Ida Graves
Ida Graves was born on July 27, 18671, in Sheldon, New York, daughter of Jacob Greff and Maria Zehler. She grew up on the family farms in Bennington and Sheldon, with a brief interlude when the family moved to Iowa.
Sometime in the 1890's, it appears that Ida moved to Buffalo, New York, probably to find better work. It is there that she met Friederich Adam Ernst Jenss and they were married in Buffalo on October 21, 189660. Fred A., as he was known, was born in May 1863273, in Poppentin, Mechlenburg-Vorpommern, Prussia, the son of Johann Friederich Martin Jenss and Maria Fredericka Voelcker. Fred and Ida lived in Buffalo, where he worked as a gardener and where their four children were born. About 190440, Ida died leaving Fred a widower with four children.
The children of Fred and Ida are:
Fourth Generation
| i. | Stella B. Jenss | Stella was born on October 9, 189818, and she died on June 25, 198818. Stella married (1) Charles J. Pierce and (2) Frank L. McCarthy. |
| ii. | Anna Jenss | Anna was born on July 12, 190118, and she died in September 1967 18. Anna remained single. |
| iii. | Mary E. Jenss | Mary was born on July 20, 190218, and she died on July 20, 1997 18. Mary married Raymond Clinton Kuhns. |
| iv. | John Harold Jenss | John was born on June 21, 190418,100, and he died on February 23, 196818,100. John married Audrey Glosser. |
Following Ida's death, John and Clara Graves cared for of the two older Jenss girls40. However, Fred, was unable to care for the younger children and it was necessary to place all the children in an orphanage until he remarried40. On April 25, 190660, Fred married a second time to Cathrin Bachmann. Cathrin was born about 1850, the daughter of Peter Bachmann and Elisabeth Kolb60. She had been previously married to a man named Springmann. This marriage didn't last long, as the 1910 Census shows Fred living in Niagara Falls and was living with his three youngest children and a servant, Mary Toense103. Stella was still living in the Orphan Asylum104.
On October 12, 1910, Fred married Mary Toense, in Niagara Falls272. The marriage license shows that Fred divorced his previous wire [Cathrin] on June 4, 1909 in Alameda, Calfornia272. Fred and Mary continued to live in Niagara Falls, where they had two children; Alma born in 1911 and Karl, born in 1915. Fred died in May 1924
Stella Jenss:
Stella B. Jenss was born October 9, 189818, in Buffalo, New York, the first child of Fred Jenss and Ida Graves. After her mother's death about 1904, her father was unable to care of Stella and her siblings and placed them in an the German Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum40. Stella was still in the orphanage in 1910104, although her three siblings were with their father103. However, by 1920, Stella was living in Niagara Falls with her father, stepmother and siblings105. She was not working at the time.
Shortly after the 1920 U.S.Census106, Stella married Charles J. Pierce and in 1930, they were living in Kenmore, New York106. At that time, Charles was working as a waiter in a restaurant and Stella was manager of a Dry Cleaning Store. Charles and Stella soon moved to Niagara Falls and the 1936 City Directory shows them living there on Willow Avenue107. However, by 1946, Charles was living in Niagara Falls by himself108. In that interval, Stella had divorced Charles and remarried to Frank L. McCarthy40. By 1969, Frank and Stella were living in Ft. Myers, Florida109 and Frank was retired.
Frank died there in December, 197618, and Stella died on June 25, 198818. Frank and Stella had no children.
Anna Jenss:
Anna Jenss was born July 12, 190118, in Buffalo, New York, the second child of Fred Jenss and Ida Graves. Along with her siblings, she was placed in an orphanage following the death of her mother, until her father remarried40. By 1910, Anna was living in Niagara Falls with her father and two younger siblings, along with a servant, Mary Toense, who soon became her step-mother103. In 1920, Anne was still living with her father in Niagara Falls and working as a Telephone Operator105, and in 1930, she was living in Kenmore, New York, with her sister Stella and brother-in-law Charles, still working as an Operator106. Anna continued to work for the Telephone Company throughout her life40.
Anna remained single. She died of pneumonia in September 196718.
Mary Jenss:
Mary Jenss was born July 20, 190218, in Buffalo, New York, the third child of Fred Jenss and Ida Graves. Along with her siblings, she was placed in an orphanage following the death of her mother, until her father remarried40. By 1910, Mary was living in Niagara Falls with her father and two younger siblings, along with a servant, Mary Toense, who soon became her step-mother103. In 1920, Mary was still living in Niagara Falls with her father and working as a Stitcher for American Sales Bookstore Operator106.
In 1923, Mary married Raymond Clinton Kuhns. Raymond was born on February 3, 1903, the son of Eli Kuhns and Bessie Maze. Raymond and Mary continued to live in Niagara Falls and, in 1930, were renting from Peter Dietz on 72nd Street110. Raymond worked as a driver for a trucking company110,111. Raymond died March 24, 1973 and Mary died on July 20, 1997, on her 95th birthday.
The child of Raymond and Mary is:
Fifth Generation
| i. | William R. Kuhns | William was born on February 24, 193318, and he died on August 16, 200418. William worked for Carborundum Corporation as a Quality Control Supervisor40. He served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany following World War II40. He was disabled during the last 30 years of his life40 . William died on August 16, 200418. |
John Jenss:
John Harold Jenss was born June 21, 190418,100, in Buffalo, New York, the fourth child of Fred Jenss and Ida Graves. Along with his siblings, he was placed in a orphanage following the death of his mother, until his father remarried40. By 1910, John was living in Niagara Falls with his father and two older sisters, along with a servant, Mary Toense, who soon became his step-mother103. In 1920, John was still living in Niagara Falls with his father and, at the age of fifteen, working as a messenger for a newspaper106.
By 1930, John was living in Cleveland, Ohio, rooming in the home of Cecil Lebener and working as a printer in a Print Shop112. He continued to work in the printing business throughout his life100. On May 6, 1993, John married Audrey Glosser, the daughter of Edward Glosser and Lydia Pearl Heffner268. Audrey was born on June 2, 1910, in Sunbury, Pennsylvania18,40. John and Audrey lived in Cleveland, Ohio, where they raised two sons. John died on February 23, 196818,100, and Audrey died on January 2, 198318.
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