USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 9 > Part 31
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Turner Society, and of St. Peter's Ro- man Catholic Church. He married Ma- tilda Rival, daughter of Franz Xavier Rival; she was born in Coblenz, and her father was a customs inspector in Hegenheim, on the Swiss border, for fifty years, after which he retired on a pension. Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman were the parents of three children, two of whom grew up. Anna, born April 19, 1869, married Jacob Baumgaertner, of New Britain. For seven years previous to her marriage she was a teacher in the public schools of Meriden, and for twenty years taught the German language in pri- vate schools. The other child, Frank M., receives extended mention below.
Frank M. Zimmerman was born in New Britain, Connecticut, January 3, 1871, and was educated in the public schools of his native city. His first employment was with J. D. Humphrey, a real estate agent, with whom he remained for five years, after which time he formed a partnership with him under the firm name of Hum- phrey & Zimmerman. Subsequently, Mr. Zimmerman bought his partner's interest and has since carried on the business alone. In addition to a general real es- tate business he also handles all kinds of insurance.
In 1914 Mr. Zimmerman organized a corporation under the name of Hine, Mor- rin & Zimmerman, which took over the agency for the Ford automobile and about a year later Mr. Zimmerman became a member of the Charter Oak Automobile Company of Hartford, and handles the New Britain branch of the business. In 1920 he sold his interests in the last- named business and took the agency for the Haynes car. His territory covers New Britain, Plainville, Bristol, Torring- ton, and Southington.
In politics Mr. Zimmerman is a Demo- crat, and has served in the Common
Council and as a member of the Board of Relief. He also has served as a member of the City Hall Commission and on the Democratic Committee.
Fraternally Mr. Zimmerman is a mem- ber of the Benevolent and Protective Or- der of Elks, of which he was a charter member and first tyler of the lodge ; mem- ber of the Senior Order of United Amer- ican Mechanics; the Knights of Colum- bus; New Britain Rifle Club; New Brit- ain Turner Society; Foresters of Amer- ica; Teutonia Maennerchor ; and of the American Mechanics' Association. He is a member of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, and sings in the church choir ; formerly he sang with the Philharmonic Society. He is a director of the People's Bank.
Mr. Zimmerman married Mary A. Her- mann, daughter of Peter Hermann, of New Britain, Connecticut, and their chil- dren are: Matilda, Emma, Matthias, Rea and Gretchen.
FAULKNER, James F., Physician, Hospital Official.
The name of Faulkner was originally derived from the occupation of Falconer. The falconer was the man who trained and cared for the falcon used in the King's Hunt in early English days. A falcon, hawk, was early known as Falk. Dr. James F. Faulkner, of New Britain, is a worthy scion of this old name; he was born in Gardiner, Maine, November 3, 1884, son of Joseph and Bridget Helen (Kealy) Faulkner.
Joseph Faulkner, father of Dr. Faulk- ner, was born near Dundee, Scotland, where his people were in the clothing bus- iness. When Joseph was a child his father removed to County Donegal, Ireland, and there he grew to the age of eighteen, at which time, with two older brothers, he
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came to America. They settled in Gardi- ner, Maine, and there Joseph learned the trade of steamfitter. For many years he was in charge of the steamfitting in the plant of the Hollingsworth & Whitney Paper Company, and later was in the spring water business on his own account. Mr. Faulkner married Bridget Helen Kealy, of Kilkenny, Ireland, and their children were: James F., of further men- tion ; Joseph V., of Boston; William E., of Bath, Maine; Madeline, wife of Eu- gene Pomerleau, of Gardiner.
Dr. Faulkner prepared for college in Gardiner high school and graduated from Bates College in 1908 with the degree of B. A. Five years later he received his M. D. degree from the Harvard Medical School, and subsequently spent six months as an interne at the Free Hospital for Women in Boston, and for twenty-two months was at the Hartford Hospital.
He was a member of the Harvard Unit which went to Europe, leaving the Unit at London to enter the Fourteenth Sta- tionary Hospital. In 1916, Dr. Faulkner returned to America and located in New Britain, where he began to practice. In the few years he has been practicing Dr. Faulkner has made rapid strides, having won and held the confidence of his clien- tele, which has rapidly increased with each passing year. He is public medical examiner of New Britain, and is a mem- ber of the staff of the New Britain Gen- eral Hospital. He is also medical ex- aminer for the Civil Service Commission ; the Travelers' Insurance Company, in New Britain ; and the Knights of Colum- bus. Dr. Faulkner served thirty-one months in the regular establishment of the American Army in France, after being transferred from the British army. He still holds the commission of first lieu- tenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps for the British army. Dr. Faulkner is a
member of the City, County, and State Medical societies; the Harvard Medical Society; the Alpha Kappa Kappa; the Harvard Alumnæ Association, and the Knights of Columbus.
