Selena Irene Raven (1856-1942)

Like all of the first five members of Generation 2, the earliest record I can find for Selena is the 1861 Douglas, New Brunswick, Canada Census. Selena appears with her family on line 1164:

The Ravens migrated south to the United States in 1864 and the 1870 US Census shows them living in Mapleton, Maine. Fourteen-year-old Selena is on line 24 in the image below:

Six years later, at the age of 20, Selena would marry George Albert Carson in Mapleton on 20 May 1876. Here's the announcement in the local newspaper:

Here's a photo of young Selena that was sent to me by her great-granddaughter, Carole. It's a print of a badly damaged photo, but I ran it through some filters at MyHeritage.com that really cleared up her face nicely.

Their first child, Frank Alden Carson (1877-1968) was born on 6 March 1877 in Mapleton. Frank's birth record gives us Selena's birth place as "Haynesville, N.B.":

Their second and third children, Charles Albert Carson (1878-1936) and Vesta Ellen Carson (1879-1963), were also born in Mapleton.

The family of five can be seen on the following two images from the 1880 census in Mapleton. They also had George's mother, Eliza (Rand) Carson, and his younger brother, Willis Henry Carson, living with them. George and Selena are the last two lines in Part 1:

Frank, Charles, and Vesta are on lines 1–3 in the image below, and Selena's mother-in-law and brother-in-law are on lines 4 and 5, respectively:

Selena gave birth to four (or five?) more Carson children: George Henry Carson (1882-1963), Hattie Eliza Carson (1886-1978), Harry Edward Carson (1888-1973), and Mildred Hope Carson (1891-1893). All of their children were born in Mapleton except for the last, Mildred, who was born a few towns north in Perham. 

Someone has also added an entry for a "Billy Carson" born February 1885 and died March 1885. I can find no sources or evidence of this child, but there is enough of a gap between George and Hattie that I can't say it's not possible. If anyone has more info about this child, please let me know.

It appears that George left Selena and the children on 3 April 1891. Three years later, Selena filed for divorce on 10 April 1894 and it was granted on either 3 May 1894. This divorce record says they were married in 1875 (line 8), but that is almost certainly an error as the marriage was announced in a June 1876 newspaper:

A more detailed account of the divorce case is presented in the following three photos of Aroostook County court records, which are transcribed below:

Transcription:

Silena I. Carson, of Woodland, in the County 
of Aroostook, Libelant, versus George A. Carson,
of Mapleton, in said county, Libelee.
In a plea of Divorce, in which the Plaintiff
alleges that her maiden name was Silena I. 
Raven; that she was lawfully married to the said
George A. Carson, at Mapleton, on the 20th day
of May, 1875, by the Rev. Mr. Bellmayne, that
they lived together as husband and wife at 
Mapleton aforesaid from the time of said mar-
riage until the third day of April, 1891; that
your Libelant has always Inducted herself towards
her said husband as a faithful, true and af-
fectionate wife, that on the said third day of
April, 1891, the said George A. Carson utterly de-
serted your Libelant without cause and has
continued such utter desertion from said third
day of April, 1891, to this day; that your Li-
belant believes it reasonable and proper, con-
ducive to domestic harmony and consistent
with the peace, and morality of society; that
the bonds of matrimony between her and her 
said husband should be dissolved by divorce,
wherefore she prays that said divorce may be decreed
Caribou, M. 10 April, 1894. 
Silena I. Carson 

To the damage of the Plaintiff (as she says), 
of One Thousand Dollars.
Date of writ April 10, 1894 . Date of service
April 10 , 1894.
This libel was entered at the present term
of this court, when it was proved that notice
had been given the Libelee, by a true and at-
tested copy of the writ and libel and also
by a summons for his appearance at court,
and the Libel was defaulted, and divorce
was decreed for utter desertion continued for
more than three years.
It is therefore considered by the court , that
the bonds of Matrimony heretofore existing be-
tween Silena I. Carson and George A. Carson, be, 
and the same are hereby dissolved. Certificate
of divorce issued May 23, 1894.

