COLLECTIONS For a History of the
Ancient
Fami y 0 McMat By FRAN"K
l\IORTIM:ER
o
1\'IcMA TH
"H e was of the .Ancient Family of McMath." (Alexander
Nisbet, Heraldic Writer
"Man is a noble pous in the grave. with equal lustre, nor the infamy of his
(Edition
of Scotland, 1722)
animal. Splendid in ashes, pomOelebrating nativities and death omitting ceremonies of bravery in nature.."-SIB THOMA.S BnowNE.
Two Hundred
Copies)
Press of C. A. DAVIS PRINTING COMPANY, Memphis, Tennessee, U. S. A. 1937
Inc.
THE McMATH
148
FAMILY
ALLA McMATH, II. (No. 16. P. 35. McMath Memorials) AS born in Ovid Township, N. Y., June 12,1799. Married March 19; 1829, to Elizabeth Homan of Phelps1 N. Y., (b. June 10, 1796; d. of Joshua and Nancy Wharry Homan of Orange County, N. Y.) Mr. McMath died Jan. 25, 1883. His wife passed away Jan. 21, 1852. AHa McMath was the son of John McMath (born Chester County, Pa., Mar. 27, 1770, in the home of his great grandfather, James Wilson). The father of John McMath was Ana 1\{cMath, who was born Jan. 11, 1738, in Ulster, and came to America in 1756; he married here Mabel Kelsey, a grand daughter. of James Wilson. Her great grandparents' were William and Jane ( Stewart) Wilson. The Wilsons and Stewarts emigrated from Scotland to Ulster sometime prior
W
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to 1690.
The father of AHa McMath (the elder) was Archibald McMath, born in Scotland and emigrated to Ulster sometime prior to 1738. A full account of the descendants of Archibald McMath is to be found in McMath Memorials (Page 3, etseq. The numerals preceding the following names refer to correspond-
.ing numerals in McMath Memorials.)
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55. Sarah A. McMath, (dau. of Ana, II,) born Mar'. .
19, 1830, died Mar. 2, 1900. Buried Bellefontaine Ceme.tery, St. Louis, l\fo. (See" An Appreciation," page 137.) 56. Robert Emmet Mc1\iath (son. of AHa, II,) born Apr. 28, 1833, at Varick, Seneca County, N. Y., Married in Detroit, Dec. 29, 1859, to Frances Elizabeth '.
Brodie, who died Feb. 12, 1867. Was married (second) at St. Louis, ],\tIo.,Sept. 23, 1901, to Eleanor C. Trent, who died Sept. 7, 1905, at Webster Groves, Mo., and is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery. lVlr. McMath died at Web-
THE
McMATH
FAMILY
149
ster Groves, Mo., :May 31, 1918, and was buried in the family lot in Bellefontaine. (See autobiography). 1. Frances Isabella (d. :May 5, 1881). 58. Thomas Brodie McMath (2nd child of Robert E.), born in St. Louis, Dec. 28, 1862. Married in Cincinnati, Dec. 12, 1895, to Carrie Louise Burnham. He died in Indianapolis, Jan. 14, 1932. Mrs. McMath was born Dec. 22, 18.71, in Cincinnati. Resided in Westwood, near Cincinnati, until her marriage with Mr. McMath. The first years of their married life were spent in St. Louis. Mrs. McMath during her residence in Indianapolis was interested in Club work, religious and other organizations. Her membership was with the Tabernacle Presbyterian Church. She was a mem1ber of the Caroline Scott Harrison Chapter of the D. A. R. and for a number of years served as Chaplain. She was the first presiding
officer
of the Parent-Teacher
Association of School 45. She was also interested in the Monday Club and the W:C.T.U. She was the author of a number of articles published in "The Star" including a series of short stories about "Hedgelawn Babies". Her mother was Mrs. Arastris Burnham, of Cincinnati. She had one sister, Miss Hattie Jane Burnham, and two brothers, Edward T. Burnham, of Holton, Ind., and Walter E. Burnham, of Spokane, Washington. 1. Frances Burnham McMath, born in Cincinnati, Dec. 1, 1897. Married Dr. Frederick Emerson Gifford, (son of Samuel Grant and l\1ary Ryan Gifford) at home July 11, 1931, by Dr. Jean S. Milner. Mrs. Gifford took her degree of B.S. in 1919, and Dr. Gifford took his B.S. in 1919, and M:.D. in 1921, at the University of Indiana. Resides (1936) 3330 North Meridian, Indianapolis, Ind. .
