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Descendants of George Telfer

Generation No. 2

2. ROBERT² TELFER (GEORGE¹) was born September 10, 1846 in Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Scotland^3,⁴, and died December 11, 1933 in Madison, Morris County, New Jersey⁵. He married MARGARET ROSS MACKENZIE⁶ October 29, 1880 in New York, daughter of ALEXANDER MACKENZIE and ANNE MACPHERSON. She was born May 11, 1854 in Kingussie & Insh, Iverness County, Scotland, and died February 11, 1915 in Glen Spey, NY.

Notes for ROBERT TELFER:
Robert was naturalized on 10-4-1880 and was shown to be living at 259 W 20th Street, New York City. His witness was his brother George, who was shown living at the same address.

Robert was listed in both the 1885/86 and the 1890 New York City Directories as a carpenter. He was living 9th Avenue according to the 1890 directory. Robert was found living with his family in Manhattan at the time of the 1900 NY census. When Margaret died on 2-11-1915 , Robert was left to take care of Marion who was 16 and Dorothy, who was only 15 years old. Robert retired with his pension the following year, after serving for 35 years as inspector for the New York City Armory Board. His son Alexander also quit Dartmouth just prior to his senior year to help his dad in taking care of the family. At the time of the 1920 census, Robert was still living in NY with the three children. This census indicates his age in 1920 as 70 (however, his death certificate indicates his birth in 1846). Dorothy married John VanArsdale in June 1923. Robert then moved to New Jersey in 1924 and lived with his daughter Marion. She married Franklin Madden in June of 1925. Robert then lived with Marion and her husband in East Orange, New Jersey.

While in New Jersey, Robert became a member of the Scottish Masonic lodge. When Marion and her husband moved to Madison, in Morris county, New Jersey on 9-22-1933, Robert moved with them. On 12-11-1933, less than 3 months after their move, Robert passed away. He was still living with Marion and Franklin at the time. Funeral services were held in the Madden home. His obit states that he was born in Jedburgh, Scotland in 1846 and immigrated to the US when he was 19 years old (the age at immigration is consistent with the census data but his year of birth is not).

As for the details of his death, his obituary states that Robert was alone and "found lying unconscious on the floor in the doorway between the kitchen and the hallway in the Madden home. Apparently, he had intended to light the oven in the kitchen stove but instead turned on one of the top burners and failed to notice that it was not lighted". His daughter arrived home and immediately called the telephone company who referred her to the fire department. They arrived at the house in less than five minutes. By the time they had arrived, Marion had dragged her father's body out to the porch and they were able to restore him to consciousness. However, he died three days later. Dr. Lewis Williams had also been summoned to the house by a neighbor of the Madden's. Dr. Williams indicated that "Mr. Telfer's advanced age was responsible for his inability to ward off the effects of the gas on his lungs". With the lungs so weakened, Robert ended up dying of lumbar pneumonia. His death certificate lists cause of death as gas poisoning.

Robert was buried with his wife in Glen Spey, NY.

More About ROBERT TELFER:
Burial: December 13, 1933, Glen Spey, NY
Fact 1: 1868, Immigrated to US
Fact 2: October 04, 1880, Date of Naturalization, US District Court, New York, NY, occupation - carpenter
Fact 3: 1900, In Census for Manhattan, NY, Vol 158, ED631,Sheet 14, Line 93
Fact 4: 1920, In Census for NY, Vol 294, ED1510, Sheet 26, Line 15

Notes for MARGARET ROSS MACKENZIE:
Margaret's obituary appeared on page 12 of the 2-15-1915 Port Jervis Union newspaper. With regard to Margaret, the obit stated that "the body was taken on Erie train One today to Glen Spey for interment in Glen Spey Cemetery".

More About MARGARET ROSS MACKENZIE:
Burial: February 15, 1915, Glen Spey Cemetery
Fact 1: 1874, Immigrated to US

Children of ROBERT TELFER and MARGARET MACKENZIE are:

GEORGE ROBERT³ TELFER, b. October 23, 1886, Schenectady, NY ⁷; d. August 14, 1929, Sullivan County, Lumberland, NY; m. ELIZABETH MARY WELLS⁸, October 07, 1916, St. Joseph's, Amsterdam, Montgomery County, NY; b. February 04, 1898, Amsterdam, Montgomery County, NY⁹; d. October 27, 1964, Astoria, Western Queens, NY.

Notes for GEORGE ROBERT TELFER:
George was buried 8-16-1929 in Glen Spey, New York. He died of a self-inflicted gun-shot wound. His wife and his daughter Catherine were with him at the time. His obituary appeared on page 4 of the 8-14-1929 Port Jervis Union Gazette. Contact with the New York State Police Headquarters in Albany indicates no formal report was filed.

