New England, including: Harriman, Colcord, Crocker, Coombs, Rackliffe,
Berry or McDonough

James and Amanda Cunningham had three children:

1)  MELVIN CUNNINGHAM was born 1849 in Maine and grew up to become a "teamster" and to marry DELIA MARIA COLCORD who was born in 1863 in Maine.  They married in 1884.  Melvin and Delia had one daughter, Georgia Cunningham who married Ross Beckwith.  Melvin died young and Delia remarried and had another child, a son, by that marriage.

2)  DUSTIN B. CUNNINGHAM was born in 1852 in Maine.  Dustin was whittling with a knife as a child and whittled toward himself, lost control of his knife, cut his eye, and lost his eye! Dustin never married. He worked as an employee in a shoe shop. 

3)  HENRY BRIGHT CUNNINGHAM (SR.) was born on October 21 in 1855 in Belfast Maine.  At age 22, he married VANNIE HARRIMAN CROCKER on September 22 in 1877 Waldo County, Maine.  Vannie was born October 12, 1857 in Stockton.   When Vannie was 21, they had a daughter, ALVRA CUNNINGHAM. 

In 1880, Henry (age 24) and Vannie (21) lived in Middlesex Massachusetts where Henry worked in a shoe shop. Vannie's brother Charles Crocker (18) lived with them as did Henry's brother Dustin (27), both of whom worked with Henry at the shoe shop. Henry and Vannie's darling one year old daughter, "Allie", short for Alvra, kept her mom busy at home! 

On June 4, 1900, the Census was taken and listed Henry Bright Cunningham as head of the household at age 44 and married 22 years to Vannie, age 42, . They had three children...all living. Ada Estes Cunningham, daughter, born October 1885 and 14 years old and son, Henry Bright Cunningham, Jr., born August 1891 and 8 years old lived with them. Alvra, their oldest daughter, was not living with them during this census. Henry Sr.'s mother, Amanda S. Cunningham was a resident in the household also, being 71 years old and born September 23, 1828. Amanda had three children and all are listed as living in 1900. Henry Sr.'s occupation is blurry, but appears to be some type of job at the shoe factory (joiner?). They all lived at 32 Union Street, Belfast, Maine.

Henry died before April 21, 1910. 

On the 21st of April, 1910, the Census shows that Henry Cunningham, Sr. has passed away. Vannie, now a widow, is the head of her household, at age 50. Her son, Henry Jr., lives with her and is 19 and single. Vannie's mother in law, Amanda Cunningham, is now 81 years of age and two of her three children are living (Dustin and Melvin Cunningham). Also living with her is daughter Ada Estes Cunningham Coombs who has married George E. Coombs 4 years prior (10/19/1906 Belfast Maine). Ada is 22 and George is 21; they have no children as of the  census, but Ada is pregnant and will have a daughter, Henriella Coombs, on August 14, 1910 in Belfast. (Henriella will marry Robert Lane, have 2 sons, and she will live until  May 3, 1992 when she will pass away in Waterville Maine). Vannie and daughter Ada work as milliners in a shop; Henry Jr. works in sales in meat cutting; George Coombs works in a pants factory as a cutter. All were born in Maine to Maine parents. It is interesting to note that Charles, Mary and Hazel Coombs and William and Ella Combs live in the next two houses.

When my father knew Vannie she was a "Rackcliffe" and involved in the Rackcliffe Funeral Home business in Belfast Maine.  She had married Samuel Nichols Rackliffe of Belfast Maine on June 18, 1910 in Searsport.   Samuel was born on July 28, 1949 in Waldo County, Maine.  He died on 4 Oct 1918.

My father told me that Vannie used an expression of  "Don't do so", which he occasionally heard from her..."Don't do so, Bobby!"  Vannie died sometime after 1920 when she came down with pneumonia and died within three days!  

On January 2, 1920, the Census shows that Vannie "Rackliffe" (widow) was living as Head of Household with her son, Henry Cunningham, Jr. at 11 Commercial Street in Belfast, Maine. She is now 63 and listed as a widow and her son Henry Cunningham is 29. Vannie owns her home. Henry works as a hotel clerk.

Henry Jr. married a Ruth A. Berry or McDonough of Winterport ME on or about November 20, 1923.    At age 26, Henry Jr. was enlisted as follows: