Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) biography

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) Record Holding Aviator; Fought for the Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War; Died in a Plane Crash (b. October 20, 1911, 2nd Avenue and 17th Street, Manhattan, New York County, New York City, New York, USA - d. December 23, 1940, Deep Creek and Flatbush Avenue, Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, Kings County, Long Island, New York City, New York, USA)

Birth and siblings:
Eddie was born in 1911 at 2nd Avenue and 17th Street in Manhattan in New York. His father was Emil August Schneider (1886-1955), a banker and stock broker, born in Bielefeld, Germany. His mother was Inga Pedersen (1885-1927), who was born in Farsund, Norway. Inga was the daughter of Peder Andreas Pedersen (1830-?) and Serine Larsdatter (1840-?) aka Severina Larsdatter. Eddie had one full sibling: Alice Violetta Schneider (1913-2002) aka Alice Paula Schneider, who married John Harms (1905-1985). Emil remarried after Inga died. Emil's second wife was Margaret Jacobsen (1896-1989), also from Farsund, Norway.

Early years:
The family moved from Manhattan to Red Bank, New Jersey, and then they were in Jersey City, New Jersey by 1920. That year they were living at 2728 Hudson Boulevard and Emil owned a delicatessen. Living with them were Clara Schutz (1896-?), a neice, who had emigrated 1n 1910 from Norway; and Lena Adneson (1882-?), a cousin, who emigrated from Norway in 1916. Eddie graduated from Dickinson High School in Jersey City in 1927, the same year that his mother died. After his mother's death, Eddie and his parents visited Bielefeld, Germany and Farsund, Norway to visit with relatives. In Germany Eddie went on an airplane ride and then aviation became his obsession. In 1929 he trained at Roosevelt Field on Long Island and became the youngest person in the United States to receive a commercial pilot's license. That same year he also received a mechanics license, becoming the youngest licensed mechanic in New York. In April 1930 Eddie was living in Hempstead, Long Island with a German friend named Carl Schenider (1898-?). Carl was not related, and was working as a mechanic. Emil August Schneider and Margaret Jacobsen were living at 114 Carlton Avenue in Jersey City in 1930. Eddie flew a red Cessna monoplane number C9092.

Transcontinental air speed record:
The New York Times reported on July 30, 1930 that Eddie intended to fly to the Pacific coast and back that August. On August 25, 1930 Eddie set the round-trip transcontinental air speed record for pilots under the age of twenty-one years in his Cessna using a Warner Scarab engine. The New York Times covered each of his refueling stops in the race. He flew from Westfield, New Jersey on August 14, 1930 to Los Angeles, California in 4 days with a combined flying time of 29 hours and 55 minutes. He lowered the East to West record by 4 hours and 22 minutes. He then made the return trip from Los Angeles to Roosevelt Airfield in New York in 27 hours and 19 minutes, lowering the West to East record by 1 hour and 36 minutes. His total elapsed time for the round trip was 57 hours and 14 minutes, breaking the preceding record for the round trip. Frank H. Goldsborough held the previous record which was 62 hours and 58 minutes. When Eddie landed his first words were to his father: "Hello Pop, I made it". Robert Buck said on June 28, 2005: "I didn't know him well and only met [him] a couple of times, but I remember him as a quiet, good looking blonde, and very modest. I believe he was a credit to aviation and I always admired him."

1930 National Air Tour:
After setting the transcontinental speed record he entered in the 1930 Ford National Reliability Air Tour in Chicago, which ran from August 23, 1930 to September 1, 1930. He won the Great Lakes Trophy. Nancy Hopkins also flew in the tour that year.
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1931 National Air Tour:
In 1931 Eddie again participated in the Ford National Reliability Air Tour in his Cessna. A defect in his engine forced his landing while flying over a mountainous section of Kentucky, and he made a forced landing in a corn patch on the side of the mountain. A new engine was sent to him and after an difficult takeoff, he went on to win first place for single engine airplanes, and finishing third overall. Time magazine wrote:
"Sensation of the meet was the youngster Eddie Schneider, 19, who fell into last place by a forced landing of his Cessna and a three-day delay in Kentucky, then fought his way back to finish third, ahead of all other light planes."

Hoover Air League:
In 1932 he went to work for the Hoover Air League.

Marriage:
He married Gretchen Hahnen (1902-1986) in New York City on June 2, 1934 at the New York Municipal Building in Manhattan. Their marriage certificate was number "14174". Gretchen was the daughter of Zora M. Hahnen (1882-1962) and was originally from Des Moines, Iowa. She was a member the Jersey City Young Woman's Christian Association (YWCA) and was director of the Aviation Club of The Jersey Journal, Junior Club Magazine. Eddie met her at an aviation function. They did not have any children.

Jersey City Airport:
In 1935 Eddie leased the Jersey City Airport and ran his flying school from there until the field was converted into a sports stadium using WPA money. Eddie was taking off in a Travelair biplane with his student, Al Clemmings, when the motor died. From an altitude of 100 feet they crashed into Newark Bay, but were unhurt and were able to walk ashore.

Spanish Civil War:
In 1936, Eddie left for Spain to fly in the Yankee Squadron for the Spanish Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War. He was living at 50 Jones Street in Jersey City at the time. Eddie was promised he would be paid $1,500 each month and given a bonus of $1,000 for every rebel plane he shot down. He was never paid and he returned to the US in January of 1937. Others who flew for the loyalists included: Bert Acosta, Gordon Berry, and Frederick Lord. When he returned he was questioned by Chief Assistant United States Attorney, John F. Dailey on January 15, 1937 in New York. Eddie's lawyer was Colonel Lewis Landes. On January 20, 1937, Eddie, Bert, and Gordon flew to Washington, DC and had to testify again. When talking to reporters Eddie said: "I was broke, hungry, jobless ... yet despite the fact that all three of us are old-time aviators who did our part for the development of the industry, we were left out in the cold in the Administration’s program of job making. Can you blame us for accepting the lucrative Spanish offer?". Despite the perceived disloyalty, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) did not open a file on Eddie and there is no record of him under the Freedom on Information Act (FOIA).

Time magazine wrote on December 21, 1936:
"Hilariously celebrating in the ship's bar of the Normandie with their first advance pay checks from Spain's Radical Government, six able U.S. aviators were en route last week for Madrid to join Bert Acosta, pilot of Admiral Byrd's transatlantic flight, in doing battle against Generalissimo Francisco Franco's White planes. Payment for their services: $1,500 a month plus $1,000 for each White plane brought down."

Physical description:
In 1938 Eddie stood at 5 foot, 8 inches (68 inches) and weighed 160 pounds (73 kg). This gives him a body mass index of 24.3. He had blue eyes and blonde hair, and he was living at 38 Broadway in Manhattan.

Middle years:
In June of 1940 Eddie began work for American Airlines at Newark Airport in New Jersey. He then moved to Jackson Heights, Queens on Long Island, because the American Airlines eastern terminal had moved to LaGuardia Airport. He took a job as a civilian instructor for the US Army at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn with the Archie Baxter Flying Service. Eddie registered for the draft on October 16, 1940 when he was living at 3250 73rd Street in Jackson Heights, Queens in New York. Gretchen and Eddie were considering divorce in 1940. They argued that Eddie was travelling to much.

Death:
On December 23, 1940, Eddie was killed in an accident at Floyd Bennett Field at age 29, while training George W. Herzog (1903-1940). They were flying at about 600 feet, about to land, when Navy pilot Kenneth A. Kuehner, age 25, of Minister, Ohio struck the tail assembly of Eddie's Piper Cub. Eddie's plane went into a spin and crashed into Deep Creek, just off of Flatbush Avenue. Both Herzog and Schneider were dead at the scene of impact. The bodies were taken to King's County Hospital, and Eddie's cause of death was listed as "crushed chest & abdomen; hemothorax & hemoperitoneum in aeroplane crash". His obituary was published in the New York Times of New York and the Jersey Journal of Jersey City, New Jersey. At the time of Eddie's death his parents were living at 6 Livingston Avenue, Arlington, Hudson County, New Jersey near Kearny, New Jersey.