Even though the preceding document says they divorce was finalized on 23 May 1894, I believe the one above it that says 3 May 1894 is accurate because Selena married Herbert Leslie Merry (1871-1935) in Caribou on 13 May 1894. Here's their marriage record:

Herbert and Selena lived in Woodland, Maine, and that's where all four of their children were born: John Herbert Merry (1895-1993), Otto Leslie Merry (1897-1897), Ruby Geneva Merry (1898-1984), and Bernice Eloise Merry (1900-1982).

In March 1974, John Herbert Merry Sr., dictated the family history to his niece, Marie Mae (Gordon) Russell, while visiting at her home in Searsport. Marie wrote it all down and years later, her daughter, Carole, typed up Marie's notes, from which the following is excerpted:

Selena married George Carson and had eight children: Frank, Charles, Vesta, George, Hattie, Harry, Mildred (died at five years), William (died when small). George deserted Selena and in 1890 she divorced him. In 1894 she married Herbert Merry. In 1895 they were living in Starks, Maine and she gave birth to John H.. In 1896 Otto was born, but died at 7 months. In 1898 Ruby was born and in 1900 Berniece.

The 1900 census shows us that Selena, pregnant with Bernice, was living in Woodland with Herbert and her two surviving children, John and Ruby. See lines 12–15 in the image below:

Meanwhile, in 1900, Selena's ex-husband, George Carson, was living in St. Albans, Maine with his brother, Willis. Her Carson children were living independently.  Frank, George, and Harry were living together in Mapleton. Charles was boarding in Ashland, Maine. Vesta was a live-in servant in Brookline, Massachusetts, and Hattie was a live-in servant in Perham, Maine.

Here's a photo of the young Merry family from probably early 1901, based on baby Bernice's size. Big brother John is to the left and big sister Ruby is on the right.  

Soon after the turn of the century, the Carson children started marrying: Hattie Carson married William Whipple in 1900 in Washburn, Maine. Charles Carson married Sylvia Burgess in Caribou, Maine, and Vesta Carson married Frederick James Fleming in Ashland, Maine, both in 1902. In 1907, Frank Carson married Laney McDermott in Mapleton.

In 1909, Herbert purchased a farm in Thorndike, Maine from Wilbert S. Dolloff, and that's where they appeared on the 1910 census. The Merry family is documented on lines 2–6 in the image below and Selena's son, George H. Carson, is living with them and is shown on line 7:

Selena's son, George H. Carson, married Addie Lou Gordon shortly thereafter, in nearby Brooks, Maine, on 2 July 1910.

Here's a photo from the Unity Fair, which looks to have been taken around 1914 judging by the license plate:

Selena's daughter, Ruby Merry, married Addie Lou's brother, George Clarence Gordon, on 4 November 1916 in Belfast, Maine. A year later, Bernice Merry would marry a third Gordon sibling! She and Walter Carl Gordon Sr. were married on 15 September 1917, also in Belfast, and just a few weeks later, John Merry would marry Sadie Dyer on 26 October 1917 in Belfast.

And so, by the time the 1920 census was taken, Selena and Herbert were empty-nesters living in Thorndike. See lines 51 and 52 in the image below:

This photo likely would have been taken in 1920, based on Kenneth's age:

In 1924, Selena's last unmarried child, Harry Edward Carson, wed Florence May Smith in Woodstock, New Brunswick.

Herbert and Selena were still living in Thorndike in 1930. Interesting tidbit here about her father being born in Portsmouth, England, which is more specific than any other source that I have seen. See lines 51 and 52:

Herbert passed away on 29 May 1935 in Thorndike and was buried in Center Cemetery there. 

I have not been able to find Selena on the 1940 US Census even though all indications are that she was still living in Thorndike.

Selena passed away 2 April 1942 in Thorndike at age 86.

Selena was buried in Thorndike Center Cemetery with Herbert. Their son, John Herbert Merry Sr., chiseled her name on Herbert's stone: