Charles Wesley Blakesley was born Jan. 11 1911 at the “Wilcox” farm on Pulver Rd, Italy Hill, Yates Co. NY. He was the 4th child & 1st son of Homer Freeman Blakesley & Lucy Lucinda Hopkins. Little is known of his early childhood, but he no doubt had chores to do on the family farm. The 1915 & 1920 census for the Town of Italy, Yates Co. NY show him living with his parents at age 4 & 9. Penn Yan newspaper article Dec. 1916, attending #8 school probably on Pulver Rd. The 1925 Town of Potter, Yates Co. NY show the family living on Friend Rd. [“Campbell” farm] with Charles, age 14, attending school. This probably is as far as he got in school. The school was probably at Nettle Valley, located near by at the intersection of NYS Rt. 364 & Italy Valley Rd.

The next record we have of Charlie is the 1930 Town of Potter census. He is still living with his parents on the “Campbell” farm. Age 19. He is listed as being employed. The writing is very poor. Looks like “making boats”. He once said he worked for Penn Yan Boats during the 1930s. By 1937 he had his own truck & was self-employed.

When & were Charley & Alice first met is unknown. They probably met in Penn Yan where he was working & she was going to school . Probably in 1931 or 32. One photo of him dated 1932 is in her handwriting.

Alice May Bond was born at 1 a.m. Feb. 17 1914 in Gibson, Town of Corning, Steuben Co. NY. Parents are listed as Walter Andrew Bond age 30 & Willow Wave Morris age 19. Alice is listed as their 2nd child. Their 1st was Genevieve , born 1911.

Charles & Alice were married Oct. 28 1933 in Reeds Corners, Ontario Co., NY . The ceremony was preformed by Henry Mosley , a Rochester NY clergyman. Witnesses were George Gage & Vera Mosley both of Canandaigua NY. Charles gave his address as Stanley , Ontario Co. NY. He was living with his parents at the intersection of NYS 247 & Lake to Lake Rd. just south of Reeds Corners. Alice gave her address as Penn Yan, Yates Co. NY. She was living with her mother & step father at their Second Milo home. Alice gave her name as Alice Mae Bond. A NYS Dept. of Health Cert. dated Sept. 26 1933 was in her papers. This may have been when she found out her legal last name was Bond not Lane. No wedding photos are known to exist.

After Charlie & Alice married they moved in with his parents on the farm located at what is now # 4497 NYS 247. For more on this see LINKS    HOMER & LUCY &  HOMER & LUCY #2 . While living there, a son Richard was born Feb. 6 1934. For more about him SEE LINK  DICK & CONNIE

On Nov. 19 1937 Alice bought property on the northwest corner of the intersection of NYS 247 & Lake to Lake Rd. at what is now #4496. It is directly across the road from his parents home. The property consisted of a one room brick school house with a wood addition on the back containing the boys & girls toilets & a storage room sitting on 1.25 acres. She paid the Gorham Central School a grand total of $120. Family story says Charlie gave her some money, went to work & she was the high bidder at an auction. Charlie, father Homer, brothers John & Merrill remodeled the place into a home. They hand dug a half cellar under the brick part, installed a cistern, divided the brick part into a kitchen, dining room ,living room & one small bedroom. The wood part was made into one toilet [privy type] & one bedroom for the boy. No running water only a hand pump at the kitchen sink. For heat: a coal stove in the living room & a kerosene cook stove in the kitchen. The only modern convenience was electricity.

Charles started his trucking business sometime in the mid 1930s. He started out with general hauling then added a milk route. At that time raw milk was shipped to the creamery in stainless steel cans weighing about 100 pounds when filled. He picked up cans from dairy farmers in the Gorham NY area & took it to Grandview Dairy located in Gorham village. This was grade “B” milk which was shipped to NYC & processed into drinking milk. Grade “B” milk was kept refrigerated at the farm & dairy but not on the truck. Charlie also hauled grade “C” milk. This milk dropped off by Charlie & other haulers in a old warehouse. From there this milk was taken to Cohocton NY about 31 miles SW of Gorham where it was made into butter & cheese. Since this milk was never refrigerated at anytime it already well on it’s way to being cheese.