The Fonda Blog

Here are some photos of the family of James Robert Fonda (1816-1891), born in West Troy, Rensselaer Co., NY in 1816, who settled in Wyoming, Lee Co., IL prior to 1870.  He was reportedly an orphan at 9 years old, although the burial record of father is in 1837, so he could have been adopted.  He became a blacksmith and married Alzina Bacon of Fulton, Oswego Co., NY in December 1837.  She died in 1852, leaving him with six children.  He then married Jane E. Hendricks, the daughter of John Hendricks of Wayne Co., NY and had five more children.  They moved to Wyoming, Illinois after the Civil War, with the four youngest children, founding a Methodist Episcopal Church in about 1870.

One son, Fitch Fenton Fonda (1840-1864), born in Fulton, Oswego Co., NY, served in the Civil War for the New York 59th Infantry (Private) in the Battles of Wilderness and Weldon Railroad.  He was taken prisoner on June 22, 1864 and died of disease at Andersonville Confederate Prison on October 2, 1864.  He is buried at the Andersonville National Cemetery.

Another son, Erwin Roselle Fonda (1844-1919), born in Fulton, Oswego Co., NY, also served in the Civil War for the New York 147th Infantry (Corporal) in the Battles of Wilderness, Chancellorsville and Hatcher’s Run.  He caught Typhoid Fever and was slightly wounded as well.  He was discharged, went home to Illinois, then returned to the war as a Secretary to a Quartermaster.  Later he became an Engineer with the Union Pacific and was headquartered in Omaha, NE as of 1881.

A notable descendant of this family is Albert Neir Brown (1905-2011), great grandson of James Robert Fonda, born in North Platte, NE and raised in Council Bluffs, IA, where he excelled in sports and became involved in the ROTC.  He married his high school sweetheart, Helen Johnson in 1925, attended Creighton University School of Dentistry, established a dental practice, started a family and became a licensed pilot.  He had continued in the ROTC in college and afterwards in the reserves at the rank of First Lieutenant.  He was called to active duty in October 1940 (Capt. in Dental Corps) and when war broke out he was stationed at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, which was attacked and overrun by the Japanese just hours after Pearl Harbor in December 1941.  He was captured and survived the infamous Bataan Death March and over three years as a Japanese prisoner of war.  Upon his release, he was treated for three years at Fitzsimons Hospital in Denver.  He then moved to Hollywood, Calif. where his sister and brother-in-law were involved in show business.  He worked in the real estate business, became an active member of the Hollywood YMCA and an avid handball player.  In 1993 Albert moved to Pinckneyville, Ill. where he made his home with his daughter.  He died in a nursing home in Nashville, Illinois, on August 14, 2011, at the age of 105.  At the time of his death he was the oldest living survivor of the Bataan Death March.  He was also listed as the oldest living WWII veteran. He had been awarded the Purple Heart, the Philippine Defense Ribbon with one star, the Presidential Unit Citation, the American Defense Ribbon with one star, the American Theater Ribbon, the Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon and the WWII Victory Medal. [link] [link] [link] [link]

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written by admin \\ tags: Fonda Family, Midwest, Migrations

Photo album from family of Hamilton Giles Fonda of DuQuoin, IL:

Album Cover - 4" x 6" - 26 pages - purple velour with gold trim	Enclosed letter from Charles to family from Camp Reynolds, Angel Island, CA written in 1867	Hamilton Giles Fonda and Elizabeth Steele
Wesley H. Fonda and Florence Donnell	Frank and Charles Fonda	prob. Charles A. Fonda
Wesley H. Fonda	Frank L. Fonda	prob. Julia C. Fonda
Hamilton Fonda?	Elizabeth Steele Fonda?

written by admin \\ tags: History, Midwest, Migrations, Portrait

The Fonda Family of Chattanooga, Tennessee

Obituary from Chattanooga Times, 10 Jun 1922 – Jeremiah D. Fonda, 89, died yesterday morning at 8:10 o’clock at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Sue Fonda Scholze, at 1017 St. Elmo Ave, St. Elmo. Mr. Fonda leaves two daughters, Mrs. Sue Fonda Scholze, and Mrs. Lottie I. Boyce, both of Chattanooga, and one son, Henry J. Fonda.  Mrs. Vernie Spencer, of Chattanooga, and Leonard T. Boyce, of Macon GA and other grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.  Mr. Fonda was born in Fonda, NY (correction: Beakmontown, NY), but moved with his parents to Burlington, VT in his boyhood days, and spent his young manhood there. He was of a hardy, rugged disposition, and in the early fifties went to the Cripple Creek gold mining regions, where he spent two years.  About the year 1875, Mr. Fonda, together with his family, moved to Chattanooga and entered the contracting and building business, which he followed up to the time his strength failed, and was well known to the contractors and builders of the early days of the city.  Mr. Fonda was a loving husband and father, a splendid citizen, and won the love and respect of a large circle of friends.  Funeral services will be held at the funeral parlors of the Jack O’Donohue company, Monday morning at 10:30 o’clock, Dr. J. W. Bachman officiating.  The following are requested to act as pallbearers: Ernest Spencer, Herbert Spencer, Rov Blevins, Richard Fry, David Jones, and Edward Birdsell. (Note – Sandra Stuart wrote, on 3/3/2010: I will attach a copy of Jeremiah D’s obit. There are some questionable items in it. I think the family had moved to Chattanooga by 1873, instead of 1876, because the youngest child is listed in the 1880 census as being born in 1873 in TN. Also the Cripple Creek gold rush didn’t happen until the 1890s! Perhaps fifties is a typo. I find it strange that Charlotte is not mentioned but, since she died in 1888, I guess not many people would have remembered her.)

Henry J. Fonda - Chattanooga, TN - 1888

Family of Henry J. Fonda - Chattanooga, TN - 1897

The pictures: The single of Henry J. was around the time of his marriage to Suzie Mae, 1888. The one of all the Fondas is 1897, or early 1898. Maude is the baby being held by Suzie Mae in front. Ruth is on her left and Henry is on the edge two rows back. So many women in this family! I wish I knew who the others are. (Sandra Stuart)

written by admin \\ tags: History, Migrations, Portrait, SouthEast