Martin Harold Bury ^{3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10}

   FamilySearch ID: KH4Y-4MM.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Census in 1900 in Salisbury Twp., Lehigh, PA. ¹² The 1900 Census for Salisbury Township in Lehigh County lists Hubert Bury, age 43, born Apr 1857 in Germany, parents born in Germany, occupation jeweler, renting his home. He was married for 16 years to Martha A., wife, born Oct 1867 in Germany, parents born in Germany. In 1900 she had born seven children, four of whom were still living.
With them is daughter Helen C., born Apr 1885 in Germany, age 15, single. Helen, Hubert, and Martha all immigrated in 1886. All can read and write English. Also in the home are three children born in Pennsylvania: Frank H., born Aug 1886; Violet P., born Jun 1892; and Martin H., born Oct 1898.

[Note for researchers: Hubert is indexed in this census as Burg, not Bury, although the handwriting of the census taker clearly wrote Bury. His immigration is incorrectly reported as 1886, but should have been 1885. Further, on the ship's passenger list his name appears as Burg, not Bury!].

2. His Social Security Number was 159-05-0507. ¹³

3. Residence: Allentown City Directory: Bury Frank H, cashboy, h 1222 Gordon; Bury Hubert, watchmaker, res 1222 Gordon. Martha A.; Violet P., Martin in 1903 in Allentown, Lehigh, PA. ¹⁴

4. Residence: 1222 Gordon St., Allentown, PA on 24 Jul 1904 in Allentown, Lehigh, PA. ⁸

5. Census in 1910 in Allentown, Lehigh, PA. ¹⁵ Following the death of Martha Bury in 1904, we find her children living in 1910 with their older sister's husband. Horace N. Benfield, age 27, occupation house painter, is listed living at 229 West Street in Allentown in the 1910 Census in enumeration district 0160 as visit 0151. Living with him is his wife, Helen (nee Bury), age 24, whose birthplace is listed as Germany and 1885 as the year she immigrated, which is her year of birth. She was married to Horace for 4 years at in 1910 had no children born. Her marital status is listed as M2, which appears to indicate this was her second marriage -- Horace is listed as M1. Also in the household is brother-in-law Frank H. Bury, age 23, single, bookkeeper in a cement mill; sister-in-law Violet P. Bury, age 17, single, stitchery in a shoe factory; and brother-in-law Martin H. Bury, age 11, single. Horace and his parents were born in Pennsylvania. Frank, Violet, and Martin were born in Pennsylvania with both parents born in Germany.
.

6. Newspaper: Allentown Democrat: "Miss Lizzie Knerr, Mr. And Mrs. H. Benfield, Martin Bury, Allentown, and W. Sotzing, Brooklyn, were the guests of Mr. And Mrs. F. H. Bury, 1014 Main St.", 27 Feb 1912, Allentown, Lehigh, PA. ¹⁶

7. Newspaper: Allentown Democrat: Martin Bury Ran Away, 14 Mar 1912, Allentown, Lehigh, PA. ¹⁷ RAN AWAY BECAUSE BOYS TEASED HIM
Martin H. Bury, the 14-year-old runaway youth of 229 North West St., is in Philadelphia, from where he wrote a letter to his sister in this city, telling her that he ran away because his companions taunted him.

8. Occupation: purchasing agent for Structural Steel, Vanderstucker - Ewing Construction Co., Bethlehem, PA on 12 Sep 1918 in Bethlehem, Northampton, PA. ⁵

9. He was described as Tall, medium build, brown eyes, chestnut hair on 12 Sep 1918 in Allentown, Lehigh, PA. ⁵

10. Residence: 232 N. St. Cloud St., Allentown, PA on 12 Sep 1918 in Allentown, Lehigh, PA. ⁵

11. Newspaper: Allentown Democrat: 154 Men Examined by Draft Boards, 14 Nov 1918, Allentown, Lehigh, PA. ¹⁸ Both City Boards Held Physical Examinations Tuesday and Accepted Many
Examinations of men as to their physical qualifications for the army are continuing. Accepted: Martin H. Bury.

