This is my great grandma, the mother of my grandpa William Hamilton Storkey V.
Family lore said Rosena was a daughter of ? Kimple/Kempel born Baden Baden who died 1890 at Memorial Hospital, Roxborough, buried in Leverington Cemetery per family records. Also had Mary M--- in family. This would jive with my grandpa's memory of Rose's mother originally being named Mary Merkert, prounonced as though the second "R" wasn't there, and the accent on the second syllable - mer-KET.
It has been found that Rosena's father was Valentine Kimpel, and mother Mary. She also had at least four full siblings - a sister Mary who may be the "Aunt Mary" recalled by my grandpa, as well as brothers John and Francis. Additionally, Rosena had a sister, Valentina Kimpel who died in infancy.
Rose was born on Ogle St. in Manayunk (Philadelphia) PA.
It appears her young life was somewhat tumultuous because her mother's three spouses died (her father Valentine Kimpel, and then her first stepfather, Aaron Fullerton, and finally, her stepfather John T. Turvey). This necessitated her being part of blended families, the Fullertons (about 1893) and then the Turvey family (about 1903). A Turvey descendant said of the Kimpel family that "They were brilliant... and not streetwise."
Rose was the wife of William Hamilton Storkey IV, and mother of William Hamilton Storkey V, my grandpa. Her marriage must have been common law. At any rate, family lore had it that Rose and William IV's marriage may not have been his only one. I found that to be true, at least once, because before Rose, he was married to Sarah Brey Storkey. I have also heard he may have had some more children, and it is believed they were girls, but I can find no evidence of that. All I can tell you is that William married first wife Sarah in 1898 and by the 1920 census Sarah is alone, and William and Rose are together.
Sometimes you know something isn't true. You may have many hints, but lack firm proof. Without getting into too much until I get the mystery untangled, I believe that William Storkey, her husband, was not the father of her son named after him. Right now, DNA is being employed to attempt to unravel my grandpa's dad. The DNA is not matching any Storkey descendants. All of the known family sides are accounted for. Unfortunately, there's a ton of other DNA matches who do not jive with any known family history, but there are no matches so close that I can narrow in on any one family; I see Treakles, Grays, Deals and other names repeatedly among the DNA matches, yet none of them seem to have lived in or passed through Philadelphia in 1910 when my grandpa was conceived.
Before you ask "Well, didn't the city of Philadelphia record births back then?" I have to say, yes, they did, but it's not much help. I have found my grandpa's original birth certificate. His father was listed as John William Kendall, a machinist, and my newborn grandpa was named William Hamilton Kendall if it can be believed. (The delivering doctor was a Dr. Hamilton, so perhaps the grateful mom incorporated the doc's name into her son's name, or perhaps she honored her employer, the WC Hamilton Paper Mill.) There's also a 1910 census done months before my grandpa's birth where Rose and her apparent husband (there called just William Kendall) live together, and Kendall is named as a marine engineer. After 1910, I can never find this man again. Now, it would be possible, though it seems unlikely, for Rose to have made up a bogus name and used it on both the birth certificate and the census. So far, I'm not seeing any Kendall DNA matches, so I'm really not sure about it. I do remember asking my grandpa about his dad, and he knew only the Kendall name his mom had told him. I asked what had happened to Kendall, and he said vaguely "I guess things just didn't work out" as though she had given him no further explanation. That makes me think that Kendall didn't, say, die; it's more like he vanished, if Kendall was even his real name. The whole thing feels hinkey to me... Rose was from Manayunk (north west Philadelphia suburbs) and ladies in 1910 weren't going out unescorted much. Suddenly she's over in the extreme east of the city with a marine engineer? She spent her youthful years working in a paper mill, I'd buy the story much faster if Kendall had worked at the mill, or was a friend of her brothers', or stepbrothers'. She was among the eldest kids in her family, and she was responsible for many younger brothers and sisters and half siblings. I just don't see her being very socially active outside her home, not in her small world, and not in 1910. But, rather than engage in conjecture, the fact is that sometime in early 1910, Rose was pregnant.
Interestingly, a 1916 record indicates a woman named Rose K. Kimpel (almost certainly her) got a license to marry Mr. Joseph J. Holmes. It is unknown to me if the marriage happened, but clearly the intent was there. It suggests Rose was free to marry when her son with William was only age 5. Did she do this to get her son a father, or to make her son's father jealous and commit? Anyway, this possible marriage or intent of marriage warrants further investigation. The plot thickens: Assuming I have found the correct Joseph J. Holmes, a Norristown resident born March of 1880, Mr. Holmes was already married to Lulu aka Louise E. Amos Holmes, as the couple is on the 1910 census together living with her mother in Norristown. They appear together on censuses until the last one presently viewable, 1930.
My grandpa never spoke much of his father. It doesn't appear Holmes was ever a stepfather to him. This may ever remain unclear - unpleasant things, such as separation or divorce, were not easy to speak of back then generally, nor for him personally.
Recently, I found evidence that Rose joined a church in 1903 when about age 15 - Emmanuel Methodist Episcopal at Gates and Silverwood. (The building still stands, apparently no longer a church.) I don't know which faith she was raised in. Her mother's family was German Catholic but I've found no evidence the children were raised as such. With the revolving door of father figures, maybe there was no main family religion. A year or two before Rose joined the Methodist church, Rose's mom had married Aaron Fullerton. Whether he influenced the decision is unknown.
After her Storkey husband died, Rose may be seen on the 1950 census living in the household of her half brother, Lawrence Fullerton, with his wife and kids, and a boarder. She was age 62 and working 40 hours a week as a laundry ironer at a hospital.
I am not yet clear about much of Rose's life. I learned that late in her life she cared for children. Someone she once cared for has told me that Rose was a loving person with much patience, and that she raised several foster children as well as doing babysitting. The time came, however, when she had to leave her little 3rd floor apartment in Roxborough and her youngest charge, a little girl who remembers her vividly, behind.
Rose lived out the last approximately 20 years of her life and died at the Johnson Home in Phoenixville, PA. (This home was also called the Charles Johnson Home, and was renamed the Montgomery County Geriatric & Rehabilitation Center in 1972.) We can surmise that she suffered late in life from some variety of senile dementia, as I can recall my grandpa telling me of his visits to her, and how she was unable to recognize or recall him, and in one sad visit, called for nurses to come quickly, saying there was a strange man in her room. Nevertheless, besides her mind he said she enjoyed good health, and she lived to approximately age 96.
Kind contributor Donna Elliott adds that Rose was cremated on 12/29/1984, and the undertaker was Holcombe.
==========
Listed on Ogle Street (appears to be 4866) on the 1900 Philadelphia PA 21st ward Census:
Rosena K. Kimpel, age 12, born Feb. 1888, single, white, female. She born in PA, father in Germany, mother in PA. Attends school, can read, write and speak English.
Her (apparently full) siblings are there as:
-John F (male, b. Jan. 1884) age 16, occupation "plush folder"
-Francis N (male, b. Aug. 1886) age 13
-Mary E (female, b. July 1889) age 10
They all live in the household of Aaron and Mary Fullerton, and are listed as step children; the elder Mary is their mother and Mr. Fullerton is their stepfather. Their half-siblings are George age 5, and Lawrence, age 1. Aron and Mary have been married 7 years, and Aron (age 48) shows occupation "boilermaker". Wife and mother Mary (age 36) has had 8 children total, and 6 are living. She is listed as having been born in PA, and her father in Germany, mother in PA. (Correct for her perhaps, or maybe a mistake by census taker as this fits her children?)
Big mistakes on the 1910 Census - she is with the Turvey family now, but the census shows it as Turby. The family lives at 4726 Smick Street, 21st ward of Philadelphia- it appears Rosena's mother lost another spouse, as the 1910 census shows her as Mary E. "Turby" (the name is actually Turvey), wife of John T. Turby age 58. They have been married 7 years. Her one Kimpel child, Francis N. Kimpel shows up here as a step son (previously listed as female and known by family to have been so) to John, the head of household. There are Fullerton kids here as well - George 16, Florence 11, Lavina, 9. The kids she has had with Turby show as Thomas J. age 7, Anna M. 4, Charles, 10 months. (I believe this census taker is mistaken, that Francis is female and "Florence" is Lawrence, as the age is right for Lawrence, and while s/he is listed as "step daughter" the census taker noted sex as "male".) Rosena would be age 22 and is not here. She would have her son (my grandpa) in December.
The 1920 census shows Rosena's mother as Mary E. Turvey, the wife of John Turvey (age 69, laborer in a cotton mill) and she is age 55. Her boys by Aaron Fullerton are still with her, George now age 25 and Lawrence age 20. There are other kids (probably both theirs based on the ages of the kids and the supposed marriage happening in 1903) Thomas age 16, Anna 11, and Roy 10. The Kimpel kids are not in evidence here.
One Kimpel offspring who is in the 1920 Census is John F age 36, who was 16 in the 1900 census. He married Laura (age 30) and has kids George 10, and Frank 8. Also in the house are William S. and Ada Fair, listed as brother and sister in law. John F. Kimpel is listed as a trolley motorman who was born in PA, dad in Germany, and mom in PA.
That John Kimpel was a trolley motorman is genealogically titillating... Rose's husband William was as well.
_____________________________________
So what if Rose had gone ahead and married this Joseph J Holmes? Who was he? If we look at people who died in Pennsylvania with the name who were born close to her age, the field is quite narrow.
The above-mentioned married Joseph J Holmes born in 1880 stayed married to Louise Amos until her death. He died a widower in 1956 of prostate cancer and is buried at Riverview in Norristown, Pennsylvania. I now consider him the least likely candidate to have become my grandpa's stepfather because of his already having been married.
Another gent of the right name was born 1883 and he was never married. A laundry worker, he lived in downtown Philadelphia at the time of his death and died in Jefferson Hospital, apparently post-op. His certificate is difficult to understand but he had three lung conditions and apparently a duodenal issue as well when he died in 1960. The cert does not suggest any link to Roxborough where she could have met him, and no parent names to easily track him. He rests in Holy Sepulchre.
There's a fellow with no confirming middle initial of "J" for Joseph Holmes who was born 1887 who died of pneumonia at Saint Agnes Hospital in Philadelphia. He was unmarried, dying at age 31 and resting at New Cathedral.
Additionally, the 1920 census shows us a Joseph J Holmes married to Mary E in the 36th ward, so no visible connection to ward 21, Roxborough. This gent is probably too young (born 1898) to have been Rose's suitor. Between records and DNA, God-willing, this will get sorted out.
Different note: Rose was still alive after 1980 and I had wanted to meet my great grandma, even if her addled mind meant that I should not tell her who I was. My grandpa told me how badly off she was when he had last seen her, and offered no encouragement, so I deferred to his apparent wishes... though I still regret missing the opportunity to meet her.
