Arthur Glass Family

Arthur Emerson Glass, son of Benjamin M. Glass and Emily M. Hendee, was born April 20, 1883 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois and died July 20, 1957 in Rock Falls, Whiteside, Illinois. He worked on the railroad for most of his life. After retirement he moved to Missouri to try his hand at farming.

On May 20, 1904 an illegitimate child, Irene Nellie Rhodes, was born to Arthur and Nellie Bly Rhodes in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. I believe Irene was raised by an uncle in Indiana (or she was adopted) and nothing else is known about her. It’s possible that her mother may have married and moved to Canada.

Arthur married September 12, 1905 in Clinton, DeWitt, Illinois to Marcia Chloe Martin.

The day Arthur Glass, laid eyes on the lovely Marcia Chloe Martin, he fell in love and never looked at another woman since. Marcia was only 16. They were so in love that when Arthur died Marcia went downhill quickly and died in 1961 after she broke her hip. Art died of skin cancer on his face. He claimed he had been hit with a handle on that same spot while working on the railroad. Arthur’s children all spoke highly of him and said he was a responsible and very affectionate father. Marcia was born to Fayette Martin and Chloe Hopkins. He and Marcia had the following children:

Myrna Irene Glass

Myrna was born August 11, 1907 in Prophertstown, Whiteside, Illinois and died March 4, 1990 in Sterling, Whiteside, Illinois. She was born prematurely and it was said that her father could put his wedding ring over her wrist and that she was only about 11 pounds when she was a year old! I believe she may have had an allergy to milk as her grandmother, Emma Hendee Glass took her for awhile and spoon fed her cereal and then she began to pick up on her weight. She was very petite all her life.

She had very good manual and finger dexterity and went to business school in Chicago when she was an adult where she could type really fast. This is quite an accomplishment with those old typewriters! She was also an excellent pianist and could knit anything without a pattern by simply looking at it. In fact, she did some type of knitting or crocheting all of her later years. She married Howland Oliver Ellis on September 11, 1926 in Rock Falls, Whiteside, Illinois. They were divorced. See more on Myrna and Howland’s children>>>

Myrna married Warren Planthaber. He was the widower of her sister-in-law Jennet Ellis Planthaber (Howland’s sister). He turned out to be the love of her life and when he died in July of 1981, she was not sure how she would go on. See more on Warren Planthaber’s family>>>

Donald Martin Glass

Donald Martin Glass was born July 31, 1910 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois and died August 25, 1999 in Fargo, Cass, North Dakota. He married Bethel Geneva Homshen August 14, 1935 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota. She was born May 28, 1912 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana and died May 3, 1995 in Anoka County, Minnesota. They had two sons and three daughters.

Marian Lydia Glass

Marian was born January 11, 1912 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois and died March 5, 1992. She married first to January 12, 1931 in Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois to Leo Gordon (1902-1956). Married second to Raymond L. Burkardt (1906-1994).

Their children:

  • Leo John Gordon was born December 2, 1931, married to Joanne E. Roberts February 7, 1951 and died September 7, 1982 in Fremont, Colorado.
  • Daughter, living
  • James A. Gordon born March 13, 1936 Sublette, Whiteside, Illinois and died July 22, 2004 in Houston, Harris Cty, Texas, now deceased, was a Catholic Priest.
  • Edward D. Gordon born December 4, 1941 and died April 2, 2014.
Robert Roland Glass

Robert “Skeeter” was born July 18, 1913 Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois and died April 13, 1987 Rock Falls, Whiteside, Illinois.

Robert’s first marriage was March 18, 1935 to Mildred Ruth McKenna (1916-1942) and they had two children:

  • Robert Roland Glass, Jr. born January 22, 1936 in Sterling, Whiteside, Illinois and died December 13, 1996 in Missouri. He was married 3 times and has 8 children.
  • Dolores R. Glass was born May 15, 1937 in Amboy, Illinois and died May 14, 2014 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois. She was married December 25, 1954 in Rock Falls, Whiteside, Illinois, to Lowell Lench. She had two children.

Robert’s second marriage was to Muriel Berstein (1915-2002). No children.

Robert’s third marriage was to Doris May Finnicum (1927-2005) and they had two sons.

Robert’s fourth marriage was to Edith Mae McBride (1915-1966) and they had one daughter:

  • Bobbette Faye Glass born October 18, 1947 in Sterling, Whiteside, Illinois and died November 19, 2017 in Payson, Gila, Arizona. She has one son.
Faye Maxine Glass

Faye was born October 24, 1914 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois and died August 24, 1998 in Fairbanks, Fairbanks North Star, Alaska. She had a nursing degree.

Faye’s first marriage was to Lyle George Weisenberger and they had one daughter:

  • Sharon Lynn Weisenberger was born February 16, 1934 in Amboy, Whiteside, Illinois and died June 6, 1993 in West Palm Beach, Florida. She married James R. Nuttall June 27, 1952 in Sterling, Whiteside, Illinois They had three sons and one daughter.

Faye’s second marriage was to James Alvin Harrison on August 26, 1934. He was born February 5, 1909 and died July 24, 1970. They had two daughters:

  • Marlene Harrison was born June 9, 1936 in Amboy, Whiteside, Illinois and died December 10, 1950 in Sterling, Whiteside, Illinois.
  • Karen Faye Harrison was born December 15, 1941 in Sterling, Whiteside, Illinois and died December 2, 1992 in Rock Falls, Whiteside, Illinois. She married August 26, 1958 in Rock Falls, Whiteside, Illinois to Cecil W. Hunter. She had two sons and one daughter.
Harriet Aline Glass

Harriet was born February 20, 1919 Amboy, Whiteside, Illinois and died December 6, 1993. She was married November 21, 1936 in Dixon, Illinois to Earl Frank Dunseth born October 29, 1910 in Lee Center, Illinois and died November 5, 1990 in Lee Center. They lived in Amboy where Harriet was quite active in her community. They had two sons and two daughters.

Marcia Mae Glass

Marcia was born August 6, 1922 and died May 3, 2004 in Adams County, Colorado. She married February 1, 1941 in Mequoketa, Iowa (or Cedarville, Illinois) to Clark I. Schrack. They had one daughter.

Arthur Dean Glass

“Dean” was born June 9, 1932, married to Jane Reyburn and had two sons and two daughters. He died May 3, 2001 in Alpine, Pima, Arizona. “Dean” was a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. He had three children.

Daughter Glass

Still living and has two daughters and five sons.


Maternal DNA results for this family are Haplogroup K (English > Potts > Martin > Glass)

Last Updated on November 20, 2023 by rootie

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