Sometimes you come across a surprise... (Wright Tree)

I have yet to discuss the Hull branch of the family in any detail. It is a daunting task since it essentially takes us back to the first century. However, this little tidbit is a little more recent. Ancestry.com has a great tool that gives the genealogist "hints" when the information you provide and the endless lists and resources they have accumulated match. The ordinary hint includes a census page or a death index. This evening I came across an unusual hint where an old library index card was matched to a distant relative.

James Joseph Rorimer (1905-1966) was married to Katherine Newton Serrell (1908-2000). Neither of these names would sound familiar to anyone in the Wright family. Katharine Serrell is the 2x great granddaughter of William Little Hull (1786-1842) who is my 4x great grandfather. That would make Katherine my 4th cousin 1x removed. (got that?) There are several notable individuals that have come from this tree but like I said, this one made me raise an eyebrow.

James Rorimer, born in Cleveland, OH., was a well educated art expert. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University & was hired immediately by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He eventually became the museum's curator. He was also instrumental in developing The Cloisters museum in upper Manhattan.

In 1943, Rorimer enlisted in the US Army during WWII. The Army did not waste his his talents and assigned him as an officer in the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section in Normandy and Paris. This may sound familiar to those of you who have seen the film "The Monuments Men". The character played by Matt Damon was based on James Rorimer. He was a captain by the time he was released from service.

James and Katherine had two children, Louis and Anne. James died in May of 1966.

If you care to read a little more on his life & work: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Rorimer

More Fannings Discovered

On a recent visit back to New York I stayed with my aunt who shared with me several documents and photos that I hoped would shed some light on our genealogical search. One unique item that I found interesting was a menu from my grandparents' "Nuptial Breakfast" on September 6, 1941. It was held at Dante's Restaurant & Bar at 1544 Third Avenue at E. 86 St. The menu was signed by everyone who was in attendance and there were 2 names present that I had never heard before.... Emile and Margaret Fanning.

I was able to find Emile with no problem in an Ancestry search but what was his relationship to me?
Going back through the census reports I found that his father was James P. Fanning and they lived at 1528 Madison Avenue in the NYS 1905 census. I jumped to a conclusion, and I don't think it is a far stretch since Emile & his wife were actually invited to my grandparents wedding, that Emile was Paddy Fanning's, my great grandfather's, cousin. James P. Fanning and Peter Fanning were most likely brothers. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any document from Ireland to confirm this.

Grandpa Peter (1863-?) immigrated to the US in 1891 at the age of 28. James (1861-?) immigrated in 1887 as a single 26 years old. There are no 1890 census records available and the next record states that James married a woman named Frances M. Guggenheim (1877-?) on June 28, 1899 in Manhattan. Frances, born in NY of German immigrants, was mentioned as Fanny in most of the censuses. 1900 shows them as newlyweds at 1685 Madison Ave with their new son, Emile. James was a foreman at a rubber store. By 1910, James & Fanny had moved to The Bronx on E. 173 St. and James still worked in the rubber business. Daughter Teresa is listed as 9 years old. The 1920 census has them living in a house at 3934 Park Ave in the Bronx. James was now working as an elevator operator at the Salvation Army. Emile, 19, worked for as a telegrapher for a paper company, and Teresa was an 18 year-old clerk for American Express. The last census James is mentioned in is the 1930 census. They resided at 1018 Summit Ave in the Bronx and still worked at the Salvation Army at 69 years old. The kids were all married by then. I do not know when either James or Fanny died.

Emile married a Yonkers girl named Margaret Hughes (1900-1972) in 1930 and they lived at her family's house for several years on Van Cortland Park Avenue staring in the 1930 census. He was a manger at a dye works company & she was a stenographer for welfare services. In 1940, Emile was a life insurance agent and he and Margaret had three children.

Emile's sister, Teresa, is documented well before she gets married but her trail runs cold after that. I found a record indicating Teresa Fanning married an Edward A. Conner in the Bronx on June 28, 1926. However, I have been unable to locate them in any other records. Nor have I been able to find any history on Mr. Conner.

Emile and Margaret had three children: Mary (1932), Anne Marie (1932), and James (1934-2012).

Mary Fanning married Fausten "Frank" Kokosky (1930-2006) and they lived in New City, NY. I am not sure about children but when I search their address it is only a few blocks away from my sister-in-law.

