John Henry Dunn, Son of William Edward Dunn...

And Uncle of William Edward (Bill) Dunn

John Henry Dunn was born in June, 1894, and was known as Jack. His wife’s name was Ruth and they had one child, an adopted daughter, Phyllis Ann. From the perspective of those who emigrated to the U.S. he epitomized the American dream. Consider:

■ His grandparents: Michael and Bridget Grace Dunn were illiterate immigrant Irish-Catholics who arrived here in 1858 during a period of much anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic prejudice. When they married in 1853 he was a "labourer" and she was a lowly washerwoman.

■ His father: In the pioneering railroad industry in the years following the Civil War, Michael and Bridget's son, John’s father William, rose from being a railroad hand - basically a laborer - to become a highly respected officer of the Illinois Southern Railrway Company. He also held other high-level roles in the railroad industry;

■ John subsequently became the president of a far-flung, publicly-held lumber company employing thousands of people - and was a major leader in his community.

It’s a genuine rags-to-riches American success story, one that fascinates me.

John’s obituary provides most of what we know about him. In it, connections to the following names may need clarification: John’s sister, Mrs. Ray Wolf (Helen Dunn Green Wolf) was cousin Mary Green Starasinic’s mother. Francis Dunn was cousin Colleen Dunn Becker’s father and Eugene was my generation’s grandfather.

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His Obituary

Chicago Heights Star
9/3/1964

"JOHN H (JACK) DUNN

Requiem Mass for John Henry (Jack) Dunn, a former resident of Steger, was held August 26 in St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Helena, Ark. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Mr. Dunn, a retired president of the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company, died August 24 after suffering a heart attack at his home in suburban Helena.

Mr. Dunn was born in St. Genevieve, Mo., and moved to Steger with his family when he was 3. He lived in Steger until 1917, when he left to work in Chicago. He had lived in Helena since 1934.

Mr. Dunn was president of the Helena Country club, chairman of the board of advisors for the Sacred Heart academy, a member of the Helena hospital board and of the West Helena Chamber of Commerce board.

Survivors include his wife, Ruth; a daughter, Mrs. John Stiefel of Chicago; a sister, Mrs. Ray Wolf of Steger; three brothers, Francis Dunn of Chicago Heights, Edward of Steger and Eugene of Brinkley, Ark.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Stephen, in 1938.”

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A couple of things I’ve learned about him from our long-lost cousins:

■ First, it’s interesting to know that his wife, Ruth, was Jewish, and I’m told that his marriage outside the Catholic tradition of the family was a major heartbreak for John’s mother, Josephine.

■ Second, when John’s brother, Eugene, went into a coma and was institutionalized for several years as a result, John paid for Eugene’s care. That lasted until John’s death, and Ruth didn’t continue the payments. Because the rest of the family either couldn’t or wouldn’t pick up the expense, a decision was made to, in effect, “pull the plug”. Even so, Eugene lived for five years after John's death. It's unclear who paid the bills for Eugene's care during that period.

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Another little piece of John's history was sent to me by cousin Colleen Dunn Becker. It’s a copy of a postcard, and here’s what Colleen said about it.

“This is a picture, going from left to right, of John Henry Dunn, his wife Ruth Dunn, Louise Seiter Dunn, and her husband Stephen Dunn (John and Stephen were William Edward Dunn’s children). I don’t know where or when this picture was taken except that it is a Christmas card of sorts.”

When I was researching the maternal side of our family tree I saw several examples of photos from this era that were made into postcards. What we have here are the front and back of one such postcard, addressed to “Mrs. J. [Josephine] Dunn". This one has no stamp on it, so it was never mailed.

From the looks of it, these two couples were on a cruise sometime just before Christmas on a ship called the S. S. Dellwood, so I researched it and came up with this:

S. S. Dellwood
Collection Name: Alaska Steamship Company Collection
Title: SS Dellwood
Description: Title from verso. Verso reads: "one of four ships lost in World War II."
Creator: Dudley, Roger
Corporate Name: Dellwood (Ship)
Holding Institution: Alaska and Polar Regions Collections, Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks.; mailto:fyapr@uaf.edu --(907) 474-6594--PO Box 756808, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6808.

That led me to search further, and I found this:

Chronological List of U.S. Ships Sunk or Damaged during 1943
Date: 07/19/43
Ship: Dellwood (USAT)
Type: Cable ship
Cause: Grounded
Result: Sunk
Location: Alaska
Deaths: None
Source

Which in turn led me to search for “cable ship” + 1943, and I found this:

Army Cable Ships
The Army operated a considerable fleet of cable ships. One type supported the Coast Artillery Corps controlled mine fields and was a small, coastal design under the Coast Artillery. Another type, associated with the Signal Corps, was generally larger and supported communications. The Pacific areas had fewer commercial cables and military pages cables were more common than in the Atlantic. In the Pacific these ships were engaged in linking the islands sprinkled between the West Coast and the Philippines.

The Dellwood was originally a cable ship, for I found this: “CS [Cable Ship] Dellwood undertook the laying of a new cable in 1924 between Seattle and Alaska with a landing at Ketchikan…”. The Dellwood was apparently converted into a pleasure ship during the period when the photo on the postcard was taken - and later converted back again, for I also found this:

“Following Pearl Harbor, CS Dellwood was repurchased and fitted out for cable repair work; after her sinking, maintenance work was undertaken by CS Silverado, Brico (a barge), and CS's Glassford and Basil O. Lenoir.”

To summarize, it appears that this is the sequence of events involved:

■ Sometime prior to Christmas of 1937, John and Ruth Dunn were on an Alaskan cruise on the ship S.S. Dellwood with Stephen and Louise Dunn. John could have been no older than 43 at that time, Stephen no older than 45. (In the picture they appear to be in their 30s.)

■ They had a photo taken of themselves that was made into this postcard. Since Stephen died in August of 1938, the cruise and photo had to have been taken prior to that year.

■ Sometime after WW II began, the S.S. Dellwood was converted to military use and became a cable ship. These ships were involved in physically laying cable for communications to aid the war effort.

■ In July, 1943, the Dellwood was grounded and sunk.

One result of our having this photo is that we have, literally, a snapshot of two young members of our ancestral family and their wives who – in the midst of the Great Depression – were prosperous enough to afford an Alaskan pleasure cruise.

Why is that of interest? Because the Great Depression was a massive global economic recession (or "depresssion") that ran from 1929 to 1941. It led to a stock market crash, massive bank failures, breadlines and unemployment that reached as high as 33% - so their prosperity seems very unusual in view of where the overall economy was at the time.

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Chicago Mill and Lumber Company

From his obituary I realized John was an important leader in his community, for he was on several boards and such, but I had no knowledge of his business or how large and significant the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company was.

I turned to the internet to see what I could learn about the company - and wow, was I surprised at what I was able to find! Following is some of the info I gleaned when searching for the company name.

As you read on, understand that we have no information as to when he began his role as president of the company. But we do know that the company's annual report to stockholders contained a letter from him as president in 1962. Therefore, we don’t know how many of the events described below or how much of the decision-making regarding those events occurred on his watch.

Bottom line: Our uncle/great uncle Jack was president of a large company (it owned hundreds of thousands of acres of timberland) and he was a “big shot” in his community - but his company was controversial, as you'll see below.

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Here's a link to a photo of one of the company's locomotives - presumably at one of its facilities - taken in Louisiana in 1962.

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"Once the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company began operations at the Singer Tract [in the early 1940s], the site was quickly cleared of old-growth timber." Story and photos here.

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"The small city of Caraway was one of the last to incorporate in northeast Arkansas. Initially known as White Switch, it began as a lumber camp about 1912. The abundance of timber attracted the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company to buy vast tracts of land. The huge northern company drew large numbers of workers to cut the timber and ship it to the main mill at Blytheville (Mississippi County)." Source

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"On June 16, 1941, a fire broke out at the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company, a manufacturer of wooden boxes on North Ogden Avenue [in Chicago]. The fire started in bales of paper located on the first floor of the two story brick building. The shooting embers then ignited a fire on the second floor by sparking a mill dust explosion. With the rush from the blast, the flames spread quickly throughout the rest of the building and caused the roof to collapse. Three Chicago firefighters, Norris Coulombe (Engine 42), George Michalski (Engine 3), and Henry Bodenlos (Engine 4), were trapped by the collapse in the burning rubble.

A 5-11 alarm and subsequent special alarm calls had brought 45 pieces of fire apparatus and equipment to the scene on Ogden Avenue. Firefighters had just started hose operations when the roof collapsed, so the firefighter presence within the building was still somewhat limited. Unfortunately, the severity of the explosion prevented firefighters from rescuing their trapped colleagues, and the three trapped firefighters asphyxiated in the burning rubble. Five other firefighters were injured by the explosion.