Family lore said Rosena was a daughter of ? Kimple/Kempel born Baden Baden who died 1890 at Memorial Hospital, Roxborough, buried in Leverington Cemetery per family records. Also had Mary M--- in family. This would jive with my grandpa's memory of Rose's mother originally being named Mary Merkert, prounonced as though the second "R" wasn't there, and the accent on the second syllable - mer-KET.
It has been found that Rosena's father was Valentine Kimpel, and mother Mary. She also had at least four full siblings - a sister Mary who may be the "Aunt Mary" recalled by my grandpa, as well as brothers John and Francis. Additionally, Rosena had a sister, Valentina Kimpel who died in infancy.
Rose was born on Ogle St. in Manayunk (Philadelphia) PA.
It appears her young life was somewhat tumultuous because her mother's three spouses died (her father Valentine Kimpel, and then her first stepfather, Aaron Fullerton, and finally, her stepfather John T. Turvey). This necessitated her being part of blended families, the Fullertons (about 1893) and then the Turvey family (about 1903). A Turvey descendant said of the Kimpel family that "They were brilliant... and not streetwise."
Rose was the wife of William Hamilton Storkey IV, and mother of William Hamilton Storkey V, my grandpa. Her marriage must have been common law. At any rate, family lore had it that Rose and William IV's marriage may not have been his only one. I found that to be true, at least once, because before Rose, he was married to Sarah Brey Storkey. I have also heard he may have had some more children, and it is believed they were girls, but I can find no evidence of that. All I can tell you is that William married first wife Sarah in 1898 and by the 1920 census Sarah is alone, and William and Rose are together.
Sometimes you know something isn't true. You may have many hints, but lack firm proof. Without getting into too much until I get the mystery untangled, I believe that William Storkey, her husband, was not the father of her son named after him. Right now, DNA is being employed to attempt to unravel my grandpa's dad. The DNA is not matching any Storkey descendants. All of the known family sides are accounted for. Unfortunately, there's a ton of other DNA matches who do not jive with any known family history, but there are no matches so close that I can narrow in on any one family; I see Treakles, Grays, Deals and other names repeatedly among the DNA matches, yet none of them seem to have lived in or passed through Philadelphia in 1910 when my grandpa was conceived.
Before you ask "Well, didn't the city of Philadelphia record births back then?" I have to say, yes, they did, but it's not much help. I have found my grandpa's original birth certificate. His father was listed as John William Kendall, a machinist, and my newborn grandpa was named William Hamilton Kendall if it can be believed. (The delivering doctor was a Dr. Hamilton, so perhaps the grateful mom incorporated the doc's name into her son's name, or perhaps she honored her employer, the WC Hamilton Paper Mill.) There's also a 1910 census done months before my grandpa's birth where Rose and her apparent husband (there called just William Kendall) live together, and Kendall is named as a marine engineer. After 1910, I can never find this man again. Now, it would be possible, though it seems unlikely, for Rose to have made up a bogus name and used it on both the birth certificate and the census. So far, I'm not seeing any Kendall DNA matches, so I'm really not sure about it. I do remember asking my grandpa about his dad, and he knew only the Kendall name his mom had told him. I asked what had happened to Kendall, and he said vaguely "I guess things just didn't work out" as though she had given him no further explanation. That makes me think that Kendall didn't, say, die; it's more like he vanished, if Kendall was even his real name. The whole thing feels hinkey to me... Rose was from Manayunk (north west Philadelphia suburbs) and ladies in 1910 weren't going out unescorted much. Suddenly she's over in the extreme east of the city with a marine engineer? She spent her youthful years working in a paper mill, I'd buy the story much faster if Kendall had worked at the mill, or was a friend of her brothers', or stepbrothers'. She was among the eldest kids in her family, and she was responsible for many younger brothers and sisters and half siblings. I just don't see her being very socially active outside her home, not in her small world, and not in 1910. But, rather than engage in conjecture, the fact is that sometime in early 1910, Rose was pregnant.
Interestingly, a 1916 record indicates a woman named Rose K. Kimpel (almost certainly her) got a license to marry Mr. Joseph J. Holmes. It is unknown to me if the marriage happened, but clearly the intent was there. It suggests Rose was free to marry when her son with William was only age 5. Did she do this to get her son a father, or to make her son's father jealous and commit? Anyway, this possible marriage or intent of marriage warrants further investigation. The plot thickens: Assuming I have found the correct Joseph J. Holmes, a Norristown resident born March of 1880, Mr. Holmes was already married to Lulu aka Louise E. Amos Holmes, as the couple is on the 1910 census together living with her mother in Norristown. They appear together on censuses until the last one presently viewable, 1930.
My grandpa never spoke much of his father. It doesn't appear Holmes was ever a stepfather to him. This may ever remain unclear - unpleasant things, such as separation or divorce, were not easy to speak of back then generally, nor for him personally.
Recently, I found evidence that Rose joined a church in 1903 when about age 15 - Emmanuel Methodist Episcopal at Gates and Silverwood. (The building still stands, apparently no longer a church.) I don't know which faith she was raised in. Her mother's family was German Catholic but I've found no evidence the children were raised as such. With the revolving door of father figures, maybe there was no main family religion. A year or two before Rose joined the Methodist church, Rose's mom had married Aaron Fullerton. Whether he influenced the decision is unknown.
