Thelma Louise
BLESSING
(b.
13 February 1923
,
Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA
d.
23 September 2002
,
East Hartford, Connecticut, USA
)
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BLESSING Family Tree – Connecting the Past to the Present!
Thelma Louise BLESSING was born 13 February 1923 in Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA
Thelma Louise BLESSING was the child of Carl Heinrich "Charles Henry" BLESSING and Marie Berchtold PELTON and the grandchild of: (paternal) Carl "Charles" Theodore BLESSING and Frances Mary "Fannie" MESICK (maternal) Rosina BERCHTOLDSpouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):
Thelma Louise married George Edward MERRITT 10 December 1945 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA . The couple had (at least) 2 children.
They divorced. George Edward MERRITT was born 13 December 1922 in Troy, New York, USA. George Edward died 12 June 1997 in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA. George Edward was the child of Dennie Kimball MERRITT and Ida V HEBERT.
Thelma Louise BLESSING died 23 September 2002 in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
Details of the family tree of Thelma appear below.
Are you related to Thelma Louise BLESSING? If so, Forever Cousins: Eight Generations of the Theinert Family is a family history book about YOUR family!
What was our family talking about in 1900? Probably this! Find out why.
¡spɹɐʍʞɔɐq puɐ uʍop ǝpısdn ǝuıɐW 'uoʇsıʍǝ˥ pǝuɹnʇ ʎɹoʇs sıɥʇ '006Ɩ uI
What was our family talking about in 1900? Probably this! Find out why.
¡spɹɐʍʞɔɐq puɐ uʍop ǝpısdn ǝuıɐW 'uoʇsıʍǝ˥ pǝuɹnʇ ʎɹoʇs sıɥʇ '006Ɩ uI
Family and Children of Thelma Louise BLESSING
[Hide/Show]Thelma Louise BLESSING married 
George Edward MERRITT-- Date: 10 December 1945 Place: Hartford, Connecticut, USA
George Edward MERRITT was the child of Dennie Kimball MERRITT and Ida V HEBERT
GEORGE MERRITT THELMA BLESSING 1945-12-10 HARTFORD
www.ctatatelibrarydata.org
They divorced in 1969.
Name: Georg E Merritt
Race: White
Birth Date: December 1922
Birth State: New York
Number of Previous Marriages: First
Education: 8 years elementary
Certificate Number: 4606
Spouse Name: Thel
Spouse Race: White
Spouse Birth State: Connecticut
Spouse Birth Date: February 1923
Spouse Number of Previous Marriages: First
Spouse Education: 1 or 2 years high school
Marriage State: Connecticut
Marriage Date: December 1945
Separation Date: March 1966
Children Under Age 18: One
Plaintiff: Wife
Plaintiff Town of Residence: Hampton, Connecticut
Decree Date: 10 Sep 1969
Type of Decree: Divorce granted to wife
Grounds for Divorce: Cruelty
Case Contested: No
Court Docket Number: 159524
Superior Court County of Decree: Hartford
Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Divorce Index, 1968-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Original data: "Connecticut Divorce Index, 1968-1997." Database. Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford, Connecticut. Archive Collection Number: DR09368.
Children of George Edward MERRITT and Thelma Louise BLESSING:
Shirley Anne MERRITT (b.24 April 1947, Windsor, Connecticut, USA d. 4 January 2020, Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA )
m. Roy Lincoln SMITH 14 March 1964 in Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA (South Glastonbury)
m. Thomas Michael BURKE 15 April 1977
m. Robert Coleman SOUCIER 1 April 2011 in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA
George Edward MERRITT (b.9 October 1950, Hartford, Connecticut, USA d. 19 September 2008, East Hartford, Connecticut, USA)
m. Melonee A GEBEL 21 March 1987 in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA
George Edward MERRITT-- Date: 10 December 1945 Place: Hartford, Connecticut, USAGeorge Edward MERRITT was the child of Dennie Kimball MERRITT and Ida V HEBERT
GEORGE MERRITT THELMA BLESSING 1945-12-10 HARTFORD
www.ctatatelibrarydata.org
They divorced in 1969.
