LUTHER AMES was born in 1770 and died December 31, 1841. Luther married Cynthia Wilbur Ames who was born 1771 and died February 7, 1839 at the age of 68. Luther moved to Marlboro, Vermont from Guilford in 1797 as a cabinet maker on the farm where Abel Stockwell in 1763 commenced the first settlement in Marlboro, known since as the Ames Farm off Ames Hill Road. Among Luther & Cynthia's children were their first son, Luther, and second son Wilbur.
Luther & Cynthia rest at the Marlboro Cemetery on the corner of Ames Hill Road and Marlboro Road.
As the second son, Luther's brother WILBUR (born March 3, 1805 and died May 1, 1863 at age 58) needed to find his own calling and was the first to find his way to Chautauqua County, New York, where he made his fortune in lumber. Wilbur married Mary who, after giving birth to three children (William, Helen, & Viola), left Wilbur as a widower when she died October 1, 1851 at the age of 36. Wilbur also lost his two daughters early with Viola passing at age 6 and Helen at age 19. William made it to the ripe old age of 42. Wilbur, similar to the later story of his nephew Ezra, was stung by the harsh Panic of 1857 that closed over 5,000 banks in the north - however his obituary describes Wilbur as an honorable man who paid all his debts despite not being paid notes owed to him. Wilbur, Mary and Viola rest in the Allen Cemetery at the end of Willard Street Extension.
and 1995
The Ames family tree
"Buying the Brown farm and improving it until it was one of the finest in the county"
HENRY AMES from Framingham, Massachusetts died in ~1775.
“Every man has two deaths: when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name."
- Ernest Hemingway
The Ames brothers in 1942
3rd
1st
Generations to remember . . .
Alex & Rufus
(2013 Christmas Card photo)
2nd
4th
Charlie and his Belgians
Warren Ezra (August 5, 1920 - April 7, 1997) and Hermes Luther (September 19, 1923 - November 2, 2009) both contributed greatly to the baby boomer generation - and the Ames Farm 5th generation:
Warren and Helen Virginia Baker Ames had four children:
- Donna Lee "Ames" Mooyman (formerly Wooters)
- Darlene Kay "Ames" Soltess (March 11, 1948 - December 9, 2007)
- Richard Warren Ames (August 6, 1950 - November 29, 1993)
- Robert "Bob" Louis Ames
Hermes Luther and Eleanor Bedient Ames (1923 - 1995) also had four children:
- Hermes Luther Ames
- Pamela Jean Ames
- Candace Gail Ames
- Thomas Matthew Ames
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Herm, age 19
5th
ALEXANDRIA LILY WOOTERS was born in Christiana Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware on February 15, 2001. As an accomplished equestrian, Alex is most at home in a barn and was always the first one up with Chuck to help scrape down the stalls.
When she was just 10 years old she saved up her own money to buy her first horse, Rufus, who enjoyed a long retirement on the Ames Farm.
After graduating from Salve Regina University in Newport, RI, Alex secured her dream job working for an equine assisted therapy farm where she is today.
As the future of the farm, her passion will certainly rub off on the 8th generation.
7th
Alex and Sue
(Can you see in this picture where
the "A" logo comes from?)
Ezra Ames & Gene Moyer, c. 1920
DARREN "STEPHEN" WOOTERS was born in Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland on July 27, 1970. Son of Donna Lee, Steve was introduced to the farm by his Grandpa, Warren Ezra. Growing up with Chuck being his hero, Steve sees it as his responsibility to ensure the next six generations for the Ames Farm are protected.
On September 18, 1999 Stephen married Wendy Ann Wooters. Wendy and Steve welcomed Alexandria Lily Wooters in February 15, 2001.
Today, Steve is a bank executive and the Wooters Family lives in the quaint town of Ridgefield, Connecticut - a long but easy drive to the farm.
Farm Generation
Warren, age 22
Ezra Ames with grandchildren
Mertie & Charles
HERMES LUTHER AMES was born October 28, 1865 in Carroll, New York, and died August 23, 1920 after a silo accident on land off Quaint Road.
Hermes Luther married Minta E. Brunson Ames on June 20, 1894, daughter of Oliver A. Brunson and Maritta Lenox Brunson. While being a full time farmer, Hermes was active in the community and politics with a reputation for honesty and integrity.