After her Storkey husband died, Rose may be seen on the 1950 census living in the household of her half brother, Lawrence Fullerton, with his wife and kids, and a boarder. She was age 62 and working 40 hours a week as a laundry ironer at a hospital.
I am not yet clear about much of Rose's life. I learned that late in her life she cared for children. Someone she once cared for has told me that Rose was a loving person with much patience, and that she raised several foster children as well as doing babysitting. The time came, however, when she had to leave her little 3rd floor apartment in Roxborough and her youngest charge, a little girl who remembers her vividly, behind.
Rose lived out the last approximately 20 years of her life and died at the Johnson Home in Phoenixville, PA. (This home was also called the Charles Johnson Home, and was renamed the Montgomery County Geriatric & Rehabilitation Center in 1972.) We can surmise that she suffered late in life from some variety of senile dementia, as I can recall my grandpa telling me of his visits to her, and how she was unable to recognize or recall him, and in one sad visit, called for nurses to come quickly, saying there was a strange man in her room. Nevertheless, besides her mind he said she enjoyed good health, and she lived to approximately age 96.
Kind contributor Donna Elliott adds that Rose was cremated on 12/29/1984, and the undertaker was Holcombe.
==========
Listed on Ogle Street (appears to be 4866) on the 1900 Philadelphia PA 21st ward Census:
Rosena K. Kimpel, age 12, born Feb. 1888, single, white, female. She born in PA, father in Germany, mother in PA. Attends school, can read, write and speak English.
Her (apparently full) siblings are there as:
-John F (male, b. Jan. 1884) age 16, occupation "plush folder"
-Francis N (male, b. Aug. 1886) age 13
-Mary E (female, b. July 1889) age 10
They all live in the household of Aaron and Mary Fullerton, and are listed as step children; the elder Mary is their mother and Mr. Fullerton is their stepfather. Their half-siblings are George age 5, and Lawrence, age 1. Aron and Mary have been married 7 years, and Aron (age 48) shows occupation "boilermaker". Wife and mother Mary (age 36) has had 8 children total, and 6 are living. She is listed as having been born in PA, and her father in Germany, mother in PA. (Correct for her perhaps, or maybe a mistake by census taker as this fits her children?)
Big mistakes on the 1910 Census - she is with the Turvey family now, but the census shows it as Turby. The family lives at 4726 Smick Street, 21st ward of Philadelphia- it appears Rosena's mother lost another spouse, as the 1910 census shows her as Mary E. "Turby" (the name is actually Turvey), wife of John T. Turby age 58. They have been married 7 years. Her one Kimpel child, Francis N. Kimpel shows up here as a step son (previously listed as female and known by family to have been so) to John, the head of household. There are Fullerton kids here as well - George 16, Florence 11, Lavina, 9. The kids she has had with Turby show as Thomas J. age 7, Anna M. 4, Charles, 10 months. (I believe this census taker is mistaken, that Francis is female and "Florence" is Lawrence, as the age is right for Lawrence, and while s/he is listed as "step daughter" the census taker noted sex as "male".) Rosena would be age 22 and is not here. She would have her son (my grandpa) in December.
The 1920 census shows Rosena's mother as Mary E. Turvey, the wife of John Turvey (age 69, laborer in a cotton mill) and she is age 55. Her boys by Aaron Fullerton are still with her, George now age 25 and Lawrence age 20. There are other kids (probably both theirs based on the ages of the kids and the supposed marriage happening in 1903) Thomas age 16, Anna 11, and Roy 10. The Kimpel kids are not in evidence here.
One Kimpel offspring who is in the 1920 Census is John F age 36, who was 16 in the 1900 census. He married Laura (age 30) and has kids George 10, and Frank 8. Also in the house are William S. and Ada Fair, listed as brother and sister in law. John F. Kimpel is listed as a trolley motorman who was born in PA, dad in Germany, and mom in PA.
That John Kimpel was a trolley motorman is genealogically titillating... Rose's husband William was as well.
_____________________________________
So what if Rose had gone ahead and married this Joseph J Holmes? Who was he? If we look at people who died in Pennsylvania with the name who were born close to her age, the field is quite narrow.
The above-mentioned married Joseph J Holmes born in 1880 stayed married to Louise Amos until her death. He died a widower in 1956 of prostate cancer and is buried at Riverview in Norristown, Pennsylvania. I now consider him the least likely candidate to have become my grandpa's stepfather because of his already having been married.
Another gent of the right name was born 1883 and he was never married. A laundry worker, he lived in downtown Philadelphia at the time of his death and died in Jefferson Hospital, apparently post-op. His certificate is difficult to understand but he had three lung conditions and apparently a duodenal issue as well when he died in 1960. The cert does not suggest any link to Roxborough where she could have met him, and no parent names to easily track him. He rests in Holy Sepulchre.
There's a fellow with no confirming middle initial of "J" for Joseph Holmes who was born 1887 who died of pneumonia at Saint Agnes Hospital in Philadelphia. He was unmarried, dying at age 31 and resting at New Cathedral.
Additionally, the 1920 census shows us a Joseph J Holmes married to Mary E in the 36th ward, so no visible connection to ward 21, Roxborough. This gent is probably too young (born 1898) to have been Rose's suitor. Between records and DNA, God-willing, this will get sorted out.
Different note: Rose was still alive after 1980 and I had wanted to meet my great grandma, even if her addled mind meant that I should not tell her who I was. My grandpa told me how badly off she was when he had last seen her, and offered no encouragement, so I deferred to his apparent wishes... though I still regret missing the opportunity to meet her.
