| Notes |
- N.S. Hoerle was born at his parent's home, 507 Napoleon St., Johnstown, PA
Newton attended Penn State University for one year, leaving when he was married. He was an engineer. When young he worked for Betley Steel. He told me (JLBW) that when he was ten he had a sledding accident and broke his nose, coming down a hill from Westmont and running into a car.
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Interview with Margaret Hoerle Benham (MHB), his daughter, by JLBW, MHB's daughter.
Newton and Margaret (MRH), his wife, were in Detroit in 1913, when she was born. He was working for Continental Motors. He is listed in the Detroit City Directory in 1914, Newton S. eng., h 582 Drake Ave.; in 1915, Newton S. clk., h 96 1/2 Coplin Ave.; and in 1916, Newotn S. clk., h 574 Reddigar. Then they moved to Elgin, Illinois, where he worked for the Elgin Street Sweeper Company. When Margaret was four, they moved to North Muskegon, MI, and he worked for Continental Motor Company again. North Muskegon was, and is, a very desirable place to live. They first lived in a rented house on _____________________, and later bought a house on __________________. Newton was very particular about who is daughter played with.
His son Frank had problems in learning, which MHB attributes to a very difficult birth.
When he and his wife were getting a divorce, around 1929, Newton moved to Detroit, where he still worked for Continental Motors. He is in the Detroit City Directory 1930 - 31, N.S. h 9373 E. Jeff Ave, Apt. 102; 1932-33 Newton S. (Lucille) slsmn, h 4197 Haverhill Ave.; 1934, Newton S. (Lucial) auto eng. r 1598 Montclair. No one in the family knows who Lucille or Lucial is.
Newton spent five years in Russia in the early 1930's. Amhorst was a company that hired people to work in Russia. MHB said that he came back at least once during that time. He told JLBW that he worked at the tractor factory in Stalingrad some of that time and that he met Stalin. He also was in Siberia and talked about trying to make engines run in the cold there. He said that he sent money to MRH via his brother, but MHB said that she and her mother and brother never received all of it. MRH worked in an office to support the children. When he returned from Russia, he wrote to MRH in Muskegon, saying that he would come to see her in a week. Within that week she married Sigmund Dennis. They were married on August 10, 1936, in Fort Wayne, Indianna. This was not a particularly happy marriage and they were divorced in __________.
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Notes by JLBW.
In about 1970 or 71 I visited Newton in Patton, PA, with mother (MHB). After he had drunk a large tumbler of "Old Grandad", he and mother talked about the divorce. She represented her mother's point ot view. There were still accusations, specific events were brought up and emotional discussions about whose fault the divorce was. It had been bitter and the bitterness was still there.
MHB believed that her birthday was April 12, 1914 until she applied for a passport to go to India. Her birth was not recorded in Detroit for that date. When she asked her mother if the birth had been recorded, she told her to ask for it on November 9, 1913. After they were married Newton and Margaret moved to Detroit. They concealed from their families that their daughter had been born in the fall after their marriage.
After returning from Russia, Newton worked for Easy Washers in Elgin. Illinois, and as chief engineer for Lennox Furnaces in Lima, Ohio. He retired from Lennox Furnaces and moved with his wife June Rhodi to a home he built just outside Patton, PA. In retirement he served on the board of Miner's Hospital. After June died in 19__, he married Edna Butler, a widow from Johnstown, PA.
He was operated on for an aneurysm on his aorta in 19__. Despite years of smoking and in later years more than an average alcohol intake, he was relatively healthy until his last few years.
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Marriage announcement. Johnstown, PA, Daily Tribune, July 16, 1913. page 15
PRETTY WEDDING ON HILLTOP BOROUGH
Miss Margaret Holmes Rush Becomes the Bride of Newton Swank Hoerle
The Rev. Dr. Jo. W. G. Fast, minister of the Franklin street, Methodist Episcopal Church, at 6:30 o'clock last evening united in marriage Miss Margaret Holmes Rush, of Westmont, and Newton Swank Hoerle, of the South Side, at the home of the bride's parents, Burgess and Mrs. Charles M. Rush, on Tioga street. The wedding march was played by Richard Kuntz, of Pittsburgh, a cousin of the bride, and only the immediate relatives of the young pair witnessed the ceremony, including Messrs. Richard and Ambrose Kuntz, both of Pittsburgh. The bridesmaid was Miss Sabina Rush, a sister of the bride, while Newton D. Swank, a student at the Gettysburg Theological Seminary, a cousin of the bridegroom, was best man.
The bride and bridesmaid were attired in white, the bride carrying white roses and lillies of the valley, while the bridesmaid carried pink roses. The home decorations were in white and green. A sumptuous wedding dinner was served following the tying of the nuptial knot.
Mr. and Mrs. Hoerle left the city last evening on train No. 1 for Niagrqa Falls, Buffalo, and other points in New York State before going to Detroit, where the groom is employed by the Cadillac Auto Company. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hoerle, of the Fifth Ward, and is a grandson of the venerable Robert Parsons, sr., the retired merchant tailor.
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Margaret's parents home was at 110 Tioga Street, Johnstown, PA. MLHB said that she did not have a picture of her parents together. (for family weddings album) JLBW
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Conversation with Jim Hoerle (son of Joe Hoerle, brother of Newton)
In 1928 or 1928 Newton went to Russia on a ten year contract. He was working at Continental when he got the job offer, and he stayed about 9 years, coming home once after five years. Most to the time he worked in Magnatorgosk. He recieved his pay in half gold and half rubles. He sent money for his children via a relative, however Margaret claimed she did not get the money. He came home to try to straighten this out. The Russians lifted his visa while he was in the US, but he got it back. The foreign workers were given their rubles just before they left. They artifically lowered the exchange rate at this time to cheat them. Newt stayed a few more days to get the higher rate when it went up again. Upon leaving Russia, he took the train to Germany and worked for about 6 months in the Kurpp Works before coming home.
In 1940 Newt moved to Lima. He was married to June by then. He took is brother Joe's children, Joe and Jim (aged 6) to stay with them that summer. Joe had an alcohol problem and thought the military would help him. Joe returned to his mother, but Jim ended up staying with Newt and June for 3 1/2 years. He was with his mother when his father was discharged. His father came to their house, but went to a hotel, and only stayed a few days. That is the last Jim ever saw of his father. His ashes were returned to the family from New Jersey.
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Conversation with Margaret Hoerle Benham by JLBW
Newt and June were married when Max and Margaret got married. Newt and June were living in Syracuse, and he worked at either Carrier Corp. or Easy Washer. He asked if she wanted to be married in Syracuse. Margaret said no, because her mother wouldn't have gone.
Margaret thinks he was without a job and "floated around" for a few years after getting back from Russia.
The divorce was finalized in 1930 or 31. In 1930 - 31 she, her brother and mother lived in Johnstown, PA. She went to PA when in the sixth grade for 1/2 a year in Westmont. They lived with her grandmother. They returned to Muskegon and her mother went to the Howell School of Business (later Muskegon Business College, the Baker College). They lived in the Clock Apartments, and mother went to junior high. Later they moved ot a house on Peck Street. Her mother got a job at Grossman's in the office. After a fire at the store, she went to work for Sigmund Dennis, whom she later married. Margaret knows his daughter from another marriage. She says he spoke Polish, but claimed to be from Germany. He had a sister in Italy.
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