Dr. Faulkner married Gertrude Clare, daughter of Hubert Dury, of New York City, and they attend St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church.
FLANNERY, Thomas F.,
Manufacturer.
A native son of New Britain who has won success within the confines of that city, Thomas F. Flannery was born there December 27, 1878, son of Patrick J. and Bridget (McDonough) Flannery. His father was born near the city of Limerick, in County Clare, Ireland, June 10, 1850, and died in New Britain, Connecticut, March 6, 1909. He was a son of Thomas Flannery, a prosperous inn-keeper in the old country.
Patrick J. Flannery came to America when he was sixteen years of age, being at that time without father or mother. He located first in Norwich, Connecticut, where he learned the trade of carpenter, and after his removal to New Britain, be- came a contractor and builder. When he entered business for himself, Mr. Flan- nery was only about twenty-one years of age, which is sufficient warrant of his ability. He resigned from the contracting work to become a member of the police force, and was the first uniformed police- man the town of New Britain had. For almost twenty years he guarded the ob- servance of the laws, resigning in 1891, having held the office of captain for many years.
Mr. Flannery's business acumen found an outlet in his interest in the retail fur- niture business as a member of the firm of William J. Dunlay & Company. They
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built two large five-story brick buildings on Main street. After the death of Mr. Flannery his sons closed out his interests there. About 1897 he organized the New Britain Brass Company, afterwards pur- chased by Hart & Cooley, of which he was vice-president and manager. They manufactured plumbing supplies, and suc- cessfully continued until 1900. Soon after this time Mr. Flannery started the business of which his son is now the head. From a small beginning the busi- ness has been developed until now it gives employment to about fifty people on the average; and the product of manufacture is sold through jobbers. Mr. Flannery married Bridget McDonough, and they were the parents of seven children: I. William J., a physician of Brooklyn, New York. 2. Thomas F., of further mention. 3. Anna M., married George M. Rempp, of New Britain. 4. Grace, married Ed- ward Stevens, of New Britain. 5. James F., secretary of the P. J. Flannery Com- pany. 6. John H., vice-president of the company ; the latter enlisted October 4, 1917, and was sent to Camp Devens. He went across with the 76th Regiment and was re-assigned to several different divi- sions. He was discharged from the Fourth Corps at Camp Devens and soon after his enlistment was made sergeant. He took part in the Meuse-Argonne of- fensive and in the Army of Occupation. 7. Mary I., married Stephen J. Leo, of Jersey City. The family are members of the Roman Catholic Church of New Britain.
Thomas F. Flannery was educated in the public schools of New Britain and with his brothers entered the business founded by his father as soon as leaving school. Since that time he has been identified with the manufacturing enter- prises founded by his father, and became president of the P. J. Flannery Company.
Fraternally, Mr. Flannery is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Mr. Flannery married Theresa Casey, daughter of Patrick Casey, of New Lon- don, Connecticut, and they are the par- ents of two children : Margaret and Jane Flannery.
WILLIAMS, Arthur Watson, Business Man.
A scion of an old family, and a prom- inent citizen of New Britain, Connecti- cut, Arthur Watson Williams was born in the old homestead, which was recently torn down, on the land which he now owns, April 5, 1851, son of Henry and Caroline (Smith) Williams, and grand- son of Elisha and Rosetta (North) Wil- liams. The latter was born in 1773, and died in Norfolk, Virginia, March 9, 1809, aged thirty-six years. He was born in Berlin, Connecticut, and was brought back there and buried. Mr. Williams was troubled with asthma and went to Norfolk to escape the rigors of Northern winters. Mr. Williams owned several tin-peddler's wagons, quite common in that day, and engaged quite extensively in the tinware business. He married, in February, 1802, Rosetta North, daughter of Seth and Eunice (Woodford) North, born September 15, 1778, died October 6, 1863.