Burial:
Eddie was buried at Fairview Cemetery in Fairview, New Jersey. He was buried with the following family members: Gustav Schneider (1874-1925) who was Emil's brother and was married to Wilhelmine Molle (1873-1933); Gutstav's children: Theodore Schneider (1901-1979) and Edna Schneider; and Violet Schneider (1920) who died as an infant. Eddie is also buried with both his parents.

Widow:
After his death Gretchen married a man named Gray and after they divorced she married a man named Grant Black and they lived in Texas. She died under the name of "Gretchen Black" in her home town of Des Moines, Iowa.

Archive:
* Eddie's papers and photographs are now archived at the George H. Williams, World War I Aviation Library at the University of Texas at Dallas. They were placed there by his widow: Gretchen Harms. They archived his 1938 New York driver's license and NJ drivers license; his TWA Courtesy Card; 1940 Selective Service card; 1940 car registration; and 1942 FCC license.
* The Naida Muriel Freudenberg (1915-1998) Collection had the 1930 photograph; and an undated newspaper article.
* The Ralph Freudenberg (1903-1980) and Nora Belle Conklin (1902-1963) Collection had the circa 1918 photograph of Inga and Emil.
* New York State Vital Records provided the death certificate and ancillary report.
* A family anecdote says that some of Eddie August Schneider's belongings were presented to the National Air and Space Museum including some clothing, but the museum has no record of any donations.
* Eleanor Schneider has a collection of photographs.

Timeline:

• 1911 Birth of Eddie Schneider in Manhattan, New York
• 1915 (circa) Move to Red Bank, New Jersey
• 1920 (circa) Move to Jersey City, New Jersey
• 1920 1920 US Census
• 1927 Death of Inga Pedersen, Eddie's mother
• 1927 Graduation from Dickinson High School in Jersey City
• 1927 Trip to Norway and Germany
• 1930 Living at 114 Carlton Avenue in Jersey City
• 1930 Sets transcontinental air speed record
• 1930 National Air Tour: Won Great Lakes Trophy
• 1930 Living in Hempstead, Long Island with his Carl Schneider (no known relation)
• 1931 National Air Tour: Won first place for single engine planes
• 1932 Marriage to Gretchen Hahnen
• 1935 Leases Jersey City airport
• 1935 Engine dies at 100 feet and he and Al Clemmings crash into Newark Bay
• 1936 Living at 50 Jones Street in Jersey City
• 1936 Flying in Spanish Civil War
• 1937 Moves to Manhattan from Jersey City
• 1938 Living at 38 Broadway in Manhattan
• 1940 Work at American Airlines
• 1940 Death in crash at Floyd Bennett Field

Airplane:
* Red colored Cessna monoplane model AW with 110 horsepower (82 kW) Warner Scarab engine, C9092

Major air races:
* 1930 Ford National Reliability Air Tour (National Air Tour) Detroit, Michigan; Plane number 22. Great Lakes Trophy.
* 1931 Ford National Reliability Air Tour (National Air Tour) Detroit, Michigan; Plane number 17. First place for single engine planes.

Junior transcontinental air speed record holders:
* 1930 Frank Goldsborough
* 1930 Eddie August Schneider
* 1930 Robert Buck

Eddie Schneider's 1930 transcontinental itinerary:
* Westfield, New Jersey; departure: August 14, 1930, 5:55 am, edt
* Williamsburg, Pennsylvania; departure: August 15, 1930, 12:30 pm
* Columbus, Ohio
* St. Louis, Missouri; departure: August 16, 1930, 1:25 pm
* Wichita, Kansas; arrival: August 16, 1930, 7:45 pm
* Santa Rosa, New Mexico aka Anton Chico, New Mexico
* Albuquerque, New Mexico; arrival: 5:35 am, mst, August 18, 1930; depature: August 18, 1930, 8:05 am, mst
* Los Angeles, California; departure: August 21, 1930, 6:17:30 am, pst
* Columbus, Ohio
* Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York
* Chicago, Illinois (to attend National Air Races)

Coverage in the New York Times, New York:
* New York Times, July 30, 1930, page 43, "Boy pilot seeks record"
* New York Times, August 12, 1930, page 04, "Seeks title on coast hop"
* New York Times, August 15, 1930, page 05, "Schneider halted by fog"
* New York Times, August 16, 1930, page 28, "Schneider gains St. Louis"
* New York Times, August 17, 1930, page 23, "Schneider flies to Wichita"
* New York Times, August 18, 1930, page 17, "Schneider in New Mexico"
* New York Times, August 19, 1930, page 03, "Schneider reaches goal"
* New York Times, August 22, 1930, page 13, "Schneider pushes plane"
* New York Times, August 23, 1930, page 28, "Schneider plans flying here today"
* New York Times, August 24, 1930, page 02, "Schneider reaches Ohio"
* New York Times, October 19, 1930, page 09, "2 claim air records from Pacific here"
* New York Times, July 05, 1931, page 12, "15 planes start reliability flight"
* New York Times, July 10, 1931, page 11, "Harry Russell leads National Air Tour"
* New York Times, July 18, 1931, page 03, "Reach Fort Worth on Air Tour"
* New York Times, July 26, 1931, page 03, "Russell again wins National Air Tour"
* New York Times, June 24, 1934, page N3, "Marriage announced of Gretchen Hahnen"
* New York Times, September 22, 1935, page 12, "Robert Buck: Boy pilot delays flight"
* New York Times, September 26, 1935, page 18, "Jersey City to get WPA stadium fund"
* New York Times, September 30, 1935, page 24, "Robert Buck: Boy flier reaches Indiana on long hop"
* New York Times, January 01, 1937, page 17, "Amazed by Acosta, rebel fliers fled"
* New York Times, January 16, 1937, page 03, "Flier says lawyer sent him to Spain"
* New York Times, February 06, 1937, page 04, "Lanphier was not in Spain"
* New York Times, December 24, 1940, page 15, "2 die as planes crash at field"

Coverage in the Washington Post, Washington, DC:
* The Washington Post, August 12, 1930, page 5, "Youth, 19, to Try Today For Record U.S. Hop"
* The Washington Post, August 18, 1930, page 4, "Schneider Planned Take-Off at Dawn to Complete Hop to Albuquerque"
* The Washington Post, August 25, 1930, page 1, "Boy Pilot, 18, Lowers Three Flight Marks; Eddie Schneider Lowers Goldsborough Records Through Hop"
* The Washington Post, August 26, 1930, page 18, "Jersey City Mayor Greets Schneider; Walker Will Also Receive Boy Flier; to Take Part in National Races"
* The Washington Post, October 10, 1930, page 11, "Cross-Country Plane Race By Woman and Boy Looms; Laura Ingalls and Robert Buck to Take Off From California Today in Pursuit of New West-East Transcontinental Records", Robert Buck beats Eddie's record
* The Washington Post, January 07, 1937, page 5, "Yankee Fliers Quit"
* The Washington Post, January 16, 1937, page 7, "Aviator Says N.Y. Attorney Is Leftist Agent" via AP
* The Washington Post, January 17, 1937, page 5, "U.S. Socialists Sift Volunteers To Fight Rebels" via AP
* The Washington Post, January 20, 1937, page 5, "3 U.S. Airmen Here to Explain Aid to Loyalists; Acosta, Berry, Schneider Fly to Capital With Their Attorney"

Coverage in Chicago Tribune:
* Chicago Tribune; August 25, 1930. "Three Records Set by Boy Flyer. Schneider to Attend Air Races in Chicago. Eighteen year old Eddie Schneider of Jersey City, New Jersey landed here from Columbus, Ohio, at 3:03 p. m. (E.S.T.) today with three junior transcontinental records in his possession. He will fly to Chicago tomorrow for the air races."

