Welcome to 632 Aberdeen St in the Riverside Gardens neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan! This blog post was requested by a follower of the blog.
General Facts:
Year Built: 1926
Size: 3 beds/ 2.5 baths/ ≈ 1500 sq.ft
Acreage: 0.48 acres
# of Owners from 1926-2013: 7
Family #1: William and Nellie Gedris
Years @ 632 Aberdeen: 8: 1926-'34
William Anthony Gedris
Born: August 30, 1893; Grand Rapids, Michigan
Died: April 30, 1972; Grand Rapids, Michigan
Father: George (b. 1854; Russia/Lithuania - d. 1935; Michigan)
Mother: Maria Evonoff (b. 1853; Russia/Lithuania - d. 1955; Michigan)
Siblings: Joseph, George Jr, Stanley, Julia, Frank, Margaret, Anthony, and Martha
William's father, mother, and three older brothers were born in Russia/Lithuania and immigrated to the US in 1892 - a year before William was born. William's father, George, worked in various furniture factories in Grand Rapids and the family lived at 1121 Hamilton Ave NW.
I don't believe that William graduated high school (which wasn't uncommon at that time) - on the 1910 US Census, at 16 years old, William is listed as working in a furniture factory.
In 1917, William Gedris took a different approach to his life than working in factories. He worked as an acrobat for the Marcus Loew Western Booking Agency. (Marcus Loew was the founder of MGM Studios.) According to his obituary (article further below), William and his brother started an acrobatic act which appeared in vaudeville and circus stages. During his WWI service, it was stated that William was in charge of entertainment at Camp Custer. When he came back from the service, due to injury, he was unable to continue with the acrobat acts.
"The Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense, Grand Rapids Unit Records consists of over 23,000 registration cards containing data about women who registered for home front service during World War I. The collection provides insight into the lives of women during the early 20th century. Not only do the cards provide biographical information such as name, age, and address; but they also record education levels, skills, and employment status. These cards provide valuable information for researchers of women's history and genealogy." - Grand Rapids Public Library #grpl
On December 12, 1918, William Gedris married Nellie Maghielse in Grand Rapids.
Neeltje "Nellie" Maghielse
Born: October 31, 1892; Yerseke, Netherlands
Died: June 1956; Pinellas, Florida
Father: Jan (b. 1865; Netherlands - d. 1946; Michigan)
Mother: Pieternella Griep (b. 1870; Netherlands - d. 1945; Michigan)
Siblings: Blanche and George
At 15 years old, Nellie and her parents and siblings came to the US and settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Nellie's father, Jan or John, worked as a packer in the factories. The family lived at 1122 McReynolds Ave NW - on the west side of Grand Rapids.
Notice how Nellie and her sister, Blanche, were also cigar makers at G.J. Johnson Cigar Co - same as William Gedris' sister. Their houses were only 0.5 miles away from each other as well. I would assume this is how Nellie and William met - through his sisters.
Also, per Nellie's card, she never went to school but she could speak English really well.
1918 - GR Press:
After William and Nellie were married in 1918, they remained living on Grand Rapids' west side and rented a duplex at 852 Scribner Ave NW (house is razed now). William's acrobat and entertaining days were over and he returned working as a metal worker in a factory.
In 1921, since he couldn't continue with acrobatics, and with the help of his brothers, William Gedris started a company that would change his entire life. The history of the company is described in a newspaper article below, but to summarize, the first name of Gedris' company was Ideal Furniture & Upholstering Co. Then, in 1922, the company pivoted to automobiles and the name was changed to Ideal Auto Trim Shop.
Again, the company pivoted back to upholstering a few years later. The name was changed to Ideal Upholstering Co - specializing in theater chairs. Their biggest competitor was American Seating Co.
William's company must have been very profitable because in 1926, William and Nellie bought a plot of land in the newly developed Riverside Gardens on the NE side of Grand Rapids - the home was 632 Aberdeen NE. The house was one of two of the very first homes on Aberdeen and the street was just developed that year.
William and Nellie Gedris' life would suddenly change in 1929. On November 4, 1929, Nellie petitioned the court for a divorce from William. The reason: cruelty and desertion - which were one of the very few reasons that were legally allowed to determine a divorce at that time.
Four months after his divorce was finalized from Nellie, William married Helen Lucile Dadles on August 29, 1930 in Greenville, Michigan. H. Lucile, as the name she went by, was a bookkeeper and secretary at Ideal Upholstering - William's company.
Lucile was born in Greenville and moved to Grand Rapids in the mid 1920's. She started working as an agent at a life insurance company and then got the job at Ideal Upholstering in 1927.
William Gedris must have enjoyed building homes, because also in 1930, he bought the plot of land in the village of East Grand Rapids that later became 1051 Santa Cruz Dr. The home is 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, and more than 3000 sq. ft.
After the divorce, Nellie was able to keep the home at 632 Aberdeen. In 1930, her brother, sister-in-law, and a boarder moved in with her.
According to the 1930 Census, 632 Aberdeen was valued at $10,000 - approx. $166,000 in 2021 currency. The home had a radio - which was a unique thing to have in 1930. Nellie's brother, George, worked as a tool maker, and the boarder, Mabel Hegel, worked as a cashier.
From what I researched from the city directories, 1930 was the only year she had other people living with her at 632 Aberdeen.
Nellie Gedris remained living at 632 Aberdeen St for 5 years after her divorce from William - for a total of 8 years. She sold the home in 1934 - in the height of the Great Depression - which could have played a factor in her selling the home. She moved to Bowling Green, Ohio and in 1936, married Herbert Wilhelm. Nellie and Herbert lived in Detroit and he worked at Budd Wheel.
In 1950, Nellie and Herbert moved to Florida. Six years later, in 1956, Nellie passed away. Herbert passed away in 1987.
Two years after his divorce from Nellie, William Gedris and Lucille had a son - William Gedris, Jr. (1932-2012). They lived on Santa Cruz in East Grand Rapids for their entire life together. William passed away in 1972 and Lucille passed away in 1991.
Additional Articles about Ideal Seating Co:
1936
Family #2: Walter and Chrystene Graham
Years @ 632 Aberdeen: 2: 1935-'36
Walter Stephen Graham
Born: December 16, 1888; London, Ontario, Canada
Died: November 1968; Grand Rapids, Michigan
Father: Alex (b. 1842; Canada - d. 1903; Canada)
Mother: Annie Moorhouse (b. 1846; Canada - d. 1940; Canada)
Siblings: Clara, Mary, and Bertha
Walter immigrated to the US in 1906 when he was 19 years old. He lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana and was a salesman for various companies. In 1915, he married Crystine Hume.
Crystine Eunice Hume
Born: February 13, 1889; Ann Arbor, Michigan
Died: August 6 1973; Grand Rapids, Michigan
Father: John
Mother: Unknown
Siblings: Unknown
The early life of Crystine Hume was difficult to research online. There is a marriage record between her and a Harry Hickman in 1905 in Flint, Michigan - she was 16 or 17 years old. Crystine and Harry had a son - Harold Hickman. Harold was born in 1907 and passed away in 1930 due to TB and on the death certificate, it stated that his legal name was Harold Hickman but went by Harold Graham. There wasn't a divorce record I could find for Crystine and Harry but after 10 years, they were both married to other partners.
Crystine and Walter had one daughter - Nancy Ann Graham. She also lived at 632 Aberdeen with her parents.
Nancy Ann Graham
Born: February 8, 1922; Longansport, Indiana
Died: November 23, 1999; Grand Rapids, Michigan
Spouses: Joseph W. Straayer (married Dec. 1941) & William E. King (married June 1949)
During the two years the Graham family lived at 632 Aberdeen, Walter was a salesman for the Globe Knitting Co. After they moved out of Aberdeen, they moved to Sinclair Ave NE, and then to an apartment on Sweet St - both in Creston neighborhood.
Walter passed away in 1968 after a car accident. Crystene passed away in 1973.
Family #3: Dorothy Paxton, Alma Stevens, Lois Buchanan & the Tunkun Sisters
Years @ 632 Aberdeen: 5 (1937-1941)
Dorothy Paxton
Born: May 31, 1908; Mt. Carmel, Illinois
Died: May 30, 1973; Grand Rapids, Michigan
Father: William (b. 1882; Illinois - d. 1918; Illinois)
Mother: Alice Wilson (b. 1881; Illinois - d. 1934; Michigan)
Dorothy Paxton was born in Mt. Carmel, Illinois, a small town between St. Louis and Indianapolis. Her father, William, was a farmer and died of influenza when Dorothy was 10 years old. Since Dorothy was born, her paternal grandmother, Alma Stevens, had lived with the family. Dorothy's mom, grandmother, and Dorothy remained in Illinois for a few years after William's death.
A few years later, Dorothy and her mother and grandmother moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dorothy's mom married Jacob Verhey in 1921. Jacob Verhey was a Spanish-American War veteran who had two previous wives that had died. The two articles below are about his first wife from the Philippines. His second wife, Nellie Proos, died in 1918 while giving childbirth.
In 1930, 7 years before she moved into 632 Aberdeen, Dorothy Paxton lived on Union St SE in the Alger Heights neighborhood with her step-father (Jacob Verhey), her mother, and two step-sisters. Dorothy was 22 years old and she worked as a telephone operator at Buick Motor Company.
In 1923, Dorothy Paxton, was given money from her maternal grandmothers estate after her death.
In 1937, Dorothy Paxton and Matilda Tunkun rented (as indicated on the 1940 US Census below).
