George N. S. Monroe
George N. S. Monroe, son of Robert Monroe and Unknown, was born on 16 Dec 1864 in Glasgow, Scotland, died on 11 Mar 1939 in Topeka, Shawnee, Kansas at age 74, and was buried on 13 Mar 1939 in Topeka, Shawnee, KS. Ancestral File Number: 3KB0-Q3.
His Name
George Monroe: Attested as such on his daughter’s death certificate and the 1915 Kansas state census.
George N.S. Monroe: Attested as such on his own death certificate.
George Munroe: Attested as such in his probate documents.
His Birth
His birth: His death certificate gives his birth place as Glascow and his birth date as December 16, 1864. Online material stated 16 December 1863, but I now incline to 1864 on the combined evidence of his death certificate, and the 1915 Kansas state census, which gives his age as 50.
His Early Life
1870s? 1880s?: Charlotte Quinlan’s cousin Colette reports that "George Monroe played bagpipes and trumpet and played before Queen Victoria."
1880s: If I have discovered the right set of children for him, and their birth-places and dates are accurate, George Monroe came to America in 1886/1887. His 1930 census entry states 1888 as his year of citizenship. His death certificate specifies his residence in Topeka as 50 years, which means he came there circa 1889. Note however the conflicting data from the 1920 federal census.
1890: His daughter Anna is born.
1895: This would appear to be the year given in his 1920 federal census entry for his immigration to America, which conflicts with a later entry from 1930.
1900: I am unable to find George Monroe in the 1900 census. If I read the 1920 federal census entry correctly, he was naturalized in this year, as was Ellen.
His Later Life
1909: This would be the approximate year he started working on the Santa Fe Railroad, according to the information from his death certificate.
1910: I am unable to find George Monroe in the 1910 census.
1915: He appears with Ellen, Francis and his grandon George Quinlan in the Kansas state census, in Shawnee, Topeka.
1916: Judging from his death certificate, he started working for the railroad in 1916.
1920: The 1920 federal census in District 157, Topeka Ward 2, Shawnee, KS gives what may be the same possible match: a George Monroe, aged 56 and born 1863, married to an Ellan, both from Scotland, his occupation being an engineer on the Santa Fe Railroad.
1929: When his wife dies in 1929 he is living at 412 Monroe Street.
1930: The 1930 federal census gives a possible "George Monroe" match in Shawnee County, Topeka, District 19, a man 69, born in Scotland, living with a daughter Margaret Thranger and four grandchildren, Georgie, Helen, Albert, and Betty. His wife, though absent from this entry, was also born in Scotland, as the daughter’s parental-birthplace entries indicate. He is listed as a labourer at the power house. 1888 is given as the year of his citizenship. The online transcription gives his age as 63, arriving at an 1866 birth-year. I think it really must be 69.
1937: According to his death certificate, he stopped working as a Santa Fe Engineer in 1937 after 28 years on the job.
1939: When he dies in 1939 he is living at 423 Monroe Street. His death certificate, from which I derive his father’s name, his residence, and his birth place, indicates a cause of death as chronic myocarditis and influenza. He was buried in the "Mem Pk. Cem." in Topeka on March 14, 1939.
Records
This person can be found on familysearch.org, as George S. Monroe (MUNROE) born 16 Dec 1863 in Scotland, died 11 and buried 13 March 1939, in Topeka, married to Ellen Smith. By virtue of her maiden name, present on daughter Anna’s death certificate, I think this must be a match. One of the daughters is Maggie, married to Albert Fahringer: this name is illegible in the 1930 census entry. These two entries are the same people.
We have in our possession copies of probate documents concerning the settlement of George’s estate. A letter from George E. Sinning, George’s estate administrator, to D. Hadsell, an attorney in San Francisco, dates to April 15, 1940, and includes a copy of the Petition For Final Settlement of the estate. The estate - a few hundred dollars - is divided between Jeannette Garrett, Frances Hartline, Anna Quinlan, and W. E. Monroe (his children: one-fifth each) and Helen Payen, George Fahringer, Bert Fahringer, Betty Fahringer, and Estella Coyne (his grandchildren: one-25th each).
His Family
George married Ellan Smith.
Children from this marriage were:
Jeannette S Monroe (Munroe) was born on 21 July 1884 in Scotland. Ancestral File Number: 7B46-QX.
Annie Monroe (Munroe) was born about 1886 in Scotland Ancestral File Number: 7B46-R4.
William E Monroe (Munroe) was born on 21 Mar 1887 in Burlingame, Osage, KS and died on 11 Nov 1968 at age 81. Ancestral File Number: 7B46-S9.
Maggie Monroe (Munroe) was born on 1 Sep 1895 in Burlingame, Osage, KS. Ancestral File Number: 7B46-TG.
Fannie (Frances) Munroe (Monroe) was born on 18 May 1901 in Topeka, Shwn, KS, died on 28 Feb 1973 in San Bernardino, California at age 71, and was buried on 2 Mar 1973 in Bloomington, CA. Ancestral File Number: 3KB0-LD.
Colette Quinlan reports that "Hazel, Colette’s mom, knew all of Anna’s sisters and her brother Bill, because they traded at her dad’s (Rhine Henry Stapel) store. Colette remembers Janet as a great seamstress who made a number of dresses for her when Colette was a child in Topeka."
