Earl E. Eby and wife Besse

[aghadowey]

My grandfather's cousin Earl E. Eby worked for General Motors Corp. (overseas division) and his wife Besse was supposed to be a spy for U.S. during WWI (1st spy I've found in the family and am quite excited)!

Earl Ellsworth Eby
parents- Millard F. Eby & Sarah Catherine "Sally" Beeghly
born 19 Feb.1886 Madison, Montgomery, Ohio
died cAug.1957
married (bet.1910/1942) Besse Eleanore Hull
parents- Jasper Gerard Hull & Mary Jane Monnett
born 2 Oct.1883 Findlay, Hamilton, Ohio
died 23 Feb.1968 Connecticut

Have found Earl's 1942 draft reg., N.Y. passenger manifests, Besse's SSDI record, small obit. notice for Earl in Stars & Stripes as well as online Monnett family tree (which is where I found 'spy' info.). Also have Earl in 1900 (Madison, Ohio) and 1910 census (Columbus, Ohio) but not 1920 and 1930 although he could have been overseas during those years.

Am wondering if anyone can track down obits for them (New York Times?) as I would really like to fill in some details- did they have any family? what was she doing in WWI?

[shellyesq]

Earl's WWI Draft Registration Card has him married to Besse and living in East Orange, New Jersey.  His middle name is Ellsworth. 

[aghadowey]

Many thanks for that, Shelly- I was searching for Earl Eby + Ohio but when I left out the state I was able to find it (after you told me it was there). At least teh mystery of his middle name has been solved and marriage to Besse is earlier than I would have thought (if she was a spy in WWI, although Sept.1918 was towards end of WWI).

[shellyesq]

I didn't see anything in the New York Times for them, so maybe you'd have better luck with a local newspaper for an obit.  Since the SSDI had Besse's last residence as Portland, Connecticut, I'd try their library.  http://www.portland.lib.ct.us/AsktheLibrarian.htm  It looks like there's a possible issue as to her death date - the Connecticut Death Index has Feb. 23 and the Social Security Death Index has Feb. 15. 

[aghadowey]

Thanks for doing more searching and mentioning the difference in dates. Next week will ask my mother to go over these details with her older sister and see if she can remember anything more with a bit of prompting from the details found.