Charles Henry Furman

This page covers the descendants of Charles Henry Furman, my GGF. We have yet to decisively connect him to any other Furman line due to conflicting records, as you will see below.

Charles Henry Furman's Family Tree
 

Charles Henry Furman

The earliest confirmed ancestor is Charles Henry Furman, William Cupitt Furman's father. Charles was born between 1867 and 1872. For a period around the 1880s, Charles lived in Estil, South Carolina, where he worked at a lumber mill close to the Savanna River. Charles eventually returned to New Jersey. Joining him on his return was an African American gentleman, and probably his daughter, neither of whose names are known.

The long, narrow visage appears to be similar to photographs of other Furmans in the book
There are several documents pertaining to his birth place, time, and ancestry. Unfortunately, they offer conflicting information. There is also a persitent tale of American Indian bloodline, but we have to discover any conclusive or even suggestive evidence.
 

Based on the above, we are comfortable saying this much: Charles Henry Furman was born in August, circa 1869, in South Amboy, New Jersey.  His mother's given name was Mary.

Charles Henry Furman's Siblings??

We believe Charles had a brother Richard, who was born in 1855 and died in 1910. His death certificate lists his parents as William Furman and Mary Lamberson(?). Richard is buried in the Furman plot at Christ Chuch Cemetery, South Amboy, New Jersey.

An 1870 US Census record for South Amboy, New Jersey lists a Charles Furman, age 10/12 months.  Other members of the household are

• Noah P (or R), age 18
• Medora, age 7
• Elmira, age 5

Charles Henry Furman's Wife and Children

We suspect it was after he returned to New Jersey that Charles met Margaret Maude Cupitt. They wed on May 8, 1889 at Grace Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey. They lived in a 21 room house at 309 South Broad Street, Elizabeth, across the street from Battin High School. In addition to housing their children and later some grandchildren, some rooms were rented to boarders. The house no longer stands, but homes similar to it in size and archictecture still stand a few doors away.

Charles and Margaret had 7 children, Gertrude Elizabeth, Genevieve (Mary Jane), Charles Henry jr., William Cupitt (my GF), Eleanor Maybelle, Margaret Dorothy, and Marguarite. Charles Henry jr. and Marguarite died at very young ages.

Per the 1905 US census, Charles listed carpentry as his occupation. He later worked at the Graselli Chemical Company in Bayway, Elizabeth, as a watchman.  Per his obituary in the New York Times Charles worked at Grasselli for 12 years and rose to the position of superintendent. During a burglary or break-in, he was wounded in the leg. Apparently the injury was never treated properly and gangrene set in. The disease progressed and eventually became his primary cause of death.

Charles passed away on August 2, 1935 in Linden, New Jersey, and was buried at Christ Church Cemetery, South Amboy, New Jersey. His residence at the time was 1319 North Wood Avenue, Linden, New Jersey. In 1943 his remains were moved to the Furman plot at Evergreen Cemetery, Elizabeth, New Jersey.
 
 

Charles Henry Furman's Descendants

Charles and Margaret had 7 children, Gertrude Elizabeth, Genevieve (Mary Jane), Charles Henry jr., William Cupitt (my GF), Eleanor Maybelle, Margaret Dorothy, and Marguarite. Charles Henry jr. and Marguarite died at very young ages.

 

Gertrude Elizabeth Furman

Gertrude Elizabeth was born January 31, 1891, supposedly on a train from Atlantic City. She was an actress, and reportedly was more successful in that capacity than as a mother to her three daughters, whom she abandoned. She had three husbands: James French, who was the father of her daughters, John Ahern, who was as a detective in Atlantic City, and George Metz, who had two daughters from a previous marriage and with whom she travlled across US in a trailer.

Gertrude's daughters were Madeline, Elizabeth Dorothy, and Florence. Elizabeth married William Frederick Hoeschele, had four children, including James Hoeschele, and lives in Colorado. Florence married Royal Sheltraw and had two sons, including James Sheltraw.

Gertrude Elizabeth Furman passed on in March, 1953 in Miami, Florida.
 

Eleanor Maybell Furman

Eleanor Maybelle Furman was born September 10, 1904 (though her gravestone reads 1903). She worked as a secretary for the New State state controller Frederick Anthony Brodesser (b. 1893. d 1948), whom she later married. The story goes that Frederick was engaged in some shady dealings and that the marriage was driven in part so Eleanor would never be able totestify against husband.

Eleanor and Frederick lived in a relatively large home at 1319 North Wood Avenue, Linden, New Jersey, and had no children. This is where Charles Henry Furman lived during his later years. Frederick died in 1948, leaving Eleanor with sufficient means to live independently and travel extensively.

In the mid-1980s Eleanor moved to Florida to live with her sister Margaret. She died there in August, 1995, and buired in the Furman plot at Evergreen Cemetery, Elizabeth, New Jersey.
 
 

Margaret Dorothy Furman

Margaret Dorothy Furman was born March 22, 1908. She married Herbert Eckert and had two children, Barbara and Herbert II. They lived Westfield, New Jersey from about 1940 to about 1960, when Margaret and Herbert moved to Clearwater, Florida. While in Westfield, Margaret's mother, Margaret Maude, also lived with there. Herbert and Margaret passed on in 1987 and 1988, respectively.
 

Genevieve Furman

Genevieve Furman was born July 17, 1894 in South Amboy, New Jersey. She was sometimes referred to as "Mary Jane", and more often as "Jenny".

She married Wilbur Houston and had one child, Charles, all of whom lived in her parents' 21 room house on South Broad Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey. After Wilbur divorced her she married J. Peter Kuber, who had children of his own from a previous marriage.

Genevieve passed on in May, 1943, succumbing to cancer, but not before she was able to see her son Charles who had served for more than two years in Italy during World War II.

She is buried in the Furman family plot at Evergreen Cemetery, Elizabeth, New Jersey.
 
 

William Cupitt Furman

WWilliam Cupitt Furman (my GF), or just Cupitt, as he was typically addressed by his brothers and sisters, was born October 18, 1897 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He married Anna Gibson Smart on December 31, 1918 at Westminister Hope Memorial, also in Elizabeth. At one time William was a truck driver for the New Jersey Highway Garage in Newark. Later, he wored at the Food Fair Warehouse in/near Linden.

William and Anna also lived in the 21 room house on South Broad Street, Elizabeth, where they had their first children. They later moved to a small house on Stiles Street in Linden. In all William and Anna had twelve children:

• Eleanor Anna
• Charles William
• John Carl
• George Smart
• Genevieve Mary
• William Cupitt II
• Margaret Maude
• Richard
• Donald Gibson
• Gertrude Elizabeth
• Warren Gilbert
• Douglas Paul

Here is a family picture taken at my mother Gertrude Elizabeth's wedding in October, 1958.

top row: Eleanor Furman, Genevieve Furman, William Furman, Anna Furman, Gertrude Furman, Margaret Furman, Warren Furman.
bottom row: Richard Furman, John Furman, George Furman, William Furman, Douglas Furman

William Cupitt Furman died in November 1986 at age 89, providing even more evidence of longevity in the family. He is buried at Christ Church Cemetery, South Amboy, New Jersey.
 
 

Research Notes

My heartfelt thanks to Eleanor Ensign, Leslie Ewald, Howard Remington Furman, John Furman, Jim Hoeschele, Charles Houston, Barbara Rollins, and Jim Sheltraw, for their memories and conributions.