Name: Georg E Merritt
Race: White
Birth Date: December 1922
Birth State: New York
Number of Previous Marriages: First
Education: 8 years elementary
Certificate Number: 4606
Spouse Name: Thel
Spouse Race: White
Spouse Birth State: Connecticut
Spouse Birth Date: February 1923
Spouse Number of Previous Marriages: First
Spouse Education: 1 or 2 years high school
Marriage State: Connecticut
Marriage Date: December 1945
Separation Date: March 1966
Children Under Age 18: One
Plaintiff: Wife
Plaintiff Town of Residence: Hampton, Connecticut
Decree Date: 10 Sep 1969
Type of Decree: Divorce granted to wife
Grounds for Divorce: Cruelty
Case Contested: No
Court Docket Number: 159524
Superior Court County of Decree: Hartford
Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Divorce Index, 1968-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Original data: "Connecticut Divorce Index, 1968-1997." Database. Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford, Connecticut. Archive Collection Number: DR09368.
Children of George Edward MERRITT and Thelma Louise BLESSING:
Shirley Anne MERRITT (b.24 April 1947, Windsor, Connecticut, USA d. 4 January 2020, Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA )m. Roy Lincoln SMITH 14 March 1964 in Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA (South Glastonbury)
m. Thomas Michael BURKE 15 April 1977
m. Robert Coleman SOUCIER 1 April 2011 in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA
George Edward MERRITT (b.9 October 1950, Hartford, Connecticut, USA d. 19 September 2008, East Hartford, Connecticut, USA)m. Melonee A GEBEL 21 March 1987 in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Share the History, Life Events, and Stories of Thelma Louise BLESSING(Add details like birth, baptism, census records, military service, obituary, personal achievements, and more.)
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Discovering the Ancestry of Thelma Louise BLESSING: Events, Photos & Historical Records
1923 Birth 13 February 1923
Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA
, Thelma and Marion Blessing){kind=small}
Charles T. Blessing (Grandpa), Thelma and Marion Blessing
Thanks to Jenn Costanzo
Marie Berchtold Pelton Blessing, Thelma and Marion
Thanks to Jenn Costanzo
Thelma and Marion Blessing
Thanks to Jenn Costanzo
1929 - October 29 - Black Tuesday - Stock market crash - The Great Depression Begins - It lasted until 1941 (WW2)1930 Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
name: Thelma Blessing
event: CENSUS
event date: 1930
event place: Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
gender: Female
age: 7
marital status: Single
race: White
birthplace: Connecticut
estimated birth year: 1923
immigration year:
relationship to head of household: Daughter
father's birthplace: Connecticut
mother's birthplace: Germany
enumeration district number: 61
family number: 23
sheet number and letter: 9A
line number: 25
nara publication: T626, roll 265
film number: 2340000
digital folder number: 4531869
image number: 00022
Household Gender Age
parent Charles H Blessing M 47
parent Marie Blessing F 42
Dorothy Blessing F 17
Raymond Blessing M 14
Woodrow Blessing M 10
Thelma Blessing F 7
Marion Blessing F 7
Constant Blessing F 3
1930 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data
name: Thelma Blessing
event: CENSUS
event date: 1930
event place: Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
gender: Female
age: 7
marital status: Single
race: White
birthplace: Connecticut
estimated birth year: 1923
immigration year:
relationship to head of household: Daughter
father's birthplace: Connecticut
mother's birthplace: Germany
enumeration district number: 61
family number: 23
sheet number and letter: 9A
line number: 25
nara publication: T626, roll 265
film number: 2340000
digital folder number: 4531869
image number: 00022
Household Gender Age
parent Charles H Blessing M 47
parent Marie Blessing F 42
Dorothy Blessing F 17
Raymond Blessing M 14
Woodrow Blessing M 10
Thelma Blessing F 7
Marion Blessing F 7
Constant Blessing F 3
1930 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data
1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)1935 - August 14 – United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law1940 Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut
Name: Thelma Blessing
Respondent: Yes
Age: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1923
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: Connecticut
Marital Status: Single
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Home in 1940: Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut
Street: Hebron Avenue
Inferred Residence in 1935: Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
Residence in 1935: Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
Sheet Number: 3A
Household Members:
Name Age
Charles Blessing 57
Marie Blessing 51
Thelma Blessing 17
Marion Blessing 17
Constance Blessing 13
1940 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data
Name: Thelma Blessing
Respondent: Yes
Age: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1923
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: Connecticut
Marital Status: Single
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Home in 1940: Glastonbury, Hartford, Connecticut
Street: Hebron Avenue
Inferred Residence in 1935: Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
Residence in 1935: Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
Sheet Number: 3A
Household Members:
Name Age
Charles Blessing 57
Marie Blessing 51
Thelma Blessing 17
Marion Blessing 17
Constance Blessing 13
1940 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data
1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.