Selected coverage in other periodicals:
* Newark Advocate, Newark, OH, August 14, 1930, "Youth is after junior record" via AP
* Clearfield Progress, Clearfield, PA, August 15, 1930, "Boy aviator forced to land, but arises again"
* Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, IL, August 17, 1930, "Youthful flyer lands in Wichita"
* Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, IL, August 18, 1930, "Schneider on last stage of flight"
* Van Wert Daily Bulletin, Van Wert, OH, August 18, 1930, "Albuquerque, New Mexico. Eddie Schneider attempting to set new record via INS
* Newark Advocate, Newark, OH, August 18, 1930, "Boy pilot in air" via AP
* Newark Advocate, Newark, OH, August 19, 1930, "Junior record for long hop"
* Newark Advocate, Newark, OH, August 21, 1930, "Schneider is after record" via AP
* Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, IL, August 22, 1930, "Schneider off on trip to Wichita"
* Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, IL, August 23, 1930, Schneider off on non-stop flight
* Decatur Evening Herald, Decatur, IL, August 25, 1930, "Sets junior transcontinental record" via Pacific and Atlantic
* Coshocton Tribune, Coshocton, OH, August 25, 1930, "Boy makes new round trip mark"
* Van Wert Daily Bulletin, Van Wert, Ohio on August 27, 1930, "Waving a cheery hello, Eddie Scheider ... broke the late Frank Goldsborough's record" via ITN
* Newark Advocate, Newark, OH, September 16, 1930, "Girl and boy of 19 are interesting pair in this year's Ford airplane tour"
* Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, IL, September 27, 1930, "Boy flyer set to try at transcontinental record", Robert Buck seeks Eddie's record
* Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, IL, September 29, 1930, "Boy aviator in quest of record", Robert Buck seeks Eddie's record
* Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, IL, October 01, 1930, "Boy flier hops off second time", Robert Buck beats Eddie's record
* Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, IL, October 05, 1930, "Boy flier plans return air trip", Robert Buck beats Eddie's record
* Coshocton Tribune, July 09, 1931, "Reliability air tourists over W. Va, Ky, and Tenn."
* Lima News, Lima, OH, July 10, 1931, "Russell leads flyers in air tour"
* Time magazine, August 03, 1931, "Ford's Reliability"
* Richfield Reaper, Richfield, UT March 21, 1935, "He Learns to Fly in 55 Minutes"
* Oshkosh Northwestern, Oshkosh, WI, January 06, 1937, "American aviators through with Spain" via AP
* Ironwood Daily Globe, Ironwood, Michigan, January 06, 1937, "4 disallusioned yank airmen desert Spain" via AP
* Jersey Journal, Jersey City, NJ, December 24, 1940, "Local pilot dead"

Edwin Joseph O'Malley (1881-1955) biography

Edwin Joseph O'Malley (August 23, 1881 - April 10, 1955) was the Commissioner of Public Markets for New York City.

Edwin was the son of Thomas Francis O'Malley (1854-1918) and Georgiana Reynolds (1855-1941) and he was born in the Bronx, New York in 1881. His father's family was from County Mayo, Ireland. He married Alma Feltner (1883-1940) around 1902 and had a single child: Walter Francis O'Malley (1903-1979), who became the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1950 to 1979. Alma's family was from southern Germany. In 1910 Edwin was living in the Bronx, New York and working as a cotton goods salesman. Around 1911 he moved the family from the Bronx to Hollis, Queens. He registered for the draft on September 12, 1918, but did not serve in World War I. He became a Democratic party "ward heeler" for Tammany Hall, and was appointed as the Commissioner of Public Markets for New York City by mayor John F. Hylan. He survived a graft scandal in 1921-1922. The Commissioner's office set the price for commodities in the city of New York before the market was allowed to regulate itself. He testified on August 18, 1922 before the Kings County, New York Grand Jury, which was investigating the mishandling of the fees paid by vendors to the Public Markets office. He died in Amityville, New York in 1955.

Selected coverage in the New York Times:
* New York Times, September 01, 1921, page 01, "O'Malley in rage quits as witness"
* New York Times, September 02, 1921, page 01, "Names Republican to put O'Malley's case before jury"
* New York Times, September 10, 1921, page 07, "O'Malley drops aid named in inquiry"
* New York Times, January 25, 1922, page 15, "Injunction violation charged to O'Malley"
* New York Times, August 17, 1922, page 27, "O'Malley halts market inquiry"
* New York Times, August 18, 1922; page 26, "O'Malley testifies in market inquiry"
* New York Times, August 19, 1922, page 20, "O'Malley will not talk"
* New York Times, August 25, 1922, page 06, "Hylan to seize O'Malley's records"
* New York Times, July 02, 1923, page 20, "O'Malley opposes port market plan"
* New York Times, October 19, 1923, page 21, "O'Malley wants larger coal quota"
* New York Times, August 25, 1924, page 30, "Buy your coal now O'Malley advises"

Walter Francis O'Malley (1903-1979) biography

Walter Francis O'Malley (October 9, 1903 - August 9, 1979) was an American sports executive who owned the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers team in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1979.

Birth:
Walter O'Malley was the only child of Edwin Joseph O'Malley (1883-1955), who was working as a cotton goods salesman in the Bronx in 1903, but would later become the Commissioner of Public Markets for New York City. Walter's mother was Alma Feltner (1882-1940).

Education:
O'Malley attended the Culver Academy in Indiana, and then the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated in 1926. He then attended Columbia University in New York City, but after his family lost their money in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, he switched to attending night classes at Fordham University. He completed his law degree in 1930, and then worked as an assistant engineer for the New York Subway. He then worked for Thomas F. Riley who owned a drilling company and they formed the partnership of Riley and O'Malley. With the help of Walter's father's political connections, the company received contracts from the New York Telephone Company and Board of Education to perform geological surveys. Walter then started the Walter F. O'Malley Engineering Company, and published the Subcontractors Register with his uncle Joseph O'Malley (1893-1985).

Marriage:
On September 5, 1931, he married Katherine Elizabeth "Kay" Hanson (1907-1979), whom he had dated since high school, at Saint Malachy's Roman Catholic Church in Manhattan. They had two children, Theresa O'Malley (1933- ) and Peter O'Malley (1937- ). Kay had been diagnosed with laryngeal cancer before the engagement and had to have her larynx removed. She was unable to speak the rest of her life.

George McLaughlin:
In 1933 Walter met George V. McLaughlin who was president of the Brooklyn Trust Company. It was through George that Walter was brought into the financial arrangements for Ebbets Field in 1940.

Brooklyn Dodgers:
In 1942 he was appointed the attorney for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and he became the president and chief stockholder on October 26, 1950, taking over for Branch Rickey, who was a trailblazer in baseball by instituting the farm system and breaking the racial barrier with Jackie Robinson. In 1955, the team overcame decades of frustration by winning the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Following the 1957 season, he moved the Dodgers to Los Angeles. He was given a property in Chavez Ravine by the Los Angeles city government and built the 56,000 capacity Dodger Stadium for $12 million. His Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 1959, 1963, and 1965. The Los Angeles Angels also played in Dodger Stadium for their first 4 years. On March 17, 1970, Walter turned over the presidency of the team to his son Peter. Peter O'Malley held the position until 1997 when the team was sold to Rupert Murdoch.

Death:
Walter O'Malley was diagnosed with cancer, and sought treatment at the Mayo Clinic on July 12, 1979. He died of congestive heart failure on August 9, 1979 and was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Less than a month before his own death, his wife Kay had died.

Timeline:
* 1903 Birth in New York City
* 1910 US Census
* 1920 US Census
* 1926 Graduation from University of Pennsylvania
* 1929 Stock Market Crash
* 1930 Law degree from Fordham University
* 1930 US Census
* 1931 Marriage to Katherine Elizabeth Hanson, aka Kay Hanson
* 1933 Birth of Theresa O'Malley, his daughter
* 1937 Birth of Peter O'Malley, his son
* 1940 Death of Alma Feltner, his mother
* 1942 Appointed attorney for the Brooklyn Dodgers
* 1950 Presidnet and chief stockholder on October 26th
* 1955 Death of Edwin Joseph O'Malley, his father
* 1955 Dodgers win World Series
* 1957 Team moved to Los Angeles, California
* 1959 Dodgers win World Series
* 1963 Dodgers win World Series
* 1965 Dodgers win World Series
* 1970 Peter O'Malley, his son, becomes President of Dodgers
* 1979 Death of Kay, his wife
* 1979 Treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on July 12th
* 1979 Death of Walter O'Malley at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on August 9th

References:
* New York Times, August 10, 1979; Obituary
* Burton Alan Boxerman; Ebbets to Veeck to Busch: Eight Owners Who Shaped Baseball ISBN 0786415622

Marion Webb (1894-1931) biography

Marion Webb (1894-1931) She Took her Own Life when She Discovered her Husband was Already Married (b. March 1894, New York, USA - d. August 1931, Bloomfield, Essex County, New Jersey, USA)

Birth:
Daughter of Cornelia M. Patterson (1863-1940) and Edwin Webb. Edwin eventually abandoned the family.