The total damage of the fire was estimated to be about $75,000. The widows of the fallen firefighters were given support from Mayor Edward Kelly and the Firemen’s Mutual Benefit Association. The three firemen, along with other victims, were later recognized for their heroic efforts in the annual police and fire thrill show held at Soldier’s Field on July 13, 1941." Source

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"To this day, the land recently added to the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge is known as "the Singer Tract," for the Singer Sewing Machine Company, which in the 1930s thought it might harvest the old-growth forests to make sewing machine cabinets. But conservationists were already calling attention to the value of these soggy bottomlands as wildlife habitat, particularly for the fast-disappearing ivory-billed woodpecker, a showy but reclusive swamp-lover that nested only in the southeastern U.S. and Cuba. Under pressure from conservation groups to preserve the land, the company sidestepped the controversy by selling it to the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company, which soon began harvesting the precious hardwoods for World War II shipping crates. In the 1940s, even as the cut raged across the Singer Tract, ornithologists and conservationists begged in vain for Chicago Mill to preserve the ivorybill's last known nesting trees." Source

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"At first some of us didn't know how to react to the rediscovery of an ivory-billed woodpecker in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas. After all, we environmentalists aren't used to such good news.

I thought about former Audubon president John Baker, and wished he were still alive to see this miraculous event. In 1942 he led a desperate effort to stop the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company from cutting down the bottomland forest in Louisiana where the last ivory-bill had been seen. Chicago Mill and Lumber refused, the trees were cut, and Baker watched what everyone thought was the last bird isappear." Source

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"In the three decades between the 1890s and 1920s, our southern states' bottomland swamp forests were logged into oblivion. By 1920, ivory-billed woodpeckers, dependent on these forests, were thought to be extinct. But in 1924, the founder of Cornell University's famed bird laboratory found a pair in Florida. Two local collectors heard of the woodpeckers' presence and shot them. Again, extinction seemed to have occurred.

Then in 1935, a bird expedition found several pairs in an 81,000-acre Louisiana swamp forest owned by the Singer Sewing Machine Company. But then Singer sold the tract of bottomland to the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company for logging. Four federal agencies, including the Audubon Society and the governors of four Southern states, appealed to Chicago Mill to sell their timber rights so an ivory-bill sanctuary could be formed. Chicago Mill's chairman rebuffed the coalition, cheerfully announcing, "We are just money grubbers." The Lord God Bird (as the woodpecker was sometimes called because of its startling size and coloration) was last seen there in 1944 as the last of those trees fell." Source

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"This is a perfect example of how nonfiction should be written. Every school and public library should have a copy of this book. It is a valuable addition to the study of man, nature, and the environment. Phillip Hoose's wonderful book captures the reader's attention and doesn't let it go till the very end of a beautifully written account of one of the most magnificent birds ever to grace this land. The cover of the book, not to mention the title, immediately attracts attention and after reading it the reader clearly understands why this bird was referred to as the Lord God Bird.

Hoose introduces us to collectors like Brewster and Wayne who helped lead to the bird's demise. There are the corporate villains in the form of the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company and the Singer Manufacturing Company who could have saved the last real refuge of the Lord God Bird but who chose profit over conservation when the Singer Tract was not spared from the woodcutter's ax. There are heroes to this story. You will meet Jim Tanner, "Doc" Allen, and J. J. Kuhn who worked tirelessly to save the species. Having read this book I felt that Jim Tanner was definitely someone I wished that I had known personally. Educators will find countless lessons on environmental awareness, extinction of species, and the recklessness with which man has 'civilized' the wilderness." Source

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Racism Affected the Company

From a book titled, "A Different Day, African American Struggles for Justice in Rural Louisiana, 1900-1970" comes the following excerpt:

“Louisiana’s predominately black lumber industry became the target of intense organizing efforts by the CIO-affiliated International Woodworkers of America (IWA) in the early 1940s. Although many workers supported unionization, organizers encountered strong opposition from company owners and local officials. After spending three weeks in Tallulah working with employees at the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company, Morton Hobbs Davis was run out of town at gunpoint by three men who claimed to speak for the entire community when they told him: “We are not going to have the C.I.O. here. Understand? You come in here trying to stir up these ni●●ers, and we’re not going to have you organizing those damn ni●●ers.”

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History of the Company

The roots of the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company date back to the 1890s, and a description of its history can be found here. In part, it says:

"Wilford H. Gonyea, a West Coast lumberman, tendered an offer to buy the company on June 29, 1965, and after the stockholders accepted, the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company ceased to exist as a corporation and continued operations as a partnership under the same name. The general offices were moved from Chicago to Greenville [Mississippi] in September of 1965. The Chicago Mill and Lumber Company operated three sawmills and two box factories, and it owned over two hundred thousand acres of timberland primarily in Louisiana and Mississippi by 1980."

Last updated 5/3/09

Eugene Michael Dunn, Son of William Edward Dunn...

And Also Father of William Edward (Bill) Dunn

My generation's paternal grandfather, Eugene Michael Dunn, and his wife, Hazel Loretta Nolan Dunn Youngs, had two children - my generation's father, William Edward (Bill) Dunn, and our aunt, Rita Jane Dunn Erickson Tumbiolo.

My mother reported that Eugene abandoned his family after Bill was born, came back years later, stayed long enough for Hazel to get pregnant with Rita, who was born in 1928 - ten years after Bill was - and left again for good. None of my generation ever met him, or had even seen a picture of him until I began assembling our family history and found a long-lost cousin who had photos of him.

Because there was no known contact between him and my branch of the family after he, in effect, disconnected, finding him turned out to be a challenge – a detective story, in fact. On this page of this blog I not only report the things I’ve found out about him, I also describe the process involved in learning his story, for that may also be of interest.

It started when Rita’s daughter, my cousin Noel Erickson Ray, provided me with copies of several family documents she’d inherited from her mother. Included was a copy of Hazel and Eugene’s June, 1917, application for a marriage license. It says he was a bookkeeper and that his parents were William Edward Dunn and Josephine [Barbara] Lauer, both from Steger, Illinois. Both were listed on the application as being dead at that time. The form does not say deceased; Eugene wrote “dead” on the application, which strikes me as interesting.

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Census Records

The 1900 Census shows that Eugene was born in July, 1898, and was living in Chicago, Illinois, with his father, William Edward Dunn and mother Josephine Lauer Dunn. Five older siblings also lived with them as well. The other children were Ella (born Sep, 1884), Stephen (born Dec, 1892), John (born Jun, 1894), Rosa (born Sep, 1895), and Julia (born Sep, 1896). Eugene was one year old.

The 1910 census shows the now widowed 39-year old Josephine and her children living in Crete, Illinois. Her husband had died in 1908, and the census shows that she'd had eight kids. Eugene was age 11, and all six of her living children were there with her (two others had died, reportedly of scarlet fever).

Not related to the census, but fitting here in the timeline, we have the certificate, "In Remembrance of First Communion", for Eugene dated June 11, 1911. The event tool place at St. Liborius [Catholic] church in Steger, Illinois. Eugene would have been not quite 13 at that time.

The 1920 census shows Eugene living in Chicago with Hazel. His occupation was "clerk - die casting" – from which I surmise that he was employed in a clerical job with some sort of factory by that time. Even though their son, Bill, was born in 1918, he's not recorded in this census, which seems odd.

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The Marriage Application and Draft Registration

Marriage records for Lake County, Indiana - where they were married - lists his name as Eugeno, obviously a typo, which at first kept me from finding them because I was spelling his name correctly. Later it occurred to me to look for Hazel, which worked; the record shows their marriage date as June 20, 1917.

At that time males in both Indiana and Illinois were required to be age 21 to marry without parental consent. On his marriage license application Eugene's date of birth is shown as June 8, 1896. However, in fact, he would have been just shy of age 20 at the time, so he lied about his date of birth in order to get married without parental consent. His father had died in 1908, but although Eugene claimed that both his parents were dead, I later learned that his mother actually lived until 1942. So, he also lied about that as well.

His 1918 World War I draft registration card shows his date of birth as July 8, 1898, which is the correct date. The draft registration also shows that he was living in Steger, Will County, Illinois, was a clerk, and his nearest relative was Hazel Dunn. It was the first time I'd seen a middle name for him on anything.

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The Social Security Act was signed into law by President Roosevelt in 1935. A database called the “Social Security Death Index” (SSDI) containing information about most of those who died while enrolled is available online. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA) website, the SSDI contains a listing of persons who had a Social Security number, who are deceased, and whose death has been reported to the SSA. But I couldn’t find Eugene in the SSDI.

So what happened to Eugene Dunn? That was my dilemma. At that point in my search here’s what I knew:

■ He was born in 1898 in Illinois;

■ He was married in 1917 in Indiana;

■ The last census in which I found him was for 1920, which shows that he lived in Chicago with Hazel;

■ I couldn’t find him in the 1930 census, the latest one publicly available;

■ I couldn’t find him in the SSDI.

I’d found information about other family members living both before and after Eugene’s era, but could find no trace of him having a life after fathering Rita in 1928. I found no evidence that he ever remarried or had other children, or that he was even alive after Rita’s birth.

Another aspect of this story is that if his parents were both dead at the time of his marriage in 1917 - which at first I thought was true - they would both have died before he was 20 years old. That seemed unusual, and made me wonder whether there were health issues or an accident of some sort that caused their deaths. If it was health issues, I wondered if it could have been something genetic that caused Eugene’s early demise as well.

At that point I was thinking that Eugene may have died after Rita was born in 1928 and before 1930. If so, he would have missed the 1930 census and would not have been enrolled in Social Security because it didn’t come into existence until 1935.