The following obit appeared in the 8-16-1929 Port Jervis Union-Gazette:

"The funeral of George R. Telfer was held at 10 o'clock this morning at the house in Glen Spey where the services were conducted by the Rev. William Deisler. A selection "Some Day We'll Understand" was rendered by Rev. and Mrs Deisler and Miss Kuhl. Interment was in the family plot in the Glen Spey Cemetery.

Casper Wells, Amzi R White, Russel Mackechnie, Elmer E Woosley, Paul Frey and John Frey were the pall bearers."

More About GEORGE ROBERT TELFER:
Burial: August 16, 1929, Glen Spey Cemetery, Sullivan County, NY

Notes for ELIZABETH MARY WELLS:
Elizabeth was baptized on 2-20-1898. After the death of her husband in 1929, the children all went to live with Anne's parents, Casper and Catherine Wells. Casper died shortly after that (1930) and the children stayed with Catherine. After Anne married Peter, two of the children, Barbara and Peggy went to live with their mom and step-father in Schenectady. Later (after Catherine's graduation from high school- about 1939), she and Robert moved to Schenectady with them. Within 1-2 years after that both Robert and Catherine were married.

Elizabeth's marriage license to Peter Mastriana shows that at the time of their marriage in 1933, they were both living in Endicott, Broome County, NY. They were married by a justice of the peace. It is believed they had a second ceremony, this time in a church, around 1958 in Astoria, Long Island.

Obit from the 10-29-1964 Schenectady Union-Star:

Mrs. Elizabeth Wells Mastriana, 66, of 35-42 29th Street, Astoria, Long Island. died Monday in Astoria General Hospital after a brief illness. Born in Amsterdam, she had lived in Schenectady many years before moving to Astoria 15 years ago. While living in Schenectady, she was a communicant of St. John the Evangelist Church.

She is survived by her husband Peter Mastriana; a son, Robert Telfer of Edmore, Mich; three daughters, Mrs. Frank (Catherine) DeFelippo and Mrs. James (Margaret) Gerardi, both of Schenectady, and Mrs. Barbara Cincotti of Astoria; a sister Mrs. Robert (Edna) Iannuzzo of Long Island; two brothers, Casper and John Wells of Amsterdam; 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held Friday morning at 9:30 A.M. in the DeMarco-Stone Funeral Home, 1605 Helderberg Avenue, Rotterdam, thence to St. John the Evangelist Church at 10:00 A.M. where a requiem high Mass will be celebrated. The funeral home will be open Wednesday or Thursday evening from 7 to 9. Friends and relatives are invited. Interment will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Amsterdam.

More About ELIZABETH MARY WELLS:
Burial: October 31, 1964, St. Joseph's Cemetery, Fort Johnson, Montgomery County, NY

ii.

ANNA MARGARET TELFER, b. June 06, 1880, Philadephia, Pennsylvania ¹⁰; d. August 28, 1977, 3 Alden Place, Schenectady, NY; m. JOHN FISHER CUNNINGHAM, April 28, 1908; b. September 01, 1881, Schenectady, NY ¹¹; d. October 1967, Schenectady, NY¹¹.

Notes for ANNA MARGARET TELFER:
Anna and her family lived in Schenectady, NY.

SSDI Records:
JOHN CUNNINGHAM
SSN 074-03-5097 Residence: 12308 Schenectady, Schenectady, NY
Born 1 Sep 1881 Last Benefit:
Died Oct 1967 Issued: NY (Before 1951)

ANNA CUNNINGHAM
SSN 065-52-1369 Residence: 12308 Schenectady, Schenectady, NY
Born 11 May 1881 Last Benefit:
Died Aug 1977 Issued: NY (1973)

Anna's death certificate indicates her date of birth to be 6-6-1883 (this would not be consistent with her sister's birth, also in 1883, it is also not consistent with the SS application). It indicates her parents as Robert Telfer and Margaret MacKenzie and that she was born in PA (her obit mentions Philadelphia, PA). She died of a cardiac arrest in Schenectady, NY at the age of 95. She was a widow, living at 3 Alden Place and was buried at Park View Cemetery. Her daughter Margaret Parker of Schenectady was the informant.

The following obit was posted in the 8-29-1977 Schenectady Gazette:
CUNNINGHAM DIES AT 95; FUNERAL PRIVATE
Mrs. Anna Telfer Cunningham, 94, of 3 Alden Place died yesterday at her home after a long illness. Born in Philadelphia, Mrs. Cunningham had been a Schenectady resident most of her life. She was the oldest member of the First Reformed Church of Schenectady at the time of her death. Mrs. Cunningham was a past member of the Mohawk Golf Club and had been involved in many volunteer activities.