This is my great grandma, the mother of my grandpa William Hamilton Storkey V.
Family lore said Rosena was a daughter of ? Kimple/Kempel born Baden Baden who died 1890 at Memorial Hospital, Roxborough, buried in Leverington Cemetery per family records. Also had Mary M--- in family. This would jive with my grandpa's memory of Rose's mother originally being named Mary Merkert, prounonced as though the second "R" wasn't there, and the accent on the second syllable - mer-KET.
It has been found that Rosena's father was Valentine Kimpel, and mother Mary. She also had at least four full siblings - a sister Mary who may be the "Aunt Mary" recalled by my grandpa, as well as brothers John and Francis. Additionally, Rosena had a sister, Valentina Kimpel who died in infancy.
Rose was born on Ogle St. in Manayunk (Philadelphia) PA.
It appears her young life was somewhat tumultuous because her mother's three spouses died (her father Valentine Kimpel, and then her first stepfather, Aaron Fullerton, and finally, her stepfather John T. Turvey). This necessitated her being part of blended families, the Fullertons (about 1893) and then the Turvey family (about 1903). A Turvey descendant said of the Kimpel family that "They were brilliant... and not streetwise."
Rose was the wife of William Hamilton Storkey IV, and mother of William Hamilton Storkey V, my grandpa. Her marriage must have been common law. At any rate, family lore had it that Rose and William IV's marriage may not have been his only one. I found that to be true, at least once, because before Rose, he was married to Sarah Brey Storkey. I have also heard he may have had some more children, and it is believed they were girls, but I can find no evidence of that. All I can tell you is that William married first wife Sarah in 1898 and by the 1920 census Sarah is alone, and William and Rose are together.
Sometimes you know something isn't true. You may have many hints, but lack firm proof. Without getting into too much until I get the mystery untangled, I believe that William Storkey, her husband, was not the father of her son named after him. Right now, DNA is being employed to attempt to unravel my grandpa's dad. The DNA is not matching any Storkey descendants. All of the known family sides are accounted for. Unfortunately, there's a ton of other DNA matches who do not jive with any known family history, but there are no matches so close that I can narrow in on any one family; I see Treakles, Grays, Deals and other names repeatedly among the DNA matches, yet none of them seem to have lived in or passed through Philadelphia in 1910 when my grandpa was conceived.
Before you ask "Well, didn't the city of Philadelphia record births back then?" I have to say, yes, they did, but it's not much help. I have found my grandpa's original birth certificate. His father was listed as John William Kendall, a machinist, and my newborn grandpa was named William Hamilton Kendall if it can be believed. (The delivering doctor was a Dr. Hamilton, so perhaps the grateful mom incorporated the doc's name into her son's name, or perhaps she honored her employer, the WC Hamilton Paper Mill.) There's also a 1910 census done months before my grandpa's birth where Rose and her apparent husband (there called just William Kendall) live together, and Kendall is named as a marine engineer. After 1910, I can never find this man again. Now, it would be possible, though it seems unlikely, for Rose to have made up a bogus name and used it on both the birth certificate and the census. So far, I'm not seeing any Kendall DNA matches, so I'm really not sure about it. I do remember asking my grandpa about his dad, and he knew only the Kendall name his mom had told him. I asked what had happened to Kendall, and he said vaguely "I guess things just didn't work out" as though she had given him no further explanation. That makes me think that Kendall didn't, say, die; it's more like he vanished, if Kendall was even his real name. The whole thing feels hinkey to me... Rose was from Manayunk (north west Philadelphia suburbs) and ladies in 1910 weren't going out unescorted much. Suddenly she's over in the extreme east of the city with a marine engineer? She spent her youthful years working in a paper mill, I'd buy the story much faster if Kendall had worked at the mill, or was a friend of her brothers', or stepbrothers'. She was among the eldest kids in her family, and she was responsible for many younger brothers and sisters and half siblings. I just don't see her being very socially active outside her home, not in her small world, and not in 1910. But, rather than engage in conjecture, the fact is that sometime in early 1910, Rose was pregnant.
Interestingly, a 1916 record indicates a woman named Rose K. Kimpel (almost certainly her) got a license to marry Mr. Joseph J. Holmes. It is unknown to me if the marriage happened, but clearly the intent was there. It suggests Rose was free to marry when her son with William was only age 5. Did she do this to get her son a father, or to make her son's father jealous and commit? Anyway, this possible marriage or intent of marriage warrants further investigation. The plot thickens: Assuming I have found the correct Joseph J. Holmes, a Norristown resident born March of 1880, Mr. Holmes was already married to Lulu aka Louise E. Amos Holmes, as the couple is on the 1910 census together living with her mother in Norristown. They appear together on censuses until the last one presently viewable, 1930.
My grandpa never spoke much of his father. It doesn't appear Holmes was ever a stepfather to him. This may ever remain unclear - unpleasant things, such as separation or divorce, were not easy to speak of back then generally, nor for him personally.
Recently, I found evidence that Rose joined a church in 1903 when about age 15 - Emmanuel Methodist Episcopal at Gates and Silverwood. (The building still stands, apparently no longer a church.) I don't know which faith she was raised in. Her mother's family was German Catholic but I've found no evidence the children were raised as such. With the revolving door of father figures, maybe there was no main family religion. A year or two before Rose joined the Methodist church, Rose's mom had married Aaron Fullerton. Whether he influenced the decision is unknown.