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Puzzled – and a bit frustrated by then – I had run into a brick wall because of my limited knowledge of how to do genealogy research. To aid in my quest to find out what became of Eugene, I engaged the services of an interesting gal who specializes in doing genealogy research for Illinois–based families. She located an obituary for Josephine. Here’s the summary she provided:

"Obit for Josephine…

Chicago Heights STAR, Fri Oct 30, 1942: - she was survived by 7 grandchildren (son Stephen's children account for 4 of the 7) - one daughter, Mrs. Helen Green of Steger - and FOUR SONS: John of Chicago, Edward of Steger, Francis of Chicago Heights...and....drum roll please....EUGENE of NEW ORLEANS, LA. (that dog was in NOLA as of late Oct 1942!)"

Although I couldn’t do so because I wasn’t looking in the right place, she was also able to find him in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). Here’s her summary of that.

"Now - the trick is to figure out - -

If Eugene can be found in the SSDI - birthdate July 1898 --- there's only ONE that might match: (checked for Eugene Dunn in SSDI - with birth year anywhere from 1898 through 1902 -- because people lie about their birth year, but rarely the month & day)

Eugene DUNN
Birth Date: 8 Jul 1898
Death Date: 15 Dec 1969
Social Security Number: 430-22-9821
State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Arkansas
Death Residence Localities
ZIP Code: 72023
Localities: Cabot, Lonoke, Arkansas

I just had to look at a map - - Arkansas shares a border with Louisiana... What do you think?"

Since Social Security didn’t begin until 1935, Eugene could easily have been in Arkansas by the time he enrolled. So, the combination of Josephine’s obituary and the SSDI info led me to the conclusion that Eugene migrated south and lived there until his death in 1969.

As noted below, Eugene's brother John also lived in Arkansas. However, he predeceased Eugene, who – until health issues discussed below apparently interfered – lived out his days alone in Arkansas with his chickens. Chickens? Cousin Mary Green Starasinic (Eugene's sister Helen's daughter) reported that he raised chickens - and she gave me photos of Eugene that show that to be the case.

Molly, the gal who does genealogy research for Illinois-based families, had previously provided me with an obituary for Eugene’s mother - Josephine Barbara Lauer Dunn. She also found one for one of her sons, Eugene's brother Stephen Dunn. Then she sent me the following info about Josephine’s other children. (For daughter Helen's name to make sense below, we need to know that she was born Helen Dunn, married and became Helen Green - as seen in Josephine's obituary above - was widowed, remarried and became Helen Wolf - as seen below.)

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“Chicago Heights STAR, Thurs, Sept 3, 1964
John H. "Jack" Dunn - retired president of Chicago Mill & Lumber Co - d. Aug 24, 1964 in Helena, ARKANSAS. Lived in Helena since 1934 - survivors include his wife Ruth; a sister, Mrs. Ray (Helen) Wolf of Steger IL; 3 brothers, Francis Dunn of Chicago Heights, Edward Dunn of Steger, and Eugene Dunn of Brinkley, Arkansas.

(OH YEAH - the very last line in Jack Dunn's obit -"He was preceded in death by a brother, Stephen, in 1938" - NAILED this Dunn line to yours. You may doubt, and you may scoff - but I can back up my "intuitions" with documentation...if not, I offer abject apologies, and forget about invoicing.)

Same newspaper - Feb, 7, 1975
Edward T Dunn - b. Jan 22, 1901 Chicago - evidently never married; survived by sister Mrs. Helen Wolf of Steger IL, and Francis Dunn of Chicago Heights IL

Same newspaper - Dec 10, 1987
Francis A "Smiley" Dunn - lifelong Chicago Heights resident - b. Nov 10, 1903 in St. Genevieve MO. Retired from woodworking for Caravelle Wood Products Inc. Survivors include his wife Edna; daughter Colleen Becker of Springfield VA; sister Helen WOLF of Steger IL and 3 grandchildren.”

Then she commented as follows:

“Helena AR - where John Henry "Jack" Dunn resided since 1934 - is in Phillips Co AR - which is adjacent to Monroe Co AR -- so John & Eugene only lived about 30-35 miles from each other.”

She later sent me the info below:

“We'd talked about trying to find ‘live bodies’ of Dunn siblings of your Eugene - I think I may have something to run with.

Yesterday at the Pres. Library, I found/printed the obit for the last surviving Dunn sibling - Helen M. Wolf - who died July 3, 1994 in Joliet - (formerly longtime resident of Steger). Services at St. Liborious Catholic Church in Steger. Her husband Jesse Wolf died in 1992; Survived by a daughter, Mary [Green] Starasinic of Joliet.

I just checked my NewsBank subscription, for obits for surname Starasinic - and found the following obit from January of THIS YEAR, indicating Mary Starasinic (husband Joseph) was still alive and in Joliet IL as of January 6, 2008:
Herald News, The (Joliet, IL) January 6, 2008

Deceased Name: Josephine "Jo" St. Germain (nee Starasinic) Age 83. Passed away Friday, January 4, 2008 at her late Joliet residence. Born February 5, 1924 in Joliet, to John and Barbara (nee Broaderic) Starasinic. A member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and its Altar and Rosary Society and St. Joseph Seniors.

Survived by her two children, Laurence (Diane) Saint Germain of Chicago, and JoAnne (Richard) Davidson of Joliet; seven grandchildren; three brothers, Louis (Loretta) Starasinic of Joliet, Joseph (Mary Lou) Starasinic of Joliet, and Leonard (Janet) Starasinic of Texas; two sisters, Barbara (late Robert) Smrekar of Crest Hill, and Margaret (late William) Norton of Joliet; and many nieces and nephews.”

She located the address and phone number for Mary Green Starasinic and sent that information as well, and said:

“Mary Lou Starasinic is the daughter of Helen M. (Dunn) Wolf - and your Eugene was Mary Lou's uncle.”

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I called Mary (as she prefers to be called). After I introduced myself she said, "I used to have a relative in Indiana by the name of Patrick Dunn." I told her I was in Indiana - and she then reeled off the names of all five East Chicago Dunn kids - more than 50 years after her last contact with us - and told me she used to visit our family often!

Among other things, she told me that - with her mother, Helen - she remembers visiting her uncle Eugene in Arkansas, and said she had a photo of him on the front porch of his house there, which she later gave me. She told me he never remarried after leaving Illinois, and she had no info about what he did for a living in Arkansas. However, the photos Mary provided lead me to conclude that he became a chicken farmer there.

I don't know whether or not I'll ever find his obituary and/or death certificate, which I’ve tried to locate, but at this point in my search I had a live person who had knowledge about that generation of Dunns. Hip, hip, hooray!

I wanted to find out what became of Eugene, and I now had at least a partial answer. Mary knows nothing about the why of his leaving Hazel and their kids, for she was young when that happened and either wasn't told or doesn't remember anything she may have heard.

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A 1944 Letter From Eugene

I asked Mary whether she knew of any other living members of the Dunn family and she provided me with contact information for her cousin, Colleen Dunn Becker, the daughter of Francis Anthony Dunn, who was known as Smiley. I contacted Colleen and was able to meet her and her husband, Ken Becker, when they passed through Indianapolis in the summer of 2008. Another long-lost cousin who knows something about the Dunn family of old! Hip, hip hooray again!

From Colleen I received a copy of a letter written by Eugene. The envelope is addressed to both her parents, although the letter itself appears to be directed primarily to Edna, Colleen's mother.

The letter includes no significant info about him, but it's the only document I've seen that gives us any glimpse of him as a person. He was in New Orleans at the time, which is consistent with the info in Josephine's obituary. It's dated 1943 but the postmark on the envelope is 1944, so he was apparently confused about the date.

Postmark:
New Orleans, LA,
May 30, 1944

Postage:
3¢ stamp

Addressed to:
Mr. and Mrs. F.A. Dunn
[Francis Anthony Dunn]
2420 Chicago Road
Chicago Heights
Illinois

Return Address:
E.M. Dunn
610 So. Carrollton Ave.
New Orleans La.

(Click on the above link, put your cursor on the picture
that appears, hold your left mouse button down and move
from left to right to see what the area looks like these days.)

The Letter:
New Orleans
Monday
May 20, 1943

Dear Edna, Colleen and Worm Digger

Yes Edna, he may tell you he was making a garden but I’ll bet not one worm got away. All the while he was digging didn’t you notice that fishy look he had in his eye?

I[t] certainly was great to hear from you and hope and pray that little Colleen will grow to be as fine and sweet as her mother. I have another little gift for her, and she will sure appreciate it when she is just a little older. It is something you just can’t get in Chicago. It is something for her to play with.

I am glad that the weather is nice there now Edna, on account of poor Smiley, wanting so bad, to make a garden, and you do know Edna that if he did not take those worms and feed them to the fish, they might eat the seeds and poor Smiley’s work would be for nothing. Can he help it if they are not careful when he finds fish and they get caught on the hook[?] No of course not. And I’ll bet some of those fish don’t even appreciate what he is doing for them, and not go near the hook. Ungrateful little devils.

You say you are not as good with the pen as I am, [but] your writing looks mighty precious to me, I am always so glad to hear from you all. Also remember you do not get the practice I do. You know Edna it just depends on whose eyes look at it that determines how it looks.

