William J Donovan married Ruth Rumsey in July 1914. Ruth was the daughter of Dexter Phelps Rumsey (1827-1906) and his third wife, Susan Fiske Rumsey (1857-1941). Ruth was a product of a family said to be Buffalo's wealthiest; the marriage elevated William Donovan into the city's upper crust. Ruth's grandfathers, Frank W Fiske and George S Hazard, were president and vice president of the Buffalo NY Board of Trade. Ruth and William moved to Washington DC in 1925. Through the years, their marriage was tested: William, an Irish Catholic, wished his children to be raised Catholic although Ruth was Protestant; a series of considerable family personal tragedies (the fatal car accident of their daughter; the accidental death of son David's daughter and, a few years later, his wife); Ruth's illnesses; the spotlight of the political arena; and William's frequent travel. They remained, through it all, devoted to one another until William's death in 1959.
Ruth had a brother, Dexter Phelps Rumsey Jr (1893-1966), and two half-sisters, Cornelia Coburn Rumsey Wilcox (1854-1880) and Mary Grace Rumsey Wilcox (1855-1933) [Ansley Wilcox married Mary Grace following the death of his first wife, her sister Cornelia].
Ruth had a brother, Dexter Phelps Rumsey Jr (1893-1966), and two half-sisters, Cornelia Coburn Rumsey Wilcox (1854-1880) and Mary Grace Rumsey Wilcox (1855-1933) [Ansley Wilcox married Mary Grace following the death of his first wife, her sister Cornelia].
William J Donovan married Ruth Rumsey in July 1914. Ruth was the daughter of Dexter Phelps Rumsey (1827-1906) and his third wife, Susan Fiske Rumsey (1857-1941). Ruth was a product of a family said to be Buffalo's wealthiest; the marriage elevated William Donovan into the city's upper crust. Ruth's grandfathers, Frank W Fiske and George S Hazard, were president and vice president of the Buffalo NY Board of Trade. Ruth and William moved to Washington DC in 1925. Through the years, their marriage was tested: William, an Irish Catholic, wished his children to be raised Catholic although Ruth was Protestant; a series of considerable family personal tragedies (the fatal car accident of their daughter; the accidental death of son David's daughter and, a few years later, his wife); Ruth's illnesses; the spotlight of the political arena; and William's frequent travel. They remained, through it all, devoted to one another until William's death in 1959.
Ruth had a brother, Dexter Phelps Rumsey Jr (1893-1966), and two half-sisters, Cornelia Coburn Rumsey Wilcox (1854-1880) and Mary Grace Rumsey Wilcox (1855-1933) [Ansley Wilcox married Mary Grace following the death of his first wife, her sister Cornelia].
Ruth had a brother, Dexter Phelps Rumsey Jr (1893-1966), and two half-sisters, Cornelia Coburn Rumsey Wilcox (1854-1880) and Mary Grace Rumsey Wilcox (1855-1933) [Ansley Wilcox married Mary Grace following the death of his first wife, her sister Cornelia].
Gravesite Details
Wife Of Donovan, William J