Siblings:
She had the following siblings: Louise Florence Webb (1883-1943) who married Jacob Henry Stark; John G. Webb (1887-?) who married May; and Lillian R. Webb (1890-?) who married Edward Meyer.

Marriage:
She married Frederick T. Lewis in 1927 in Connecticut who worked for the merchandising department of Hahne & Company in Newark, New Jersey. Frederick was previously married to Augusta C. Augusta had her divorce from Frederick set aside, but he had married Marion and moved to New Jersey. Legally he was now a bigamist.

Bigamy:
The New York Times, February 12, 1929: "Attacks marriage of her ex-husband. Former Mrs. Frederick T. Lewis alleges she had divorce set aside. Mrs. August C. Lewis of the Hotel Leonori, Madison Avenue and Sixty-third Street, sued in the Supreme Court yesterday to void the marriage of Frederick T. Lewis, who she asserts is still her husband, and Marion Webb, to whom Lewis was married in Connecticut in 1927, after obtaining a divorce decree which Mrs. Lewis had set aside. Mrs. Lewis asks that the defendants be restrained from living together and that Marion Webb be enjoined from using the name Lewis, on the ground that Lewis's pretended divorce from the plaintiff subjects her to ignominy and unpleasantness and to a false suspicion that the defendant divorced the plaintiff because of infidelity. Justice Glennon ordered that the papers be served on Lewis by mail to the merchandising department of Hahne & Company, Newark. The affidavits of Mrs. Lewis and her attorney, Henry Woog, asserted that Lewis is now living in East Orange with Marion Webb and that he is remaining out of New York to avoid alimony in a suit for separation brought by the plaintiff."

Death:
Her cause of death was "asphyxiation by illuminating gas".

Burial:
She was buried on August 14, 1931 at Evergreen cemetery in Hillside, New Jersey, in lot 5A of the Lawn Crest 4 section on map 7. The undertaker was T.J. O'Mara.

Axel Gustaf Torbjörn Enström (1893-1977) biography

Axel Gustaf Torbjörn Enström (October 25, 1893 - March 9, 1977) was a Swedish industrialist, the head of SCA Forest Products in Sundsvall. He was managing director (president) 1950-1960 and chairman of the board 1960-1965.

He married Margit Lisa Magdalena Wahlberg (1900-1984) in Ytterlännäs parish, Västernorrland, Sweden on July 18, 1920. She was a daughter of Johanna Winblad (1859-1916) and Per Olof Bernhard Wahlberg (1852-1927). Their children include: Torbjörn Enström (1921-1983) who married Ginette; Lennart Enström (1923-1999) who married Inga (1925- ); and Birgitta Enström (1925- ) who married Richard Malmros.

On September 12, 1953 a golf course he created was opened. The course was officially opened by His Royal Highness Prince Bertil. The SCA Men´s Choir was established on August 28, 1957 on his initiative. His interest in male choral singing lead to the creation of choirs where ever there was an SCA run company, in Kramfors, Holmsund, Byske and Karlsvik. An icebreaking tugboat that belonged to SCA was named after him. It was later sold and renamed Fram.

Timeline:
* 1893 Birth of Axel Enström in Sweden
* 1920 Marriage to Margit Lisa Magdalena Wahlberg in Ytterlännäs, Sweden on August 28th
* 1921 Birth of Torbjörn Enström
* 1923 Birth of Lennart Enström
* 1925 Birth of Birgitta Enström
* 1950 Begins tenure as Director of SCA Forest Products in Sundsvall
* 1953 Creation of golf course in Sundsvall on September 12th
* 1957 Creation of Men's Choir on August 28th
* 1960 Ends tenure as Director of SCA Forest Products in Sundsvall
* 1960 Begins tenure as Chairman of the Board of SCA Forest Products in Sundsvall
* 1965 Ends tenure as Chairman of the Board of SCA Forest Products in Sundsvall
* 1977 Death of Axel Enström in Sundsvall, Sweden

Eva Ariel Lattin (1892-1939) in Cuba circa 1913

Eva Ariel Lattin (1892-1939) in Santa Barbara on the Isle of Pines, Cuba circa 1913.

From left to right are: Norman Edward Winblad (1911-1980); Eva Ariel Lattin (1892-1939); and Anthony LeRoy Winblad (1912-1970) circa 1913 at the home of Jarvis Andrew Lattin (1853-1941) and Mary Jane Puckett (1854-1927) near Santa Barbara on the Isle of Pines in Cuba.

Source: This picture was taken by Anton Julius Winblad II (1886-1975) with his camera. The family appears to be returning to their own home a few miles away. The image comes from the collection of Maria Elizabeth Winblad (1895-1987).

From left to right: John Edward Winblad (1856-1914); Salmine Sophia Severine Olesdatter Pedersen (1862-1914); and Dewey Ernest Lattin I (1898-1985) at the home of Jarvis Andrew Lattin (1853-1941) and Mary Jane Puckett (1854-1927) near Santa Barbara on the Isle of Pines, Cuba.

Notes:
The photograph was taken by Anton Julius Winblad II (1886-1975) in 1911. The photograph is from the collection of Maria Elizabeth Winblad (1895-1987) and is now archived with Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ).

Jarvis Andrew Lattin (1853-1941) biography

Jarvis Andrew Lattin (1853-1941) Vendor of Fruits and Vegetables on Long Island Railroad; Sodbuster and Gold Prospector in Black Hills of North Dakota; Manager of Stern's Pickle Works on Powell Place off of Melville Road in Farmingdale; Republican Party Deputy Sheriff of Glen Cove; and Farmer in Cuba (b. May 29, 1853, Farmingdale, Nassau County, Long Island, New York, USA - d. February 21, 1941, Lake Helen, Volusia County, Florida, USA)

Birth and siblings:
Jarvis was born in 1853 in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York to Henry K. Lattin (1806-1894) aka Henry K. Latting and Julia Wood (1813-1873). Jarvis had the following siblings: Mary E. Lattin (1833-1874) who married Charles Powell; George Lattin (1837-?); Julietta Lattin (1839-aft1850); William H. Lattin (1842-1871) who married Ella T. X; Phebe Maria Lattin (1845-?); Susannah Lattin (1848-1868) who died post partum in a medical scandal; Smith Lattin (1849-?); Charles G. Lattin (1850-1869); and Deborah Jane Lattin (1858-1861). The family appears in the 1850 US Census listed in Oyster Bay which is where Farmingdale resided. Jarvis followed the railroad out to Iowa in 1874.

Marriage and children:
Jarvis married Mary Jane Puckett (1854-1927) on October 15, 1874 in Jasper Township, Carroll County, Iowa and had the following children: Mary Esther Lattin (1875-1895) who was born on Iowa and later married Richard Arlington Brush (1874-1944); Catherine Lavinia Lattin (1878-1964) who married Richard Arlington Brush (1874-1944) as his second wife, after her sister died; Julia Ann Lattin (1880-1960) who married Alfred William Poole (1881-1959); William Henry Lattin (1882) who died as an infant; Myrtle Adelia Lattin (1884-1970) who married Charles Haley Williams (1884-1960) after they met in Cuba; Deluth Andrew Lattin (1886-1887) who died as an infant; Jennie Alice Lattin (1888-1958) who married Charles Henry Pilkington (1887-1956); Charles A. Lattin (1890-1891) who died as an infant; Eva Ariel Lattin (1892-1939) who married Anton Julius Winblad II (1886-1975) after they met in Cuba; Frederick E. Lattin (1894) who died as an infant; Effie Jeanette Lattin (1895-1989) who married Josiah Barnes Pomeroy (1882-1956) after they met in Cuba; Dewey Ernest Lattin I (1898-1985) who lived in Cuba from 1909 to 1915 and married Elizabeth Henry (1903-1987); Theodore Roosevelt Lattin (1901-1980) who lived in Cuba from 1909 to 1915 and married Bertha Christina Nelson (1905-1980). All the children except Mary Esther Lattin were born in Farmingdale.

