The term “cousin bait” is intriguing.

What it means, in my case anyway, is that a magnificent bonus while researching your family tree is connecting with a living relative you’ve never met.

One example is second-cousin Richard, from Grandpa Cassidy’s side of the family. Another is third-cousin Irishman Adrian, who recognized a painting of his family’s homestead during an online search, which led him to this blog.

And now … way over on the other side of our family tree … I hear from Yvonne. For three years, long ago, she was the stepdaughter of Joseph Verrow, my second cousin, twice removed.

Yvonne explained via messaging on Ancestry that she had some postcards, a letter, and a few photos that she wanted a family member to have.

And who is this Joseph Verrow?

Let’s start with his father and grandparents. An earlier story, A Terrible Accident, details the months before Joseph’s father’s birth and the day after that birth, when the newborn was orphaned.

The baby was adopted by the Verrow family, who switched the order of Morris Joseph Hammond’s first and middle names, and gave him their surname. Joseph M. Verrow grew up, became a barber, married, and had three daughters and a son. The son, born on November 5, 1925, was named Joseph Albion Verrow.

Little Joseph showed up in the newspaper when he was only four years old. Poor fellow had been hit by a car:

On January 14, 1944, when Joe was 18, he enlisted in the military. This photo should make it very clear:

Joe was a Navy man.

According to muster reports, Joe’s first assignment was on board the USS Antaeus (AG-67), a troop transport ship.

Next, Seaman 2nd Class Verrow was on board the USS Cannon, a destroyer escort.

Two years later, according to a muster report, Joe – now Seaman 1st Class – was on board the USS Reno (CL-96) as part of Operation Magic Carpet, bringing US troops home from Europe.

He was honorably discharged on May 5, 1946:

Soon, he was back in Maine, working as an auto mechanic, first at Eastman-Kelleher Co. …

…followed by two years of employment at Jim Adams Inc. …

In October, 1956, Joe reenlisted in the military for a six-year hitch. This time it was with the Air Force.

That same month, a St. Louis, Missouri, newspaper included Joe in a list of couples securing marriage licenses. His bride’s name was Charlene.

The packet sent to me by Joe’s step-daughter, Yvonne, included a letter Charlene mailed to him from Kansas City, Missouri, on July 23, 1959.

Staff Sergeant Verrow was stationed in Germany at the time:

Charlene and Joe’s marriage didn’t last. Being apart so long certainly couldn’t have helped.

A few years later, Joe was stationed in Arizona. That’s probably where he met Yvonne’s mom.

Yvonne, who was 10 at the time, remembers this:

Joe was in my life for about three years and the reason we moved from Arizona to Maine. I remember him as a kind man; I called him daddy. I think my mother met him at Williams Air Force base in Arizona after my father died.

Two interesting facts. When we lived in Arizona and went to school, my mother said our last name was Verrow. It was never changed legally. A different time. Would not happen today. And because he was Catholic we almost converted but did not.

They divorced in Maine over irreconcilable differences. I do not personally have any bad memories of him. I’m so glad you took the info I had. You are right. He deserves to be remembered.

Here’s the other photo Yvonne sent:

Joe married one last time – to the former Bertha McCran – and lived the rest of his life in New Jersey. His life was not long, though. Sadly, he passed away on November 28, 1980. He was just 55 years old.

Some final thoughts from Yvonne, my step-third cousin, once removed (I’m so very glad she reached out to me!):

I called Joe “Daddy.” I loved him. He and my mom – it just did not work out. I saw he married again and was in New Jersey. I hope his life was happy.

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