Short Biographies of the House children

John H. Jr. (b. 1873), Florence (b.1875), Grace (b. 1877),
Ethel H. Bliss (b.1880), Ruth (b. 1883), Charles (b.1887)

Gladys House Williams (b.1890)

John Henry House, Jr. was born July 24, 1873, in Eski, Zaghra, Turkey. His family called him Jack. He graduated from MIT in Massachusetts and was an architect. He was a Major in the U.S.Army during WW I and served in France with the 523rd Engineers. He was also a fine artist as was his wife and several examples of their work are still owned by the family. Julia Tenney Emerson House (1876-1961) graduated from the Boston School of Fine Arts. She also studied Art in Paris, France. They were married on January 10, 1902. They had 3 children, John Carlton (1903 - 1998), Elizabeth Newman (1906 - 1954), and Arthur Emerson (1911 - 1979). Jack served as an officer in the army during WW I. They lived in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, where he died May 18, 1936.

Florence Elizabeth House was born in Samakov, Bulgaria, May 13, 1875. Traveled extensively in Europe prior to coming to be educated in America. Besides living in Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece, she toured England, France, Germany, and Austria. She went to Teacher's College in New York in 1896, graduating in 1899. She then returned to Greece doing private school work until 1901. She returned to the United States and taught elementary school in Englewood, New Jersey. In 1913 she became Supervisor of Elementary Fine & Industrial Arts in Englewood. She attended the school of Phil. And Arts at Columbia University in 1909 and earned her BS from Teachers College at Columbia University in 1915. She then taught as an assistant instructor, instructor, and lecturer in Fine and Industrial Art Education at Teachers College at Columbia University. She retired in 1940, but stayed on as a part time lecturer and instructor. It was her friendship with Eva Lutz Butler that brought together her niece, Jacqueline Williams and Eva's son, Sewall Butler, who married in 1943. Florence never married. On her retirement she moved back to Orient, Long Island, NY, where her family had always maintained a home. She died November 3, 1957. She is buried in Orient.

Grace Bigelow House was born in Samakov, European Turkey (later Bulgaria), July 25, 1877. Partly educated at the Mission School for Girls in Constantinople, she came to Columbia University and after graduation worked for a time at Hampton Institute. In 1904 she became Vice Principal of Penn School, an educational and social service center at St. Helena Island, an outgrowth of the capture of the sea islands, in 1862, it was part of the Port Royal project to educate and train freed slaves. Drawing on her father's work in Macedonia, she encouraged manual arts and practical training in carpentry and agriculture. She wrote poetry - including the school song for the American Farm School in Greece and for Penn School. At her death on January 11, 1965, South Carolina State College paid tribute to her leadership in an experimental teacher training program run at Penn School. Grace never married and she too moved back to Orient, Long Island. She is buried in Orient..

Ethel Adeline House was born December 10, 1880 in Samakov, Bulgaria. She graduated from Lake Erie College and worked in the education field also. She married Benjamin Barrows Bliss on September 17, 1914 in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. They had three children, Robert (1915 - 1999), Richard (1920 - 1990), Susanne (1922 - 1985) She died Jan 3, 1946 in New York City, NY.

Ruth Eleanor House was born May 7, 1883. She had a BA from Lake Erie College and an MA from Columbia University and was a teacher at the American Farm School (Thessalanica Agricultural and Industrial Institute) from 1906. She kept house for her parents while they were alive. She lived in New York City and Orient and then in Vermont to be near her sister Gladys after Florence and Grace died. Ruth never married. She died on May 22, 1968 in Newbury, VT, and is buried in Orient.

Charles Lucius House was born October 23, 1887 in Samakov, Bulgaria. He graduated from Princeton University in 1909. He married Ann Kellogg in 1923 and returned to Greece to become the Director of American Farm School in Saloniki, Greece. He and Ann were interned by the Germans in Germany during WW II. He and Ann were released in 1944. There is a post card written by Gladys to her daughter Jacqueline saying that Uncle Charlie & Aunt Ann were on the ship "Gripsholm" and would be docking in March of 1944. He retired from the American Farm School in 1957. He died in September 1961 in Orient where he maintained a home, and is buried in Orient. Ann lived to be 100 years old and died in May 1989 in Hightstown, NJ.

Gladys Edwards House was born August 2, 1890 in Samakov, Bulgaria. She was educated in Wirttenburg Germany, at the Whittier School in Massachusetts, and graduated from Wilson College. She could speak Greek, Bulgarian, German, French and English. She was called Turk by her classmates at Whittier because of her background. She married Edward H. WIlliams, III and had four children. (See Edward Williams III page). She maintained a tea and gift shop called the Blink Bonny in Woodstock, VT, where they lived. She died July 11, 1976 in NH and is buried in Woodstock.