1945 Marriage / PartnerThelma Louise BLESSING and George Edward MERRITT 10 December 1945, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
She was 22 years old.
1947 Birth of ChildShirley Anne MERRITT was born 24 April 1947, Windsor, Connecticut, USA (Poquonock)
Thelma Louise was 24 years old.
1950 Birth of ChildGeorge Edward MERRITT was born 9 October 1950, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Thelma Louise was 27 years old.
Hartford, Connecticut, City Directory, 1953
Name: Thelma B Merritt
Gender: F (Female)
Residence Year: 1953
Street Address: 740 Kennedy rd Wdr
Residence Place: Hartford, Connecticut
Spouse:
George E Merritt
Publication Title: Hartford, Connecticut, City Directory, 1953
ancestry.com
Name: Thelma B Merritt
Gender: F (Female)
Residence Year: 1953
Street Address: 740 Kennedy rd Wdr
Residence Place: Hartford, Connecticut
Spouse:
George E Merritt
Publication Title: Hartford, Connecticut, City Directory, 1953
ancestry.com
Hartford Suburban, Connecticut 1960
Name: Thelma B Merritt
Gender: F (Female)
Residence Year: 1960
Residence Place: Hartford, Connecticut
Spouse:
George E Merritt
Publication Title: Hartford Suburban, Connecticut 1960
ancestry.com
Name: Thelma B Merritt
Gender: F (Female)
Residence Year: 1960
Residence Place: Hartford, Connecticut
Spouse:
George E Merritt
Publication Title: Hartford Suburban, Connecticut 1960
ancestry.com
1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense 13-day standoff in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. The crisis is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. It began when American spy planes discovered the missiles, leading to a U.S. naval blockade of Cuba and intense negotiations. The crisis ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba and secretly agreeing to remove American missiles from Turkey.1963 - I Have a Dream Speech - Martin Luther King's Address at March on Washington August 28, 1963.1964 Marriage of ChildShirley Anne MERRITT married 14 March 1964, Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA (South Glastonbury) to Roy Lincoln SMITH
June 17, 1972 – August 9, 1974 - Watergate Scandal began with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., in 1972. Members of President Richard Nixon's administration attempted to cover up their involvement. The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, and the indictment of several administration officials.1973 - January 22 - Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179: The U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S.1973 - March 29 - The last United States soldier leaves Vietnam The cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper of Motorola. On April 3, 1973, he made the first handheld mobile phone call with the Motorola DynaTAC. This device weighed 2.5 pounds and was 10 inches long, offering 30 minutes of talk time and requiring 10 hours to charge. The first commercial cell phone was released in 1983, revolutionizing communication and leading to the modern smartphones we use today.
