Ruth M. Harwood

Ruth M. Harwood

• Father: Lyall Harwood b. 9 February 1873, d. 17 January 1937
• Mother: A. Estelle Dorwin b. 27 June 1873, d. 9 July 1956

• Ruth M. Harwood was born on 2 September 1899 in Buffalo, Erie County, New York.
• Levi J. Dorwin and Amelia (?) appeared in the US federal census of 15 April 1910 in Angola, Erie County, New York, at Mill Street. Other members of the household included Ruth M. Harwood, Lyall Harwood and A. Estelle Dorwin.
• Lyall Harwood appeared in the 1919 Buffalo, New York, City Directory at 96 Lonsdale Road (rear.)
• She was a milliner, according to the 1919 Buffalo city directory.
• Lyall Harwood and A. Estelle Dorwin appeared in the US federal census of 1 January 1920 in Buffalo, Erie County, New York, at 96 Lonsdale Road. Other members of the household included Ruth M. Harwood.
• She was a milliner, according to the 1920 census.
• She married Henry A. Milander on 30 June 1920 in Buffalo, New York, by license issued the 23rd, with B. S. Ferrall officiating.. They divorced a few years later..
• She married Baldur Andrew Flock, son of Albert H. Flock and Helene M. Walter, circa 1927.
• Lyall Harwood and A. Estelle Dorwin appeared in the US federal census of 1 April 1930 in Kenmore, Erie County, New York, at 119 Nassau Avenue. Other members of the household included Ruth M. Harwood, Ruth Estelle Milander, Robert Lyall Flock and Amelia (?). Ruth Flock and children are enumerated with her parents, while her husband Baldur is living in Buffalo with his mother.
• She was a milliner, according to the 1930 census.
• Baldur Andrew Flock and Ruth M. Harwood appeared in the 1934 Buffalo City Directory listed as "Signs," 2791 Delaware Avenue, and residing in Tonawanda Township..
• Baldur Andrew Flock and Ruth M. Harwood appeared in the US federal census of 1 April 1940 in Tonawanda, Erie County, New York, at 114 Woodward Avenue. Other members of the household included Ruth Estelle Milander and Robert Lyall Flock.
• The following appeared on 27 April 1965 in the Tonawanda News: A pair of Town of Tonawanda artists were among top winners in the 29th annual Western New York Exhibition at the Albright-Knox Gallery.
       The coveted Burge Award of $500 was won by Robert L. Flock, 114 Woodward Ave., art teacher at Hoover Junior High School. Mr. Flock's entry was an oil entitled "Dual." An abstraction, it features reds and greens boldly applied.
       Mr. Flock was notified last week that another of his paintings had been accepted for the Northeastern Regional Exhibit May 1 to June 6 at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Mass. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Baldur Flock.
       Mr. Flock attended Albright Art School and is a member of the Patteran Society of Artists.
       Top award for photography. . .
• The following appeared on 29 June 1969 in the Buffalo Courier-Express: Hordes of women annually bring beauty to Erie County by raising flowers to grace libraries, church altars, hospital corridors and their own homes throughout summer. Another aim of many of these amateur horticulturists is to display the floral fruits of their backyard gardens at the flower show of the annual Erie County Fair scheduled Aug. 15 to 23 this year in Hamburg.
       . . .
       Mrs. Baldur A. Flock is one gardener whose traditional "green thumb" has a rosy and violet cast. Mrs. Flock excels in cultivating both garden roses and exquisite African violets.
       The picture window of her home in Woodward Ave., Town of Tonawanda, is a perfect setting for uniform white pots of a variety of violets. Mrs. Flock grows tiny violets of palest lavender and flamboyant, large beauties having blossoms three inches wide.
       Colors run the gamut of every hue of purple, orchid, lavender, white-to-ivory, blue and pink. For good measure, she cultivated one plant that has both pink and purple blossoms.
       Feeding and watering her plants is a happy chore, although an arduous one. Mrs. Flock has 500 African violet plants. Most of them are under fluorescent lamps on racks in her basement.
       Mrs. Flock boasts a smaller "auxiliary" thumb. this one, green indeed, is the helping hand of Sean Pearson, 8, who resides across the street with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Perason. In September, Sean will be a fourth grader at Horace Mann Elementary School in Ralston Ave., Town of Tonawanda.
       Sean loves the violets, and cheerfully devotes most of his free time to helping Mrs. Flock carry plants to and from the basement. He helps package them for presentation as gifts.
       Sean also is learning the art of rose cultivation, and Mrs. Flock's garden is his proving ground.
       Sean shares one of Mrs. Flock's secrets. He knows she talks to her flowers. Few Gardeners admit indulging in floral converation, but Mrs. Flock says that some scientists believe plants react to music, to kind words and even to scoldings. She claims that many a lazily blooming violet has responded to her "Be pretty or out you go!"
       Mrs. Flock is founder of the Kenmore African Violet Society, member of the Niagara Frontier African Violet Society and accredited judge in the National African Violet Society.
       The couple's son, Robert L. Flock, teaches art at Niagara Community College. Her daughter, Ruth, is married to Dr. Frank L. Tabrah. The Tabrahs live in Kohala, Hawaii. Mrs. Tabrah, a novelist, is working on her third book.
       All the family knows exactly what Mrs. Flock is whispering to her violets these days. It's "Win a ribbon at the fair."
• Ruth M. Harwood became a widow at the 10 December 1970 death of her husband Baldur Andrew Flock.
• The following appeared on 12 December 1970 in the Buffalo Courier-Express: [Died] Baldur A. Flock, Dec. 10, 1970, of the Town of Tonawanda, beloved husband of Ruth Harwood Flock; father of Robert L. Flock; brother of Albert Flock of Detroit, Mich. Funeral service from the Lester H. Wedekindt Inc. Funeral Home, 3290 Delaware Ave., Saturday afternoon at 1 o'clock. Friends are invited. Mr. Flock was a charter member of the Kenmore Lions Club, a Republican Committeeman and a member of Kenmore United Church of Christ. Those desiring, may contribute to the Memorial Fund of Kenmore United Church of Christ. Family will be present from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.
• The SSDI lists Buffalo, New York, as the last residence of record of Ruth M. Harwood.
• Ruth M. Harwood died on 29 August 1998 at age 98.
• She was interred at Forest Avenue Cemetery, Angola, Erie County, New York.
• The following appeared in the Buffalo News: [Died] Ruth Flock, age 98, of Kenmore, New York, formerly of Angola, August 29, 1998; wife of the late Baldur A. Flock; beloved mother of Robert Flock of Snyder, New York, Ruth Tabrah of Hawaii; grandmother of Thomas and Joseph Tabrah; also survived by 6 great-grandchildren. No prior visitation. Funeral services were held at the convenience of the family. Interment was held in Forest Avenue Cemetery, Angola, New York. Mrs. Flock was known as the "African Violet Lady" of Kenmore. Arrangements by Jay R. Addison.

• Last Edited: 22 Dec 2015