After her Storkey husband died, Rose may be seen on the 1950 census living in the household of her half brother, Lawrence Fullerton, with his wife and kids, and a boarder. She was age 62 and working 40 hours a week as a laundry ironer at a hospital.
I am not yet clear about much of Rose's life. I learned that late in her life she cared for children. Someone she once cared for has told me that Rose was a loving person with much patience, and that she raised several foster children as well as doing babysitting. The time came, however, when she had to leave her little 3rd floor apartment in Roxborough and her youngest charge, a little girl who remembers her vividly, behind.
Rose lived out the last approximately 20 years of her life and died at the Johnson Home in Phoenixville, PA. (This home was also called the Charles Johnson Home, and was renamed the Montgomery County Geriatric & Rehabilitation Center in 1972.) We can surmise that she suffered late in life from some variety of senile dementia, as I can recall my grandpa telling me of his visits to her, and how she was unable to recognize or recall him, and in one sad visit, called for nurses to come quickly, saying there was a strange man in her room. Nevertheless, besides her mind he said she enjoyed good health, and she lived to approximately age 96.
Kind contributor Donna Elliott adds that Rose was cremated on 12/29/1984, and the undertaker was Holcombe.
==========
Listed on Ogle Street (appears to be 4866) on the 1900 Philadelphia PA 21st ward Census:
Rosena K. Kimpel, age 12, born Feb. 1888, single, white, female. She born in PA, father in Germany, mother in PA. Attends school, can read, write and speak English.
Her (apparently full) siblings are there as:
-John F (male, b. Jan. 1884) age 16, occupation "plush folder"
-Francis N (male, b. Aug. 1886) age 13
-Mary E (female, b. July 1889) age 10
They all live in the household of Aaron and Mary Fullerton, and are listed as step children; the elder Mary is their mother and Mr. Fullerton is their stepfather. Their half-siblings are George age 5, and Lawrence, age 1. Aron and Mary have been married 7 years, and Aron (age 48) shows occupation "boilermaker". Wife and mother Mary (age 36) has had 8 children total, and 6 are living. She is listed as having been born in PA, and her father in Germany, mother in PA. (Correct for her perhaps, or maybe a mistake by census taker as this fits her children?)
Big mistakes on the 1910 Census - she is with the Turvey family now, but the census shows it as Turby. The family lives at 4726 Smick Street, 21st ward of Philadelphia- it appears Rosena's mother lost another spouse, as the 1910 census shows her as Mary E. "Turby" (the name is actually Turvey), wife of John T. Turby age 58. They have been married 7 years. Her one Kimpel child, Francis N. Kimpel shows up here as a step son (previously listed as female and known by family to have been so) to John, the head of household. There are Fullerton kids here as well - George 16, Florence 11, Lavina, 9. The kids she has had with Turby show as Thomas J. age 7, Anna M. 4, Charles, 10 months. (I believe this census taker is mistaken, that Francis is female and "Florence" is Lawrence, as the age is right for Lawrence, and while s/he is listed as "step daughter" the census taker noted sex as "male".) Rosena would be age 22 and is not here. She would have her son (my grandpa) in December.
The 1920 census shows Rosena's mother as Mary E. Turvey, the wife of John Turvey (age 69, laborer in a cotton mill) and she is age 55. Her boys by Aaron Fullerton are still with her, George now age 25 and Lawrence age 20. There are other kids (probably both theirs based on the ages of the kids and the supposed marriage happening in 1903) Thomas age 16, Anna 11, and Roy 10. The Kimpel kids are not in evidence here.
One Kimpel offspring who is in the 1920 Census is John F age 36, who was 16 in the 1900 census. He married Laura (age 30) and has kids George 10, and Frank 8. Also in the house are William S. and Ada Fair, listed as brother and sister in law. John F. Kimpel is listed as a trolley motorman who was born in PA, dad in Germany, and mom in PA.
That John Kimpel was a trolley motorman is genealogically titillating... Rose's husband William was as well.
_____________________________________
So what if Rose had gone ahead and married this Joseph J Holmes? Who was he? If we look at people who died in Pennsylvania with the name who were born close to her age, the field is quite narrow.
The above-mentioned married Joseph J Holmes born in 1880 stayed married to Louise Amos until her death. He died a widower in 1956 of prostate cancer and is buried at Riverview in Norristown, Pennsylvania. I now consider him the least likely candidate to have become my grandpa's stepfather because of his already having been married.
Another gent of the right name was born 1883 and he was never married. A laundry worker, he lived in downtown Philadelphia at the time of his death and died in Jefferson Hospital, apparently post-op. His certificate is difficult to understand but he had three lung conditions and apparently a duodenal issue as well when he died in 1960. The cert does not suggest any link to Roxborough where she could have met him, and no parent names to easily track him. He rests in Holy Sepulchre.
There's a fellow with no confirming middle initial of "J" for Joseph Holmes who was born 1887 who died of pneumonia at Saint Agnes Hospital in Philadelphia. He was unmarried, dying at age 31 and resting at New Cathedral.
Additionally, the 1920 census shows us a Joseph J Holmes married to Mary E in the 36th ward, so no visible connection to ward 21, Roxborough. This gent is probably too young (born 1898) to have been Rose's suitor. Between records and DNA, God-willing, this will get sorted out.
Different note: Rose was still alive after 1980 and I had wanted to meet my great grandma, even if her addled mind meant that I should not tell her who I was. My grandpa told me how badly off she was when he had last seen her, and offered no encouragement, so I deferred to his apparent wishes... though I still regret missing the opportunity to meet her.