12. Census in 1920 in Allentown, Lehigh, PA. ¹⁹ The 1920 Census shows that renting a home at 938 Hamilton Street in Allentown was the household of Horace N. Benfield, age 37, paper hanger, living with wife Helen C., age 34. Living with them are Martin H. Bury, brother in law, 21, a purchasing agent in a steel works; and Helen B. Hale, age 6 [Helen's neice who is the daughter of Violet P. Bury]. Helen's parents were both born in Germany, as was she, and her date of immigration is listed as 1887 [although it really was 1885.].

13. Occupation: purchasing agent in the steelworks in 1920. ¹³

14. Newspaper: Morning Call: Bury-Rauch Nupitals Yesterday Afternoon, 20 Mar 1920, Allentown, Lehigh, PA. ²⁰ Martin H. Bury, of 938 Hamilton street, and Miss Florence Rauch, of 114 South Madison street, were quietly married yesterday afternoon at four o'clock by the Rev. G. A. Greiss in St- Paul's Lutheran church. Only the Immediate families of the contracting parties were in attendance. The marriage came as a complete surprise to the many friends of the young couple. The most intimate friends knew nothing of the event until last evening when members of the Philadia Club of which Mr. Bury is prominent member called for him at his apartment. His brother-in-law Horace Benfield then made the announcement. The bride is the daughter of Mrs. Bertha Rauch German, of 114 South Madison street. The bridegroom is the purchasing agent for the Lehigh Structural Steel Company. He has been with the concern for the past four years. The couple left on a wedding trip to New York, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Washington and White Sulphur Springs.

15. He filed for divorce from Florence Alvena Rauch about 1921. ¹

16. Occupation: owner of Bury & Holman Inc. At 1415 North Broad Street in 1936 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ⁴

17. Residence: 12 Bryn Mawr Avenue on 25 Nov 1936 in Bala-Cynwyd, Montgomery, PA. ⁴

18. Census in 1940 in Lower Merion Twp., Montgomery, PA. ²¹ The 1940 census recorded owning a $27,000 home at 235 Gypsy Lane: Martin H. Bury, automobile merchant, 41, living with wife Jeanette P., 38; her brother-in-law J. Charles Parry, statistician at brokerage, 29; and a lodger, Mary B. Cleveland, secretary at automobile agency, 25, and servant, Martha A. Veneziale, maid, 22. All were born in Pennsylvania except Mary in New York.

19. Occupation: Bury Motor Company, 1415 N. Broad St., Philadelhpia, PA on 16 Feb 1942 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ⁹

20. He was described as 5' 10" 170 pounds, brown eyes, brown hair, ruddy complexion on 16 Feb 1942 in Wynnewood, Montgomery, PA. ⁹

21. Residence: 1217 Medford Road, Wynnewood, PA on 16 Feb 1942 in Wynnewood, Montgomery, PA. ⁹

22. Ship: Queen Elizabeth departing Southampton, England arriving New York on 13 Oct 1952 in New York, New York, NY. ²² Bury, Martin H., Valley Road, Villa Nova, PA. age 53, born PA. Bury, Jeannette P., age 51, born PA. 10 pieces of baggage.

23. Book: Martin wrote a book, "Rolling Wheels," available online at: http://archive.org/details/rollingwheels00buryrich, 1956.

24. Ship: Queen Elizabeth departing New York arriving Southampton, England on 19 Aug 1957 in Southampton, , HAM, ENG. ¹¹ Bury, Martin, b. 28.10.98; Bury, Jeannette, b. 3.10.01. Address: Palace Hotel, Burgenstock, Switzerland. Occupation: car dealer. 2 days in U.K.

25. Residence: on 17 Jun 1959 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ⁷

26. Fact: Inducted in 1975 into the Automotive Hall of Fame. "Author of "The Automobile Dealer" and writer of scores of articles for automotive publications, he is honored for his outstanding contributions to the motoring public through his several dealerships.", 1975, Dearborn, Wayne, MI. ²³

27. Obituary: Philadelphia Inquirer on 3 Jun 1980 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ²⁴ BURY June 1, 1980 MARTIN H. of Haverford, Pa., husband of the late Jeannette Parry Bury, survived by his sister, Violet Barrigan, of Lansdowne and his grandchildren, Pamela Fleishman, Rhea Jean Lincoln and Deborah Schoch. Memorial Service for relatives and friends Wed. June 4, 1980, 1 P.M. at the Chapel of the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, Bryn Mawr, Pa. Memorial donations to the American Cancer Society, 355 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, Pa. would be appreciated. (McCONAGHY FUNERAL SERVICE, Ardmore).

