Davidson and Farrier Family Histories

This is a site for us to upload family histories and pictures of our Davidson and Farrier family ancestors. I have not written most of the histories, although I have put together the timelines. The histories have been gathered from various sources, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of their information.

If you recognize any of these people and have information to add or correct, please post a comment, including your email address if you wish, so we can be in touch. I would love to connect with other descendants of these family members.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Marie Lillian Zimmermann, 1892-1975


  • Born: 23 May 1892 (Clifton, Passaic, New Jersey)
  • Died: 12 October 1975 (Orange, Essex, New Jersey)
  • Parents: John Zimmermann and Agnes Marie Benisch
  • Spouse: Walter Halliday Farrier, Sr. (md. 14 June 1916 Brooklyn, Kings, New York)
  • Children: Miriam (Dolly) Farrier, Claire-Jane Farrier, Walter Halliday Farrier, Jr.
1892 May 23
Born in Clifton, Passaic, New Jersey, one of five children of John Zimmermann and Agnes Marie Benisch.  According to her daughter, Clair-Jane Farrier, Marie was the only child born in the United States.  [1]

Marie, sometime before her marriage.

About 1896
Age 3/4
Death of father, John Zimmermann.  [2]

1916 June 14
Age 24
Marries Walter Halliday Farrier (Sr.) in New York.  Address:  255 Pearl St., Brooklyn, New York  [3]

1917 June 5
Age 25
Husband fills out draft registration card, indicating that Marie is pregnant.  [4]

1918 June 23
Age 26
Daughter Miriam (Dolly) is born in New York  [5]

1920 January 2
Age 27
Living in Clifton City, Passaic, New Jersey with husband Walter, daughter Mirian M. (age 1-1/2), and mother, Marie Zimmermann.  Occupation:  Professional Singer.  [6]

About 1924/25
Age 32/33
Death of mother, Agnes Marie Benisch Zimmermann. [6]

1925 April 17
Age 32
Daughter Claire-Jane is born in New Jersey.  [7]

1930 April 2
Age 37
Living in Newark, New Jersey with husband Walter and daughters Miriam (age 11) and Claire Jane (age 4) [8]

1932 February 8
Age 39
Son Walter Halliday Farrier, Jr., is born in Newark, Essex, New Jersey. [6]

1940 April 17
Age 47
Living in Maplewood, Essex, New Jersey with husband Walter and children Mirian M (age 21), Clare Jan (age 15), and Walter H (age 8).  [9]

1942
Age 50 (abt.)
Per husband’s draft registration card, is living at 20 Claremont Ave., Maplewood, Essex, New Jersey.  [10]

Walter and Marie Farrier, spring, 1955
1971 August 6
Age 79
Husband dies at Point Pleasant, Ocean, New Jersey [11, 12]

1975 October 12
Age 83
Dies at Orange, Essex, New Jersey.  Residence at death was Plainfield, Union, New Jersey.  Her body was donated to Rutgers Medical School (in New Brunswick, New Jersey). [13, 14]


* * *

"Marie was on scholarship 1914-1916 at what was then the “Institute of Musical Art” (which merged with the Juilliard Graduate School in 1926 to become the Juilliard School of Music) with a double major in piano and voice. She did not graduate, but sang in the “New York Opera Company” (which still exists) in the role of Hansel in Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel.” She also concertized (as “Marie Merman” because of the strong public anti-German sentiment), including at “Cinema” theaters between showings of the then-short, silent, black-and-white new medium of film."
--Walter Halliday Farrier, Jr.

-----------------------------------------------
[1] "New Jersey, Births and Christenings, 1660-1980," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FCTG-QMX : accessed 15 Feb 2013), John Zimmerman in entry for Marie L. Zimmerman, 23 May 1891; citing reference v 39 p 116, FHL microfilm 494221.

[2]  Personal knowledge of daughter, Claire-Jane Farrier Young.

[3]  State of New York Certificate and Record of Marriage no. 6706.

[4]  Ancestry.com.  U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005.

[5]  "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VSJF-HZH : accessed 15 Feb 2013), Dolly F Kelley, July 1993; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

[6]  “United States Census, 1920," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M4Y9-5F2 : accessed 15 Feb 2013), Walter H Farrier, , Passaic, New Jersey; citing enumeration district (ED) , sheet 1B, family 15, NARA microfilm publication T625, FHL microfilm 1821062.

[7]  Personal knowledge of son, Walter Halliday Farrier, Jr.

[8]  "United States Census, 1930," index and images,  FamilySearch  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X4DG-5WQ : accessed 15 Feb 2013), Walter Farrier, Newark (Districts 1-250), Essex, New Jersey; citing enumeration district (ED) 0103, sheet 1A, family 4, NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1335.

[9]  “United States Census, 1940,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K4RM-ZBB : accessed 16 Feb 2013), Walter H Farrier, Maplewood Township, Essex, New Jersey, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 7-211, sheet 13B, family 281, NARA digital publication T627, roll 2336.

[10]  Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

[11]  NJ State Dept. of Health death certificate State File #43532.

[12]  "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JPZW-YNB : accessed 04 Feb 2013), Walter Farrier, August 1971; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

[13]  NJ State Dept. of Health death certificate, state file no. 49660.

[14]  "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JPZM-ZQM : accessed 16 Feb 2013), Marie Farrier, October 1975; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

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