Florence Emma MerkleeFlorence Emma Merklee was one of three children born to Cornelius Merklee and Josephine (Aube) Merklee. So far, a record of the family has not been found in the 1880 U.S. Census, although there is a record of her grandfather, John Merklee, and some of Florence's siblings in that census. The first written record we have of Florence E. Merklee is from the 1900 U.S. Census.1 Florence was born in June 1879 in New York (probably Brooklyn). She is 21 years old, single and living with her parents, Cornelius and Josephine, and her maternal grandfather, Peter Aube. The family is residing at 1055 Decatur Street, Brooklyn, NY. No occupation is listed for Florence in this census. By 1910, Florence is married to William Montgomery Delaney. The couple is living with her parents, Cornelius Merklee and Josephine (Aube) Merklee, at 629 East 28th Street, Brooklyn, NY.2 A death notice published in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper on Tuesday, November 18, 1913, reported that Florence E. Delaney had died on Monday, November 17, 1913, at her residence, 625 East 28th Street in Flatbush (Brooklyn, NY).3 The address of her residence would indicate that she had been living next door to her parents, Cornelius and Josephine Merklee. The notice also stated that she was the widow of William M. Delaney and that a notice of the funeral would be published "hereafter". From this death notice we learn that Emma was Florence's middle name. Florence's obituary was published in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on Wednesday, November 19, 1913.4 This may also have been the date of her funeral and burial, but that has not yet been documented. We learn from the obituary that her now-deceased husband, William M. Delaney, had been "well-known in racing circles." She was 34 years old at the time of her death. Florence was survived by her parents, Cornelius Merklee and Josephine Merklee. Very little else is known about Florence. It is unlikely that she had any children. None were listed in the 1910 U.S. Census and there was no mention of children in either the death notice or the obituary.
1 1900 U.S. Census - T623 Roll 1067 ED 522 Ward 28 Page 17B Brooklyn, NY. Note: The Ancestry.com index (as of February 2010) incorrectly spells Peter's surname as Anbe rather than Aube and Merklee is speled "Merkle." Webmaster: Robert F. Delaney Page created: February 14, 2010 |
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