Well I must get downtown so will sign off for now and will be waiting anxiously to hear from you. Would also like to hear from [his sister] Helen but I guess she is just to (sic) busy. Tell them hello! for me please. Write soon. Please!

(signed)
Eugene

Love to all!

610 So. Carrollton Ave.
New Orleans La.
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Excuse pencil – no pen point

Trivia: The comment about the pen point interested me, for it seems to refer to the need for a point (called a "nib") on a fountain pen. In looking for a date when ballpoint pens came into existence I learned that the first ones in the U.S. went on sale at Gimbels department store in New York City in 1945 for $12.50 each, so he wouldn't have had access to one at the time he wrote this letter.

♦♦♦

World War II was still underway at the time of the letter, so I wonder why he wasn't in the military, knowing that he registered for the draft in 1918. Having said that, he may have had health problems that exempted him from serving, for Colleen reported that he had a drinking problem, and in fact spent the last years of his life in a coma. He was institutionalized during those years, with the expense for it being paid by his well-to-do brother, John Dunn, until John died.

As I understand it, Eugene's other relatives were either unwilling or unable to continue paying the cost after John's death, so the decision was made, in essence, to pull the plug. All in all, the story of Eugene Michael Dunn is an unhappy tale of a reportedly very intelligent man who abandoned his young family, moved to Arkansas to raise chickens, and ultimately died alone after years of being in a coma. Not a pretty story.

Last updated 4/30/09

Stephen G Dunn, Son of Michael Dunn...

And Also Grand Uncle of My Generation's Father, William Edward (Bill) Dunn

Cousin Carla Busby sent me copies of the newspaper articles about Stephen G. Dunn, known as S. G. Dunn, transcribed below. The paper is the Chetopa Advance, a weekly that began publication in 1879. Current circulation: 950 copies.

Stephen was another son of Michael and Bridget Dunn, and from the articles below it's evident that he was both popular and respected in his adopted town of Chetopa, Kansas, where he owned a thriving general store.

Chetopa Advance
October 1, 1925

"Death Suddenly Claims S. G. Dunn at His Store

S. G. Dunn, a leading merchant of Chetopa and well known over this part of the state for the big business he has built up within 15 years died suddenly of heart trouble Tuesday afternoon while supervising the cleaning up of his car at the rear of the store.

Mr. Dunn had returned home Sunday evening from Parsons, where he had spent a week in the hospital taking treatments following a heart attack the previous Saturday. Tuesday afternoon he had requested Paul Withrow, a clerk in the store, to get out his car and dust it so that he might take a ride. After Withrow had gotten the car out of the garage Mr. Dunn went out and was watching the work. A traveling man came into the store and Clair Faris, Mr. Dunn’s chief clerk, went to the rear of the store to call his employer.

Mr. Dunn answered and turned to come to the store. As he did so he exclaimed: 'Oh, I am so dizzy.' He staggered slightly and Withrow hurried to him, but Mr. Dunn had begun to fall and the boy was unable to support him. He sank to the ground. Mr. Faris and others in the vicinity rushed to his side and Dr. R. L. VonTreba was hastily summoned. The doctor administered a hypodermic but the patient failed to rally, dying almost instantly.

The funeral will be held Friday morning from the Catholic Church at 10 o’clock, burial being in Oak Hill Cemetery. The body is now at the home of Clair Faris waiting the time of the funeral. Mayor Sig Lehman has issued a request that every business house in town close its doors from 9:15 to 11 o’clock a.m. tomorrow, during the funeral services as a mark of respect to Mr. Dunn.

Mr. Dunn, who was about 59 years old, came to Chetopa 14 years ago and established a store, known as Dunn’s General Store. His genial ways, unique business policies and fine public spiritedness soon won for him a most substantial place in Chetopa business. Little is known of his life before he came to Chetopa, except that in his earlier years he was a train dispatcher for a railroad in Missouri and that he had traveled extensively in the west.

His life in Chetopa has been exemplary in every way. He was a man who talked little of himself and while of a most generous disposition and very charitable cared little or nothing for publicity in such matters. He was a great lover of children and delighted in their happiness. It appeared that to him the greatest delight came when he would quietly fill a sack with candy and slip it into a basket of groceries, to be found only upon the child’s arrival at home.

One of the most unique feature of his business methods was his giving away of lunches to farmers who visited the store. This practice attracted great attention on the part of merchants all over this section of the state. As many as 500 and 600 of these lunches have been given away by Mr. Dunn on a single Saturday. A farmer and his family coming to town on Saturday had but to go into the Dunn’s store and each member of the family would be given a lunch.

Mr. Dunn is survived only by nephews and nieces, his parents and brothers and sisters all having preceded him in death. His last brother, P. L. Dunn, died here a couple years ago."

♦♦♦

Chetopa Advance
October 8, 1925

"S. G. Dunn at rest in Oak Hill Cemetery

The funeral of S. G. Dunn, news of whose sudden death Tuesday [was in the] last issue of The Advance, was held Friday morning at 10 o’clock, the service being at the Catholic Church and Rev. Father Donnelly officiating. Burial was in Oak Hill Cemetery.

The service was one of the most largely attended in Chetopa for many years. A large number of school children marched from the school building to the church and there paid respect to their friend. These children ranged from first graders to high school seniors. Prof. Widner announced in the morning that any student who wished to attend the funeral might do so and the large number that took advantage of this opportunity was striking comment upon the high esteem in which Mr. Dunn was held by the young as well as older folks of Chetopa and vicinity.

S. G. Dunn was born December 26, 1866, near Raymond, Ill. As a boy he obtained employment with a railroad company and while thus employed learned telegraphy. He took a deep interest in his work and gradually rose to the position of train dispatcher. He was employed at various times on railroads in Illinois, Mis-souri and several western states. His mother made her home with him until her death when he was yet a young man. His father died several years ago. Both of his parents are buried at St. Louis.

Mr. Dunn was never married and is survived only by nieces and nephews, all of his brothers and sisters having preceded him in death.

Mr. Dunn came to Chetopa in 1911 with his brother P. L. Dunn and family. Upon his arrival here he embarked in the general merchandise business, using the name Dunn’s General Store. He built up an exceptionally large trade and by reason of the rapid growth of his business and his unique methods he became quite widely known over a large section of this part of Kansas and Oklahoma.

Mr. Dunn left a will disposing of his property and it was filed in Probate Court Saturday. The will provides numerous requests, several of them being to faithful employees at the store.

By the will, Roy O’Brien was made executor of the estate. The Probate Court has appointed Sig Lehman, R. A. Bell and Frank Cunningham to appraise the stock of goods in the store and as soon as this is completed and necessary details are finished the store will be reopened for business. It is probable that this will be done by the end of this week."

♦♦♦

His Estate

Carla also provided me with a copy of Stephen’s probate record. His estate was distributed, in part, to family members and the rest went to “strangers”, who were employees of his business.

The bulk of his estate went to a gentleman by the name of Clair Faris, listed as a “stranger”, which raised the question of why. Carla reported as follows: “I remember bits & pieces about Clair Faris. I understood that he was the "right-hand" man of Stephen Dunn. He did inherit most of Stephen Dunn's estate and bought the General Store.”

From his probate record we learn that Stephen’s estate totaled $21,781. Here, from a document titled, "Statement of Valuation and Taxes Determined by the Inheritance Tax Commission", issued by the state of Kansas and dated 11 May, 1928, is the breakdown:

Name, Relationship, Value, Tax
Josie Dunn, Sis-in-law, $1,000, $50
John Dunn, Nephew, 1,000, 50
Eugene Dunn, Nephew, 1,000, 50
Stephen C Dunn, Nephew, 1,000, 50
Francis Dunn, Nephew, 1,000, 50
Helen Dunn, Niece, 1,000, 50
Ella Dawson, Niece, 1,000, 50

Clair W. Faris, Stranger, $8,781, $439
Mabel E. Veach, Stranger, 1,000, 50
Florence Nickel, Stranger, 1,000, 50
L. R. Lennington, Stranger,, 1,000 50
J. D. Adams, Stranger, 1,000, 50
James H. Lancaster, Stranger, 1,000, 50
Elizabeth R. DeLury, Stranger, 1,000, 50

Josie was Josephine Dunn, William E. Dunn's widow - my generation’s paternal great grandmother.

John, Eugene, Stephen, Francis and Helen Dunn were their children, Eugene being my generation’s grandfather.

Ella [Dunn] Dawson was William’s daughter from his first marriage, and who by this date was obviously using her married name.

To put the figures above in context, here are some 1928 prices:

■ A loaf of bread in 1928 was 9¢;
■ A gallon of milk was 56¢;
■ A gallon of gas was 21¢;
■ Average rent for a house was $12 a month;
■ Postage stamps were 1¢;
■ Breakfast at a restaurant was about 25¢;
■ A Chevrolet two door base model sold for $585 while a four door model sold for $750.

Last updated 4/28/09

Peter L Dunn, Son of Michael Dunn...

And Also Grand Uncle of My Generation's Father, William Edward (Bill) Dunn

As noted previously, I posted an inquiry on a genealogy message board which led to my becoming acquainted with a very helpful gal by the name of Kate. I was looking for information about Michael and Bridget Grace Dunn, and Kate knew of someone else who was also looking for them. That person was Carla Myers Busby, and Kate linked us up.

