ALBERT ARTHUR JARVIS-Among the Western Massachusetts men who have provided by means of commodious garages and repair stations of the most upto-date type for the great demands of the automobile business of the present hour, and who are also thus looking out for the future increase of the business, Mr. Jarvis has made a wise selection for the enterprise on these lines that he has established at Greenfield. He has business attainments of a first-class order, and has had a training and experience as a machinist with concerns of long establishment in this part of the State, and is eminently capable, as he has well proven himself to be. to direct the affairs of his thoroughly equipped garage.
The name Jarvis was originally Gervais; and Pierre Gervais, from whom this family descended, came from Bordeaux, France, in 1645, and died in Quebec, Canada, in 1665.
Joseph Gervais, son of Pierre Gervais, lived and died in Canada, and married Marie Plauffe. Their son Robert grandfather of Albert A. Jarvis, was born in Canada in 1826, and died April 3, 1900, in Holyoke, Massachusetts. By trade he was a mason, but he later worked at farming. He came to the United States during the Civil War, and for a time he lived in Vermont, afterwards removing to Greenfield, Massachusetts, where he worked as a farmer for a Mr. Nims; he went to Holyoke from Greenfield, where he resided to the time of his death. He married Sophia Longley (Langlais), who died in Holyoke in 1902; she was born in Canada, daughter of Anthony Longley. Their children were: Rosa; Joseph; Henry, of whom further; Napoleon; George; Lizzie. The two eldest children were born in Canada.
Henry Jarvis, son of Robert and Sophia (Longley or Langlais) Jarvis, was born August 14, 1861, at Brandon, Vermont, and attended the schools at Greenfield. His life has been spent at Greenfield, and at Turners Falls, where he has followed the business of lumbering and teaming. His father helped to build the dam at Turners Falls, more than fifty years ago. He married, January 1, 1877,. Margaret Young, who was born in Keyesville, New York, daughter of Elijah and Julia (Robinson) Young. Their children were: Henry; Anna, who married William G. Schau; Mabel, who married W. S. Banta, of Richmond, Virginia; Jennie, who married George Koch, at the Whites Coal Farm; Eva, who died at sixteen years of age; Albert Arthur, of whom further; Alfred; Rosa, who died aged nine years; Lester.
Albert Arthur Jarvis, son of Henry and Margaret (Young) Jarvis, was born November 15, 1890, at Turners Falls, where he attended the public schools. When he was fourteen years of age he went to work in the Russell cutlery at Turners Falls, where he remained a year. He later did teaming four years, and then went to tool-making in the Miller Machine Company’s plant, at Millers Falls. Removing to Greenfield, he worked for the Wells Brothers, and later for the Wiley Russell Company, in the making of taps and dies. He left the shop in 1916, and taking up automobile work, was employed in the Mohawk Cadillac Garage, and with J. C. Clifford & Son, on Chapman Street. In 1918, Mr. Jarvis began to do automobile work for himself, and in 1923, he opened his present commodious garage, where he has ample room for the storage of many cars, and where he does all kinds of automobile repair work.
He married, August 30, 1910, Anna Hercig, born August 30, 1893, in that portion of Deerfield, that is now a part of Greenfield, daughter of Albert and Amilia (Ackerman) Hercig. Her father, Albert Hercig, was born in Berne, Switzerland, in 1858, a son of Jacob and Farina (Miller) Hercig, came to the United States in 1883, and located at Greenfield. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis: Marguerite, deceased; Mildred Rose, born August 4, 1912; Robert Arthur, born May 22, 1916; Clinton Albert, born March 10, 1920.