In 1939, Dorothy started working as a telephone operator at the Grand rapids Police Department. She would remain in that position for 30 years.
In the late 1950's, Dorothy married a Grand Rapids police officer, John Drooger. It was the first and only marriage for Dorothy and she was in her 40's.
Dorothy Paxton passed away in 1973.
Matilda Mary Tunkun
Born: May 15, 1913; Jonhson City, Illinois
Died: December 21, 2005; Grand Rapids, Michigan
Father: John (b. 1881; Russia/Lithuania - d. unknown; Michigan)
Mother: Jennie Wileises (b. 1890; Russia/Lithuania - d. 1984; Michigan)
Matilda's parents immigrated to the US from Russia/Lithuania in the late 1890's. Matilda was the oldest of her two younger sisters (who also lived at 632 Aberdeen). Matilda and her sisters were born in Illinois, but grew up on a farm in Ellsworth, Michigan - in Charlevoix County.
A couple years before Matilda lived at 632 Aberdeen, along with her sisters, she lived in the Alger Heights neighborhood on Paris Ave - just one block over from where Dorothy Paxton lived. Matilda worked for a number of years as an office assistant to Dr. Harold Crane.
As you could tell from this directory, Dr. Harold Crane was married. However, in January of 1948, Dr. Crane divorced his wife and later that year, Matilda and him were married.
Harold and Matilda lived in Alger Heights on Madison Ave SE before they moved to Reed City after retirement. Matilda passed away in 2005.
Amelia Jennie Tunkun
Born: July 6, 1917; Jonhson City, Illinois
Died: March 7, 2003; Jackson, Oregon
*Younger Sister of Matilda Tunkun
Amelia Tunkun moved to Grand Rapids with her older sister, Matilda in the 1930's. Amelia worked as beautician at Louise Beauty Shop which was located on Lake Dr SE.
In March of 1941, Amelia Tunkun married Robert Husel - a salesman from Grand Rapids. They lived in Grand Rapids a few years before moving to Oregon. Amelia passed away in 2003.
Aldonna Helen Tunkun
Born: April 21, 1929; Luther, Michigan
Died: April 12, 2012; Grand Rapids, Michigan
*Younger Sister of Matilda Tunkun and Amelia Tunkun
Unlike her two older sisters, Aldonna, was born in Luther, Michigan - a small farming town in Northern Michigan. Aldonna didn't move into 632 Aberdeen until 1940. She worked as a sales clerk at Houseman & Jones Clothing Company.
In April 1942, Aldonna married Franklin Kammaraad, an Air Craft Assembler from Holland, Michigan. Aldonna passed away in 2012.
Alma P. Stevens
Born: October 8, 1856; Indiana
Died: August 9, 1945; Grand Rapids, Michigan
*Grandmother of Dorothy Paxton
Alma married Edward Paxton in Coles, Illinois in 1878. Edward died in 1917, which is when Alma moved in with her son - Dorothy Paxton's father. Alma remarried to Benjamin Stevens, and after he died, Alma moved to Grand Rapids with Dorothy and continued to live with her for many years. Alma also lived at 632 Aberdeen NE and later on at Almont Ave. Alma passed away in 1945.
Lois Buchanan
Born: 1912; Battle Creek, Michigan
Died: Unknown
*Roommate @ 632 Aberdeen St NE
Lois Buchanan was born in Battle Creek and was married to James Buchanan. In 1938, Lois filed for divorce. Lois didn't move into 632 Aberdeen until late 1940 and lived there until 1941. She worked as a stenographer at the ASCo. Information about Lois was not easily found online.
1940 US Census for 632 Aberdeen:
Things to note:
The women that all lived at 632 Aberdeen, rented the home for $50/month ($995 in 2021 currency).
Matilda, Amelia, and Aldonna are listed as "partners" of Dorothy Paxton. Partners in this sense means "Equally vague are the 1940 U.S. Census instructions, which were similar to instructions from prior years. “If two or more persons who are not related by blood or marriage share a common dwelling unit as partners, write head for one and partner for the other or others.” - https://sixgen.org/lgbtq-genealogy-part-6/
Highest education obtained for each woman were: Dorothy - high school degree, Alma Stevens - 1 year of high school, Matilda Tunkun - 1 year of college, Amelia Tunkun - high school degree, and Aldonna Tunkun - 2 years of college.
Annual salary for each woman Dorothy - $1,000 (≈$19,000 in 2021 currency), Matilda Tunkun - $1,040 (≈$22,000 in 2021 currency), Amelia Tunkun - $1,378 (≈$27,000 in 2021 currency) and Aldonna Tunkun -$92 (≈1,800 in 2021 currency).
Other Families of 632 Aberdeen St NE
Ernest and Phyllis Leese
Years @634 Aberdeen: 1942 - late 1950's
*There were 5 persons living with the Leese family in 1942.