Family lore said Rosena was a daughter of ? Kimple/Kempel born Baden Baden who died 1890 at Memorial Hospital, Roxborough, buried in Leverington Cemetery per family records. Also had Mary M--- in family. This would jive with my grandpa's memory of Rose's mother originally being named Mary Merkert, prounonced as though the second "R" wasn't there, and the accent on the second syllable - mer-KET.
It has been found that Rosena's father was Valentine Kimpel, and mother Mary. She also had at least four full siblings - a sister Mary who may be the "Aunt Mary" recalled by my grandpa, as well as brothers John and Francis. Additionally, Rosena had a sister, Valentina Kimpel who died in infancy.
Rose was born on Ogle St. in Manayunk (Philadelphia) PA.
It appears her young life was somewhat tumultuous because her mother's three spouses died (her father Valentine Kimpel, and then her first stepfather, Aaron Fullerton, and finally, her stepfather John T. Turvey). This necessitated her being part of blended families, the Fullertons (about 1893) and then the Turvey family (about 1903). A Turvey descendant said of the Kimpel family that "They were brilliant... and not streetwise."
Rose was the wife of William Hamilton Storkey IV, and mother of William Hamilton Storkey V, my grandpa. Her marriage must have been common law. At any rate, family lore had it that Rose and William IV's marriage may not have been his only one. I found that to be true, at least once, because before Rose, he was married to Sarah Brey Storkey. I have also heard he may have had some more children, and it is believed they were girls, but I can find no evidence of that. All I can tell you is that William married first wife Sarah in 1898 and by the 1920 census Sarah is alone, and William and Rose are together.
Sometimes you know something isn't true. You may have many hints, but lack firm proof. Without getting into too much until I get the mystery untangled, I believe that William Storkey, her husband, was not the father of her son named after him. Right now, DNA is being employed to attempt to unravel my grandpa's dad. The DNA is not matching any Storkey descendants. All of the known family sides are accounted for. Unfortunately, there's a ton of other DNA matches who do not jive with any known family history, but there are no matches so close that I can narrow in on any one family; I see Treakles, Grays, Deals and other names repeatedly among the DNA matches, yet none of them seem to have lived in or passed through Philadelphia in 1910 when my grandpa was conceived.
Before you ask "Well, didn't the city of Philadelphia record births back then?" I have to say, yes, they did, but it's not much help. I have found my grandpa's original birth certificate. His father was listed as John William Kendall, a machinist, and my newborn grandpa was named William Hamilton Kendall if it can be believed. (The delivering doctor was a Dr. Hamilton, so perhaps the grateful mom incorporated the doc's name into her son's name, or perhaps she honored her employer, the WC Hamilton Paper Mill.) There's also a 1910 census done months before my grandpa's birth where Rose and her apparent husband (there called just William Kendall) live together, and Kendall is named as a marine engineer. After 1910, I can never find this man again. Now, it would be possible, though it seems unlikely, for Rose to have made up a bogus name and used it on both the birth certificate and the census. So far, I'm not seeing any Kendall DNA matches, so I'm really not sure about it. I do remember asking my grandpa about his dad, and he knew only the Kendall name his mom had told him. I asked what had happened to Kendall, and he said vaguely "I guess things just didn't work out" as though she had given him no further explanation. That makes me think that Kendall didn't, say, die; it's more like he vanished, if Kendall was even his real name. The whole thing feels hinkey to me... Rose was from Manayunk (north west Philadelphia suburbs) and ladies in 1910 weren't going out unescorted much. Suddenly she's over in the extreme east of the city with a marine engineer? She spent her youthful years working in a paper mill, I'd buy the story much faster if Kendall had worked at the mill, or was a friend of her brothers', or stepbrothers'. She was among the eldest kids in her family, and she was responsible for many younger brothers and sisters and half siblings. I just don't see her being very socially active outside her home, not in her small world, and not in 1910. But, rather than engage in conjecture, the fact is that sometime in early 1910, Rose was pregnant.
Interestingly, a 1916 record indicates a woman named Rose K. Kimpel (almost certainly her) got a license to marry Mr. Joseph J. Holmes. It is unknown to me if the marriage happened, but clearly the intent was there. It suggests Rose was free to marry when her son with William was only age 5. Did she do this to get her son a father, or to make her son's father jealous and commit? Anyway, this possible marriage or intent of marriage warrants further investigation. The plot thickens: Assuming I have found the correct Joseph J. Holmes, a Norristown resident born March of 1880, Mr. Holmes was already married to Lulu aka Louise E. Amos Holmes, as the couple is on the 1910 census together living with her mother in Norristown. They appear together on censuses until the last one presently viewable, 1930.
My grandpa never spoke much of his father. It doesn't appear Holmes was ever a stepfather to him. This may ever remain unclear - unpleasant things, such as separation or divorce, were not easy to speak of back then generally, nor for him personally.
Recently, I found evidence that Rose joined a church in 1903 when about age 15 - Emmanuel Methodist Episcopal at Gates and Silverwood. (The building still stands, apparently no longer a church.) I don't know which faith she was raised in. Her mother's family was German Catholic but I've found no evidence the children were raised as such. With the revolving door of father figures, maybe there was no main family religion. A year or two before Rose joined the Methodist church, Rose's mom had married Aaron Fullerton. Whether he influenced the decision is unknown.