Market man:
The family appears in the 1880 US Census living in Oyster Bay and Jarvis is listed as a "marketman". Living with him was his widowed father, Henry Lattin. Jarvis in 1880 was selling foodstuffs on the trains of the Long Island Rail Road.

Farming in Nebraska then to Black Hills of Dakota:
Jarvis moved to Nebraska near the Niobrori River, which was about 20 miles from Atkinson. He had bought farm implements on credit, but he wasn't successful, so he could not pay for them, and they were repossesed. He next tried prospecting for gold in the Black Hills of Dakota. His daughter, Julia Ann Lattin (1880-1960) wrote: "That left my mother alone with the children right across the river from the Indians, but they were friendly and traded many things which were allowed them from the government. I remember especially some blankets from them. They were rather dark blue with a black border. My mother used to leave the baby in bed of a morning when she had come to cross a stream on a foot log to milk her cow. One day starting back with her milk, she saw the child starting to creep across the foot log to meet her, and just in the middle of the stream the child fell overboard in the water. Mother sat her milk pail down and ran and jumped in after her, catching hold of her night dress. It was a puzzle to know how she got herself and the child on the foot log again, as the water was deep in places. Finally she managed to get her skirt off in the water and fastened the child with that until she climbed up herself. We only had a cook stove for heat, and when I was a little more than a year old, I was sitting in a high chair near the stove to keep warm and my mother was combing her hair with her head bent over when she heard a terrible scream. I had fallen on the stove. My sister (Catherine Lavinia Lattin), 1 1/2 years older had pushed the chair. My left eye had hit one of the galvanized balls on the stove leaving the skin on it, causing me to lose sight in that eye. The eye was almost closed. The doctor operated on it three times, but it did not improve the sight. I was seven years old the last operation, and they laid me right on the floor."

Pickle Factory:
In 1888 Jarvis started a pickle and sauerkraut factory in Farmingdale. There were many companies already established in the area. He had a house built on the land next to the factory. The factory in 1894 was sold to Aaron Stern and it became the "Stern and Lattin Pickle Company" and later "Stern and Brauner". It was also listed as "Stern Pickle Products, Inc." and "Stern's Pickle Works". It was at 111 Powell Place off of Melville Road and lasted until 1985.

Deputy sheriff:
Harold Lawrence McPheeters (1923- ) writes: "Jarvis Lattin was for some time a Constable in Farmingdale. Someone accused him of charging too many trips to Jamaica [New York] on the Long Island Railroad, but his response was that his responsibilities included arresting 'tramps' and taking them to County headquarters in Jamaica for booking." The Brooklyn Eagle, Wednesday, June 29, 1898 reports on the inquiry.

Isle of Pines, Cuba:
The Isle of Pines was ceded to the United States during the Spanish-American War of 1898. The Platt Amendment defined Cuba's boundaries at the end of the war, but because the island wasn't specifically mentioned in the amendment, it was claimed by both the United States and the new Cuban government. In 1907, the United States Supreme Court made a decicion on the island, declaring it bvelonged to Cuba. In 1909 Jarvis moved with his wife and unmarried children to the island. On Tuesday, March 23, 1909; Tuesday, August 30, 1910; and Monday, June 24, 1912, Jarvis returned to New York City from Havana, Cuba. This must have been his first trips back from Cuba to buy land and a dry goods store near Santa Barbara on the Isle of Pines. His daughter, Julia Ann Lattin (1880-1960), wrote: "We celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary (October 15, 1924) there, and my sister Eva, and I made them a surprise visit. They were so happy to see us. The boat made only two trips a week between Cuba and the island. We had our luggage inspected in Havana and spent one night there. It took about two hours to cross Cuba by train, and the boat was waiting for us. It was just an overnight trip to the Isle of Pines, and it was so calm there was hardly a ripple on the water. But we did experience a very bad hurricane while there. Every one boards up their windows when they see the storm approaching. After Cuba took over the island, many of the Americans left and went back to the States as my parents did." The island was formally ceded to Cuba in 1925.

Florida:
Jarvis on his return from Cuba in 1924, settled in Lake Helen in Florida and his wife passed away in 1927. By 1930 had married Agnes M. Dimmock (1861-1937). Harold Lawrence McPheeters (1923- ) writes: "I do know that grandpa Lattin regularly drank whiskey. He wanted an inch (25 mm) of whiskey a day, and much preferred that it be in a milk bottle rather than in a regular shot glass. Uncle Dewey told me that they lived nearby his parents in Lake Helen at that time, and they often found Jarvis quite well lubricated with a bottle of whiskey in which he had placed [a] considerable [amount of] sugar. They felt that Jarvis treated Agnes badly in that he would not buy her new clothes or shoes and expected her to shoo away the flies attracted by the spilled sugar and whiskey. Elizabeth, Dewey's wife, told me how she once embarrassed Jarvis into buying Agnes a new pair of shoes. Dewey had ... told me, 'My father was as close to the Devil as there was, and my mother as close to an Angel.'

Death and Burial:
Jarvis died in 1941 in Lake Helen, Florida, and is buried in Powell Cemetery in Hempstead.

Timeline:
* 1853 Birth of Jarvis Andrew Lattin in Farmingdale, Queens County, Long Island on May 29th
* 1870 (circa) Selling food on Long Island Railroad trains
* 1870 (circa) Migration westward following railroad
* 1870 (circa) Settle in Carroll County, Iowa
* 1874 Marriage to Mary Jane Puckett in Carroll County, Iowa on October 15th
* 1875 Birth of Mary Esther Lattin, his child, in Iowa
* 1976 (circa) Move from Iowa back to Farmingdale, Queens County, Long Island
* 1878 Birth of Catherine Lavinia Lattin, his child, in Farmingdale on May 11th
* 1880 Birth of Julia Ann Lattin, his child, in Farmingdale on January 7th
* 1880 Henry Lattin, his father, living in his household
* 1880 Working as marketman on Long Island
* 1880 US Census with Jarvis as Head of Household in April
* 1881 (circa) Move to Holt County, Nebraska
* 1881 (circa) Julia Ann Lattin, his daughter, age 1, falls into stove and loses use of one eye
* 1882 (circa) Mary Esther Lattin, his daughter, age 7, is bitten by rattlesnake
* 1882 Birth of William Henry Lattin, his child, in Holt County, Nebraska on April 24th
* 1882 Death of William Henry Lattin, his child, in Holt County, Nebraska on August 12th
* 1884 Birth of Myrtle Adelia Lattin, his child, in Holt County, Nebraska on March 28th
* 1885 (circa) Lose farm to creditors
* 1885 (circa) Move to The Black Hills, Dakota Territory to mine gold
* 1886 Birth of Deluth Andrew Lattin, his child, in Holt County, Nebraska on August 5th
* 1887 Death of Deluth Andrew Lattin, his child, in Holt County, Nebraska on September 19th
* 1888 Move from Holt County, Nebraska back to Farmingdale, Long Island, New York
* 1888 Blizzard leaves 40 inches (1 m) of snow in New York on March 11th to 12th
* 1888 (circa) Working at pickle and sauerkraut factory
* 1888 (circa) Build house in Farmingdale, Long Island
* 1888 Birth of Jennie Alice Lattin, his child, in Farmingdale on July 9th
* 1890 Birth of Charles A. Lattin, his child, in Farmingdale on December 9th
* 1892 Birth of Eva Ariel Lattin in Farmingdale on February 19th
* 1894 Birth of Frederick E. Lattin, his child, in Farmingdale on March 13th
* 1894 Death of Frederick E. Lattin, his child, in Farmingdale on April 24th
* 1895 Birth of Effie Jeanette Lattin, his child, in Farmingdale on July 9th
* 1895 Death of Mary Esther Lattin, his child, in Farmingdale on October 1st
* 1898 Birth of Dewey Ernest Lattin I, his child, in Farmingdale on September 16th
* 1901 Birth of Theodore Roosevelt Lattin, his child, in Farmingdale on August 31st
* 1904 Treaty recognizing Cuba's sovereignty over Isle of Pines negotiated
* 1909 Purchase of 20 acres (81,000 m²) on the Isle of Pines, Cuba in October
* 1909 Return from Havanna, Cuba to New York City on March 23rd
* 1910 Return from Havanna, Cuba to New York City on August 30th
* 1910 Return from Havanna, Cuba to New York City on June 24th with Mary Jane, his wife
* 1924 Eva Lattin and Earl Winblad trip to Cuba
* 1924 Celebration of 50th wedding anniversary on Isle of Pines, Cuba on October 15th
* 1924 Treaty recognizing Cuba's sovereignty over Isle of Pines ratified
* 1925 (circa) Move from Cuba to Lake Helen, Volusia County, Florida
* 1927 Death of Mary Jane Puckett, his wife, on October 29th
* 1941 Death of Jarvis Andrew Lattin in Florida on February 21st
* 1941 Burial in the Powell Cemetery, Farmingdale, Nassau County, Long Island, New York

