Edward Henry Rockefeller (1833 - 1886)

Born 4 May 1833 in Clermont, Columbia, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Eunice Dang (Hoskinson) Rockefeller — married 30 Sep 1853 in Montgomery, Ohio, United States

Husband of Ellen (Mahan) Rockefeller — married 6 Jun 1866 (to 3 Feb 1886) in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Descendants

Died 3 Feb 1886 at age 52 in 79 Dussold Street, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Edward Rockefeller was the son of John and Drusilla (Ellsworth) Rockefeller. He married Eunice Hoskinson, whom he murdered in 1864 after a domestic dispute; he served around a year and three months of a seven-year sentence in prison. He remarried in Chicago, where he died in 1886. He is buried in Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Il. Eunice Rockefeller's great-great grandson, Russ Fry, has written a book, The Murder of Eunice Rockefeller: An Unfortunate Affair.

Rockefeller was enumerated Jun. 8, 1860, to dwelling no. 125 of Ward 1, Keokuk, Ia., as living with his first wife and their four children, namely William, Judy, Albert, and Virginia. His age is given as 27 years, and he is occupied as a city marshall with the municipal government.

Rockefeller was enumerated Jul. 15, 1870, to dwelling no. 1430 of Ward 2, Chicago, as living with his second wife and two young children, namely Drusilla and Henry. Rockefeller's age was given as 38 years, with occupation given as "teamster", or a cart driver. One can reasonably surmise that this residence was burned down in the Great Chicago Fire of 1872.

Rockefeller was enumerated on Jun. 3, 1880, to 75 Dussold St., as living with his second wife, Ellen, and seven children; this address appears to roughly correspond to the southeast corner of present-day W. Roosevelt Rd. and S. Halsted St., currently on the campus of University of Illinois at Chicago on the Near West Side. Rockefeller's age was given as 47 years, and was working as a laborer

E. H. Rockefeller passed away on Feb. 3, 1886, aged 52 years. Burial was likely several days later, with interment in the family plot at Graceland Cem., Uptown, Chicago, 4001 N. Clark St.

Sources

• 1850 U.S. census. Penfield, Monroe County, N.Y. Taken on 12 Aug 1850 with a reference date of 1 Jun 1850. Dwelling 453 and family 472, lines 23–30. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XK5Q-LW3

• 1860 U.S. census. Keokuk (Ward 1), Lee County, IA. Taken on 8 Jun 1860 with a reference date of 1 Jun 1860. Pages 18–9; dwelling 125 and family 125; lines 35–40, 1. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9B9J-9W6J https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GB9J-94LC

• 1870 U.S. census. Chicago (Ward 2), Cook County, IL. Taken on 15 Jul 1870 with a reference date of 1 Jun 1870. Pages 336–7; dwelling 1430 and family 2045; lines 38–40, 1. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYKS-LCQ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYKS-LQH

• 1880 U.S. census. 79 Dussold Street, Chicago (E.D. 67), Cook County, IL. Taken on 3 Jun 1880 with a reference date of 1 Jun 1880. Page 12, dwelling 66 and family 113, lines 34–42. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB7-9DQS

• Marker inscription of E. H. Rockefeller, Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, IL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92188090/edward-henry-rockefeller

• YouTube, "The Murder of Eunice Rockefeller" uploaded by Russ Fry on 21 Oct 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxj_fpnJhSs&t=1697s