Ada E Georgia

The Women of Cornell and the Nature Study Movement, 1880-1930, by Kathleen Allen
Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies with a major in HMS, September 23, 2021

Extracts from CHAPTER NINE: The Assistant—Ada Eljiva Georgia (1858-1921):

"Ada was the ninth of ten children born to Harmon S. Georgia (1812-18870[sic] and Martha A. Green (1816-1896). There were five boys and five girls, born between 1833 and 1862. Ada’s mother was quite young when she married and was only seventeen when her first child was born. ...
  Ada was born on 23 August 1858 in Newfield, Tompkins County, New York. She never lived too far away from her birthplace. Cornell University is about ten miles northeast. Elmira, where she taught school for a number of years, is around thirty miles southwest of Newfield. Her father, Harmon S. Georgia, was a stone mason and worked for a period of time at Cornell University. Anna Botsford Comstock, in her memorial for Ada, noted:

 == Ada Georgia came with her family to Ithaca at the beginning of Cornell University. Her father was a skilled stone mason, and was employed in the construction of the first buildings of the University. As a child she played on the campus. ==

 ...
  In 1917 she finally bought a home in Ithaca at 508 Thurston Avenue. This house was in an area where a number of Cornell faculty lived. She later shared her home with her nephew, Frederick Raymond Georgia, who was a Cornell graduate, and later a chemistry instructor there. Because of her financial situation, she also took in boarders, often Cornell students or faculty. ...
  Ada had retired from her position at Cornell in 1920 when she was sixty years old. In January 1921 Ada went into the hospital with appendicitis, but right after the operation she suddenly died."

Obituary for Miss Ada E. Georgia
The Ithaca Journal, Jan 8 1921, P. 5, Col. 2

"Miss Ada E. Georgia, 61, died last night at the City Hospital where she had undergone an operation. Miss Georgia was formerly a teacher in the public schools in Elmira. She came to Ithaca as an assistant to John W. Spencer in his work of forming and carrying on the Junior Naturalists' Clubs in the schools of the state. After Mr. Spencer's retirement she assisted Mrs. J. H. Comstock in writing the leaflets and in other work in the home nature study course for the benefit of the teachers of New York State. In 1911 this course was discontinued, and later Miss Georgia became a teacher in the natural history of the farm under Dr. J. G. Needham in the department of entomology, a position that she held until this year, when the course was changed.
  Miss Georgia was an omnivorious reader and had command of a remarkable fund of information. Botany was her favorite science, and she was the author of a volume on weeds, published by the Macmillan Company. She leaves a sister, Mrs. H. S. Bailey. and a nephew, F. R. Georgia, of the department of chemistry, and many friends.
  The funeral will be held at 2:30 o'clock Monday afternoon from the Gilbert undertaking rooms. Rev. Ralph S. Nanz will officiate. Interment will be in Spencer."

Notes:

Ada E Georgia

DoB: 1858
Died: 1921
Buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Spencer, Tioga County, New York

Miss Georgia Leaves Estate to Frederick Raymond Georgia
The Ithaca Journal, Mar 29 1921, P. 5, Col. 3

'Two wills were admitted to probate this morning, that of Mrs. Mary C. McCormick Lyman, late of Ithaca, and of Miss Ada E. Georgia, late of this city.
  The estate of Miss Georgia amounts to about $4,000 personal property and $5,000 real estate. It is left to a nephew, Frederick Raymond Georgia of this city, with the exception of the annual royalty on a book, "Manual of Weeds" written by Miss Georgia which is to go to her sister, Mrs. Sophrona Bailey of Binghamton during her lifetime. The nephew is named executor.'

Legal Notice related to probate for will of Ada E. Georgia
The Ithaca Journal, Mar 12 1921, P. 8, Col. 7.

"THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, To Will Georgia, Harry Georgia, Daniel G. Georgia, Flora Georgia Hoagland, Mary Georgia Hall, Linnie B. Jenkins, Grace Guthrie, Willis Van Burger, Adam R. Georgia, Delphi Georgia, Theodore Georgia, Joseph B. Georgia, Saphronia Georgia Balley, Jennie R Millard, Ada R. Kennedy, Henry F. Rhodes, Meeker T. Seeley, Jr., Donald Seeley, and the unknown heirs at law and next of kin, if any there be who are descendants of Daniel Georgia, Alpheus Georgia, Hylah A. Georgia and Alma S. Georgia, deceased brothers and sisters of Ada Georgia, deceased, heirs at law, next of kin, and persons interested in the estate of Ada E. Georgia, late of the City of Ithaca, in the County of Tompkins, New York, deceased.
  Send Greeting:
  Whereas, Frederick R. Georgia, of the City of Ithaca and State of New York, as executor named in a certain instrument purporting to be the last Will and Testament of said Ada E. Georgia, late of the City of Ithaca, in the County of Tompkins, and State of New York, deceased, and relating to real and personal estate, has made application to the Surrogate's Court of our County of Tompkins. New York, to have such instrument in writing proved and recorded as a will of real and personal estate.
  Therefore, you, and each of you, are hereby cited to show cause, if any you have, before the Surrogate's Court of The County of Tompkins at the office of the Surrogate in the City of Ithaca, County of Tompkins, New York. on the 22nd of March, 1921, at ten o'clock in the forenoon of that day, why said instrument should not be admitted to probate and recorded as the last Will and Testament of the said Ada E. Georgia, de-eased. and why Letters Testamentary thereunder should not be issued to the said Frederick R. Georgia."