References:
* McPheeters, Harold; Ancestors and descendants of Jarvis Andrew Lattin
* Brooklyn Eagle, Wednesday, June 29, 1898, "Deputy Lattin's bills"

Burnett Peter Van Deusen (1913-1993) biography

Burnett Peter Van Deusen (1913-1993) aka Pete Van Deusen; Magnetic Ink Salesman at Sun Chemical (b. November 10, 1913, Albany, Albany County, New York, 12208, USA - d. October 31, 1993, Montville, Morris County, New Jersey, 07045, USA) Social Security Number 058077827.

Ancestry:
Burnett Peter Van Deusen (1913-1993) was a third cousin, six times removed, of Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) the 8th President of the United States of America. Burnett's ninth great-grandfather was Abraham Pietersen Van Deusen (1602-?) who emigrated from Haarlem in the Netherlands and settled in New Amsterdam which is now Manhattan in New York City.

Name:
Burnett never used his first name and he always went by his middle name which was "Pete". He was always known as Peter Van Deusen, or Pete.

Birth:
Burnett was born in Albany, New York in 1913 to Benjamin Spencer Van Deusen I (1872-1937) and Lynette Mae Curlhair (1872-1942).

Siblings:
He had the following siblings: Lillian Van Deusen (1898-c1962) who married Clarence Ethan Reeve I (1888-1960) aka Ethan Reeve; Mildred Lynette Van Deusen (1901-1968) who married Reed Edison Smith (1899-1980); and Benjamin Van Deusen II (1903-1972) who was a banker, that married Helene Elizabeth Bentley (1905-1999).

High School:
He graduated from Lincoln High School, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1934. He was the business manager for "The Quill", the school yearbook. He was voted "committeman", and was secretary of the Glee Club in 1933 and 1934. He participated in the Constitution Day Program, and participated in the musical comedy "Kathleen" in 1928. Pete was living at 63 Madison Avenue in Jersey City at the time.

Marriage:
On Saturday, October 26, 1935 Burnett married Naida Muriel Freudenberg (1915-1998) and they had three children.

Saved boy from drowning:
While on vacation in Georgia, Pete saved a boy who was drowning in the motel pool. The story was written up in the local paper:
"A 3-year-old Macon boy who fell into a motel swimming pool in Atlanta Monday afternoon was saved from drowning by two bystanders, police said. The child, identified as Si Simmons, was seen floating face down in the pool at Holiday Inn, 1810 Howell Mill Road, by Pete Van Deusen of Fairfield, New Jersey, who jumped in and hauled the boy out. A physician who examined the boy, said he would recover."

Eulogy:
The following is from Pete's eulogy:
"We give thanks for the life of Burnett Peter Van Deusen, born on November 10, 1913 in Albany, New York. He and Naida transferred their membership from Trinity Lutheran in Jersey City to Holy Trinity, North Caldwell on April 17, 1960. He died on October 31, 1993, after a faithful membership in his church, involved on Church Council, Church School Teacher, many years as Choir Director and soloist, on Witness and Evangelism Committee, Stewarship Committee, Helping Hands visitations, LAFF Group and many more. Surviving are his wife Naida Freudenberg Van Deusen, three daughters; Mrs Lynn Bode, Mrs. Joan Schwendel and Mrs. S. Penny Linson, 11 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. The pall bearers: David Dahl, Craig Dahl, Mark Dahl, Paul Schwendel, Tony Falletta and John Linson. Committal at Restland Memorial Park, East Hanover, New Jersey. Many will remember him over the years as a dedicated choir director, soloist, avid coin and stamp collector [and] family photographer. He was an avid fan to all the grandchildren, whatever sport or activity they were involved with. He encouraged them in every phase of their lives. He kept in constant touch with each one, whether near or out of state. He was loyal to friends and family, never forgetting a birthday, always there to lend a helping hand. For many years the Van Deusen Christmas card list numbered 300. As children, we remember all the summer vacations, from the farm in Cobleskill, New York to the Jersey shore, to the relatives in Binghamton, New York, and Burlington, New Jersey. This encouraged us as we became parents, to continue this practice of yearly vacations with our children, whether to a resort or a relative's home. Dad believed in family first. He passed this belief down to us. Most recently in August, one son-in-law suffered a stroke, and Dad and Mom visited daily at the hospital, bringing newspapers, magazines and offering encouragement. Then a few weeks ago, his other son-in-law's father was seriously injured, and Dad faithfully called North Carolina 3 or 4 times a week, speaking to the family about his condition, and then calling each of us with the latest update. He was concerned with everyone's problems, was joyful with them when they were happy, celebrated with their successes. He was our champion in so many ways. His devotion to his wife, our mother, was almost beyond his endurance these past few years. But 58 years as husband and wife was his life and he continued on as he had lived."

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) high school graduation photograph from 1927

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) high school graduation photograph from 1927.

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) 1940 car registration front

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) 1940 car registration. Front image.

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) 1940 car registration

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) 1940 car registration.

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) on December 14, 1930

Boy Flier Plans Flight Around World Next June. Boston. December 14, 1930 (AP) Eddie Schneider, former holder of the junior trans-continental flight record, today announced he would hop off on a lone flight around the world next June. He said would leave from Roosevelt Field, N.Y., and make stops at Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Alaska, and Seattle. Scheider expects to make the flight in twenty-two days.

Eddie August Scheider (1911-1940) in the Van Wert Daily Bulletin of Van Wert, Ohio on August 27, 1930

Eddie August Scheider (1911-1940) in the Van Wert Daily Bulletin of Van Wert, Ohio on August 27, 1930

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) 1938 driver's license

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) 1938 driver's license

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) The Washington Post, January 20, 1937

The Washington Post, January 20, 1937, page 5, "3 U.S. Airmen Here to Explain Aid to Loyalists; Acosta, Berry, Schneider Fly to Capital With Their Attorney"

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) New York Times, December 24, 1940

2 die as planes crash at field. Eddie Schneider, who flew at 15, is killed when his craft and Navy trainer collide. Passenger also victim US ship is landed safely at Floyd Bennett Airport despite damaged wings.