1
2. Thomas Burnham McMath, born Cincinnati, on August 12, 1899. Married Maebelle Holmberg, Aug. 16, 1927.
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THE
McMATH
F A...'11LY
Thomas Burnham McMath was graduated from Purdue University with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in: 1921. Following college, he was two and a half years engineer for the Indiana State Highway Commission. He came to Chicago to learn the contract busIness with the North American Railway Construction Co. He acted as bookkeeper, cost accountant, estimator of all contracts, superintendent of Construction, and finally joined the firm, becoming Secretary and Treasurer. When the construction company became inactive, due to the depression, he took a position offered by the surety on a tunnel contract, and was responsible for all expenditures and cost accounting. He has had wide experience in supervising contract work and estimating covered railway construction, paving, sewer, water pipe, and some building. He resides at 1330 Winona St., Chicago. Ill. (1)
Nancy Mae, born Feb. 25, 1932.
3. Caroline McMath, born Oct. 17, 1900. Married John Kuhns Goodwin (son of Clarence Larue Goodwin and Harriet Kuhns Goodwin) at home Dec. 12, 1924, by Dr. J. Ambrose Dunkel. Dr. Goodwin received his A.B. in 1920, B.S. in 1921, and M.D. in 1923, at the University of Indiana. Connected with Ind. Veneer and Lumber Company. Resides (1936) 1220 Pickwick Place, Golden Hill, Indianapolis. (1) John Kuhns Goodwin, Jr., born Mar. 24, 1925. (2) Sarah Elizabeth, born Apr. 11, 1927. (3) Mary Caroline, born Jan. 4, 1930. 4~ Louis Trent Mc.Math, born Indianapolis, Mar. 10, 1902. l\1:arried Gonstance Haass, Detroit, June 29, 1932. , 'I was christened Louis Trent McMath; born Mar. 10, 1902; father, Thomas Brodie McM3ith, and mother,
THE McMATH .
Carrie Louise Burnham .
151
FAMILY
McMath.
Attended
grade school
and high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, and graduated from Wabash Col1ege, Crawfordsville, Indiana, with A. B. degree in 1924, after which I attended the University of Michigan Law School and graduated with degree of L.Ii.B. in 1927. , 'Then became associated with law firm of Dykema, Jones & Wheat in Detroit, Michigan, from 1927 to March '193i, at which time was appointed Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern Diistrict of Michigan, in which position I have remained until the present time, although in January, 1933, formed and became a p'artner in the firm of Palmer, Aldrich & McMath. Judge Palmer, with whom I am associated has been connected with the Probate Court in the City of Detroit, Wayne County, for over 35 years and, has also been a judge on that bench. "On January29, 1932, I married Constance Haass,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Julius H. Haass, of Detroit, Michigan. Mr. Julius H.- Haass was one of the leading bankers in this part of the country, and was chairman of the Board of the Detroit Bankers Company at the time of his death in 1931. We have one child, a daughter, . Lillian Henkel, named from her grandmother, Mrs. Lillian Henkel Haass; born July 5, practi~e in September, 1927, and the Detroit Bar Association since a member of the American Bar
1936. I was admitted to 'have been a member of that time, and I am also Association."
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5. Elizabeth McMath, born ApriJ 20, 1903. Married Joseph vVhitney Shirley, Jr., (born Mar. 7, 1905) of Baltimore, Sept. 14, 1931, at Indianapolis, by Rev. Thos. White. lVlrs. Shirley graduated from Purdue University
. in. 1926 with a B.S. degree. . l\fr. Shirley graduated from Penna. Military College .
: in 1927' with the degree of B.S. in Economics. Grad..,uated.frorn"the University of Maryland, 1930, with'the
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