Henry Williams, son of Elisha and Rosetta (North) Williams, was born in Kensington, and died in 1855, aged about forty years. He learned the trade of shoe- maker, which he followed many years, part of the time in Georgia. Upon his return to the North he took up his resi- dence on the place now owned by his son, which he had inherited with his brother. After a time Mr. Williams bought his brother's interest and engaged in gen-
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eral farming as long as he lived. He was one of the foremost citizens of his com- munity during his lifetime and was very active in public matters. Mr. Williams married Caroline Smith, daughter of Elisha Smith, of Burlington, Connecti- cut, and of their seven children, six grew to maturity. They were: Edgar, of Bris- tol, Connecticut; Elisha, deceased; Ly- man, deceased; Arthur W., of further mention ; Wilbur, deceased ; Rodman, de- ceased. Mr. Williams and his wife were members of the First Congregational Church.
Arthur Watson Williams was educated in the public schools of New Britain and then worked in the shop of the Stanley Rule and Level Company for about three years. He then purchased a tallow busi- ness in New Britain and until two years ago was actively engaged in the making of tallow. His real estate holdings and interests had increased to such an extent that they required all of his attention. During the last twenty years Mr. Wil- liams was in the tallow business; he also bought and sold hides. Some time ago he had the farm he resides on surveyed and plotted for house lots, there being about fifteen acres. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of Burritt Grange, of New Britain.
Mr. Williams married (first) Sarah Hallan, daughter of George Hallan, of New Britain, and they were the parents of a daughter, Jessie, now deceased. Mr. Williams married (second) Mary Cook, daughter of Clarence Cook, of New Brit- ain, and their children are: Clarence, Hubert, Doris, Everett, and Frances. With his family, Mr. Williams attends the Congregational church.
PARKER, Orville F.,
Head of Important Business.
The name of Parker is one of the most ancient of surnames, and belongs to the
class known as occupational. It is de- rived from "parcarius," a park-keeper or shepherd, and the following quotation il- lustrates very aptly the importance and significance of the name and also the character of those early ancestors who first bore it: "A Keeper of the King's Hunting Grounds must necessarily be active and enterprising. He must be a good hunter, and as well informed as the civilization allowed-a typical man of the early ages."
In the Domesday Book the name of Parker appears (1086), and earlier than this there was a Geoffrey Parker, noted during the reign of King Edward (901- 925). There were five immigrants early in this history of New England who bore the name of Parker and their progeny are very numerous throughout the coun- try.
Orville F. Parker, a worthy scion of this ancient and honored name, was born in Brimfield, Massachusetts, October 27, 1884, son of Orus Edward and Eva A. (Ward) Parker, grandson of Sumner Parker, and great-grandson of David Parker, who was of Willington, Connec- ticut, whence he removed to Brimfield, Massachusetts, in 1810. He married Hannah Curtis, and was the father of Sumner Parker, of whom further.
Sumner Parker was born October 15, 1815, at Brimfield, Massachusetts, where he engaged in farming for many years. He also held several town offices and was among the most prominent citizens. He married (first), November 30, 1837, Me- lina Parsons, and she died January 16, 1875. He married (second), December 30, 1875, Lovisa H. Parker.
Orus Edward Parker, son of Sumner and Melina (Parsons) Parker, was born in Brimfield, Massachusetts, June 10, 1846. He was brought up with the sur- roundings of farm life and in due course of time began to follow this occupation,
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William K. henry
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and now conducts a large dairy farm. Mr. Parker has been a strong Prohibi- tionist for many years, and in the town politics, party lines were not observed and he has held many public offices, among them being assessor and member of the school committee. He is very active in the Brimfield Grange and has served as master of the Grange for three terms. On February II, 1873, he married Eva A. Ward, daughter of Simon Blood and Augusta Ward, of Brimfield. They were the parents of nine children: Her- bert S., of Douglas, Connecticut; Lewis Ward; Mabel A., wife of J. C. Brown, of East Dover, Vermont; Bertha L., wife of J. W. Brown, of Brimfield; Sumner S., of Amherst, Massachusetts; Orville F., of further mention; Orlo, of Brimfield ; Lester S., of Fair Oaks, Glencoe, Illinois ; Stanley E., of West Brookfield, Massa- chusetts. With his family, Mr. Parker was a member of the Advent Church of Brimfield.
