Abraham Lincoln Kemper was my great uncle and my grandfather’s older brother. Born In Chicago, Illinois, to Isaac and Ernestine Kempner on April 17, 1867, he and his twin brother, Moses, were the oldest of the Kempner children. It’s interesting that he was born in Illinois, the “Land of Lincoln”, in 1867, two years after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Because of the timing, at first it was my suspicion he was named after the late President; however, I later discovered his grandfather was Loebel Abraham Kempner and more than likely, that is where he got his first name. As residents of Illinois, his middle name possibly was for the late President but that is purely conjecture and not based in fact. Of further interest, was the reference Abraham gave on his passport. He stated that Allen Pinkerton, of Pinkerton Detective fame, had known him for twenty-five years, which also made me wonder whether our great grandfather, Isaac Kempner, had known the President at some point in time; but, again, that is only a hunch.
Abraham’s dad, Isaac, had been a successful merchant in Chicago (as told by my grandfather in The history of Utah Statehood) until his business was destroyed in the Great Chicago fire and the family moved to small town Pana, Illinois, where he started over in business and raised his family. Isaac became a successful clothier and was well known and well liked in the community. It appears all the boys worked in the family business, along with their father, even for a short time after their father’s death; however, my grandfather, like his father, ventured off on his own to begin his entrepreneurial life after he worked various jobs and served in the United Staes Army.
The boys, and their sister, Dora, grew up in Pana and Litchfield and shortly after their father died in 1887, moved to St. Louis along with their mother. After moving to St. Louis, as per the 1890 Census, they all lived together. According to local newspapers, Dora and her mother were quite social. Abraham and Dora moved to New York City and their mother remained in St. Louis where she passed away in August 1900. Moses married Tekla Weslow, in Texas; and, like his siblings, chose New York as his final domicile. I didn’t find a lot of interaction between the twins, which is not to say there wasn’t any, but it appears Abraham and his sister, Dora, were closer. There is no record of Abraham ever marrying; however, Dora married Mark A. Elias of San Francisco, in 1891, in Louisville, Kentucky. All three of them were very much involved in horse racing. It’s only a guess they were in Louisville for reasons connected to the Kentucky Derby when they married. All three, as evidenced by their passports, were frequent visitors to the American Jockey Club in Havana, Cuba and stayed there months on end. They also spent their winters in California. Travel seems to be a constant theme in both their’s and their mother’s lives. They lived a good adventurous life. Their mother’s obituary, in August of 1900, states she had “wealthy relatives in the East”, which would imply all the children were quite successful. Abraham lists his occupation as “turfman”, which is one who is devoted to horse racing and every indication shows that to be a life long passion.
Abraham, Dora and her husband, Mark, stayed close throughout their lives. Abraham passed on May, 22, 1928, in New York City. As In life, they remained close in death and all three were cremated in Fresh Pond Crematory in Queens New York. Moses, or Maurice, as he was later known, lived the longest to the ripe old age of 94 and died in New York City. Both he and his wife,Tekla, were also cremated at Fresh Pond. The fifth Kempner sibling was Seelig, who died as an infant child, and is buried with his parents in Affton, St. Louis County, Missouri,in the New Mount Sinai Cemetery.
Years of extensive research show, neither Abraham, Moses (Maurice) nor Dora produced any offspring. Our grandfather, Emanuel, was the only Kempner child to do so. He had six children, five boys and one girl who was my mother.
Finally, Abraham, like his father and his brother Emanuel, was a Free Mason initiated in New York City.
This memorial is written with love on behalf of the entire Kempner family and also in memory of my late cousin, Norman David “Baggins” Kempner, who assisted me with our family genealogy until he passed in 2014. Until we meet, RIP, Uncle Abraham.
Your great nephew Robert. RKF.
Abraham’s dad, Isaac, had been a successful merchant in Chicago (as told by my grandfather in The history of Utah Statehood) until his business was destroyed in the Great Chicago fire and the family moved to small town Pana, Illinois, where he started over in business and raised his family. Isaac became a successful clothier and was well known and well liked in the community. It appears all the boys worked in the family business, along with their father, even for a short time after their father’s death; however, my grandfather, like his father, ventured off on his own to begin his entrepreneurial life after he worked various jobs and served in the United Staes Army.