It turned out that Carla is my generation's long-lost second cousin, 1 x removed ("1 x removed" refers to the fact that there's an extra generation between our connections to Michael Dunn). Carla has been working on her family history for many years and she provided most of the information on this page.

Peter L Dunn was the eldest son of Michael and Bridget Dunn, brother of William Edward Dunn, and Carla’s great grandfather. He was also the brother of Stephen G Dunn, who owned a thriving, well-known general store in Chetopa, Kansas, where Peter lived out his final years.

I believe Peter came to the U.S. with his parents when they emigrated in 1858; however, there's no record of him being on board their ship, although there's another infant named Peter whose name is recorded. A speculation about these facts is that perhaps his biological parents died during the months-long voyage on one of what were labeled "coffin ships", and that Michael and Bridget adopted him. However, we have no documentation to support that notion. See below for more details about this possibility.

♦♦♦♦

First, Peter's obituary:

Chetopa Advance
January 8, 1920

"Peter L. Dunn, aged 64 years and for the past years a resident of Chetopa, died Sunday afternoon at his home after an illness extending over several years. Brief funeral services were held at the home Monday afternoon, conducted by the Masonic and Woodmen orders, in both of which he held membership. The remains were taken to Garfield, Wash. for burial. Mr. Dunn was born at Glossup, (sic) England, and came to this country when a child, locating at Alton, Ill. There he grew to manhood and from there he went to the State of Washington, where he lived for 20 years. He came to Chetopa about eight years ago."

♦♦♦♦

At this time we have no record of Peter's occupation, although a couple of photos Carla provided of him and his wife look like he could have been a farmer in Chetopa. Having said that, his obituary's reference to his long illness suggests the possibility that in his final years he may have been too sick to work - and became dependent upon his brother Stephen (more undocumented speculation).

Carla reported the following about this family. She said:

"I descend from Peter L. Dunn

Born: September 7, 1857 Lancashire, England
Died: January 4, 1920 Chetopa, Labette County, Kansas
Buried: Garfield, Washington
Married: December 23, 1886 Sangamon County, Illinois

Ellen Morris [Peter's wife]
Born - January 1855 Ireland?
Died: ?
Buried: Garfield, Washington

Children:
Earl S. Dunn
Born: October 26, 1887
Died: July 15, 1895 Garfield, WA.

Stewart T. Dunn
Born: January 19, 1890
Died: August 28, 1891 Garfield, WA.

Leo Peter Dunn (This is my Grandfather)
Born: October 23, 1893
Died: December 4, 1942 Los Angeles, CA

Grace Dunn
Born: October 23, 1896
Died: October 23, 1896 Garfield, WA"

♦♦♦♦

Leo Peter Dunn was the father of Franklin L Dunn, who later took his stepfather’s name and became Franklin L Myers. Frank Myers is Carla’s father, a genuine World War II war hero, including being awarded a Purple Heart and helping liberate a concentration camp. His story will appear on another page of this blog.

Here's Carla's description of her ancestral family's situation. It's a response to a message I sent her, part of which described my generation's grandfather, Eugene Michael Dunn, having abandoned his wife and two young children some time after 1928 when the youngest was born.

"Hey Pat!

We must be related!

My grandfather, Leo Peter Dunn, also abandoned his wife and 2 small sons in 1924. My father had no use for the man, and Dad always said, "I wouldn’t recognize him if I saw him and I sure wouldn't walk across the street to shake his hand."

My grandmother Ruth Irene Dunn remarried and my father took his stepfather's last name. I never met the Dunn side of the family, I heard bits and pieces growing up and I should mention that what information I did hear was not flattering.

During a visit with a Great-Aunt, she showed me a picture of my grandfather, a wedding certificate and an excerpt from my grandmother's diary. That started my search, from just those few items.

I was told my grandfather died in a car wreck in Colorado during WWII. I spent at least 10 years looking for that man! Surfing the Web one evening, I came across his name in the California Death Index. Thru an "Act of Genealogical Kindness" I received a copy of his Death Certificate. He died of TB in Los Angeles, in 1942. He claimed no family, and no family claimed him. Instead of a simple burial, his body was used for medical research.

Over the past 5 years, information about him has trickled in. I've discovered he was a "Con Man." He married one woman, told her he had never been married, never had children and his parents were dead. Then he stole her car, sold it and disappeared. The general family consensus is - being used for medical research, he may possibly have contributed something positive - finally....

Pat, do you have Ancestry.com? If not, I will be more than happy to search it for you. I did search last night on the LAUER family. Josephine's father, Caspar Lauer came from Germany. I found 3 Census records for them. Lizzie, who was listed as a witness to WED and Josephine's marriage, was probably Elizabeth Lauer, a younger sister. I also looked at several web sites for Bridget Grace, no luck.

I am sending off for my great-grandparents marriage record tomorrow. Peter L. Dunn and Ellen Morris. They were married in Sangamon County, Illinois. Hopefully that will provide info on Michael and Bridget Dunn.

I need to head to bed, my brain is officially fried!

Happy Hunting!

Carla"

♦♦♦

Does This Explain the Missing Peter Dunn in the Ship’s Records?

Kate said:
From: Kate Miller
To: Patrick Dunn
Cc: Carla Busby; Colleen Becker
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008
Subject: Responses from Rootsweb inquiry 6/20

As another tidbit. A very long shot.

Onboard 21 May 1858 [the date of Michael & Bridget Dunn's arrival] is a Peter O'Dwyer, 6 months old, with his parents Wm (30) and Margaret (28). What if --- a huge if --- your Mike & Bridget adopted this child? Is Mgt, Bridget's sibilng? OMG -- I NEVER speculate! lol This goes against everything I believe in. But if that is your Mike/Bridget arriving, a 6-8 mo old child should have been with them.

Kate

My response to Kate:
I understand, for the fact that Peter was reportedly born in Glossop/Lancashire causes me to think he should have been recorded as being with them on the ship. To support your thesis, consider the following description of the conditions involved on the ships delivering immigrants to the new world:

"Nine vessels had left Sligo carrying tenants emigrated by Lord Palmerston from his estates, and additional passages were hooked from Liverpool, about 2,000 persons leaving in all. The first vessel to arrive, the Elira Liddell, at St. John, New Brunswick, in July, 1847, raised a storm of protest; it was alleged that she brought only widows with young children, and aged, destitute, decrepit persons, useless to the colony.

Another vessel, the Lord Ashburton , arrived at Quebec on October 30, dangerously late in the season, carrying 477 passengers, 174 of whom, Lord Palmerston's tenants, were almost naked: 87 of them had to be clothed by charity before they could, with decency, leave the ship. On the Lord Asburton 107 persons had died on the voyage of fever and dysentery; 60 were ill, and so deplorable was the condition of the crew that five passengers had to work the ship up to Grosse Isle."
Source

In another place in this essay it reports that the trip took three months and discusses the lack of food, the limited amount of water and lack of medical care aboard these ships. So, while your thoughts above are speculative, they aren't outside the realm of possibility if the baby's parents died [as a result of] the trip and M & B adopted the baby. I don't suppose there's any way to nail this down, but it's an interesting idea to contemplate, both names being Peter and the grim conditions faced by the travelers.

Another, far less interesting, possibility is that this is not the ship that our M & B traveled on, but is another M & B, for I’ve learned that there were other Irish immigrant couples with these names – five that I found in one search.

Pat

Here’s the info from the ship's records about the infant Peter O’Dwyer that led Kate to her speculation:

Name: Peter O'Dwyer
Arrival Date: 21 May 1858
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1857
Age: 6/12 [6 months old]
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Destination: United States of America
Place of Origin: Ireland
Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: Irish
Ship Name: Dr Witt Clinton
Port of Arrival: New York
Port Arrival State: New York
Port Arrival Country: United States

The above data comes from the same records that contain Michael and Bridget Drace Dunn's immigration information, and matches theirs exactly.

Last updated 5/22/09

William Edward Dunn's 1892 Marriage License, 1902 Letters - and More

◄ Here's the front side of the 1892 marriage license of William Edward Dunn and Josephine Barbara Lauer.

(Click on it to enlarge it.)








◄ Here's the reverse side of their marriage license. Note that it records this as his second marriage. His first wife had died, and later, so did two very young daughters, reportedly of scarlet fever.

(Click on it to enlarge it.)



Background on the Letters Below:

The United States grew in stages as settlers migrated west. Oklahoma Territory was an organized territory of the United States from May, 1890, until November, 1907, when Oklahoma became the 46th state. It consisted of the western area of what is now the state of Oklahoma. The eastern area was the last remnant of Indian Territory and the map linked here shows how the area was divided circa 1900.

William Edward Dunn (WED) was part of the westward movement, for he was building a railroad in Oklahoma Territory five years before Oklahoma became a state.

To appreciate the significance of what he was doing, we must understand that when he was in Oklahoma Territory writing the letters below, Orville and Wilbur Wright had not yet had their first successful airplane flight (that occurred in 1903). And automobiles (and highways) were not yet common.

For example, in 1902 - when he was writing these letters - there were only 8,000 cars in the US and 144 miles of paved roads. The Studebaker brothers, having become the world's leading manufacturers of horse-drawn vehicles, made a transition to electric automobiles in 1902 and gasoline engines in 1904, but they continued to build horse-drawn vehicles until 1919. Henry Ford didn't start mass-producing the Model T until 1908.

