Parker, Owens, or Galecki
Matilda (Betty) about 1920
Betty stayed with the Owens family after her husband Phil Owens died in 1934 (he fell out of a window). Betty and Charles Galecki took care of Alice after Thomas left the family.
Ancestors and Descendants of Thomas Edward Owens and Albertina DelFosse
Almost all of the Owens family came from Wales and were involved in the copper industry. They started in Llansamlet, Glamorgan, Wales in the Middle Bank Copper Works. About 1860, the family moved to Baltimore, MD to work in the Gunpowder Copper works, and when that factory closed about 1883, they came to Perth Amboy, NJ to work in the Raritan Copper Works.
Welsh coppermen were much in demand in America and were actually recruited to emigrate. Many of the families working in Llansamlet followed the same migration pattern.
The Owens family never had much money, but they sure knew how to have fun (and get into trouble). The Perth Amboy Evening News often published articles on the Owens family.
Thomas Edward Owens once ran 105 balls at the Marathon pool room (only 3 less than the record). His billiards prowess was such that an old-timer sitting at a local bar in the 1970s remembered that "Tommy Owens was NJ state billiards champion three years running."
He was fined $5 for driving a vehicle without tags (twice) and was released to raise the money for the fine. In 1916, Thomas worked as a chauffeur for Polkowitz Brothers and was driving the vehicle that ran down and injured a 5-year-old girl.
On March 1, 1915, brothers Phillip and Thomas Owens were arrested following a raid on a craps "joint" and were released on $100 bail each. Two days later they pleaded guilty and were fined $5 each. All were released in the morning except for Phil Owens, who got 60 days in jail for being "disrespectful and flippant to the court."
The bootlegging adventures are family tales and may or may not be true. It will be fun to find out!
Betty stayed with the Owens family after her husband Phil Owens died in 1934 (he fell out of a window). Betty and Charles Galecki took care of Alice after Thomas left the family.
Gladys with her mother and brothers Tommy and Buddy
Taken about 1936
Theresa was born May 17, 1870 in Germany. She immigrated to the US and married Eugene Delfus in 1895. Eugene died at 46 and Theresa remained unmarried until her death in 1964
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Edward Phillip Archibald Owens (sensibly known as "Buddy") was born in 1920. As the oldest son, he needed to start earning money when his father Tommy left with the "floozy" [Grandma's word]. He left school before 8th grade to go to work in the Holbrook Hat factory.
See how many you know!
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Checkout the selection of interactive histories on Welsh copper, family migration, and key maps.
This website needs new information! Particularly missing are living family members, great-grandchildren of Thomas and Albertina, along with correct birth, marriage and death dates. If you contribute your information, be assured that the data is protected by strong security. Unlike family trees on Ancestry or MyHeritage, only authorized people can view the names. Thanks, Kate Kleiman (nee Lois Myslinski)