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~ Charles Clyde Ling 1894-1973 ~
Clydes' Bio on WikiTree

Charles was married twice. First to Mae Belle nee Beers Ling Cornwell. We always new her as Grandma Cornwell. I only remember seeing Grandma Cornwell on two or three occasions. She always sent a big box at Christmas.

Clyde then married Ednamae nee Albert Hill. Hill was Grandma's married name when she then married Clyde. I met her ex-husband Clarence Hill several times, he was the father of my two aunts, Betty and Dorothy, and my uncle Matt, always referred to as Sonny.

Mae Belle and Charles had 3 children. He was referred to as Clyde and Clydie by Ednamae. Clyde was born in Paint Township, Somerset, Pensylvannia, anyway that's where they lived when he was 6 according to the 1900 census.

Mae Belle, was pregnant with George during WWI. He was born August 30th, 1917, approximately 3 months after Clyde registered for the draft. This probably kept Clyde from being drafted, since it was when the US first joined the allies to help in WWI that started in 1911. He also had to register for the draft in 1945, but at the time he was 48 years old. There is no date on this registration card, but the war was either over or soon to be. George was their oldest of three children.

I recently sat down with my aunt Dorothy to see if she could fill in some gaps... she did. Turns out Clyde and Clarence were in the same fraternity in college, University of Pittsburgh. They were both fraternity officers. Ednamae was also around at this time and wound up marrying Clarence.

Dorothy shared an interesting story; Ednamae helped run a dance studio in Pennsylvania. Betty and Matt both took dance lessons there. After Clyde and Ednamae finally married they moved to the house in West Hollywood on Rangely Avemue. Mrs. Kelly, the lady who owned the dance studio in PA, called Ednamae and asked if her son could come and stay with them until he signed his contract with the studios. The Rangely house was a 2 story with three separate apartments; two on the top floor and one on the bottom floor. Oh yeah, and Mrs. Kelly's son? Gene, Yes, THAT Gene Kelly. A very small world indeed.

When I belonged to AFTRA, I would go to a blood drive in Hollywood, on Ivey street, every year for the actor's fund. I wish at that time I had known Mr. Kelly, had lived with grandpa and grandma, as I met him one year while giving blood. He was in his 80's at that time, I believe, a very nice man. Would have been nice to commiserate with him about those years.

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