Eddie Schneider, who started flying when he was 15 years old and set a junior transcontinental record in 1930 at the age of 18, was killed with a student passenger yesterday when their light training plane was in collision with a Naval Reserve plane, also on a training flight, just west of Floyd Bennett Field. The Naval Reserve plane landed safely at the field but Schneider's plane went into a spin, tore off a wing, and crashed into Deep Creek, a few hundred feet across Flatbush Avenue from the city airport in Brooklyn. Both Schneider and his passenger, George W. Herzog, 37, a contractor living at 535 North Second Street, New Hyde Park, Long Island, were dead when their bodies were pulled from the submerged wreckage. At the Naval Reserve base at Floyd Bennett Field it was said the Navy biplane, a Stearman trainer, had been piloted by Ensign Kenneth A, Kuehner, 25, of Minister, Ohio, with Second Class Seaman Frank Newcomer, of Rochester, Ohio, as a passenger. The right lower wing of the naval plane, the left upper wing and the propeller were damaged. The third accident, in two weeks in which a Naval Reserve plane based at Floyd Bennett Field was involved, it brought the comment from Dock Commissioner John McKenzie that it was the sort of thing to be expected “where there are training: flights at an airport.” “That is the point that Mayor La Guardia has been making". Mr. McKenzie said, "in his efforts to keep training away from commercial fields" Police said the witnesses to the accident were agreed that the Naval Reserve plane was crossing above the plane piloted by Schneider, a high-wing Piper Tandem Cub monoplane, as the two approached the field for a landing 600 feet above Deep Creek, Schneider's plane went into a tight spin as the two planes disengaged after colliding, the witnesses said, appeared to straighten out and then plummeted into the water as its left wing tore loose. Many would-be rescuers were on the scene within, a few moments, including police, Coast Guardsmen and fliers from Floyd Bennett Field. The bodies of the two men were pulled quickly from the wreckage and onto a half-submerged barge near which the plane fell, but it appeared both had been killed when the plane hit the water. Joseph Hanley, first assistant district attorney of Kings County, opened an investigation at the scene and a naval board of inquiry, headed by Commander H. R. Bowes, was ordered convened by the Navy Department in Washington. Schneider lived at 32-50 Seventy-third Street, Jackson Heights, Queens. He leaves a widow. Herzog leaves a widow and two children. He had been flying some time, holding a limited commercial pilot's license, but had enrolled for a refresher course with the Archie Baxter Flying Service, Inc., owner of the plane. Schneider was an instructor at the school. The bodies of the two men were taken to Floyd Bennett Field pending funeral arrangements. Schneider first gained public attention as a flier in the Summer of 1930 when he announced plans for an attempt to break the junior transcontinental east-west record of 34 hours 57 minutes set the year before by 15-year-old Frank Goldsborough, who was later killed. Taking off from Westfield, New Jersey, August 14, he landed at Los Angeles four days later with a new elapsed time mark of 29 hours 55 minutes. He then flew the west-east passage in 27 hours 19 minutes to better Goldsborough's time for that flight and also for the round trip. He continued active in aviation, competing in National Air Tours, races, and as an instructor. He went to Spain in 1936 to fly for the Loyalists, but returned the next year without having collected the $1,500-a-month pay that was promised him. He and other American fliers were looked on with suspicion by many of the Loyalists, he said, because they were not Communists. Schneider had a narrow escape from death May 15, 1935, when the engine of his training plane failed and it fell into Newark Bay with him and a student passenger shortly after they had taken off from Jersey City Airport, of which he then was manager. Schneider's father, Emil, a Jersey City banker, financed his son's transcontinental flight after having first opposed his efforts to become a flier. The boy had quit school at 15 and worked as a mechanic at Roosevelt Field, Mineola, Long Island, and at the Westfield airport to secure money for flying lessons. He was the youngest licensed flier in the country when he received a limited commercial license shortly after his eighteenth birthday in 1929.

New York Times, December 24, 1940, page 15, "2 Die as Planes Crash at Field"

Gretchen Hahnen (1902-1986) biography

Gretchen Hahnen (1902-1986) Housewife (b. 1902, Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa, USA - d. 1986, Goldsboro, Wayne County, North Carolina, 27530, USA) Social Security Number 123019936.

Birth:
Her father was born in Iowa and her mother: Zora M. X (1882-1962) was born in Illinois. The family lived in Des Moine, Iowas and then moved to Jersey City, New Jersey.

Marriage:
Gretchen married Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) in New York City on June 02, 1934. Eddie was an aviator and he was killed in a plane crash in 1940. She was director of the Aviation Club of the Jersey Journal Junior Club Magazine, which is where she met Eddie Schneider.

Jersey City:
Gretchen may have remarried. She was indexed as "Gretchen Haman" in the 1930 US Census living in a rooming house on Fairmont Avenue in Jersey City. She was working as a clerk at the YWCA and paying $28 a month in rent.

Death of Husband:
After his death Gretchen married a man named Gray and after they divorced she married a man named Grant Black (1914-1987) and they lived in Texas. She died under the name of "Gretchen Black" in her home town of Des Moines, Iowa or in North Carolina. She donated Eddie Schneider's papers to the University of Texas.

Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) marriage

Marriage of Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) to Gretchen Hahnen (1902-1986) on June 24, 1934 as reported in the New York Times.

“Marriage announced of Gretchen Hahnen. Jersey City Girl Wed to Eddie A. Schneider, Aviator, Here on June 2. Jersey City, New Jersey, June 23, 1934. The marriage on June 2 of Gretchen Hahnen of Jersey City, New Jersey governor of the Women's International Aeronautic Association, and Eddie A. Schneider of Jersey City, who in 1928, at age of 16 was the youngest air pilot to hold a commercial license, was announced today. The couple was married at the New York Municipal Building. Miss Hahnen, daughter of Mrs. Zora M. Hahnen of Des Moines, Iowa, and Mr. Schneider met when Miss Hahnen was organizing the Jersey City Junior Aeronautical Association, of which Mr. Schneider was sponsor. In 1930 Mr. Schneider broke the transcontinental junior speed record by lowering the mark of the late Frank Goldsborough. Mr. Schneider won the Great Lakes Trophy in the Ford national reliability tour in 1930 and in the 1931 tour he won first place for single-motored planes. He was director of the aviation division of the Hoover Business League in 1932. After July 1 the couple will live in Jersey City. Mr. Schneider is the son of Emil A. Schneider of North Arlington.”

Janice Ann Winblad (1935-1996) biography

Janice Ann Winblad (1935-1996) Killed in Car Accident by Drunk Driver: Verma J. Harrison (b. August 09, 1935, Astoria, Queens, Queens County, New York City, Long Island, New York, USA - d. June 28, 1996, 7:30 am, Interstate 80, near Sidney, Cheyenne County, Nebraska, USA) Social Security Number 115265875.

Birth:
Janice was born in 1935 to Anthony LeRoy Winblad (1912-1970) and Ann Maria W. Zorovich (1912-1993).

