Albert M. Abbott

Albert M. Abbott was born in Yonkers, Westchester County, New York on 18 February 1906. He was the first of three children born to Bertha (Underhill) Abbott (1872-1917) and Martin Dominick Abbott (1878-1930).^{1, 2}

In 1910 the Abbott household consisted of Albert, his one year old brother Gordon, and his parents Bertha and Martin. Albert's father was employed as an electrician doing housewiring.³

When his mother died from tuberculosis in 1917, Albert was only about eleven years old. It would appear that the family did not stay together for very long after Bertha's death. Three years later when the 1920 U.S. Census was taken, we find Albert and Gordon Abbott boarding with Peter and Mary Witzel in the "Lake District" of Harrison Township, Westchester County, New York.⁴ Their sister Grace May Abbott was living with her step-brother John Eisler in Port Chester, New York. Martin Abbott's place of residence in 1920 is not known.

By 1930 Albert Abbott was living in Stamford, Connecticut working as a linotypist for a newspaper.⁵ He was married to Ruamah Franck who was employed as a proofreader for a newspaper. We know from the 1930 Census that Albert and Ruamah had been married in early 1930 and were living on Hackett Circle in Stamford.^{6, 7}

From the Stamford Directory we can determine where Albert was living and working. In 1940, his residence was located on Chestnut Hill Road in Stamford, Connecticut.⁸ There is no mention of Ruamah, but none of the listings seem to include spouses as is the practice in some city directories. In the 1944, 1945 and 1946 directories, Albert is living at 114 Woodside Village, Apartment 3B in Stamford.⁹ The 1944 directory shows him working as a machine operator at 60 Gay.

By the 1960s Gordon Abbott is residing at 39 Glenbrook Road, Apartment 2H, where he appears to have remained until the time of his death in 1974.¹⁰ The directories indicate that he was working as a typesetter for United Publishing and Printing Corporation in Stamford, Connecticut.

It is not known if the couple had any children. Ruamah and Albert Abbott were divorced in 1944 in Palm Beach, Florida.¹¹

Albert M. Abbott died in Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut on 27 March 1974.^{12, 13}

Albert's siblings were:

Gordon Richard Abbott (1906-1974)
Grace May Abbott (1911-1994)

¹ Much of the information present here was generously shared via e-mail messages between Karen Skinner and Robert F. Delaney, webmaster of this site, in May and June 2007.
² His birth date is given in the Social Security Death Index, Social Security Number 043-01-9341.
³ 1910 U.S. Census, T624 Roll 1091 Page 12A ED 54
⁴ 1920 U.S. Census, T625 Roll 1275 Page 3B ED57 Harrison, Westchester, New York.
⁵ 1930 U.S. Census, T626 Roll 260 Page 8B ED203 Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
⁶ The answer to the census question concerning "Age at last birthday" indicates that Albert was 24. He had turned 24 in February, a couple of months before the census was taken in April. The answer to the census question "Age at first marriage" is age 24. Therefore, Albert and Ruamah appear to have been married after Albert's birthday in February, but before the census was taken on April 7, 1930.
⁷ The census indicates that a one and one-half year old child named Francis Bornbancer (as indexed by Ancestry.com, but likely "Bornhauser") at the couple's residence on the day that data was collected. For the relationship of the child named Francis to Albert and Ruamah, the indication is "daughter," which could lead to confusion unless one looks at other notations on the census form. In the column labeled "Number of family in order of visitation," the census taker indicated "206" whereas the Abbott houshold is numbered 207. The household listed just above the Abbotts, and numbered "206), includes a couple, Frederic and Meta Bornhauser, with what appears to be the same last name as the child named Francis. Perhaps someone in the Abbott household was caring for the neighbor's child on the day that the census was taken. Another problem with the census recording has to do with the spelling of Ruamah's name. She is listed, and indexed by Ancestry.com, as "Rugmah."
⁸ 1940 Stamford Directory, Stamford, Connecticut, The Price and Lee Co.
⁹ 1944, 1945 and 1946 Stamford Directories, Stamford, Connecticut, The Price and Lee Co.
¹⁰ 1963, 1965, 1967 and 1971 Stamford Directories, Stamford, Connecticut, The Price and Lee Co.
¹¹ Florida Divorce Index, Florida Department of Health, 1944, Volume 259, Certificate #7846
¹² Social Security Death Index, Social Security Number 043-01-9341. The month of death is listed as "April."
¹³ 1974 Stamford Directory, Stamford, Connecticut, The Price and Lee Co. The somewhat unusual but helpful practice of this directory company was to list the date of death of individuals who had died since publication of the previous edition. The 1974 directory indicates that Albert M. Abbott "died March 27, 1974 age 68."