Act 28

The Americans

The story of the Farndales who settled in USA

A picture containing photo

Description automatically generated

 

 

Return to the Contents Page

The stories of the family of Jim Farndale, US Senator, who settled in Neveda and California; the descendants of George William Farndale who settled in Illinois and Wisconsin; and the family of John Alan Farndale, of California will follow. Meantime you can visit the Americans.

 

The American 1 Line were the descendants of James Farndale (FAR00607) who sailed for Canada, aged 28 and joined his brothers Martin and George and his sister Kate. He spent two years in Canada and kept a diary of his journey out and of his first year.

Given limited opportunities in those early days in Canada, he decided to go on to USA in 1915. He managed to get into Duluth High School from where he got himself a place at Valpraiso University in Indiana. At the university he met Edna Adams whom he married on 25 September 1917. When the USA declared war on Germany in 1917, he joined the American Army and went to France.

In 1918, he was posted to San Antonio where he left the army and he and Edna later went to live at Plymouth, Indiana, but by then he had developed lung trouble. He began to make a living at carpentry. In 1919, he moved to the west coast to try to get to a better climate and to be near Edna's parents. Jim built them a house at Los Angeles and then he built one for himself. At this time, Jim was working in an architect's office and at the same time, he was attending the University of California in Los Angeles. He did this until 1929 when his health began to give him serious trouble and the doctors said he must live in a really dry climate.

Their first child, Hazel Jane, was born in Los Angeles on September 1922 and their second, James, on December 1923. Mary was born in 1926. The family moved to a ranch in the desert at Las Vegas in 1929. Life became a hard struggle for Jim and he did the best he could as a 'finish carpenter'. In 1930, they moved into Las Vegas and built a house.

In 1932, their fourth child, Gordon, was born. Although still a finish carpenter, Jim had become Business Agent for the Carpenter's Union. It was in this year that he first became involved in the Boulder Dam project. In 1935 their fifth child and second daughter, Doris, was born. Jim was now proving himself to be an efficient administrator through his work with the Carpenter's Union and the Boulder Dam Project. He developed a reputation for reliability and honesty. Accordingly, in 1936, he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly. After a four year period, he was re-elected for a second term, in 1940. In 1942, he was elected to serve in the Nevada State Senate and was to complete a four year term, until 1946. He did much work on housing projects in the State and never forgot the World War One veterans.

Tragedy struck in September 1955 when his daughter, Doris, was killed in a motor accident at the age of twenty. Jim took this very hard indeed and never really recovered from it.

Jim's family were the first of a new generation of Farndales. His son, Jim, had no family, but his son Gordon had a son, Mark and a daughter, Linda.

Former Senator James Farndale died in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 20 Jan 1967. Edna Farndale (nee Adams), died, Austin Texas November 1979.

 There is more information about the Farndales of America

The American 2 Line were the descendants of George William Farndale (FAR00643) born in Coatham. He emigrated to USA at the age of 17 in about 1907 and established a Farndale line in USA. He married Frances Hilton in USA, either in New York or Chicago. Frances appears to have come from England too. Frances appears to have died in late November or early December 1918 from swine flu. George appears to have married Rose Cunningham in the 1920s in either Cedar Rapids or Desmoines, Iowa and appears to have come back to Prophetstown about 5 years later. Arthur and Richard were being raised by the McFadden family of Prophetstown, Illinois. George took Arthur, leaving Richard with the McFaddens and moved to Milwaukee, WI. George Farndale died in August 1984 at Thiensville, Wisconsin, USA, aged 94

The American 3 Line were the descendants of John A Farndale (FAR00921), born in the Croydon District. It was probably John Alan Farndale who travelled on the Queen Elizabeth to New York in 1957 (he would be aged 25). He later lived in Santa Ana, California. He married Ardith Fay Gebben (US Citizen). After a divorce, he later married Marion Dorothea Klaembt (US Citizen) on 19 May 1984

Other Farndales who emigrated to America include:

        William George Farndale (FAR00492), a clerk of Middlesbrough who went to USA in 1907;

        William Jameson Farndale (FAR00677);

        Georgina Ann Farndale (FAR00934) who emigrated to USA;

        Anthony Reginald Chesters Farndale (FAR00944) who emigrated to USA;

Denise Farndale emigrated to USA and became a US citizen

 

 

Return to the Contents Page

or

Go Straight to Act 29 – The New Zealanders