Killed by Drunk Driver:
The following is from the Nebraska State Supreme Court Case S-97-1152: "Harrison was driving a GMC van on Interstate 80, near Sidney, Nebraska, at approximately 7:30 a.m. when the van she was driving collided with a Chrysler Town and Country van being driven by Joseph Nicolich, age 65. Joseph Nicolich's wife, Janice, age 60, was in the front passenger seat, and their granddaughter, Robyn Griffiths, age 11, was in the rear seat. The impact of the collision killed Robyn and Janice. A Nebraska State Patrol officer determined that Harrison was intoxicated at the time of the collision. Harrison stated that she had been drinking in Ogallala until about 3 a.m., had slept a couple of hours in a motel, and was in a hurry to get to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Six motels located at the Ogallala interchange were contacted, and none had any record of Harrison's being registered on the relevant date. Joseph Nicolich stated that at the time of the collision, he was traveling on I-80 and had passed a motorist who was stopped on the side of the road. He decided to pull over to offer assistance. He had pulled onto the shoulder and slowed down to approximately 25 miles per hour, when his vehicle was struck in the rear by Harrison's vehicle. According to an accident reconstructionist, Harrison was driving on the shoulder at the time of impact at a speed of approximately 65 to 75 miles per hour. It appeared that Harrison made no attempt to avoid the collision. Harrison stated that she thought she had fallen asleep at the wheel. Harrison was charged with two counts of motor vehicle homicide, pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-306(l) (Reissue 1995), for allegedly causing the deaths of Janice and Robyn, unintentionally, while engaged in the operation of a motor vehicle. Harrison pled guilty in the district court to both counts after being informed of her rights by the court. The State recited the factual basis for the charges, which Harrison admitted. The trial court found that Harrison had freely, intelligently, and voluntarily entered each plea and accepted them. The trial court then ordered a presentence investigation. Because we are faced with a sentencing issue, we will discuss the facts contained in the presentence report and those presented at the sentencing hearing in some detail. The presentence report indicates that Harrison's life had been filled with abuse. Her father, who had been a uranium miner, died from lung cancer in 1971. After her father died, her mother had an affair with Harrison's married uncle, who also molested Harrison and her sister. The community later discovered her mother's adulterous relationship, and their family became outcasts. Harrison married an alcoholic in 1988 when she became pregnant, and she was divorced in 1994. Two of Harrison's children were from this marriage. The other child was the result of a relationship with a man who physically abused Harrison. Harrison was 32 years old at the time of sentencing. Harrison was convicted of public intoxication in 1994 and driving under the influence of alcohol in 1995. Harrison participated in an 8-hour alcohol abuse course as a result of her 1995 conviction, but did not complete it. She had been fined for child neglect in 1992, which was also attributable to alcohol. Harrison began drinking regularly at age 15 and was drinking twice a week by her senior year in high school. The presentence report contained numerous letters, some in support of and some in opposition to Harrison's receiving the maximum sentence. The letters in support of Harrison's receiving the maximum sentence were adequately characterized by the trial court during the pronouncement of sentence, which statement is set forth below. The letters in support of Harrison's receiving probation, particularly those from the director of the Laramie Head Start Program, the principal of the elementary school attended by Harrison's children, the pastor of Harrison's church, and a counselor and instructor for the AAA DUI Offender Program, indicated that Harrison was a responsible parent, was heavily involved in the community, and was making significant progress toward conquering her alcoholism. According to these letters, Harrison's attempt at rehabilitation was sincere and was likely to be successful. At the sentencing hearing, the trial court asked Harrison whether she had anything she wanted to say. Harrison stated: Yes, I would like to tell everybody in this courtroom today and say that there is [sic] no words for the depth of the remorse that I feel. The depth of the remorse that I feel, and I will never forget and I won't, Your Honor, for the rest of my life. I have learned so many valuable lessons in this whole thing. For the rest of my life I dedicate myself to my sobriety and then to helping others who are headed down the same way, because I never intended to hurt anybody. Joseph Nicolich testified on behalf of the State: I would like to say that I hope Verma Harrison receives the maximum jail time or prison time with no good time off for good behavior or probation. I would think that now Mrs. Harrison is trying to show the authorities how good she can morally and religiously be. I feel she would shake hands or marry the devil if it meant her getting off the charges against her. The trial court also had before it a letter handwritten by Cindy Griffiths, Robyn's mother, at the mother's request: 'October 7, 1997, Dear Justice Knapp, My name is Cindy Griffiths, my husband's name is Bill Griffiths. We are the parents of Robyn Griffiths (DOB 12/12/84) and the daughter and son-in-law of Janice Nicolich. Robyn and my mother, Janice, were brought to their deaths while driving through Sidney on June 28, 1996. My father, Joe Nicolich, was there too, as he was the driver. I am writing to you today in regards to Verma Harrison, who was driving the vehicle that crashed into my parents' car on I-80. I understand her sentencing date is approaching quickly, and we wanted to let you know our thoughts. It's a little hard for me to know where to begin. To try to describe the agony of losing our precious daughter and mother is not something we can easily do, for the pain runs so very deep. It's beyond anything we've ever experienced.'"

The Road To Forgiveness:
The complete story is recounted in the book "The Road To Forgiveness: Hearts Shattered by Tragedy, Transformed by Love" by Cynthia Ann Nicolich and William Garonwy Griffiths I.

Mathilde Sophie Amalia Pedersen (1872-1949) biography

Mathilde Sophie Amalia Pedersen (1872-1949) aka Sophie Pedersen (b. circa December 21, 1872, Herad parish, Farsund, Vest-Agder, Norway - d. circa August 12, 1949, New Jersey, USA)

Birth:
She was the daughter of Peder Andreas Pedersen (1831-?); and Serine Larsdatter (1840-1905).

Baptism:
She was baptized on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1872.

Siblings:
Peder Elias Pedersen (1863-before1868); Lars Pedersen (1865) who was baptised on October 01, 1865; Lars Emanuel Pedersen (1869-?) who was baptised on July 18, 1869; Peder Severin Pedersen (1876-?) who was baptised on March 05, 1876; Anton Martin Teodore Pedersen (1879-?) who was baptised on November 23, 1879; and Inga Pedersen (1885-1928) who emigrated to New York in the United States and married Emil Schneider (1884-1955). All the children were baptised in Farsund.

Marriage and children:
She married a Schultz in Norway and had a daughter: Clara Shultz (1896-1973) who married Edward Thompson (1895-1935) aka Trigsa Thompson, in the United States. Edward was from Virginia.

Farsund, Norway:
Sophia and Clara appear in the 1900 Norway Census living in Farsund at Nykastelgaden 72a. Sophia was already a widow and working as a "restauratrice"

Emigration:
Sophia emigrated to the United States around 1910 with her daughter Clara. They lived in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Trip to Norway:
On August 05, 1914 Clara was returning to New York from Hanburg on the ship "President Lincoln". She was unmarried and travelling alone and listed her residence as New York and her ethnicity as Norwegian.

Jersey City, New Jersey:
Sophia and Clara appear in the 1920 US Census living in Jersey City, New Jersey in the home of Emil August Schneider (1886-1955) and Inga Pedersen (1885-1927). The home was at 2728 Hudson Boulevard. Living with them was Clara Schutz (1896-c1940) her daughter. Clara was listed as a neice of Inga who had emigrated 1n 1910 from Norway. Also in the household was Lena Aadnessen (1882-?), a cousin of Inga, who emigrated from Norway in 1916.

Second marriage:
She married an Andreasen in the United States.

Burial:
She was buried in Fairview Cemetery, Fairview, Bergen County, New Jersey on August 15, 1949. Her funeral notice did not appear in the Jersey Journal.

Relationship:
Sophie Pedersen (1872-?) was the first cousin, three times removed of Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ). She was the aunt of Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940), the aviator.

Clara Shultz (1896-1973) biography

Clara Shultz (1896-1973) Emigrated from Norway to USA in 1910 (b. 1895, Farsund, Vest-Agder, Norway - d. circa February 01, 1973, Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, USA)

Birth:
She was the daughter of Mathilde Sophie Amalia Pedersen (1872-before1920) aka Sophie Pedersen; and a Schultz. She may have had a sister named Sigrid.

Farsund, Norway:
She appeared in the 1900 Norway Census living in Farsund at Nykastelgaden 72a. Her mother was already a widow and her mother was working as a "restauratrice"

Emigration:
She emigrated to the United States around 1910 with her mother. They may have lived in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Trip to Norway:
On August 05, 1914 Clara was returning to New York from Hamburg on the ship "President Lincoln". She was unmarried and travelling alone, and listed her residence as New York, and her ethnicity as Norwegian.

Jersey City, New Jersey:
Clara appears in the 1920 US Census living in Jersey City, New Jersey in the home of Emil August Schneider (1886-1955) and Inga Pedersen (1885-1927). The home was at 2728 Hudson Boulevard. Clara was listed as a neice of Inga and she is listed as emigrating in 1910 from Norway. Also in the household was Lena Aadnessen (1882-?), a cousin of Inga, who emigrated from Norway in 1916. In 1930 she was living at 2/4 Webster Avenue in Jersey City, New Jersey with her son Edward. Edward senior owned a delicatessen.

First Marriage:
She married Edward A. Thompson I (1895-1935) aka Trigsa Thompson, of Virginia, in Jersey City, New Jersey around 1921. Together they had at least two children: Edward Thompson II (1929-?); and Dorothy Thompson.

Second Marriage:
She married a Muhlbruck.

Burial:
She was buried in Fairview Cemetery, Fairview, Bergen County, New Jersey on February 01, 1973 under the name of "Clara Muhlbruck". She was buried with Sigfried Tandberg (?-1940) who was buried on December 18, 1940; Sophia Andreasen who was buried on August 15, 1949; and Edward A. Thompson I (1895-1935).

Relationship:
Sophie Pedersen (1872-?) was the second cousin, twice removed of Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ). She was the first cousin of Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) the aviator.