She was the widow of John F Cunningham Jr. Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Henry (Mararet) Parker Jr. of Schenectady; two sisters Mrs. F.H. Madden of Clearwater, Fla; and Mrs. J. R. Van Arsdale of Annapolis, MD; a grand-daughter and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Parkview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Reformed Church. Arrangements are by Baxter's Funeral Home.

More About ANNA MARGARET TELFER:
Burial: August 30, 1977, Parkview Cemetery, Schenectady, NY

Notes for JOHN FISHER CUNNINGHAM:
SSN 074-03-5097 Residence: 12308 Schenectady, Schenectady, NY
Born 1 Sep 1881 Last Benefit:
Died Oct 1967 Issued: NY (Before 1951)

iii.

VIOLET MARY TELFER, b. September 1883, New York ¹²; d. June 23, 1940, New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut; m. EZRA BASSETT MERRIAM, November 17, 1908; b. 1879, New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut; d. October 21, 1945.

Notes for VIOLET MARY TELFER:
Violet and her family were living in Swarthmore, PA in 1933, at the time of her father's death.

Notes for EZRA BASSETT MERRIAM:
Ezra was an inventor for General Electric.

iv.

ALEXANDER MACKENZIE TELFER¹², b. June 08, 1893, New York¹²; d. August 1962, New York, NY; m. LOIS EDITH JOHNSON, February 01, 1920; b. December 25, 1894, Bristol, Tennessee ¹³; d. November 1975, Bethany, Butler, Ohio¹³.

Notes for ALEXANDER MACKENZIE TELFER:
Alexander was a dentist who had attended Dartmouth College (for at least two years). During these years, family lore has it that he played with Jim Thorpe. A letter written from John Ross MacKenzie Ewing to Mary Jane, Alexander Telfer's daughter, mentions that Alexander Telfer attended Dartmouth College in 1908.

His daughter Betty remembers that Alexander quit Dartmouth in his senior year to help take care of of his mother who was dying of cancer and the two sisters who were still living at home. After she passed away, Alexander returned to school but instead of returning to Dartmouth, he instead enrolled at NYU. He took classes to become a dentist. Before completing his education, however, he enlisted in the army. The Army persuaded him to return to NYU to complete his degree at NYU in dentistry, whereby he would return to the service as an officer.

Alex passed away in August 1962 at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City, NY.

Obit for Alexander Telfer:
Dr. Alexander M Telfer, a dentist here for more than forty years, died Saturday in Lenox Hill Hospital after a brief illness. His age was 69. Dr. Telfer attended Dartmouth College and New York University. He served in the Army during World War I. Last year he began a practice in Glen Spey, N.Y. Survivors include his widow, Lois; two daughters, Mrs. C. C. Comstock and Mrs. J .R. Sexton of Middletown, Ohio and six grandchildren.

MARION GERTRUDE TELFER¹⁴, b. February 21, 1899, New York; d. October 1985, Madison County, New Jersey; m. FRANKLIN HOSEA MADDEN, June 06, 1925; b. Tuckahoe, Cape May County, New Jersey; d. November 1982, New York.

Notes for MARION GERTRUDE TELFER:
Marion was living in Clearwater, Florida at the time of her sister Anna's death in 1977.

Notes for FRANKLIN HOSEA MADDEN:
According to some Madison Eagle news clippings, Franklin was the senior facilities manager at the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company. In 1933, he had a house built in Fairwoods that was 32 feet long, 29 feet deep and 30 feet high. The building permit for this house indicated the cost to be $8,000. Franklin retired in March 1936, during his 35th year of telephone service.

vi.

DOROTHY JANET TELFER, b. August 31, 1900 ¹⁵; d. July 30, 1991, Annapolis, MD¹⁶; m. JOHN ROYLE VANARSDALE, June 23, 1923; b. December 30, 1896, Hawthorne, New Jersey ¹⁷; d. June 1984, Annapolis, MD¹⁷.

Notes for DOROTHY JANET TELFER:
Dorothy and her family were living in Ridgewood, NJ in 1933 at the time of her father death. They were found living in Annapolis, MD in the mid - 1960's. Dorothy was living in Annapolis, MD at the time of her sister Anna's death in 1977.

Notes for JOHN ROYLE VANARSDALE:
John graduated for Rutgers University.

	vii.		MAGGIE TELFER, b. September 20, 1885; d. October 30, 1885.
	viii.		MARJORIE D TELFER, b. February 08, 1891; d. August 30, 1898.

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