Anne Marie Fanning, I believe, married Donald E. Popp (1932-1913). If accurate, they lived in White Plains at the time of the 1940 census and at some point moved to Edison, NJ. An obituary states that he died in Venice, Florida, and is survived by his wife, Ann M, 4 sons (William - Nazareth, PA., John - Charlotte, NC., Stephen - Clark, NJ., Christopher - Easton, PA.) and a daughter (Maryann Savoth - Edison, NJ.)

James Fanning never married according to his obituary which reads "James Francis Fanning, a lifelong Yonkers resident, passed away on October 21, 2012. He was 78 years old. James attended Yonkers schools, served 2 years in the US Navy and was a graduate of Fordham College in the Bronx. He worked for many years as a clerk with the Metropolitan Port Authority.James is the beloved brother of Ann Popp and Mary Kokoski. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews." He is buried at St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx.

You may have noticed another unfamiliar signature on the menu, too. I am in the process of investigating who "Helen Fanning" is.

Catching up since my last post!

Hello! I know, I know... I dropped the ball. It's been over 2 years since my last post and I apologize to family members who have been following along.

Just because I have not posted in a while that does not mean that I have stopped the research. There have been a few discoveries which I would like to share with both sides of the family. In next couple of posts I will tell you how I have determined new branches of the Fanning family and of the Finck family on my mother's paternal side.

Since I already have the Finck page up on my other monitor I will begin there. I was searching for more articles on Alderman Frederick Finck's indictment in regards to the Broadway Railroad scandal when I came across this article:

George Illmensee Suicide

As you can see in the sub-title of this newspaper article, Alderman Finck's brother-in-law, George Illmensee, committed sucide. The article dates to June 1885 in New York City's lower east side. Finck had arranged for George Illmensee to work as a custodian in a public school at 160 Chrystie Street off Delancy Street. I will let you read the article to see what caused George's demise but the important genealogical discovery is how is he related to Finck?  A search of marriage records showed he was married in 1868 to Babbette Muger in Manhattan. This answers a long lying question that I had in regards to my 2nd great grandmother, Marie Antoinette Finck. I have a few variations of her name including Meagher and Mueger that have been taken from other family trees on Ancestry. This is the first where I have seen an official record.

So, now this leads us down the Ilmensee branch of the family which I was able to find through census and military records. George Illmensee (1838-1885) and Babette (often referred to as Barbara in records) Muger (1838-1885) were married July 13, 1868. George was a furniture maker and upholsterer by trade according to census reports. I suppose the school job provided a more steady income and allowed them to live in the basement of the school which saved them in rent. They had two boys, Herman (1873-?) and George Jr (1879-1945). George's suicide was on June 23, 1885. Babbette died three days later on June 26 in Newark, NJ, at 50 years old. I don't know the circumstances but we can assume it was more than a coincidence.

Herman Illmensee (1873-?) married Ida M. Volmar (1872- ?) November 24, 1897 in Manhattan. Ida seems to be from Oneida, NY, if my census record search is correct. They lived in the Tremont section of the Bronx, on Hornaday Place & then on Weeks ave through the 1930's. I do not know when they died. They had a son, George Volmar Illmensee. (1899-1961) who married Veronica G. (1908-?). Veronica was born in New Jersey and it appears that they settled in Atlantic, NJ in Monmouth County according to the 1930 census. George is listed as a poultry man and he died in September 1981 in Colts Neck, NJ. He was also in the Naval Reserve during WW1 as a Landsman Yeoman. Veronica died in 1961. They had one child George possibly born in 1957.

George Illmensee Jr (1879-1945) is the other son of George & Babette. He married Caroline (1877-?) before the 1905 census and they had four children. This group of the family also lived in the Tremont area of Bronx on Clay Ave for many years. George's occupation was insurance clerk. Their children are George III (1904-1975) who died in Westbury, Long Island. Daughter Grace who married Albert Kelsey (1904-?) in 1934 and they moved to NJ  after the 1940 census and her place of death is listed as Eatontown, NJ. Son Arthur (1911-1990) was married to a woman named Elinor (1911-2004). They lived with their parents in the 1940 census on Clay Ave. They had later records indicating that they lived in Eatontown, NJ, too. Elinor died in Ashburn, VA.

I have not been able to locate George III's wife but they had a daughter, Elizabeth Grace (1938-), who I was able to find an engagement notice in the TY Times. In 1962 she became engaged to Robert G. Schenker (1935-?). Both were graduate students at Adelphi University. I have been able to find public records for them residing in Peapack, NJ as late at 1993.

Tomorrow, I will outline the new Fanning branch.