In other words, as a pioneer builder of railroads, he participated in dramatically changing the history - and economy - of the United States.

Here are some links that provide a look at what life was like in that area in that era:

● Sod house in Oklahoma Territory
● Young American Indian women in Oklahoma Territory
● Photographs of American Indians in Oklahoma Territory

♦♦♦

WED's Letter of May 5th, 1902

So, there in the unsettled Oklahoma Territory, separated from his family in Illinois for long periods of time, WED wrote a three page letter on a piece of business stationery set up in memo format. It contains the name "Santa Fe." in large font, with the following in 10-point font:
The A.T. & S.F. Ry. Co.
G.C. & S.F. Ry. Co.
Santa Fe Pacific Ry. Co.
Sou. Cal. Ry. Co.
The S.F. & S.J.V. Ry.
The S.K. Ry. Co. of Tex.

He wrote this letter from Ripley, Oklahoma Territory, in what is now southern Payne County. (The town was named for William Ripley, president of the Santa Fe Railway.) The letter is addressed to WED’s brother-in-law (his wife Josephine’s brother) and reads as follows:

“Ripley O.T. [Oklahoma Territory] 5/5 1902

Mr. Theodore Lauer

Dear Bro & Sister

Your kind and loving letter of some days ago just received and it is needless for me to say that I was more than pleased to hear from you and you being well and happy as this leaves me enjoying good health and I would also be happy if I just had my poor sweet Joe [Josephine] and my little hunkey [illegible word] here. I got a letter from home yesterday and they were all well but my sweet Joe said they were all lonesome for papa and papa is lonesome for them. Theodore you just ought to see my little angels. It would tickle you to see them.

I had the rheumatism so bad that I could not work for two months last winter and was at home all the time and when I came down here it broke me all up of an evening when I could not see my sweet hearts.

Well dear Bro. this climate agrees with me fine and I get $125.00 and expenses per month and no one to bother me and if I had my poor sweet Joe and little ones here I would be happy. Just as soon as I can arrange it I am going to let Joe and the little ones go to see father and mother and all of you. Then I will come and bring them here. I want them to spend a week. They can go and see John and all the folks and if I can get off for 3 or 4 days I will spend them with you all.

I have 150 miles of new track to lay here and have 680 men working now. It is a lovely country but the people are very poor. I know my Joe will like it out here. [Click here to see a photo of a construction crew laying track for a railroad during that era.]

Well dear Bro. I am glad you are happy and contented and glad to know you have a good wife. We had some good times together and I hope we will again. Well dear Bro., give my love and best regards to father and mother and all the folks. I would like to see them all.

Tell mother not to worry about us. Although I am so far away from home it will be only a short time until I have my family with me. I write home every day and get a letter from home every day.

Well my dear Bro. and chum, as I sit here and write this my mind wanders back to the time when you first went to work, and old Tom McDonald, poor old soul. I guess he is dead and I remember the good times I and Joe and Henry and Anne had. She called me cheeky. It seems like a dream to me, and poor sweet Lizzie. May her sweet soul rest in heaven. If anyone went to heaven she did. [Lizzie was Josephine's sister Elizabeth, one witness on the marriage license above.]

Dear Bro. I am not the WE Dunn you used to know. I am different now. I have learned a lesson but it took me a good while to do it. Of course I had my troubles and when I got rid of them I quit drinking and have not drank anything for over two years and I feel better and have the confidence of every one I do business with and it’s no trouble for me to get a good job at all. And I never will put that [liquor] to my lips again. That will steal away my brains. And I hope and pray dear Bro. that you will not either. [I suspect the "troubles" above may be a reference to the death of his first wife and his two daughters.]

Give my love and best wishes to all our folks and all enquiring friends and when you and your wife have time write me a few lines. I feel lonesome out here among those natives and when I get a letter from Joe I wear it out reading it.

Good night and God bless you and your sweet family.

Your Bro,
(signed)
W E Dunn"

♦♦♦

Trivia: To put his income of $125 per month ($1,500 annually) in context I looked for information about incomes in that era. I learned that in 1902 the average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents an hour and he average U.S. worker earned between $200 and $400 per year.

I found the following table for 1903:
● Average of all Industries, Excluding Farm Labor: $543
● Average of all Industries, Including Farm Labor: $489
● Bituminous Coal Mining: $734
● Building Trades, Union Workers: $1,059
● Clerical Workers in Manufacturing: $1,037
● Domestics: $270
● Farm Labor: $277
● Federal Civilian: $1,009
● Federal Employees, Executive Departments: $1,067
● Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate: $1,078
● Lower-Skilled Labor: $501
● Manufacturing, Payroll: $541
● Manufacturing, Union Workers: $989
● Medical/Health Services Workers: $275
● Ministers: $761
● Nonprofit Organization Workers: $679
● Postal Employees: $924
● Public School Teachers: $358
● State and Local Government Workers: $621
● Steam Railroads, Wage Earners: $593
● Street Railways Workers: $582
● Telegraph Industry Workers: $573
● Telephone Industry Workers: $379
● Wholesale and Retail Trade Workers: $537

Since he says in his letter that his income is "and expenses", I surmise that "expenses" might have covered his food and lodging costs. Since the federal income tax didn't come into existence until 1913, his $1,500 annual income would have been his net pay, which would have made him a very prosperous man for that time period.

♦♦♦

His letter of May 27th, 1902

This letter was written on stationery that says, simply, "Santa Fe." in large font at the top of the page. He wrote from Pauls Valley, O.T., it’s also written to Theodore Lauer, and reads as follows:

"Pauls Valley O.T. 5/27 1902

Mr. T Lauer

Dear Bro & Sister

I received your kind and ever welcome letter and was more than pleased to hear of you and all the family being well as this leaves me at present well dear Bro.

We have 25 miles of track to lay here from Pauls Valley to Erin Springs. It runs along the south branch of the Washita River and the country is very low and swampy and is filled with malaria. Our men is getting sick and quitting by the score. I must say that I feel frustrate[d] and if I can hold out a month we will move back to Oklahoma.

I do not like the country at all but the money is good. I got a letter from home today and the folks were all well. My two boys Eddie and Eugene wrote two fine letters. I wish you could have read them. They want papa to come home. The poor little angels.

How many little angels have you folks got and what is their names and how many have Henry and Cheeky got[?] God bless them all. How is all the folks at home and how is John and his family[?] Give my love and best wishes to all of them.

And some day I will be back to see them all with my sweet Joe. I wish it was tomorrow but it will not be long I hope. I get very lonesome out here for home and those I love so dear.

Well dear bro. I wish I could call back ten years. I would be happy but they are gone, never to return. And I will do all I can to correct the ten is gone with the ten that is coming with the help of God. I am glad to know that you and Henry and John are doing so well. We done fine for the last three years but Joe got sick. Eddie and Eugene got sick and to help matters I got sick and it does not take long to spend what you save on sickness.

But we cannot complain. Now we are in good health and I sent Joe $100.00 last week out of my salary, and God bless her, no one can be any closer and save any more than she can.

Dear Bro. I am going to quit this job just as soon as I can get one where I can move my family. I could not live without them for $500 a month. Well there is nothing of any interest to you in this country so I will say good night.

With love and best wishes to you and family and all enquiring friends.

I remain your Bro.
(signed)
W E Dunn"

♦♦♦

His Letter of October 26th, 1902

When he wrote this letter he had either changed jobs or been reassigned by his Oklahoma Territory employer, for this letter is written on stationery that says "The Illinois Southern Railway Company" at the top. This one, also written to Theodore Lauer, is written from St. Genevieve, Missoui (south of St. Louis) and says:

St. Genevieve, MO station Oct, 26th, 1902

Theodore Lauer

Dear Bro. and Sister

Your kind and welcome letter of some days ago received and content noted. We were more than pleased to hear of you all enjoying good health and happiness as those few lines leaves us enjoying every blessing God can bestow upon us at present.

After two years of snow and rain it is really pleasing to get a glimpse of sunshine. My boys John and Steve are going to parochial school every day and I am just after having a (illegible word) with Eugene and Eddie. They are all getting strong and healthy. Joe (illegible word) looks like she worked in a brewery. She is getting big out like a Dutchman, ha, ha. [These comments are confusing, but may be referring to Josephine being pregnant. However, their next surviving child after Eugene is Francis, who wasn't born until November, 1903, a year after this letter was written. It is possible she was pregnant at this time and lost that baby, however.]

Say, why don't you learn Mary how to write[?] She never writes a line. Well my dear Bro. I am just after going over the line with the president of the S.M. Ry, Mr. J.R. Walsh of Chicago, and he was more than pleased with the condition of the work. It is the heaviest and hardest piece of work I ever undertook, but I have no one to bother with and all the money I want to spend.

So you see there is no reason for complaint. The only trouble I have is in getting good labor and foremen. We pay laborers $150 and foremen we pay $60.00 to $70.00 on extra gauge and $45.00 to $60.00 on sections. If you know of any tell them to write me.

Well my dear boy, give my love and best regards to Pa and Ma and all the folks and don't forget to remember me to Cheeky. I hope her and her family is enjoying every blessing. I don't know just now when I can go up as I am very busy, but I long to see you all and the old home. It makes me feel lonesome for you all when I write.

