husband. No doubt Cordelia would have looked after the children while Pearl and Ruby worked as stenographers at a stove factory, where Paul was also employed. This arrangement continued beyond the 1940 census.
Pearl died in 1956 and was buried in the same lot at Lake View Cemetery as Bruce and Betty.
