Martha Algers provides glimpses of earlier times

Interview and photo by Laurie Phillips –

Editor’s note: After an Owl Light News article about Abbey Road one room school house in the Town of Richmond,*  we received an e-mail from Cheryl Alger regarding her 93 year old mother, Martha May McClurg Alger asking if we wanted to learn more about the school house from a former student.* You can read the related article at www.owllightnews.com/inspiration-and-empathy-at-abbey-road/

On Saturday, July 22, I had the pleasure of visiting Martha May McClurg Alger in her Honeoye home.  We were joined by her blue eyed cat Daisy, a beauty.  Mrs. McClurg had been a student at Abbey Road, her sister and brother also attended the schoolhouse. The picture she is holding in the accompanying photograph shows the three siblings:  Martha (age 6), Billy (age 5), and Gene (age 8).  Brother Billy lives in Akron, New York and sister Gene lives in Graham, Washington.  Although they haven’t seen each other for several years, they stay in touch by telephone.

Martha told me how her father, William Rector McClurg, saw her “future mother” Ellen Salladin walking to the school where she taught.  They were married in 1920.  Unfortunately, Ellen passed away in 1927.  Billy stayed with his father to help work the farm where they grew wheat, beans, hay, corn, raspberries, and raised sheep, chickens, pigs, goats and horses.  Martha and Gene were moved into a foster home together.  When their father remarried in 1932, they moved back to the homestead.

The three McClurg children attended the Abby Road schoolhouse in 1932.  School was usually 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  The children were called by age, had their lessons then rotated to the back of the schoolhouse to study.  There was a recess to walk home, where hopefully there was enough food for lunch, another walk back to school for the afternoon lessons.  The school also had an outhouse for students and teacher.

Martha attended the Abbey Road one room school  grades1,2,3,4,5,6 and 8, and the original Honeoye High School (the Hoffends Building – later destroyed by fire) in grades 7, 9,10,11 and 12.  She wanted to attend 7th grade in the big school, but all year she could not wait to return to the country school for 8th grade! Martha graduated from Honeoye Central School in 1942.  She was Salutatorian of her class of seven students.

A school friendship with Ellis Alger moved to marriage on Christmas day, 1942 in Gainsville, Texas.  World War II interrupted, and Ellis was drafted.  Martha went with her husband to Colfax, Louisiana.  She remembers picking elderberries and making pies.  She also recalled seeing overt signs of segregation at drinking fountains, lunch counters and on public transportation.

Ellis was sent to Europe as an officers’ chauffeur, Martha returned to the Alger homestead in Honeoye.  When Ellis was discharged in 1945 he joined Martha and they remained in Honeoye to raise their family (children Cheryl, Delevin, Ellis, Richard and Pamela).  In the late forties, they purchased the hardware store on Main Street, which became Alger Hardware.

Religion has been an important part of Martha’s life since 1936, when she “felt Jesus enter her heart “  – under a religious tent in Naples.  I asked how she knew; she immediately replied that she could feel “light and peace throughout her body.”  Her faith is still strong today.  She showed me her bible, with notes and questions in the margins, well worn with love.

Painting is another important part of Martha’s life.  While in Florida in the eighties, she started painting on china.  She described the process for me and showed me some beautiful examples of her work.  “It has to be exact, you paint one color, then fire, paint another, fire.  This is repeated four to five times.”  She also paints in oil, acrylic, and water colors.  Martha credits her mother for the artistic gene.

I did not personally know Martha, but Martha and Ellis knew my father and mother many years ago.  Our visit lasted over two hours.  During that time I should have taken better notes, but we were having such a good talk!  When I got up to leave, we hugged … and I felt that light and peace come to me.