With love and best wishes,

I remain your Bro.
(signed)
W. E. Dunn

Last updated 2/15/2010

William Edward Dunn

William Edward Dunn (WED - 1861-1908), Grandfather of William Edward (Bill) Dunn (1918-1986)

◄ This undated picture of him was provided by his granddaughter, Mary Green Starasinic, and is copied from an old tintype photo. Based upon his appearance and the fact that he was an officer of a railroad toward the end of his career, I estimate that this picture is circa 1900-1905. (Click on photo to enlarge it.)

◄ His widow, Josephine Barbara Lauer Dunn, was raising this family on her own when this photo was taken, circa 1916. Two other daughters, Rosa and Julia, had died of scarlet fever as children. WED's eldest daughter, Ella (from a previous marriage in which his wife died), was probably on her own when this picture was taken. This photo was provided by Colleen Dunn Becker - WED's granddaughter - and her husband, Ken Becker.
(Click on photo to enlarge it.)

William E. Dunn is, to me, one of the most interesting characters in our family's story. He was my generation’s great grandfather, one of the sons of Michael and Bridget Grace Dunn - who were illiterate Irish-Catholic immigrants. WED was, therefore, a first-generation American who rose to achieve great acclaim in his industry, was highly admired in his community, dealt successfully with his personal demons, and loved his family deeply.

He was born in 1861, but I haven't found any formal documentation of his date of death. Having said that, we do have evidence based upon newspaper articles about him and a letter of condolence written to his widow, Josephine. One news article says that even though he was sick, he kept working until a few days after Christmas [of 1907]. The letter of condolence is dated January 8th, 1908, so we know he died after Christmas and before January 8th. Based upon this evidence, I've surmised that his death probably occurred early in 1908. The news articles and letter are transcribed below.

How I Found Out About Him

When I began the process of assembling our family history, cousin Noel Erickson Ray provided me with copies of several family documents she'd inherited from her mother, Rita Dunn Erickson Tumbiolo. Included was the June, 1917, marriage license application for my generation's grandparents, Hazel Loretta Nolan and Eugene Michael Dunn. It lists his father's name as William Edward Dunn and his mother's maiden name as Josephine Lauer, which is how I first learned who they were.

Later, in trying to locate records about Eugene Dunn and running into a brick wall, I employed the services of a gal by the name of Molly Kennedy, who does genealogy research in Illinois. She found an obituary for WED’s daughter Helen, which listed Mary [Green] Starasinic as Helen’s surviving daughter. She even found Mary’s phone number for me as well. Hoping she was still alive, I called Mary. Wow! It turned out that she had visited our family in East Chicago, Indiana, when we were kids, and immediately knew who I was, even though fifty-plus years had passed since our last contact. She had tons of information and photos to offer about the family, and it was very exciting to later meet her and her husband Joe. They provided the articles and letter reproduced below.

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The 1900 Census shows that WED was born in Nov­ember, 1861. (From other records I believe it was in Edwardsville, Illinois.) That census shows that he was age 38, and he and his family lived at 4241 S. Princeton Ave, Chicago, Illinois. His occupation is listed as "R.R. track foreman". Living with him were his wife, Josephine, age 29, and the six children they had at the time, with my generation's grandfather, Eugene Dunn, being the youngest at age one.

Click here to see a 2008 photo of the house where WED and Josephine lived in 1900. Click here to see a "historic" pre-renovation photo of it taken in 2000. (If a PIN number is needed to access the photos, it's 20-04-222-030-0000.)

You may ask how I came up with an online photo of WED's home from more than a hundred years ago. Answer: The census is organized by the street name and number for each house. As a result of an inquiry I posted on a genealogy message board, I became acquainted with a terrific gal named Kate; she did a look-up for the photo in the Cook County, Illinois records and sent a link to me.

Here are the children recorded in that census:
Ella (born Sep, 1884);
Stephen (born Dec, 1892);
John (born Jun, 1894);
Rosa (born Sep, 1895);
Julia (born Sep, 1896);
Eugene (born July, 1898).

Ella was 15 years old at the time, but WED and Josephine had been married for only about eight years, so, as mentioned above, Ella was from his previous marriage. That marriage ended with the death of his first wife, whose name was reportedly also Ella.

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WED's First Marriage

I interrupt the timeline of WED's life to insert information I became aware of after this page was first created. Here's a message about WED's first marriage (reformatted for easier reading here) received from his granddaughter, cousin Colleen Dunn Becker (daughter of Francis [Smiley] Dunn). It brings to light the fact that WED not only had a previous wife (Ella) and daughter (also Ella) from that marriage, he had several children - another family - before marrying Josephine Lauer:

"Dear Pat,

I think you are on the right track. Some of the Dunns you found probably are distant relatives. Remember that [WED's] marriage to Josephine was his second marriage. His first marriage was to Ella Ryan. She may have been from Ireland. My mother told me about her. They [WED and Ella] had several children. My mother mentioned:

♦ William Dunn (Bill) - born May 4,1881;

♦ Ella (Helen) Dunn - born September, 18,1884, in Jacksonville, Illinois and died in Peru, Fulton, Indiana in 1960 [Editor's note: Other records cause me to believe she married and became Ella Dawson. Here's a link to the page of this blog with that information];

♦ Mary Dunn - born November 1,1882 and died January 22 1890, and;

♦ Anna (SP?) Dunn - born December 25,1886.

I know Bill Dunn [above] had at least two sons, Patrick and Joseph. Unfortunately when my mother was telling me all this information I was not all that interested and should have taken better notes.

My mother talked about the farm that relatives would visit and I believe it was Bill Dunn and/or his son's farm. When WED's first wife died, their daughter, Ella Dunn, evidently lived with WED and Josephine as noted in the census of 1900. I thought it was interesting to find that the two girls, Rose E. and Julia M., were still alive. I go to their cemetery when I possibly can to have their gravestone uncovered. The girls are buried on top of WED [in his grave].

Colleen"

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Another of WED's granddaughters, cousin Mary Green Starasinic (daughter of Helen Dunn Green Wolf), sent the following:

"I remember visiting a cousin Patrick Dunn on his farm in Pana, IL. and that he had relatives who lived nearby. I cannot recall any of their names or where they lived. However, Pana and Raymond are cities close together and in southern IL. where Edwardsville is..."

Edwardsville is where WED and Josephine lived when they married, so it makes sense that other family members would be in the area. Bottom line: It appears we have other undiscovered Dunn family members out there somewhere. Perhaps we'll be able to find them one of these days.

Now, back to the original timeline.

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The 1900 Census also shows that Josephine Dunn was born in December, 1870, shortly before the Chicago Fire.

Trivia: The Great Chicago Fire
On the night of October 8, 1871, a fire started in a barn owned by Catherine and Patrick O'Leary 1-1/2 miles southwest of downtown. (Thus was born the legend of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow starting the fire.) Fanned by a strong wind in a city largely built of wood structures, the blaze raged for nearly 30 hours. Flames spread as far as the city's northern limits before finally dying out in the early morning rain of October 10. Much of the downtown and surrounding areas lay in ruins; 300 were dead and a third of the city's population of 300,000 was left homeless.

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WED's Second Marriage

WED and Josephine were married 11 Feb 1892, and their marriage record from the state of Illinois shows the following:

Place: Madison County, Illinois [Their church marriage certificate lists each of them as living in Edwardsville, which is in Madison county.]

His parents: Recorded as Michael Dunn and Brigetta Grace (her name was actually Bridget); Grace was her maiden name, not a middle name.

Her parents: Recorded as Caspar Lauer and Erma Schwarz (the correct spelling of their names is Casper and Emma).

Witnesses: Patrick Donahue, Lizzie Lauer (Josephine's sister Elizabeth) and a Catholic priest whose name was August Schlegel.

Josephine’s parents are shown in the 1900 census as having been born in Germany. When I saw that it was the first inkling I had that our paternal heritage is anything other than Irish. Until that point I'd always understood that it was Irish only. (See the Mathias Schwarz page of this blog to learn about Josephine’s very interesting line of our ancestral family. Through her Schwarz line we are distant cousins of two U.S. presidents.)

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WED was born during the U.S. Civil War, would have grown up in the post-war reconstruction years, and died at age 47. He became one of the pioneers in the building of railroads during that era. Starting as a laborer called a "railroad hand", he held increasingly important positions with various railroads, including becoming a company officer, and at one point had 680 employees under his direct management.

Trivia: Railroads have been around since long before I was born, so I've always taken them for granted. However, if you think about it, someone had to build them - and WED was one of the men who did so. In looking for some history about railroad building in Illinois I came across this site, which has many photos and stories about that era.

Below is a transcript of an undated article about a going-away banquet given for WED. Based upon this and the letter of condolence, it appears that the occasion for the banquet was his move from St. Genevieve, Missouri, to Chicago, where he would take on the job of building yet another railroad.

