She was the daughter of George E Squires (1831-1901) and his wife, Elizabeth Hale (1834-1920). She had two siblings, Priscilla "Nettie" (1857-1947) who married Charles E. Markham, and Walter J. Squires (1859-1930) who married his first cousin, Grace Hale. She was born 9 Jun 1869, in Little Valley, NY. In the 1870, 1875 and 1880 census, she is listed as Orretta (ages 3 and 13). (1870 and 1880 United States Federal Census for Little Valley, Cattaraugus, New York); (Little Valley, Cattaraugus,New York, State Census, 1875).
By 1892, the household, still located in Little Valley consists of George, 63, Elizabeth, 58, Walter, 33, Grace, 15, Florence, 6 and a Rettie L. Wilber, 24. (Little Valley, Cattaraugus,New York, State Census, 1892). Upon discovering that Grace was the wife of Walter, my first thought was that Walter had been married before and Florence was his daughter. But I could find no evidence of that being true. This is the first significant name change - from Orretta to Rettie L, and from Squires to Wilber. There is only anecdotal evidence supporting this, a news clipping for Whig St saying Mrs. Eugene Wilbur visited friends in Bradford recently. (Is this Lauretta Squires??)This is right above a blurb about her brother, Walter. Not the most solid evidence. (The Post, 17 April 1889)
Another news clipping (The Post, 22 Jul 1896) mentions Miss Laura Wade of Bradford and her mother, Mrs. G. Squires of Elkdale, visited at C.E. Markham's. So we know that her sister is Mrs. C.E. Markham, her mother is Mrs. G. Squires, and there are no other female siblings, which leads me to believe that Miss Laura Wade is another alias. In 1896 and 1897, the Bradford city directory (U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995) shows a Laura Wade listed as a dressmaker.
Her father's obituary, in 1901 does not list the names of his children, only that he has 3 adult children.
Her next name change comes in 1905, when, as Lauretta Squires, she marries Willie E Hall on 5 Nov 1905, in Olean (New York State, Marriage Index, 1881-1967). Of interest is this news clipping: Miss Florence Squires and Mrs. Ed Hall were in Olean Tuesday (The Post, 22 Dec 1904). Is this Florence and her mother? If so, she is going by Hall almost a year before the actual marriage. She keeps the Hall name until at least 1920, we find her in 1910 in Bradford, PA living with Willie E Hall, 38 at 37 High St. She is known as Laurette Hall, 39 and has given birth to one child, who is still alive, but not living with them. (1910 United States Federal Census, Bradford Ward 5, McKean, Pennsylvania). By 1920, she appears not to be with her husband anymore. She lives at 28 West Washington St, where she is listed as single, and the "housekeeper" for S.D. Foley, but also as a dressmaker with her own shop. Also in the household is Florence N. Wilber, a boarder and a dressmaker.(1920 United States Federal Census for Bradford Ward 3, McKean, Pennsylvania).
In November, 1920 her mother, Elizabeth Hale Squires dies. Her obituary says she is survived by one son, Walter of Whig street and three daughters, Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Flossie Wilbur of Bradford and Mrs. Jeanette Markham of this city (Salamanca Inquirer, 13 November 1920). Notice that she is identified only as "Mrs." Hall, her sister is Mrs. Jeanette Markham, and her daughter is misnamed as the child of Elizabeth, but with her own first name.
Sometime after her mother's death, she returns to New York, and in 1925 is living on Atlantic Ave, Salamanca with Charles Gavitt, using the name Laura. She dies on 2 Jan 1927, at the age of 57. In not one of three different obituaries is her given name mentioned, she is referred to as Mrs. Charles Gavitt, in each one. Besides her husband, she is survived by her sister, Mrs. Charles Markham, her brother, Walter Squires, and a daughter, Mrs. Florence Wilbur.(Democrat and Chronicle - 1927-01-05; Salamanca Inquirer, 7 January 1927; Cattaraugus Republican, 5 January 1927).
Through thirteen official sources, and seven pieces of social media, we can put together a general timeline that includes at least four men Eugene (?) Wilbur, ?? Wade, Willie (Ed) Hall, and Charles Gavitt. She had a daughter, who was raised at least until the age of 10 by her grandparents, but who followed in her footsteps as a dressmaker. She lived primarily in Cattaraugus County, New York, or across the border in Bradford, Pennsylvania, and in the end was buried where she began life, in Little Valley, New York. (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/253677426/gavitt)