Orville F. Parker was educated in the public schools of Brimfield, and at the Hitchcock Academy. Then he went to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he was employed in the cigar and tobacco busi- ness for about three years. For some time after this he traveled for Swift & Company, meat packers, and then for the H. A. Johnson Company, dealers in bak- ers' supplies. His territory covered Con- necticut and Western Massachusetts, and in all he spent ten years traveling over this wide area, making many friends in business because of his reliability and uprightness. His work as salesman opened to him the opportunity which he was quick to appreciate, and in January, 1920, he formed a partnership with C. W. Buckey of New Britain, Connecticut, un- der the firm name of the Parker-Buckey Baking Company, and purchased the bak- ery formerly conducted by J. E. Murphy
& Sons. The business is largely whole- sale, the territory taking in New Bri- tain, Bristol, Meriden, Plainville, South- ington, and part of Hartford. They have four auto trucks and four wagons which are necessary in the carrying on of the business, and twenty-five people are em- ployed. The bakery itself is equipped with the most up-to-date machinery, and the closest attention is given to the maintaining of the most hygienic and sanitary conditions and that high standard of quality which the use of the best materials affords, combined with the latest discoveries in scientific baking. Mr. Parker lived for many years, while a salesman, in Springfield, Massachusetts, and in 1917 moved to West Hartford, Connecticut, but now makes his home in New Britain. He is a member of Wyllys Lodge, No. 99, Free and ccepted Masons ; and Aziz Grotto.
Mr. Parker married Harriet E. Day, daughter of Arthur E. Day, of Glencoe, Illinois, and they attend the Congrega- tional church.
HENRY, William Kennedy.
Prominent Citizen.
In a large and high sense of the phrase, the late William Kennedy Henry was one of the most distinguished citizens of En- field, Connecticut, one of those who was closely identified with the town, and one in whose death it suffered a distinct loss.
Mr. Henry was born at Enfield, July 14, 1856, where he died March 14, 1916, son of Samuel Kennedy Henry, a native of Ireland, born in 1827. He came to America when a young man and settled in Enfield, where he engaged in agricul- tural pursuits. His wife was Sarah Mc- Adams, also of Ireland.
As a boy William K. Henry attended the public schools; his education, how-
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ever, was limited, owing to an accident causing an impediment in his speech at the age of three. He apprenticed himself to the trade of blacksmith and after com- pleting his term of apprenticeship, worked at this occupation for several years. Later he engaged in farming, and eventually raised nothing but tobacco, except those crops needed for home consumption. In his business Mr. Henry was very success- ful and is deserving of high esteem for the large measure of material success he attained.
He was a Republican in politics, and was often chosen by his party to fill posi- tions of trust; he was a member of the Board of Relief of Enfield for three years, and in 1913 represented the town in the Legislature. In these offices Mr. Henry discharged his duties in a manner which brought the keenest satisfaction to his constituents. He was a member of the Enfield Grange, and an earnest worker in the welfare of this organization ; he was also a member of the Board of Trade of Thompsonville.
Mr. Henry married, December 12, 1888, Harriet Elizabeth Sheldon, born at En- field, April 10, 1855, daughter of John Sheldon. The latter was born July 15, 1815, at Stafford, Connecticut, and was a farmer. He married Charlotte Abbey, born October 23, 1815, a member of one of the oldest Enfield families. She was an artist of considerable ability, and sketches of her work are now among the most cherished possessions of her daugh- ter, Mrs. Henry.
There is no doubt that Mr. Henry was one of the important men of the past gen- eration in the growth of the community in which he lived. He did much for the town of his residence in a concrete way, and perhaps the greatest boon he con- ferred was the example he set of broad-
minded citizenship. He was a devout member of the First Congregational Church of Enfield.
SPRAGUE, Theodore George, Automobile Dealer.
A scion of one of the oldest American families is Theodore George Sprague. He was born July 25, 1875, in West Stock- bridge, Massachusetts, son of George Egbert and Mary (McIntyre) Sprague, a descendant of Francis Sprague, who came in the ship "Anne," to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1623, accompanied by his wife, Lydia. He was taxed there in 1633-34, and subsequently removed to Duxbury, where he was living in 1666. He was one of the original purchasers of Dartmouth, Massachusetts. He received a share of Plymouth lands in 1623, and was a freeman of the colony, June 17, 1637.
(II) John Sprague, son of Francis and Lydia Sprague, lived in Marshfield and Duxbury, and died in the latter town, killed by the Indians, March 26, 1676. He married in 1655, Ruth Bassett, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Tilden) Bas- sett.
(III) Lieutenant John Sprague, eldest child of John and Ruth (Bassett) Sprague, was born about 1656, in Dux- bury; inherited one-half share in Dux- bury lands from the right of his grand- father ; and was a weaver by occupation. He removed to Lebanon, Connecticut, where he died March 6, 1728. He was constable of Duxbury in 1692; conspicu- ous in church affairs, and held various im- portant offices from 1684 to 1701. In the latter year he removed to Lebanon, where he was selectman from 1710 to 1714, often represented the town in the Legislature, and was lieutenant of militia from 1710 to 1720. On January 8, 1703, he deeded his land in Duxbury for the
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sum of £125, and subsequently became an extensive land holder in Lebanon. His first wife, Lydia, died July 18, 1725. Her family name is not of record.