“The officers and employees of the Ill. So. [Illinois Southern] invited W.E. Dunn to a banquet they caused to be prepared in his honor at the City Hotel Sunday evening. The table was laid with 84 covers for the guests. While the banquet was in progress the Ste. Genevieve Orchestra rendered several selections. At the conclusion of the feast C.J. Stanton, the able attorney of the company in Missouri, as the spokesman of the assemblage, made a neat little address in which he expressed the feelings of high regard of all present for Mr. Dunn and presented to him a fine gold watch and chain and a beautiful meerschaum pipe as tokens of their esteem, and to Mrs. Dunn a tray with a set of beautiful silver ware, a silk umbrella and an elaborate centerpiece constructed of cut flowers and wreaths. Mr. Dunn was overcome with emotion at this fine demonstration from his fellow officers and subordinates, and in a few heartfelt words expressed his gratefulness for the honor done him. Mr. Dunn will move to Chicago in about a month.”

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The Death of William Edward Dunn

His sudden and untimely death elicited strong and emotional responses both in Chicago, where he lived at the time, and in St. Genevieve, where he'd lived previously. Following is a transcription of his obituary; the publication in which it appeared is not known, but it seems it would have been published in January, 1908.

Death of William E. Dunn
William E. Dunn, superintendent of construction on the Chicago Southern railway, died at home in Crete last Saturday evening at 6 o’clock. Mr. Dunn had been ill but a short time, and expressions of deep sorrow greeted the news of his death throughout the community. He caught cold three or four weeks ago, but thought little of it and continued working, exposing himself to all kinds of weather until a few days after Christmas, when he was forced to give up and take to bed. By this time his lungs were badly congested, and although everything possible was done to save his life it proved to be of no avail. Mr. Dunn was a man of splendid physique, and all his life enjoyed good health, but the weeks of exposure he had to undergo while superintending the construction of the railroad, in which he took as much interest as though it were his own, had weakened him, and he was unable to make a successful battle for his life.

William E. Dunn was born at Raymond, Illinois, and was 47 years old at the time of his demise. He began railroading at an early age as a section hand, and soon had charge of a section. When John R. Walsh began building the Missouri Southern railway he chose Mr. Dunn as superintendent of construction, and the work was so well done that when it was decided to build the Chicago Southern “No one else was thought of to lead the way.” It is said to be one of the best built roads in the United States, and to Mr. Dunn’s efficiency and untiring energy is due in a large measure the completeness of the work. It is to be regretted that his untimely death prevents him from witnessing the complete fruition of his labors. He will be missed by employer and employe[e] alike, for while he was ever courteous and yielding to his superiors in office he was always just and generous to those in his employ. A widow and eight children survive to mourn the loss of a devoted husband and a kind, loving father. The funeral services were conducted at St. Liborius Catholic church at Steger Tuesday at 10 o’clock, after which the remains were taken to Mt. Olivet cemetery, Chicago, for burial."

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This article contains neither the date nor the name of the publication in which it appeared, but it seems it would also have appeared in January, 1908.

"William E. Dunn Dead
This community was shocked to hear that William E. Dunn of Crete, Ill., had died of pneumonia at 6:30 p.m. last Saturday. Mr. Dunn was at the time of his death Road Master of the Chicago Southern railroad, the construction of which he had only a short time before his death completed. Mr. Dunn was widely and favorably known among the people of this vicinity, having been here several years during the building of the present Illinois Southern Ry., which to this day is one of the finest pieces of road in the country, and is a lasting monument to his ability as a railroad builder.

He was a conscientious Christian gentleman, who not only enjoyed the unbounded confidence of his employer, Mr. John R. Walsh, but also the respect of everybody else who ever came in contact with him or had business relations with him. When Mr. Dunn was called to Chicago from here, the parting was a most pathetic one, and none regretted it more than he did when the time for parting came, and he has more than once expressed hid desire to return to Ste. Genevieve and establish a permanent home here. He loved our city, and he admired our people. He leaves his wife, a most estimable lady, with a large family of children to mourn his too early demise, and we assure them that this community sympathizes with them in their great loss. But it was God's will. Peace to his ashes."

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We also have this article, which is without a title, date or name of the publication in which it appeared, but it, too, would have been written in January, 2008, it seems.

"His large number of friends and admirers in this city were deeply grieved to learn of the death, Saturday last, at Crete, Ill, of appendicitis, of W.E. Dunn who formerly occupied the position of Illinois Southern Road Master and made his home here. He leaves a wife and five children. The remains were taken to his home in Chicago. The deceased was one of the very best types of men this world produces. Modest, unassuming, diligent, eminently fair, he was true to himself and his God at all times. That he was esteemed goes without saying. He was a man amongst men whose superior character and whose traits and customs made men, without exception, regard him as a superior man and always a friend. He was buried with the rights (sic) of the Catholic Church, whose laws he observed to the letter and whose spirit he loved as a mother loves her child. It will be the occasion of a pang of grief to all his friends to read this notice of his death as it is to the recorder hereof. May his soul rest in peace."

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Here's a transcript of the letter of condolence written to Josephine by C.J. Stanton, the company attorney mentioned in the article about the going-away banquet.

"Ste. Genevieve Mo. Jan. 8th1908

Mrs. William Dunn
Crete, Ills.

Dear Madam;

It is with much pain and sorrow indeed that I write to assure you of my deep sympathy for you and yours in this, your hour of trial and bereavement. I realize how utterly futile would be any attempt to, in the slightest degree, assuage the grief of one who has suffered a loss as great as yours, the loss of a true and devoted husband, a man of honor and of the highest integrity and one who, under all circumstances, was a true, faithful and loyal friend.

Your husband was "my friend" and during his absence from Ste. Genevieve I had always hoped that it would one day be again my good fortune to be associated with him socially as well as in a business way. God, however, has willed it otherwise and however hard it may seem it is true that He does for the best. He has taken away a truly just and noble man, for indeed the life of William E. Dunn was in all things worthy of emulation.

Again assuring you of the heartfelt sympathy of our family as well as myself, I trust that you may not forget that we shall appreciate any opportunity to serve you. My God bless you and your children, and may He strengthen you in your great trouble.

I am,

yours very respectfully,

[signed] C.J. Stanton"

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Josephine and the Family Go On

The 1910 Census records that the household now looked like this:
Name: Josephine Dunn, age: 39, birthplace: Illinois, father's birthplace: Germany, mother's birthplace: Germany, home in 1910: Crete, Illinois, marital status: widowed, race: white, gender: female

Household members:
Josephine Dunn - 39, occupation shown as "none";
Stephen C Dunn - 17, working at a piano factory;
John H Dunn - 15, working at the piano factory;
Eugene M Dunn - 11;
Edward T Dunn - 9;
Francis A Dunn - 6;
Helen M Dunn - 2.

Note that between the 1900 and 1910 censuses, Edward, Francis (who became known as Smiley) and Helen were born, but Ella was gone. Ella would have been 25 in 1910, so presumably she was on her own by this point. Also note that Rosa and Julia are no longer in the household; I was told by WED's granddaughter that they died of scarlet fever as children, a source of great heartbreak for him.

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Here's a link to the 1920 census. They are still in Crete, and in the household with Josephine, 49, are:
John - 25, a foreman;
Edward - 19, a machinist;
Francis - 16, a millwright;
Helen - 12, presumably still in school.

The males work for the piano factory; from other records we know that Eugene married Hazel Nolan in 1917 and is no longer in the household.

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Here's a link to the 1930 census. The family is now living in Steger, Illinois. Still living with Josephine, 59, are:
Edward - 29, automobile salesman;
Francis - 26, is a sander at the piano factory;
Helen - 22, occupation shown as "none".

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Josephine’s Death

Josephine lived until 1942; here's a transcript of her obituary from the Chicago Heights Star, October 30th, 1942.

"RITES TOMORROW FOR MRS. JOSEPHINE DUNN
Mrs. Josephine Dunn, 30 McKinley Avenue, Steger, died Wednesday in St. James hospital at the age of 71 years. A Steger resident for many years, she is survived by four sons - John, of Chicago; Edward, of Steger; Francis, of Chicago Heights, and Eugene, of New Orleans, La.; a daughter, Mrs. Helen Green of Steger, and seven grandchildren. Funeral services will be held tomorrow from the West End Fu­neral Home to St. Liborius church, Steger, at ten a. m."

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Note that Eugene's location is listed in the obituary above as New Orleans. That bit of data was an important clue as to his whereabouts, for I'd been looking for him only in Illinois, and had been unable to find him. I discuss this in more detail on the page in this blog where I write about Eugene.

We'll never know why, but our "East Chicago" Dunn family was apparently estranged from our extended family as we were growing up, for we didn't know any of our cousins who descended from WED and Josephine. In fact, until I began assembling our family history I didn't even know they existed. It's been very exciting to make connection with cousins Mary Starasinic (daughter of Helen Dunn Green) and her husband Joe, Colleen Dunn Becker (daughter of Francis "Smiley" Dunn) and her husband Ken, as well as cousins Carla Busby and Dan Nolan and his wife Jennifer. (The Busby and Nolan connections are covered elsewhere in this blog.)

Even though the family relationship didn't last, I do recall visiting relatives in Steger with my father when I was a little kid - and my perception had long been that they were on the Dunn side. When I received a copy of Josephine’s death certificate and saw that her address at that time was Steger, it confirmed that my father and I were visiting some of the Dunns, probably in the 1940s or very early 1950s.

For more about WED, see the page in this blog containing several emotional letters he wrote to family members. His and Josephine's marriage license can also be seen there.

Last updated 6/10/2010