Anton Reuss

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496 COMMEMORATIVE   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. bilities  of  life.     When  still  a  bjy  he  learned  buok- binchng-,   but   this   trade,   while   a   fairly   good   one, was  not   sufficiently   lucrative  to   satisfy   the  ambi- tious youth.      W'isliing-  to  better  his  condition,  and seeing-   no   opening   in    his    native    land,    he    deter- mined to  come  to  America.     Accordingly  he  made preparations    for   the   trip,   and  hoarding  a   sailing vessel    in    1S50,   made    the    voyage   to    Aew    York, where   for  a  tune  he  engaged   m   making  pocket- uooks  and  similar  goods.     After  a  short  tmie  he came  to  Meriden,  Conn.,  where  in  connection  with Walter  Hubbard  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of morocco   leather   cases.      Later   the   firm   branched cut,    adding  to   their    list   of    products    plush    and chamois  cases.     Mr.  Reuss  conducted  the  business for  a  long  time  on  Butler  street,  and  had  as  his •  assistant  Julius  Knell,  who  later  conducted  a  simi- lar  business   on   his   own   account.      In    1890    Mr. Reuss  sold  out  to  C.  E.  Schunack,  and  passed  the remainder  of   his   days   in   retirement.      His   death occurred    Xov.  6,    1893,    at    his    home   on   Butler street,  and  his  remains   were  buried   in  the  West cemetery. Mr.  Reuss  was  one  of  the  first  German  settlers in  Meriden,  and  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  his countrymen,  as  well  as  by  all  who  knew  him.  In his  religious  belief  he  was  a  faithful  and  consist- ent follower  of  the  teachings  of  the  immortal  Lu- ther. In  politics  he  was  a  Republican,  but  in  no sense  an  office  seeker.  Fraternally  he  was  a  mem- ber of  Meridian  Lodge,  No.  jj,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ; Keystone  Chapter,  No.  2J,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  St.  Elmo Commandery,  Xo.  9,  Knights  Templar.  He  was also  a  member  of  the  German  Mutual  Aid  Society, and  was  a  stanch  supporter  of  German  schools. Mr.  Reuss  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife, Katharine  Magdalena  Alueller,  was  born  Alarch  2, 1826,  in  Germany,  and  passed  away  June  5,  1890. They  had  three  children,  Charles,  Anton  and  Julius, all  of  whom  died  young.  For  his  second  wife  Air. Reuss  wedded,  on  June  8,  1892,  Mrs.  Catharine Mueller,  widow  of  Joseph  Mueller,  and  daughter of  Philip  and-  Barbara  Stephans.  No  children were  born  of  this  marriage.  Mrs.  Reuss  resides  at her  home  in  Butler  street.  She  is  an  active  worker in  Esther  Lodge,  Daughters  of  Rebekah,  of  which she  is  the  only  living  charter  member,  and  is  a noble  woman,  highly  respected  for  her  many  good qualities  of  head  and  heart. Joseph  Mueller  was  born  June  15,  1828,  in the  city  of  Nassau,  Germany,  where  he  grew  to manhood.  In  1854  he  came  to  America  and  located in  Meriden,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  burnish- ing business,  being  several  years  employed  by  the Meriden  Britannia  Co.,  and  for  several  years  super- intendent of  the  burnishing  department  of  C.  Rog- ers &  Bros.  His  death  occurred  Jan.  6,  1891.  In 1857  he  married  Catharine  Stephans,  who  was Dorn  Oct.  18,  183 1,  in  Bomberg,  Germany,  and  of  i this  union  two  children  were  born,  Catharine  and  I Joseph,  Jr.     Catharine  was  married  June  29,  1899,    | to  James  B.  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Xew  Haven in    1872,    son    of   James    B.    and    Emily    ( Plumb j bmith,  the  former  a  wholesale  grocer  in  New  Ha- ven, where  he  and  his  wife  died.     James  B.  Smiith is  engaged  in  the  banking  and  brokerage  business in    xXew   Haven.      Politically   he   is   a   Republican; fraternally  a  thirty-second-degree    Mason,    being    a Knight     templar,   and    a    member   of   chapter   and council :  and   religiously   a  member  of  the   Metho- dist Episcopal  Church.     :Mrs.  Smith  is  is  a  mem- ber of  Esther  Lodge,   Daughters  of  Rebekah.      In religious  faith  she  clings  to  the  church  of  her  an- cestors, the  Lutheran.     Mr.  and  Airs.  Smith  have  * one   child,    Kathryn    Miller.      Joseph    Mueller,   Jr., was  born  Aug.  8.   i860,  and   was  educated   in  the piiblic  schools.     For  a  time  he  was  bookkeeper  for C.   Rogers  &  Bros.,   was   subsequently   in    Ballard- I  vale,   Mass.,  in  the  employ  of  Craighead  &  Kintz,. j  and    later    in    Pittsburg,    Pa.,    with    the    Pittsburg 1  Lamp  Co.,  and  in  Allegheny,  Pa.,  in  the  manufac- I  ture  of  the  "1890   Varnish  Removing  Fluid."     in I   1890  he  returned  to  Aleriden    to    look    after    his I  father's  estate.     He  died  Oct.  31,  1897,  at  his  fa- I  ther's   late   home,  and  his  remains   rest  in   Walnut j  Grove  cemetery.     He  was  a  member  of  the  I.  O. [  O.  F.  in  Pittsburg,  and  like  the  rest  of  his  family I  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran   Church. '  In  his   political   faith  Joseph   Alueller,   Sr..   was I  a  Democrat,  and  a  stanch  supporter  of  his  party. !  Fraternally  he  belonged  to  Pacific  Lodge.  No.  87, !  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Meriden.     In  his  religious  faith  he was  a  Lutheran.     In  his  business  relations  he  was a  man  of  highest  integrity. JAMES  HENRY  FOY.  Among  the  list  of  dis- tinguished and  imperishable  names  of  those  who passed  from  life  during  1900,  that  of  James  H. Foy  brings  to  the  people  of  New  Haven  a  feeling  of deep  regret,  that  so  wise  and  generous  a  man  should no  longer  be  in  their  midst. James  H.  Foy  was  born  at  Gardiner,  Maine,  and died  at  his  home  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  in  Novem- ber, 1900,  in  his  seventy-second  year.  The  beginning of  his  business  career  was  in  Worcester,  Alass.,  but he  removed  to  Boston  in  1861.  There  his  business was  known  as  D.  B.  Saunders  &  Co.,  manufacturers, of  corsets.  In  1871  he  came  to  New  Haven,  antl immediately  engaged  in  manufacturing  under  the firm  name  of  Harmon,  Baldwin  &  Foy,  this  business being  later  removed  to  New  York.  At  the  time  of his  death  he  was  a  member  of  the  R.  A.  Tuttle  Co., of  Boston,  dealers  in  corset  materials. Both  Mr.  Foy  and  his  wife  were  members  of the  Davenport  Avenue  Congregational  Church,  be- coming connected  with  it  in  1872,  and  he  was  a member  of  the  board  of  trustees,  in  which  capacity, on  account  of  his  business  sagacity  and  generous liberality,  he  was  of  the  greatest  service  to  the church.  Of  a  retiring  disposition,  he  always  shrank from  any  prominence,  but  always  could  be  found at  the  post  of  duty.     Mr.  Foy  was  a  life  member  of