(IV) Benjamin Sprague, second son of Lieutenant John and (Lydia) Sprague, was born July 15, 1686, in Duxbury, died July 10, 1754, in Lebanon. He married, December 29, 1707, in Lebanon, Mary Woodworth, probably a daughter of Ben- jamin and Deborah Woodworth of Scituate, Massachusetts, and Lebanon. She died July 10, 1725, in her forty-third year, in Lebanon.
(V) Phineas Sprague, fourth son of Benjamin and Mary (Woodworth) Sprague, was born September 5, 1717, and lived in Lebanon, where he died in 1772. He was a farmer and inherited from his father land including house and barn on the opposite side of the road from the paternal homestead. In time he became possessed of a large estate. His wife, Sarah, survived him.
(VI) Dyre Sprague, also spelled "Dish," and in other ways, probably a corruption of "Obidiah," second son of Phineas and Sarah Sprague, was born in Lebanon, and in 1787 purchased lands in the town of Washington, Berkshire county, Massa- chusetts. In 1810, he sold two tracts in that town and probably removed about that time to Osterlitz, New York. He enlisted as a Revolutionary soldier May 13, 1775, and was discharged December 18 of the same year. He was a member of Captain John Clark's Company of Leb- anon, Colonel Israel Putnam's Regiment. This regiment in the July following, be- came a part of the Continental army.
(VII) Heman Sprague, second son of Dyre Sprague, dwelt for a time in Weth- ersfield, Connecticut, and in 1815, with his brothers, Ira and George, removed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Soon after this time, Heman Sprague settled in the
town of Austerlitz, Columbia county, New York. He was the father of Heman (2) Sprague.
(VIII) Heman (2) Sprague, son of Heman (1) Sprague, lived in Austerlitz, and was the owner of a farm of 370 acres near the Massachusetts line. His post office address was West Stockbridge, Mas- sachusetts.
(IX) George Egbert Sprague, son of Heman (2) Sprague, was born January 26, 1839. For some time he operated the iron furnace in West Stockbridge. Sub- sequently, he purchased a farm in Canaan, New York, where he died December 17, 1879, at the age of forty years. He was a member of the Congregational church, and a Democrat in politics. He married, February 29, 1872, Mary McIntyre, daughter of Daniel and Martha (Goff) McIntyre, descended from a Scotch min- ister, who was located in New York. Mary McIntyre was born January 17, 1847, in Canandaigua in that State.
(X) Theodore George Sprague, son of George Egbert and Mary (McIntyre) Sprague, attended school in the village of East Chatham, New York, and the school at Chatham, New York. At the age of thirteen he entered the machine shop at the latter place, where he continued as an apprentice for one and one-half years. Then he removed to Schenectady, New York, where he entered the employ of the General Electric Company, and simultan- eously with his labors in the shops of that company, pursued a course in electrical engineering at Union College. After three and one-half years, at the age of eighteen, he was sent out by his em- ployers to install electric plants. It is thus apparent that he made the most of his opportunities. Few men on their eighteenth birthday are competent to as- sume the responsible position which was his. He continued with the General
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Electric Company until 1900, when he es- tablished himself in the automobile busi- ness at Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Later he was connected with the Pope Manu- facturing Company at Hartford, Connec- ticut, and was also for a time associated with the General Motors Company, as an automobile engineer. In June, 1914, he settled at Middletown, Connecticut, where he became a partner of Fred L. Caulkins, and has since continued as a dealer in automobiles and equipment, and in the operation of an extensive garage. They handle some of the best makes of cars, and transact annually a large amount of business. Mr. Sprague is identified with the Baptist church of Middletown, and is a member of Crescent Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of Pittsfield, Massa- chusetts. He is also affiliated with Washington Chapter, No. 6, Royal Arch Masons, and Cyrene Commandery, No. 8, Knights Templar, of Middletown, and with Sphinx Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Hart- ford. He was affiliated with the Scottish Rite in Massachusetts, and the York Rite in Connecticut. While adopting the prin- ciples of the Republican party, Mr. Sprague is not controlled wholly by party action, and endeavors to support the best government obtainable through the good judgment of the electorate.
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