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in the early part of the 1900's. But before writing about her later years and her two-marriages, it is necessary to place within the narrative, what is public about the Spotts' family finances. By 1910, the Spotts Grocery company started to have financial difficulties, enough so that by 1912, the company was dissolved by court order. By 1913, John Spotts had to sell his interest in the Blue Ridge Light and Power Company as well as the Staunton Street Railway. By 1915, John Spotts was working for the newly formed Internal Revenue Service, but his work offices were not local, at one point in 1917 being in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. John would typically be noted as “visiting” or spending a weekend with his family. By 1920, the family household consisted of John, Edmonia, Charlotte, and seven boarders; two married couples and one other married couple with an infant daughter, along with the family servant.
The years between 1919 and 1925 are somewhat unknown in the life of Charlotte Spotts, at least as far as what was noted in the social pages of the archived newspapers of the day. There are only three items noted in the year 1922, two of which were regarding trips to Lexington and back home to Staunton, the other item noting that Charlotte was a bridesmaid at the Staunton based Bowman-Haun wedding in June. No other event of note regarding Charlotte is found in the newspaper records until the death of her father, John M. Spotts, in October 1925. John had been attended by a doctor since at least February of the same year and died of colon cancer. Her mother, Edmonia, would have been 66 years old at the time of her husband’s death, while John was 65.
Prior to the one-year anniversary of the death and burial of her father, in September 1926 Charlotte and her mother would go to Lexington with the intent to stay the winter with Mrs. Spotts’ cousin, Mrs. Andrew D. Estill. However, Mrs. Estill died within three months of their arrival. Charlotte and Edmonia continued to stay in Lexington for at least the next six-months.
It was noted in mid-May of 1927, that Charlotte, her mother, and a group of men motored from Lexington to Staunton. As subsequent facts would show, this was not a visit which resulted in the permanent return to the house.
In early June, Charlotte was reported as having visiting friends in Staunton and entertained them at the Coalter house.
Finally, after almost ten-months away, Charlotte and Edmonia would return to the Coalter house in July 1927. Edmonia would return to Lexington at least one other documented time, but it can be surmised that she would visit at other times as well.
So, the years passed and again no real mention of Charlotte or her mother, Edmonia, was reported. By April 1930, the United States Census shows that Charlotte, who was now understating her actual age by 3 years, her mother, Edmonia, their servant, Josephine Wyant, and a boarder by the name of Virginia Eddy, were living in the Coalter house.
Two-years after the census, Charlotte’s life would change again with the death of her mother, Edmonia Preston Davidson Spotts, on 13 September 1932. She would have been just a few days past her 73rd birthday. It was stated that she died after having a “short illness”. After a funeral service held in the home, she was laid to rest next to her husband, John.
On February 13, 1934, the local Staunton newspaper carried a news story regarding the announcement by Charlotte’s Uncle Edward and Aunt Zana, who ran a tearoom in New Market, Virginia, that Charlotte had been married on the 10th of the month, to Mr. Clarence Hasbrouck DeBaun. The marriage had occurred in Washington, DC, at the home of one of Charlotte’s cousins, Mary Swigert Hendrick, who was married to Major Edgar Erskine Hume. Major Hume was serving in the Army on the staff of the Surgeon General at the time. It was noted that the ceremony was a subdued one as the bride was still in mourning for her mother who had died over two-years previous.
Who was Clarence Hasbrouck DeBaun? He was born on 25 May 1889, so he would have been eight-years older than Charlotte and 46 years of age at the time. Charlotte was 38 when she was first married. Clarence was originally from New Jersey and lived in various boroughs of New York City. He had been previously married to Emma Glawson and had had a daughter, Isabell, who married in 1933. His first wife remarried in 1928 and lived until 1977. Clarence was a stock broker that had offices in New York, Richmond, and Staunton. After the marriage, he worked for a local insurance firm and moved into Charlotte’s South Coalter house.
Following the wedding, Charlotte and Clarence would engage in different social events at their home. The first, being the initial wedding reception and then other social events given in the newlyweds’ honor by local Staunton friends. In the coming years, Charlotte would have various events in her home and head charitable groups. For example, in 1936, Charlotte led a group called Fresh Air which would bring children from the tenements of New York to temporarily live in the homes of those willing to host them in Staunton. Charlotte would also host a Valentines Day tea in 1939, with many of the same elements present including a fortune teller, just like her mother had in the house twenty-eight years previously in 1911.
The DeBauns were also the recipients of a 1936 Halloween prank at the Coalter property. Apparently someone removed the back gate to the property. A search was made and the police were called. The gate was not found. Then Charlotte spent the equivalent of $11 to have an ad placed in both the morning and evening editions of the local newspaper and the gate was discovered at a nearby property for sale by a realtor. The DeBauns were happy with the return of the gate but were hopeful that someone else would be "picked on" next Halloween.
Shortly after the Halloween prank, in November, the DeBauns were in a serious automobile accident while returning from a vacation in New Jersey. Four miles outside of Washington DC. their automobile was hit in the side by another vehicle. Mr. DaBaun was tossed out of the car and Charlotte was partly ejected. Clarence hit his head and was rendered unconscious for a period of time, while Charlotte's face was cut and ankle was sprained. The driver and passengers of the vehicle which hit the DeBauns fled and were not found. The DeBaun's car was reported as having been mostly destroyed in the accident.
In 1938, Clarences's 85 year-old father would join the household. Having relocated from the Santa Monica area of Southern California, DuBois Hasbrouck DeBaun, was a celebrity in his own right. A retired telegraph operator, he claimed to have met General U. S. Grant and had dinner with Buffalo Bill. While in Santa Monica, he was able to view the motion picture industry and was quoted later in life as saying that "I got disgusted with movies,". His opinion is that "there are not very many worthwhile ones." "Father DeBaun" would be seen walking around the streets of downtown Staunton and apparently was more then willing to engage in conversation. He would stay at the South Coalter house until his death twenty-years later in 1955 at age 102. He would outlive his son.
In early 1941, Charlotte would be engaging the community with support efforts for Britain, participating as a hostess to the Staunton Military Academy cadets in a fundraising dance with over 400 people in attendance at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel. She would continue to work with the community by leading a committee to have a December Holiday party for wounded soldiers of the 29th Infantry Division. Clarence would also be active in the community as he participated as the local Ward registrar of the Electoral Board in Staunton.
In 1941, Charlotte would be a member of the forty person Staunton delegation to the Virginia State Highway Commission regarding the building of a truck by-pass which would re-route truck traffic off of Coalter Street. Traffic noise was apparently something which she did not like. She would complain in later years of the loud exhaust noise from motorcycles and other vehicles made at the nearby traffic lights.
There were light moments as well as was shown in April 1943 when the Staunton Lions club presented "Funza Poppin' at the Visulite theater in Staunton to 400 people. Clarence was presented on-stage with a "gift" of a roll of toilet paper, later supplemented by a copy of the Sears Roebuck catalog since it was always "best to be prepared for any emergency."
The fun did not last for long since by February 1945 Clarence was noted as being in the University hospital in Charlottesville. By the same time next year, Clarence would be dead from cancer.
Charlotte Spotts class picture in 1915 Mary Baldwin Seminary Bluestocking. She would have been 17 or
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