His 55 years were filled with difficult work about the farm, but he still found time to help represent his fellow man and actively participate in improving society - including within his public record his vote being recorded in favor of the constitutional amendment for women's suffrage.
At the age of 18, Hermes was qualified as a teacher and spent 15 years teaching at the Falconer High School.
He continued his focus on education with a long standing role on the Falconer Board of Education.
In 1916 Hermes became mayor (president) of Falconer and then elected to the State Legislature in 1917. In 1918 and 1919 the First Assembly District gave him combined Republican, Democratic, and Socialist support. Before his untimely death, Hermes and Minta (Mintie) had two children: Mertie and Charles.
Hermes and Mintie are laid to rest in the Pine Hill Cemetery in Falconer.
Alex with the reigns as Bud & Dandi take us back to the barn
Less than 4% of American farms survive to the 4th generation. The Ames Farm recently transitioned to the 6th. It is our job to make it last six more generations.
CHARLES ALBERT BRUNSON AMES was born July 1, 1897 and died January 26, 1969. On November 12, 1919 he married Lillie Stone Ames. With Hermes death, Charlie became the 3rd generation on the Ames Farm at 23 years of age. As the railroad found its way into Chautauqua County, Charlie was able to get a job with the New York Central Railroad in Falconer - which proved essential as Charlie was the generation responsible for seeing the farm through the Great Depression.
After cleaning barn, feeding, and milking cows early in the morning, he would change clothes and cross the tracks to the station. Finishing a full day at the railroad, he'd return to the barn to repeat the cleaning, feeding, and milking. Vacations were timed around haying season to get the silos and lofts full. Weekends were the 6th and 7th day of work - but he only needed one set of work clothes on those days.
Charlie and Lillie had three strong sons: Warren Ezra Ames, Hermes Luther Ames, and Charles Stone Ames.
CHARLES STONE AMES was born July 19, 1936 and died March 12, 2023. Chuck was the youngest brother of three, with Warren and Herm being 16 and 13 years old when he was born. While his older brothers were off flying planes across the world in WWII, young Chuck was put to work around the farm - tending to his chicken coop and the cows.
Living on the farm his whole life, Chuck naturally continued the legacy as the 4th generation.
Under his management, Chuck continued to modernize the farm, adding a new milk house, automatic milkers, and new out buildings to house the new tractors and equipment. His success earned him "Dairy of Distinction" - and a lot of happy animals.
Along with the endless chores around the farm, Chuck also spent decades as the caretaker of the Allen Cemetery - a meca for the Ames family to visit each spring.
Chuck, age 6
Click the book for excerpts on Ezra Wales Ames & Hermes Luther Ames
"Hermes L. Ames made no pretenses of goodness or greatness above that of his fellow-citizens; His ambition was not for high honors, but to faithfully and fairly represent those who chose him to office, and he succeeded admirably."
The Ames Farm begins - "one of the finest in the county"
LUTHER AMES, JR. was born in 1796 and died August 28, 1864. Luther married Lydia Thurber and, following primogeniture, as the first son Luther continued as the second generation on the Ames Farm in Marlboro. Luther & Lydia were plagued with children that died young, having an infant die in 1832 and Ezra-Volney die before his second birthday in 1840. Ezra Wales would survive with the name. Luther & Lydia are also in the Marlboro Cemetery.
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Steve, Wendy, & Alex (and Raleigh) after tobogganing on the hill
EZRA WALES AMES was born June 12, 1841 in Marlboro, Vermont and died June 11, 1923. He married Loretta Woodward Ames on August 07, 1861, daughter of Pierce Woodward and Sallie Harrington Woodward. At the age of 15, Ezra moved to Chautauqua County to work for Uncle Wilbur. Ezra steadily accumulated a fruitful life from hard work on the lands of Chautauqua County until the Panic of 1873 dealt the same fate as Uncle Wilbur's. The History of Chautauqua County and Its People highlights "He paid all his creditors every dollar he owed them and started life again, buying the Brown farm and improving it until it was one of the finest in the county." Thus marks the start of the Ames Farm where Ezra spent the next 25 years before retiring to Falconer as Loretta took ill. Ezra and Loretta are in the Pine Hill Cemetery in Falconer.
Chuck and his Belgians
The cousins on the front porch for a May reunion, c. 2004
Charlie overseeing Chuck and his new Christmas present.
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6th