Frank N. Hallstead Jr., b. 1885 - Scranton, Lackawanna, PA
I'm the granddaughter of Richard ("Dick") Hallstead and I'm seeking information about his family, particularly his father, Frank N. Hallstead Jr., who comes from the Halstead line that traces back through Nathaniel Halstead of Scranton, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania; to Jonas Halstead of Halifax, England, who appears to have emigrated to the U.S. (Connecticut/New York) sometime in the 1630’s. (I'm not sure who added in the second "l" to the Halstead name. It may have been Frank Hallstead Jr., because he is listed in the 1900 census as “Halstead” but in the 1910 and 1920 censuses (when he was head of household) as “Hallstead”)).
My family doesn't know much about my great-grandfather Frank N. Hallstead Jr. (sometimes as "Frank M.J. Hallstead" or "Frank M. Hallstead Jr.") because he left my great-grandmother, Elizabeth (Burgess) Hallstead, when my grandfather was only two or three years of age. The oral history I have is that Frank Hallstead Jr. remarried after leaving his wife Elizabeth (but without divorcing her).
Below is the basic geneological information that I have. I'd appreciate any help that anyone can provide. I can provide more info if needed. (This is my first foray into researching my genealogy, so please forgive me if I've left out some standard information.) Thanks!
Frank N. Hallstead Jr. ("Frank Jr.") was born in November 1885 in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania (perhaps in the town of Rendham or Scranton) to Frank Nathaniel Halstead Sr. (“Frank Sr.”) and his wife Elizabeth A. Halstead. Frank Sr. and Elizabeth had at least two other children – Walter G. Halstead, born in September 1887, and Margaret Halstead, born in April 1895. Frank Sr. was born in February 1861 to Nathaniel Halstead and his wife Fally A. Halstead (alt. sp. “Folly”). Nathaniel Halstead was born December 1824 to Alanson Halstead and Phoebe (Wells) Halstead.
Frank Jr. married Elizabeth Burgess, sometime between 1904 to 1906. (The 1910 census lists the two as having been married for 4 years; the 1920 census lists her as being born in 1886; and the 1930 census lists her as being 18 years old when she was first married.) Elizabeth Burgess was born in 1886 or 1887 to William Burgess and Mary Wylam. Frank Jr. and Elizabeth had at least four children – Robert Nathaniel Hallstead, born in 1907; John B. Hallstead, born in 1909; Mary E. Hallstead, born in 1920 or 1921; and Richard Hallstead (my grandfather) born in 1923. (All children are now deceased.)
The 1910 census lists Frank Jr.’s occupation as “electrician” and his industry as “coal mines.” The 1920 census lists Frank Jr.’s occupation as a “salesman” for the company “Atlantic Oil Company.”
By the time of the 1930 census, Frank Jr. was no longer living with his wife and children. The 1930 census lists Elizabeth (Burgess) Hallstead’s marital condition as “widowed.” That entry is almost certainly inaccurate. The oral history I have is that Frank Jr. abandoned his wife and children when my grandfather was two or three years old (approximately 1924 or 1925). Elizabeth and her children believed that, sometime after leaving his family, Frank Jr. married another woman (without divorcing Elizabeth, his first wife).
Richard Hallstead, my grandfather, spent some or all of his childhood in Scranton, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania. He joined the Navy (presumably upon turning 18) and later became a dentist. He had at least one daughter, Randy, from his first marriage. (I believe his first wife’s given name was “Mary.” I don’t know her surname.) His second wife was Ruth Lea Merrill. Richard and Ruth Hallstead had seven children and lived all (or most) of their married life in Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York. Richard Hallstead was (and still is) well-known in that area.
Richard's sister Mary and his brother John also lived in New York for at least the later part of their lives. (I believe they both died in New York. I believe Mary was, at some point late in her life, part of a religious order. I think she may have been a priest or held some similar clerical position.) Richard's brother Robert ("Bob") moved to Canada sometime after reaching adulthood. He died in 1967 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Any information about Richard Hallstead's family would be much appreciated! Thanks to all.