28. Obituary: Philadelphia Inquirer: Obituary of M. H. Bury on 4 Jun 1980 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ²⁵ M. H. Bury, owner of Wilkie Buick
(photo)
Martin H. Bury, 81, one of the metropolitan area's best-known auto dealers, died Sunday in Bryn Mawr Hospital. He lived on Grays Lane in Haverford.

Mr. Bury, who purchased Wilkie Buick Inc. in 1949, was still actively directing his business interests at the time of his death. He was president of Wilkie Enterprises; the Metropolitan Leasing Co., the oldest and one of the country's largest auto leasing firms; and the Philpenn Imported Car Co. in Bryn Mawr.

A structural engineer on the West Coast, Mr. Bury decided in the late 1920s that his future lay in the auto business. He came to Philadelphia and went to work as a "grease monkey" for an Oldsmobile dealer to gain experience. He acquired his first dealership, a DeSoto-Plymouth agency at 912 N. Broad St. in 1933. Sixteen years later, he acquired Wilkie Buick at 1724 N. Broad St. As foreign cars became popular, he added Volkswagens to his line of Buicks and opened the Philpenn company on the Main Line to handle MGs, Jaguars and Fiats.

In 1949, he began writing a twice-a-week auto column, "Rolling Wheels," carried as a paid advertisement on the first page of the Bulletin's sports section. He syndicated the column and sold it to newspapers throughout the country. His column led to two books, "Rolling Wheels" and "The Automobile Dealer." The latter, described by reviewers as the "definitive book on auto merchandising," was purchased in volume by General Motors and the Chrysler Motor Co. for distribution to dealers.

A Sunday painter, Mr. Bury was among the first in the business world to regularly sponsor regional art shows on his sales floors. He explained that it was his feeling that "business should encourage the arts." And, he added, "If the exhibits demonstrate that automobile dealers are not a collection of illiterates, the shows will accomplish enough." He also was an avid collector of antiques and art of the late 18th century and the 19th century, establishing one of the largest private collections in the Philadelphia area.

Active in a number of professional associations and civic affairs, he was a former president of the Automobile Trade Association.

29. Newspaper: Philadelphia Inquirer, 5 Jun 1980, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ²⁶ Clearing the record
An obituary that appeared in yesterday's Inquirer identified Martin H. Bury as the owner of the Wilkie Buick Co. The company was purchased from Mr. Bury 12 years ago by Daniel H. Polett.
Mr. Bury continued to operate other auto firms and Wilkie Enterprises, a firm largely devoted to real estate, until his death.

Martin married Florence Alvena Rauch, daughter of Albert J. Rauch and Bertha Alice George, on 19 Mar 1920 in Allentown, Lehigh, PA.^{1 2} (Florence Alvena Rauch was born on 11 Aug 1900 in Bittners Corner, Lehigh, PA ¹ and died on 23 Aug 1982 in Pittsford, Rutland, VT ²⁷.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. Martin and Florence obtained a marriage license on 19 Mar 1920 in , Lehigh, PA. ² name: Martin H. Bury
event: Marriage
event date: 19 Mar 1920
event place: Lehigh, Pennsylvania, United States
age: 21
estimated birth year: 1899
father: Herbert Bury
mother: Martha Papenkuhl
spouse: Florence Rauch
spouse's age: 19
spouse's estimated birth year: 1901
spouse's father: Albert Rauch
spouse's mother: Bertha George
reference number: 36568
film number: 2080237
digital folder number: 004519659
image number: 00030.

Martin next married Jeannette Parry, daughter of Jesse Charles Parry and Annetta Bower, on 13 Dec 1930 in Germantown, Philadelphia, PA. (Jeannette Parry was born on 3 Oct 1901 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA ^{3 11 28 29 30} and died in Aug 1979 in Haverford, Montgomery, PA ^{3 28}.)