After her Storkey husband died, Rose may be seen on the 1950 census living in the household of her half brother, Lawrence Fullerton, with his wife and kids, and a boarder. She was age 62 and working 40 hours a week as a laundry ironer at a hospital.
I am not yet clear about much of Rose's life. I learned that late in her life she cared for children. Someone she once cared for has told me that Rose was a loving person with much patience, and that she raised several foster children as well as doing babysitting. The time came, however, when she had to leave her little 3rd floor apartment in Roxborough and her youngest charge, a little girl who remembers her vividly, behind.
Rose lived out the last approximately 20 years of her life and died at the Johnson Home in Phoenixville, PA. (This home was also called the Charles Johnson Home, and was renamed the Montgomery County Geriatric & Rehabilitation Center in 1972.) We can surmise that she suffered late in life from some variety of senile dementia, as I can recall my grandpa telling me of his visits to her, and how she was unable to recognize or recall him, and in one sad visit, called for nurses to come quickly, saying there was a strange man in her room. Nevertheless, besides her mind he said she enjoyed good health, and she lived to approximately age 96.
Kind contributor Donna Elliott adds that Rose was cremated on 12/29/1984, and the undertaker was Holcombe.
==========
Listed on Ogle Street (appears to be 4866) on the 1900 Philadelphia PA 21st ward Census:
Rosena K. Kimpel, age 12, born Feb. 1888, single, white, female. She born in PA, father in Germany, mother in PA. Attends school, can read, write and speak English.
Her (apparently full) siblings are there as:
-John F (male, b. Jan. 1884) age 16, occupation "plush folder"
-Francis N (male, b. Aug. 1886) age 13
-Mary E (female, b. July 1889) age 10
They all live in the household of Aaron and Mary Fullerton, and are listed as step children; the elder Mary is their mother and Mr. Fullerton is their stepfather. Their half-siblings are George age 5, and Lawrence, age 1. Aron and Mary have been married 7 years, and Aron (age 48) shows occupation "boilermaker". Wife and mother Mary (age 36) has had 8 children total, and 6 are living. She is listed as having been born in PA, and her father in Germany, mother in PA. (Correct for her perhaps, or maybe a mistake by census taker as this fits her children?)
Big mistakes on the 1910 Census - she is with the Turvey family now, but the census shows it as Turby. The family lives at 4726 Smick Street, 21st ward of Philadelphia- it appears Rosena's mother lost another spouse, as the 1910 census shows her as Mary E. "Turby" (the name is actually Turvey), wife of John T. Turby age 58. They have been married 7 years. Her one Kimpel child, Francis N. Kimpel shows up here as a step son (previously listed as female and known by family to have been so) to John, the head of household. There are Fullerton kids here as well - George 16, Florence 11, Lavina, 9. The kids she has had with Turby show as Thomas J. age 7, Anna M. 4, Charles, 10 months. (I believe this census taker is mistaken, that Francis is female and "Florence" is Lawrence, as the age is right for Lawrence, and while s/he is listed as "step daughter" the census taker noted sex as "male".) Rosena would be age 22 and is not here. She would have her son (my grandpa) in December.
The 1920 census shows Rosena's mother as Mary E. Turvey, the wife of John Turvey (age 69, laborer in a cotton mill) and she is age 55. Her boys by Aaron Fullerton are still with her, George now age 25 and Lawrence age 20. There are other kids (probably both theirs based on the ages of the kids and the supposed marriage happening in 1903) Thomas age 16, Anna 11, and Roy 10. The Kimpel kids are not in evidence here.
One Kimpel offspring who is in the 1920 Census is John F age 36, who was 16 in the 1900 census. He married Laura (age 30) and has kids George 10, and Frank 8. Also in the house are William S. and Ada Fair, listed as brother and sister in law. John F. Kimpel is listed as a trolley motorman who was born in PA, dad in Germany, and mom in PA.
That John Kimpel was a trolley motorman is genealogically titillating... Rose's husband William was as well.
_____________________________________
So what if Rose had gone ahead and married this Joseph J Holmes? Who was he? If we look at people who died in Pennsylvania with the name who were born close to her age, the field is quite narrow.
The above-mentioned married Joseph J Holmes born in 1880 stayed married to Louise Amos until her death. He died a widower in 1956 of prostate cancer and is buried at Riverview in Norristown, Pennsylvania. I now consider him the least likely candidate to have become my grandpa's stepfather because of his already having been married.
Another gent of the right name was born 1883 and he was never married. A laundry worker, he lived in downtown Philadelphia at the time of his death and died in Jefferson Hospital, apparently post-op. His certificate is difficult to understand but he had three lung conditions and apparently a duodenal issue as well when he died in 1960. The cert does not suggest any link to Roxborough where she could have met him, and no parent names to easily track him. He rests in Holy Sepulchre.
There's a fellow with no confirming middle initial of "J" for Joseph Holmes who was born 1887 who died of pneumonia at Saint Agnes Hospital in Philadelphia. He was unmarried, dying at age 31 and resting at New Cathedral.
Additionally, the 1920 census shows us a Joseph J Holmes married to Mary E in the 36th ward, so no visible connection to ward 21, Roxborough. This gent is probably too young (born 1898) to have been Rose's suitor. Between records and DNA, God-willing, this will get sorted out.
Different note: Rose was still alive after 1980 and I had wanted to meet my great grandma, even if her addled mind meant that I should not tell her who I was. My grandpa told me how badly off she was when he had last seen her, and offered no encouragement, so I deferred to his apparent wishes... though I still regret missing the opportunity to meet her.
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