Family tree - O'Rahilly - Edward Wren |
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Edward Wren [poss. descendant of Edward III],
mar 2ndly, 1898,
to Josephine Hickie
[born 28 May 1876],
Littur is not far from Killelton,
she moved to his home in Springfield, Ohio,
living (must be 1115) North Limestone St, Springfield, at dau's death 1900,
he built "The Cliff House" in Ballybunion, Co.Kerry,
for her father,
their wealth helped a number of
her siblings move to US,
the Edward Wren company's store moved 1903 to new building,
East High St, Springfield,
this was Springfield's first large
department store,
he moved 1912 to a new house at the beach,
Rockaway Park,
at
Far Rockaway Beach,
Long Island,
New York,
(beside NYC),
he still ran business in Springfield and on E coast,
obituary 1917 still lists the Wren residence at 1115 North Limestone St, Springfield, Ohio,
he worshipped at St. Raphael
Catholic church, Springfield,
he also had summer home in the
White Mountains,
New Hampshire,
he died Thur 25 Oct 1917 at his home, Rockaway Park, NY,
age 68 yrs,
see obituary,
Daily News, Springfield, Ohio, Friday, October 26, 1917,
describes him as
"merchant prince, former resident of Springfield
and founder of the Edward Wren company's dry goods store in this city",
obituary says
body brought from NY back to Springfield,
funeral St. Raphael church, Springfield, Mon 29 Oct,
he must have been bur temporarily in Springfield,
and then the body taken back to NY in Feb 1918,
he was bur 26 Feb 1918 in the new
Wren Mausoleum
that Josephine built in the
Gate of Heaven Cemetery
(Catholic),
Hawthorne, NY,
the Wren Mausoleum is
nr grave of Babe Ruth,
Josephine's obituary says
the business was sold c.1920,
it was apparently sold for
$1 m,
this is $10-50 m in today's money,
Wren's merged into
Block's,
which later merged into the
Allied Stores chain,
Josephine's obituary says
"she left Springfield about 1925", and travelled widely,
living at times in Washington, D.C., in London, and in Ottawa, Canada,
she apparently is much mentioned in the society pages of the day,
family called her "Brammy",
she lived in her last years at the
New Weston Hotel
(Madison Ave and 49th or 50th St), New York
(see map),
she died New York, Sun 4 Sep 1949,
age 73 yrs,
see obituary,
Daily News, Springfield, Ohio, Monday, September 5, 1949,
funeral Wed 7 Sept in St. Patrick's Cathedral,
New York,
bur 7 Sept, Wren Mausoleum,
Gate of Heaven Cemetery, NY,
had issue by 2nd wife:

The Wren Mausoleum, Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY.
Photo courtesy of Jenny Wren.
See full size.
Edward Wren's house at the beach in Rockaway, New York.
The house in Rockaway today.
It is now an old-age home.
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