Phyllis Procuniar Discussion

Phyllis Procuniar June 1899-

A Thumbnail Biography by David C. Procuniar

Copyright 1997-1998-1999-2000-2001

Discussions in the past with other Procuniar - Procunier family genealogists

about who were the parents of

Phyllis Procuniar born on June 1899 in Cincinnati, Ohio

Source: David Charles Procuniar 3598 Harry Truman Drive, Beavercreek, Ohio 45432

Phyllis Procuniar was born in June 1899 in Cincinnati, Ohio, During my 1994 research for the John Franklin Procuniar family (which led me to Cincinnati Ohio) I found Phyllis listed (shown) on the 1900 Cincinnati Ohio Census as the daughter of John and Agnes Procuniar (& youngest child of John & Agnes Procuniar) & born in June of 1899. The surname of Freeman came up in an oral phone conversation I had with Richard Hauschild & later with Helen Hauschild Seefeldt in 1994. Helen went on to say that at the young age of 14, Phyllis became a domestic servant in a home in the Chicago, Illinois area in 1919 (this was also confermed by Richard Hauschild). This clearly indicates that in 1919 Phyllis was 14 and born in 1905.

No one seems to know Phyllis's wareabouts in discussions during 1996. Debby Klemp Volpe and her mother have stated to me that Phyllis was not John Franklin Procuniar's daughter, that Phyllis was the daughter of Claude Procuniar & the sister of Merritt Procunier, but has no proof or references to support this theory other then Debby's mother's memory of someone in her family telling her that Phyllis was the daughter of Claude. Merritt changed the spelling of his birth surname of Procuniar to Procunier, saying that Procunier was the original French spelling. However after several years of research I have found that there are two (2) Phyllis Procuniar's, one born in June 1899 in Ohio to John F. & Agnes F. Procuniar and one born in May 1905 in Chicago, Illinois to Claude & Laura Procuniar.

Email from Debby Klemp Volpe

Oct 27, 2003 withabby@aol.com

Hi David,

Ok, so this isn't the weekend...but it's close enough. I ran out of time yesterday and since I wanted to tell you a bit about what led to this discovery, I thought I would wait until I wasn't so tired.

Okay..so here is how I stumbled on this whole thing. I was looking for my mother's family, the Merritt F. Procuniers, on the 1930 (Chicago Illinois) census. I knew they should be out there as my mom was born in 1928. I found the listing: Marit, Viola, Robert and Renee at 2939 Berteau, Chicago, Illinois. For some reason I started looking at the other pages in the enumeration district they were in when I happened upon a Phyllis Freeman and family living at 3216 Berteau. I said, "Wouldn't that be weird if this was our Phyllis?" I remembered it said that she married some man named Freeman and here was a Phyllis Freeman, 24 years old, living on the same street as Merritt. Upon further look I saw that her father was born in Ohio and her mother in Illinois which would coincide with the information that I have for her. (assuming Claude and Laura were her parents). This Phyllis' husband was listed as Alvin Freeman, born in Minnesota. I didn't know what to do to prove this might be our Phyllis so I went to bed. But I couldn't get her out of my mind and a few days later, I was up late at night and I put in a search for online databases that led me to the Newberry Library and a database belonging to the Minnesota Historical Society death records. For kicks, I put in the last name of Freeman and lo and behold, up popped the death record for one Albin Freeman; Father's name: Albin and mother's maiden name PROCUNIER. Of course, I sent off for the certificate right away and when it came back it showed Mother-Maiden Name, Phyllis Procunier. I am waiting for copies of birth records for Albin and his siblings (as shown on the 1930 census) and hope to get some kind of information off of them. Also I am going to try and obtain a marriage record for Phyllis and Albin G. and see what I can learn from that.

I was so excited about this. My mom told me that Phyllis had visited them and that my grandfather wouldn't let her in the apartment but talked to her in the hall and that she brought stuffed animals or something for her and my uncle Bob. So that is what led me to wonder if this Phyllis on Berteau was the one we have been looking for.

I will definitely keep you posted as new things develop. But here is what I have so far:

From the 1930 Minnesota Census:

Head of Household: Alvin

32 yrs old

Phyllis 24 yrs old Wife

Albin 5 yrs old Son

Gloria 4 6/12 yrs old Daughter

Claud 2 6/12 yrs old Son

Marie 6/12 yrs old Daughter

Alice 61 yrs old Mother born in Sweden

Albin, the son, dies single in 1968 in Minnesota.

Well, I am getting tired so I am going to sign off for now. I will keep you posted.

debby

Feb 01, 2017 … Debby is correct that Phyllis Frances Procuniar Freeman is the daughter of Claud & Laura Procuniar born May 1905 in Chicago Illinois. My confusion was remembering that a Phyllis Procuniar born 1899 in Cincinnati, Ohio and the Phyllis Frances Procuniar born in 1905 Chicago Illinois are not the same. I confirmed this when I just found out (Jan 31st 2017) that the Phyllis Procuniar born in 1899 (who was the daughter of John F & Agnes Procuniar) died on Feb 12th 1901 age 20-months in Cincinnati, Ohio and is buried in the Walnut Hills Cemetery, Hamilton County, Cincinnati, Ohio in Plot: Section: 6 Lot: Grave: 435 Row: 60.

My apologies to the Procuniar/Klemp/Volpe family for the confusion!

Other Sources:

David C Procuniar 3598 Harry Truman Drive, Beavercreek, Ohio 45432

The Bragonier Family by Georgiana H. Randall 1969.

The Bragunier Family in America by Brittain Bragunier Robinson 1969.

First Reformed Church of Hagerstown Maryland church records on LDS micro-film.

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