Catherine Westergaard found his biography, apparently self-written, in the Harvard Class of 1884 25th Anniversary Report.

He said he was the son of Joseph Rowe and Priscilla Hayden (Hollis) Webster. That he had been born in Milton, MA 22 Sep 1862, married 6 Oct 1903 in Auburndale, MA Helen Maria, daughter of Albert Franklin and Helen Mar (Fordham) Noyes. And their children were: Priscilla Hollis born 22 Oct 1904, Hollis Jr. 7 Apr 1906 and Helen Fordham 20 May 1907.

He also said he spends his summers in Georgetown, ME where he owns a small cottage at the head of Sagadahoc Bay.

1910. Lives in Cambridge with four children -- Priscilla, Hollis, Helen, Albert N. Says they’ve been married 6 years.

1920. Lives in Lexington with six children, the four from 1910 plus Deborah and Rachel.

In 1900, he is a teacher at a boarding school in Cambridge. Later a teacher at a preparatory school while he is living in Lexington and still later a college teacher (perhaps at Harvard.)

Priscilla Webster was definitely from Massachusetts. Her parents were Hollis Webster, a teacher, and Helen M Noyes who was also a teacher prior to her marriage. Hollis and his father, Joseph R Webster, both graduated from Harvard. Joseph R got his BA in 1854 and went on to become a physician. Hollis got his BA in 1884 and after teaching some years at a preparatory school may have joined the Harvard faculty.

His memorial was added to find-a-grave by Catherine Westergaard who also found me when she was searching for something to say about him. Catherine contacted me to say thanks for having some information about Hollis on my website and then proceeded to share with me what she had learned on her own — which was quite a lot. Catherine had found there is a file of letters between Hollis and his wife Helen in the Harvard archives and she found his bio (and his father’s) in Who’s Who in New England.

She also found his obituary in the Boston Globe. He died 6 Nov 1943. It says he received his Master’s at Harvard in 1894. He taught at Brown and Nichols, Harvard College, Lowell Institute Teachers’ School of Science, the Alstead School of Natural History and finally Manter Hall School. He leaves his wife and six children: Mrs. John Kerr Rose of Lexington and Washington, DC, Mrs. J Alfred Calhoun of Swarthmore, PA, Mrs. Dana McLean Greeley of Boston, Mrs. Mark D Elliott of Indianapolis, Hollis Webster Jr. of Lexington and Albert Noyes Webster of New York.

Thanks, Catherine.

It is only with a little luck that I could figure out her maiden name. Three clues emerged in the course of my digging around:

I found a notice of the engagement of her son whose name was Albert Noyes Webster. In the 1930 Census, living in the Webster household is Elizabeth Noyes, said to be a niece. Occasionally, I noticed the middle initial N for Helen.

Helen, it seemed clear, was Helen Noyes. I also noticed in all the later Census listings, she said her mother had been born in New York. So, even though there are quite a few women named Helen Noyes of about the right age living in Massaschusetts in the 1900 Census, I am sure the one living with her mother, Helen P, who was born in New York is the right one. They live in Newton, MA. The fact that the younger Helen is a science teacher also makes sense and may have something to do with how she comes to meet Hollis.

Their marriage is in the MA Town and Vital Records database @ Ancestry.com. Helen Maria Noyes, age 28 of Newton, teacher born in Newton, daughter of Albert F and Helen (Fordham) Noyes married Hollis Webster, age 41 of Cambridge, teacher born in Milton, son of Joseph R and Priscilla (Hollis) Webster, 6 Oct 1903.