Ruby Geneva Merry was born 28 July 1898 in Woodland, Maine to Herbert and Selena Merry. Her birth record looks like it says "J." for the middle initial. It's possible that whoever wrote it or dictated it didn't know how to spell Geneva?
The 1900 census shows Herbert, Selena and Ruby living in Woodland along with Ruby's older brother John. Selena's line shows 2 children living out of three because another child, Otto, was born between John and Ruby, but he passed away as an infant. Selena's first family of Carsons was not included in the child count. See lines 12–15 in the image below:
On 13 August 1900, Selena would give birth to her final child, Bernice Eloise Merry. The family moved south to Thorndike, Maine in 1909. Here's the 1910 census showing not only the Merry family, but also Eslie Gordon's family living nearby. Six years later, Ruby would marry Eslie's son, George Clarence Gordon. The Merry family is on lines 2–6. Ruby's half-brother George Henry Carson was also living with them, as reported on line 7:
Ruby and George C. Gordon married in Belfast, Maine on 14 November 1916. Here's their marriage record:
Less than a year later, on 15 September 1917, Ruby's younger sister, Bernice, married George's younger brother, Walter Gordon, in Belfast.
George and Ruby's first child, Ralph George Gordon, was born 5 December 1917 in Thorndike. The 1920 census shows them on lines 53–55, living next door to Ruby's parents, who were empty-nesters by this point.
Ruby's second child, Maurice Herbert Gordon, was born 25 February 1921. Records show that Maurice was George Gordon's son and I'm not aware of any indications that George or Maurice ever questioned that, but DNA testing done nearly 100 years later suggests that Maurice was actually the son of Darius Hanson, who was a native of Canada that migrated to Aroostook County, Maine and also moved south to Waldo County, Maine around the same time as the Merrys and was living in nearby Knox, Maine in 1920.
Ruby and George had three more children in the 1920s and they were all born in nearby Brooks, Maine: Hazel Irene Gordon born 28 April 1923, Harold Eslie Gordon born 31 July 1925, and Alvah Raymond "Red" Gordon born 17 January 1929.
The 1930 census shows Ruby, George and the 5 children living in Thorndike on lines 73–79.
Around 1936, Ruby and George separated. She moved to Freeport, Maine, but wouldn't file for a divorce until December 1939. The 1940 census from Freeport shows Ruby living there with her daughter, Hazel. Her eldest son, Ralph, got married in 1939, but her three bachelor sons were still living with George in Thorndike. Lines 3–5 in the image below show Ruby, Hazel and Clinton E. Field renting a home in Freeport. Clinton was separate from his wife and lodging with Ruby at the time, but they'd marry a couple of years later.
On 28 September 1942, Ruby's divorce from George was granted. The details follow:
Clinton initiated his own divorce from his wife on 30 July 1942 and it went through on 2 November 1942. In the meantime, Clinton, a World War I veteran, was drafted back into the Army to fight in World War II on 30 September 1942. In December 1942, Ruby went to South Carolina to marry Clinton, which apparently enabled him to be discharged from the Army and return to Maine. Here's a note from the Brunswick, Maine newspaper:
By 1950, all of Ruby's children had married and moved out except for her youngest, Red, who was still living with his father in Thorndike. Ruby and Clinton were living in South Freeport on Park Street, which is near the Harraseeket River. Clinton's brother, Herbert, was living with them and the two Field men were working at a shoe factory. See lines 19–21:
Clinton died on 17 February 1965 at age 66, leaving Ruby a widow. Her ex-husband, George, would pass away in 1968. Her son, Maurice, died in 1976.
Ruby passed away on 20 October 1984 in a Brunswick hospital. Her obituary:
Ruby was buried in Gray Village Cemetery in Gray, Maine, with her second husband, Clinton Emery Field.
If you see any mistakes or know of information that isn't included here, please