Robert Howsmon Hay

Parents: Elizabeth Stiebeling and Charles Bischoff

Parents: Mary Emily Howsmon and Oliver Perry Hay

Born: March 23, 1885, Washington, D.C. (certificate)

Born: November 16, 1882 Irvington, Indiana (certificate)

Passport: 1905 passport in Guatemala, 5'5½" tall

Married: December 15, 1909 Robert Hay in Baltimore, MD (record)

Married: December 15, 1909 Alma Bischoff in Baltimore, MD (record)

WWI Draft Registration: 1918 card

Died: May 6, 1956 Washington, D.C.—cerebral hemorrhage (death certificate, obituary)

Died: May 9, 1952 Washington, D.C.—heart attack (death certificate, obituaries, will)

Interred: Rock Creek Cemetery, Wash., D.C. (tombstone)

Interred: Rock Creek Cemetery, Wash., D.C. (tombstone)

Occupation: teacher (before marriage) and homemaker

Occupation: Owner, Hay Rubber Stamp Company (37 yrs)

Upon graduation from Central High School and Wilson Teachers College, Alma taught for four years in the DC public schools before being forced to quit upon her marriage—a tough choice for women in those days. After Perry’s severe arm injury as a boy and near-death bout with empyema at age 9, Alma doted on her younger son. Upset over Perry’s ill-advised marriage, she could not cope with Perry’s Army service during WWII. Perry served in 3 major tank campaigns; Alma had a nervous breakdown virtually the same time Perry left for the first one in North Africa. Hospitalized for a year (Nov 1942-Nov 1943 at Chestnut Lodge in Rockville, MD), Alma perhaps never fully recovered. Robert’s death was devastating—she lost not only her husband, but Perry also remarried and left home. Alma lost interest in keeping house, entertaining family, and living. She gave most of the properties that she and Robert had acquired to her son Perry, perhaps in compensation for the Rubber Stamp Company he did not inherit. She died unexpectedly when she fell while mowing, hitting her head on the curb, perhaps, the family theorized, due to insulin shock (adult-onset diabetes).

The only child not to go to college (attended business school in NY), Robert did not make it into “Who’s Who” like his father and brother, so perhaps he felt somewhat intimidated by his siblings—he put his cigarette out in his pocket (burning his pants) rather than let his sister Fannie see him smoke! However, he was a successful businessman, and a highly regarded editor-publisher of the “Stamp Trade News” for 18 years—encouraging a consortium of rubber stamp professionals. He even developed the L & T purple ink for stamping grades of meat! He did not fight during WWI--he was 35 with two sons. During WWII, Fannie worked for him for 2½ years - employees were hard to find - and he lived with her for 9 of these months, while Alma was hospitalized. An avid reader of biographies and a student of Lincoln, he loved to visit the nearby battlefields. He instilled his love of the sea in both sons—sailing on the Potomac River at the Wellington summer cottage. Robert’s death came unexpectedly - a heart attack while napping before dinner.

Alma Elizabeth Bischoff Hay

Census data: 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940

Photo Album: 1884-1950

Robert Howsmon Hay

Census data: 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940

Children:

Name

Date of Birth, Place

Date of Death, Place

Married - date and to whom

# children

1. Donald Albert

6/19/1912 Wash, DC

10/14/1978 Wash, DC

1– 5/15/1936 Eleanor “Ellie” Dankenbring, 2– 2/21/1976 Florence "Dolly" Forsythe [widow Sarbacher]

4

2. Perry Irving

4/5/1915 Washington, D.C.

2/18/1976 Florida

1- 6/22/1940 Jane Ballard (divorced), 2- 5/13/1952 Kathryn “Kitty” Pultz [widow Thompson]

2

Grandchildren