Frank Able Fay
Jan. 13th 1890 - Dec. 24th 1943 (53)
Wife: Luia (Carrie) Unknown b. March 24th 1887 - 1967 (80)
Wife: 2 Ella Vergiels

1900 census Frank living with family in PA age 10.

1903 Frank accidentally shoots his brother in the leg. Frank is 13 years old. Ernest is 10.

1910 census Frank single age 20 living in PA with family "No Ernest" shot by Frank. Is that why he left for NY

1915 census married to Carrie, living in Buffalo, occupation, stationary foreman. Maintains large equipment like boilers.

***** (Frank born 1890 making him 25 years old in 1915. to possibly narrow it down some more the 1910 census he was living in Pennsylvania so he could've moved 1911 and he was already married to carry in 1915 so push it back till 1914 so it looks like Frank got married and came to the Buffalo area somewhere between 1911 and 1914 but we don't know if he married Carrie in Pennsylvania and brought her here or was she already here or yet again somehow he met Carrie she lived in New York and he moved here to be with her. I am applying for Carrie's first death certificate when I get back from vacation that should give me loads of information when I get her parents names and can do some genealogy with her last name.

1917 WWi draft card June 5th says married and living in Buffalo

1925 census he is married to Carrie #17 Melvin St. Buffalo and Claude is living with them.

1934 city directory Frank is married to Carrie (so far he’s married to Carrie 19 years) Living at 14 Kimmel Ave. Buff.

///////////////////////// First time I see Carrie living by herself on Woodside Avenue 1941 /////////////////////////

Look for evidence of divorce/separation between 1935 and 1940

1941 city directory Carrie is living at 75 Woodside Ave Buffalo. Funny thing: neither Claude or Frank are listed in the 1941 city directory

NO Record of a divorce from Carrie or new marriage with Frank as of yet

NOTE: yes, in 1941 Carrie is already living at Woodside Avenue and in 1942 Franks draft card says he's still living at

1942 June 27th 1942 WW2 draft card says married Buffalo seeing that this is only one year before death and his draft card says he's married. I'm assuming he's with Ella V. at this point. (as Carrie is already living on Woodside Avenue as of 1941)
1943 December 24th Frank dies - married to Ella Vergill (sp?) Buffalo

1950 Census shows Carrie Fay as being born in West Virginia: possibly a mistake as they have her age about two years off so the information could have been given by somebody else in the house.

Notes on the elusive carrie

Carrie last name, unknown, birthplace unknown but burial is here in Hamburg Camp Road cemetery

Born 1887 was married to Frank Faye somewhere between 1911 and 1914 where and when exactly don't know yet could've been Buffalo could've been Pennsylvania.

Carrie was approximately 24 to about 27 years old when she married Frank. Kind of old for that time unless possibly she had a previous marriage that didn't work out or being Native American maybe that had something to do with Marina white man.

She remained married to Frank till about 19:40. As in 1941 she is living on Woodside Avenue.

Until I get hard facts, I can round the numbers off that she and Frank were married between 1913 and 1940 which is 27 years.

Unfortunately I can't find a 1940 census with Frank or Carrie in them.

1900

1900 Census - Town, address…...

Very interesting -Joel Fay and family lived right next door the the Wade family. Claude married Harriet Wade. Harriet will be born in 1901 (next year)

1903

Frank Fay was the one who accidentally shot his younger brother during a hunting accident. Ernest died the next day from the result of the shooting.

See this newspaper clipping from the Buffalo news August 5th, 1903 Shooting took place in Corry, PA

Frank born 1890

Ernest Bourne 1903/4

Making him 10 and Frank about 13.

I wonder if it was after the death of Ernest when Frank decided to move to New York. Look for hime moving sometime after 1904.

1910

1910 Census Ella's family

Making Ella's DOB 1891

I found Frank's 2nd Wife. Name is: Ella Vergiels or Vergill

I believe this is who he was married to when he died in 1943 as per newspaper clippings.

Here is a 1910 census

She is 19 and living at home:

225 Center Road Buffalo, NY 2.5 miles from where Claude built his home.

There is roughly a five or six year window where he could have divorced Carrie and Married Ella between 1935 and 1941. I'll be looking for any kind of divorce or marriage records covering this time.

1910

1910 census from Pennsylvania Frank Fay is 20 years old and Claude is 14

1912

No Fay lister Frank or Claude for 1912

1913

1914

1914 City directory list, Frank Fay as fireman. Notice the address is listed as 523 Elk St. then apparently move to 527 Elk St.

** Claude is not listed in this City directory 1914

I don't think Frank was ever a fireman as he spent his life in industrial pursuits such as foreman of stationary foreman notice 1914 through 1921 his title switches between fireman and foreman. I bet you fireman was just a typo.

1915

1915 Census

Frank and Carrie married here- no kids

Occupation: stationary foreman. Claude was listed as being a stationary engineer. I wonder if Frank had anything to do with hiring Claude into the industry.

The 1915 census says Frank and Carrie. We're living at 527 Elk St. (third floor) in Buffalo, New Y

1916

1916 Buffalo city directory shows Frank and Claude as being at 527 Elk St. and as being fireman

The 1916

Frank and Claude living at 527 Elk St.in Buffalo, New York

1917

Frank is still living at 527 Elk St. like he was in the 1915 census

His World War I - handwritten draft card shows he was born January 13, 1889 but look below, his World War II draft card says he was born January 13, 1890 two years off on official documents. Actually, 1889 seems more credible because there is about six years between him and Claude and Claude was born 1895

BUT, then in the 1925 census again they write his DOB as 1890

1917

Frank is still living at 527 Elk St. like he was in the 1915 census. Claude is not listed in this 1917 city directory could just be an oversight

1918

1918 City directory

Frank is at 527 Elk St, Buffalo

Frank is now listed as foreman not fireman similar sounding

1920

1920City directory

Frank is at 527 Elk St, Buffalo

Frank is now listed as foreman not fireman similar sounding to Fireman.