1974 - Gerald R. Ford becomes President of the United States after the resignation of Richard Nixon.1981 - June 5 - First reported case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)1986 - January 28 - Space Shuttle Challenger accident - The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members.1987 Marriage of ChildGeorge Edward MERRITT married 21 March 1987, East Hartford, Connecticut, USA to Melonee A GEBEL
1989 - The World Wide Web is invented at CERN (Tim Berners-Lee, UK)
1997 Death of Spouse/PartnerGeorge Edward MERRITT died 12 June 1997, East Hartford, Connecticut, USA
2001 - September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Coordinated terrorist attacks by the extremist group al-Qaeda on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, leading to significant changes in U.S. domestic and foreign policy, including the War on Terror.2002 Death
First Name: Thelma
Middle Name: L
Last Name: Merritt
Gender: Female
Birth Date: Feb 13, 1923
Death Date: Sep 23, 2002
Age: 79
Residence: East Hartford, Hartfold Connecticut
Birth Location: Connecticut
Death Location: East Windsor, Hartfold, CT
Record Type: Death Record
Bride's Marital Status: Divorced
Collection: Connecticut Death Records
Certificate: Hard Copy Certificate
Source Information
Source: Connecticut Department of Public Health
Years: 1949 to 2007
Description: This collection of Connecticut death records was provided by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. It contains data from 1949 to 2007.
Address: 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 0613
First Name: Thelma
Middle Name: L
Last Name: Merritt
Gender: Female
Birth Date: Feb 13, 1923
Death Date: Sep 23, 2002
Age: 79
Residence: East Hartford, Hartfold Connecticut
Birth Location: Connecticut
Death Location: East Windsor, Hartfold, CT
Record Type: Death Record
Bride's Marital Status: Divorced
Collection: Connecticut Death Records
Certificate: Hard Copy Certificate
Source Information
Source: Connecticut Department of Public Health
Years: 1949 to 2007
Description: This collection of Connecticut death records was provided by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. It contains data from 1949 to 2007.
Address: 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 0613
Obituary
Deceased Name: MERRITT, THELMA L. BLESSING
MERRITT, Thelma L. Blessing
Thelma Louise Blessing Merritt, 79, of East Hartford, passed away Monday evening, (September 23, 2002) peacefully at home. She was born February 13, 1923 in Glastonbury. She was the former wife of the late George Edward Merritt, Sr., and was the daughter of the late Charles and Marie (Berchtold) Blessing, also of Glastonbury. She leaves two sisters, her twin, Marian Garavelli of South Windsor, and Constance Connery of East Hartford; a daughter, Shirley Ann Burke of Broad Brook; and a son, George Edward, Jr. and his wife Melonee Merritt of East Hartford; grandchildren, Roberlie Smith of Broad Brook, Wendy and husband William Zern of Broad Brook, Roy Smith, Jr. of East Hartford, David Smith of East Hartford, Tammi and husband Gustavo Heredia of East Hartford, James Merritt of East Hartford, and Michael Merritt of New Britain; step grandchildren, Kim Burke of East Hartford, Thomas Burke, Jr. of Enfield, David and...Read MORE...
The Hartford Courant
Hartford, Connecticut
September 25, 2002
Deceased Name: MERRITT, THELMA L. BLESSING
MERRITT, Thelma L. Blessing
Thelma Louise Blessing Merritt, 79, of East Hartford, passed away Monday evening, (September 23, 2002) peacefully at home. She was born February 13, 1923 in Glastonbury. She was the former wife of the late George Edward Merritt, Sr., and was the daughter of the late Charles and Marie (Berchtold) Blessing, also of Glastonbury. She leaves two sisters, her twin, Marian Garavelli of South Windsor, and Constance Connery of East Hartford; a daughter, Shirley Ann Burke of Broad Brook; and a son, George Edward, Jr. and his wife Melonee Merritt of East Hartford; grandchildren, Roberlie Smith of Broad Brook, Wendy and husband William Zern of Broad Brook, Roy Smith, Jr. of East Hartford, David Smith of East Hartford, Tammi and husband Gustavo Heredia of East Hartford, James Merritt of East Hartford, and Michael Merritt of New Britain; step grandchildren, Kim Burke of East Hartford, Thomas Burke, Jr. of Enfield, David and...Read MORE...
The Hartford Courant
Hartford, Connecticut
September 25, 2002
Grave
Green Cemetery
Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA (South Glastonbury)
Photo taken by us
Thelma is buried at: Green Cemetery
Green Cemetery Road
Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA (South Glastonbury)
Added: 1/31/2011 7:34:28 AM
- Updated: 7/11/2025 4:07:58 PM
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