Page 8 - Raycliff Mary Harris - A Family Enigma

We know quite a bit about her second husband, Clarence Clemson. He was the

son of a well known saw and knife manufacturer. Their
business was called the Clemson Knife Company and
was located in Woburn, Massachusetts. Clarence died
suddenly at the age of 53 on April 28, 1925, while gar-
dening in his yard. They had no children.

It was not until August of 1910 that Raycliff finally
saw and then further communicated with her son

Grover after leaving him 20 years earlier. Grover was
enrolled in courses at Suffolk Law in Boston. He was
studying Landlord/Tenant subjects in preparation for
his interest in acquiring properties for the family’s retail
establishment in Waltham. Raycliff met him in

Waltham and for a brief period following that encoun-
ter was able to rekindle the relationship. We have in the
family archives, the letters she wrote him between Au- Report of Raycliff’s Second

gust and October of that year. How and exactly where Husband’s Death
they met is unknown, and whether by accidental en-
counter or intentional can not be determined. The letters reveal much insight
into Raycliff and also show that her husband Clarence did not want her to es-

tablish the relationship.

Contained in our family archives is a series of letters
written to her son Grover after having not seen him for
some twenty years. The letters scanned the period of
August through October, 1910. There are a total of six
letters which are available to view in the archives. The
letters present us with unique insight and the reason
she left her husband, Jeremiah, and son, Grover.

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