John Henry Procuniar 1890-1976

The Procuniar\ier-Bragunier-Brockunier

Family Genealogy

John Henry Procuniar 1890-1976

John Henry Procuniar born June 09, 1890 in Dayton, Ohio, died May 27, 1976 was the son and youngest child of Jacob & Mary Catharine (McMaster) Procuniar. John married Elsia Leona King February 07, 1914 in Dayton, Ohio & together they had six children. See short biography of John Henry Procuniar below:

Children: (6)

John Thomas Procuniar ... born April 25, 1919 ... died March 13, 1992 married Elizabeth Dawn Voight July 30, 1938 Six Children, Penny, John JR, David, Celia, William & Timothy.

Irene Elizabeth Procuniar ... born May 29, 1921 ... died February 1987 married Harry A. Miller March 21, 1941 Hillsboro, Ohio. Three children, Judy, Rebecca & Daniel.

William Franklin Procuniar ... born January 07, 1924 ... died February 29, 1976 married Marilyn Burns no children .. adopted Raymond (Farmer) Procuniar.

Nettie Nell Procuniar ... born July 01, 1926 married Lionel Clyde Cowman November 17, 1945. Two children, Randall Clyde & Ronald Scott.

Samuel Eugene Procuniar ... born December 10, 1927 ... married Winifred Joyce Weldon November 28, 1952 Dayton Ohio Three children, Chuck, Donald & Erin.

Wanda Jean Procuniar ... born January 30, 1931 married John Henry Wetz August 23, 1947 Dayton, Ohio ... Three children, John Michael, Jackie Sue & Sandra Rana.

Short Biography of John Henry Procuniar 1890-1976

by his grandson David Charles Procuniar

John Henry Procuniar was born in Montgomery County, Dayton, Ohio on June 9, 1890 to the parents of Jacob and Mary Catharine (McMasters) Procuniar. Jacob is my great grandfather. Jacob was the eight child born of nine children of Samuel and Catharine (Miller) Procuniar. Jacob and Mary Catharine had five children, Samuel (named after his grandfather), Thomas, Nettie Belle, Charles W. and John Henry Procuniar. John Henry was the youngest of five children of Jacob & Mary Catherine Procuniar who all lived to adulthood and was born in the family home on Valley Pike in Dayton, Ohio. His oldest brother Samuel was fourteen and one half years old when John Henry was born. Both of his paternal grandparents had already died by the time John Henry was born. His maternal grandfather Andrew McMaster died the same year John Henry was born and his maternal grandmother Margaret Jane (Ryan) McMaster died when John Henry was just about to turn 16 years old. So at the age of 16 all four of John Henry's grandparents had died, however he did have several aunts and uncles though who were still living at that time. (Uncle Isaac Procuniar living in Whitley, Indiana; Emaline Procuniar North living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; & Eliza Procuniar Evens living in or near Xenia, Ohio) John's father, Jacob, worked as a machine tender for Calvin L. Hawes in Dayton.

The 1908 through 1910 Dayton Ohio City Directory shows John Henry Procuniar working as a clerk at the corner of Valley Pike and Lukazewitz Ave and living with his father Jacob. The directory shows John Henry working as a Car Finisher for the Barney Car Company in Dayton, Ohio in 1911 (age 21) and living at the corner of Valley and Rannels Avenue with his father, brothers Charles, Thomas, sister in law Elvia and his sister Nettie Nell. Charles, Thomas and John Henry all worked as car finishers. Their older brother Samuel was married by then and working as a Dayton Police Officer and living at 430 North Daller Street in Dayton with his wife Myrtle Forest Swarner. Thomas was married to Elvia Trissel in 1910 and living with his father, brothers and sister. Thomas & Elvia divorced around 1912. Thomas married a second time to Emma Viola Minnich April 19, 1920; together Tom & Emma had one child a girl.

John Henry went to work for DP&L on June 1, 1912 just eight days before his 22nd birthday. He married Elsia Leona King just two years later on February 7, 1914. (Everyone called Elsia "Oney", she was the daughter of John W. and Elizabeth Julia (McAffee) King who lived in New Carlisle and West Milton, Ohio),. After marriage John and Oney lived at his father's house at 1455 Valley Pike until 1916 when they moved to 50 East Bellefontaine Avenue in Dayton. Then in 1918 John and Oney moved to a rented home at 1450 North Valley Pike near John's widowed mother Mary Catharine Procuniar. John Henry's older brother Thomas Corwin, his second wife Emma and daughter Mary Elizabeth were living with Jacobs widow also until her death in December of 1921.

In 1921 John & Oney moved to 620 N. Valley Pike. (620 N. Valley Pike is where Children's Medical Center is now located, they lived next door to the Dille family) In the early 1920s they moved to West Milton Ohio on a farm near his brother Thomas Procuniar. The farm they lived on was believed to be owned by Oneys parents John and Julia (McAfee) King. The move to West Milton was after the probated estate of his mother Mary Catharine (McMaster) Procuniar in 1922. The farm was located on Emerick Pike, just two houses south from his brother Thomas Procuniar's farmhouse. Mary E. (Procuniar) Curl (daughter of Thomas Procuniar) says (1997) that she was sure that John Henry's farm in West Milton, was owned by John Henry's father in law John W. King?

John Henry worked at the Dayton Power & Light Company as an Electrician for 42 years of service in the underground department before retiring in 1954. While living in West Milton, John and his brothers took the traction cars (electric car) to Dayton to and from work at DP&L.

John H. and his family moved back to Dayton to a new home on Waneta Avenue sometime in the late 1920s or early or mid 1930s, and lived there until sometime after John's retirement from DP&L, probably in 1960. This marriage of John Henry Procuniar & Oney King produced six children, 3 boys and 3 girls. John Thomas, (deceased 1992) Irene Elizabeth Miller (deceased 1987), William Franklin (deceased 1976), Nettie Nelle Cowman (living near Columbus Ohio), Samuel Eugene (deceased 2009) and Wanda Jean Wetz (living in Kettering Ohio). About the time of his retirement, about 1955 or 1956 John was involved in an auto accident near his home on Brandt Pike. The accident affected him so severely mentally, that John sold his car and never drove again. Around 1960 John and Oney sold their home and moved in with their son William F. and his wife Marilyn (Burns) Procuniar who were living in Beavercreek, Ohio. John H. and Oney spent the next several winters in St. Petersburg Florida, betting on the dog races and enjoying the easy life, but always returning to Beavercreek, Ohio each April in time for Easter celebration with the family grandkids.

Oney (King) Procuniar died on September 20, 1971 in Dayton, Ohio from complications of long term Diabetes. John H. continued to live at his son William's home until his death on May 27, 1976. John Henry Procuniar died from complications of long term Diabetes, Prostate Cancer and a heart attack.

John's second son William died from his eighth heart attack just three months earlier on February 29, 1976. John Henry, his wife Elsia Leona King and their two sons William Franklin and John Thomas and their daughter Irene are buried in family plots next to each other in the New Carlisle Ohio Cemetery on state route 235. John Henry owned real estate properties off Valley Pike in Dayton, that he lost during the depression years. The family story tells of a generous John H. & Oney Procuniar who felt compassion for their neighbors, since John had steady employment during the depression years. They would purchase several loaves of day old nickel bread each Friday and Oney would cook up a large kettle of beef stew and share it with all of their neighbors who were in need of food.

John's father Jacob Procuniar died August 11, 1915 of Septicemia, and Prostate cancer.

dcp

Source:

David Charles Procuniar

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