Claude receives his divorce decree from Harriet in 1921

1921

1921 Buffalo directory Claude and his brother Frank living right near each other

Also, the same year Claude gets his divorce from Harriet

Frank is at 527 Elk St, Buffalo

Frank is now listed as foreman not fireman similar sounding and Claude is listed as engineer

1923

1923 City directory Frank is living at #17 Melvin Pl. Buffalo, NY along with his younger brother, Claude, my grandfather

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1924

1924 City directory Frank is living at #17 Melvin Pl. Buffalo, NY along with his brother Claude.

1925

17 Melvin Pl. Buffalo, NY

Frank 36

Carrie 38

Claude 29 Single

Anna Stewart- border

1928

Carrie is reportedly Native American.

Frank, Marie held by Carrie (Franks wife) and Claud 1928

Carrie Fay (Franks wife) and Marie Fay: "Aunt Mick"

1928

1928 City directory Frank is listed as watchmen. This Claude is not our Claude W.

Frank is living at 952 Abbott Rd.

1929

Frank and wife Carrie,Claude and Evelyn, Shirley (1) and Marie (3) Photo says 1929 but Shirley was born late November 1929 and judging from their clothes and Shirley's age the most it could be is early spring 1930- possibly they are in Bradford Pennsylvania to show family the newborn Shirley.

1931

Carrie with large
hail 1931

1934

I don't believe the house is there anymore, but the house number and street is right in the center of the south Buffalo triangle

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1940

1940 census has all the trappings that this could be uncle Frank. The address of Gardenville is in the West Seneca Cheektowaga area. The place of birth is Pennsylvania, and the age is right. Also listed as being married, which I would lead to believe that's Carrie BUT who is the person listed above Frank as Bessie Fay and it looks like it has the word head which means head of household and they are the same age 49. Important to note that this Frank Fay was only working 20 weeks in 1939 and had an extended period of unemployment then works as a fireman under some kind of project. Can't understand the name above the word project. See the census below. Also, this Frank Fay completed seventh grade and whoever Bessie is above only completed fourth grade. See if there's other census reports that might verify Frank going to seventh grade.

Carrie was not listed as living by herself until 1941. Some of the odd things are, his occupation is listed as fireman. Perhaps it was a job he attempted to take to get out of the factory life, but it didn't work out and went back to something else? - more digging

1940 census dated April 9th

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The number 45 shown below next to fireman was the amount of weeks he spent on unemployment. That sure does add a lot of stress on the family perhaps unemployment between 1940 and 1941 was the reason they broke up.

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1941

Notice this 1941 city directory lists Carrie Fay as living at 75 Woodside Ave. but does not list her as widow of Frank because Frank was still living until 1943. She is working as housekeeper.

1942

I found the Buffalo city directory 1942 and neither Frank nor Claude are listed in it. May mean nothing.

Frank was working at the American car company foundry in April 27th 1942 as per this WW2 card. An Internet search reveals that this company was totally involved with the WW@ war effort.

1943

Notice the name of Ella Vergill. Probably his 2nd wife.

No mention of her anywhere.

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Frank Fay was living at this address when he had his car accident which killed him.
2109 Union Rd. West Seneca, NY

This accident took place only .7 miles away from Claude home at 383 Mineral Springs Rd. And about 2.2 miles from where Frank was living at the time.

Frank’s first wife: Luia (Carrie) Fay is buried in Hamburg, New York

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1950's

In the 1950 census

The census states her age as being 60 years old. This would be wrong as we know now for a fact, she was born in 1887 so somebody guessed at her age is it possible? They also guessed where she was born as West Virginia?

1950 Census

This is our carry living at 75 Woodside Ave., Buffalo distinctively showing birthplace as West Virginia

Carrie Fay (Wid, "widowed" Frank) she is living apart from Frank as early as 1941 then in these city directories, she lists herself as being widowed from Frank 1950, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960 Buffalo city directory. No evidence Carrie ever re-married.

75 Woodside Ave is right there in my old area of South Buffalo. She died Nov. 25th 1967

Interesting note Frank Fay died while working for the war effort WW 2. He was working at the American car and foundry plant on Clinton and Babcock intersection in Buffalo.

His company and mine were literally two blocks from each other. Frank often has been listed as stationary engineer/foreman. So he may not have actually been hands-on making war items as much as maintaining boiler systems and other large industrial equipment to keep the plant running that's what stationary engineers do.

Side note: Clinton and Babcock is also where I worked at Goldman titanium on Dorothy Street is in titanium tester/sorter for the titanium recycling industry. Actually Dorothy Street and Babcock have an intersection also. I could've walked down the street and had lunch with uncle Frank.

AND: less than .2 miles from where I was a supervisor at the United alloys and steel corporation.
I did a quick Internet search on the American car company and foundry and found out. They produced 1000 tanks and armor, pleading for cars and trucks for World War II. It also did production work for thermal nuclear weapons. Buffalo was shut down after the end of the war in 1945. They opened it replacement and then Albuquerque, New Mexico probably where they were doing the testing for the nuclear bomb.

Although the plant did make tanks, bulletproof shielding, and 55 mm ordinance for World War I and wWII. One of the last rush orders they had in April 1943 were these cheap quarter inch bulletproof plating for jeeps. This could have been one of the things uncle Frank would have been working on when he died in a car accident in December 1943.