The boys, and their sister, Dora, grew up in Pana and Litchfield and shortly after their father died in 1887, moved to St. Louis along with their mother. After moving to St. Louis, as per the 1890 Census, they all lived together. According to local newspapers, Dora and her mother were quite social. Abraham and Dora moved to New York City and their mother remained in St. Louis where she passed away in August 1900. Moses married Tekla Weslow, in Texas; and, like his siblings, chose New York as his final domicile. I didn’t find a lot of interaction between the twins, which is not to say there wasn’t any, but it appears Abraham and his sister, Dora, were closer. There is no record of Abraham ever marrying; however, Dora married Mark A. Elias of San Francisco, in 1891, in Louisville, Kentucky. All three of them were very much involved in horse racing. It’s only a guess they were in Louisville for reasons connected to the Kentucky Derby when they married. All three, as evidenced by their passports, were frequent visitors to the American Jockey Club in Havana, Cuba and stayed there months on end. They also spent their winters in California. Travel seems to be a constant theme in both their’s and their mother’s lives. They lived a good adventurous life. Their mother’s obituary, in August of 1900, states she had “wealthy relatives in the East”, which would imply all the children were quite successful. Abraham lists his occupation as “turfman”, which is one who is devoted to horse racing and every indication shows that to be a life long passion.
Abraham, Dora and her husband, Mark, stayed close throughout their lives. Abraham passed on May, 22, 1928, in New York City. As In life, they remained close in death and all three were cremated in Fresh Pond Crematory in Queens New York. Moses, or Maurice, as he was later known, lived the longest to the ripe old age of 94 and died in New York City. Both he and his wife,Tekla, were also cremated at Fresh Pond. The fifth Kempner sibling was Seelig, who died as an infant child, and is buried with his parents in Affton, St. Louis County, Missouri,in the New Mount Sinai Cemetery.
Years of extensive research show, neither Abraham, Moses (Maurice) nor Dora produced any offspring. Our grandfather, Emanuel, was the only Kempner child to do so. He had six children, five boys and one girl who was my mother.
Finally, Abraham, like his father and his brother Emanuel, was a Free Mason initiated in New York City.
This memorial is written with love on behalf of the entire Kempner family and also in memory of my late cousin, Norman David “Baggins” Kempner, who assisted me with our family genealogy until he passed in 2014. Until we meet, RIP, Uncle Abraham.
Your great nephew Robert. RKF.
Abraham Lincoln Kemper was my great uncle and my grandfather’s older brother. Born In Chicago, Illinois, to Isaac and Ernestine Kempner on April 17, 1867, he and his twin brother, Moses, were the oldest of the Kempner children. It’s interesting that he was born in Illinois, the “Land of Lincoln”, in 1867, two years after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Because of the timing, at first it was my suspicion he was named after the late President; however, I later discovered his grandfather was Loebel Abraham Kempner and more than likely, that is where he got his first name. As residents of Illinois, his middle name possibly was for the late President but that is purely conjecture and not based in fact. Of further interest, was the reference Abraham gave on his passport. He stated that Allen Pinkerton, of Pinkerton Detective fame, had known him for twenty-five years, which also made me wonder whether our great grandfather, Isaac Kempner, had known the President at some point in time; but, again, that is only a hunch.
Abraham’s dad, Isaac, had been a successful merchant in Chicago (as told by my grandfather in The history of Utah Statehood) until his business was destroyed in the Great Chicago fire and the family moved to small town Pana, Illinois, where he started over in business and raised his family. Isaac became a successful clothier and was well known and well liked in the community. It appears all the boys worked in the family business, along with their father, even for a short time after their father’s death; however, my grandfather, like his father, ventured off on his own to begin his entrepreneurial life after he worked various jobs and served in the United Staes Army.
The boys, and their sister, Dora, grew up in Pana and Litchfield and shortly after their father died in 1887, moved to St. Louis along with their mother. After moving to St. Louis, as per the 1890 Census, they all lived together. According to local newspapers, Dora and her mother were quite social. Abraham and Dora moved to New York City and their mother remained in St. Louis where she passed away in August 1900. Moses married Tekla Weslow, in Texas; and, like his siblings, chose New York as his final domicile. I didn’t find a lot of interaction between the twins, which is not to say there wasn’t any, but it appears Abraham and his sister, Dora, were closer. There is no record of Abraham ever marrying; however, Dora married Mark A. Elias of San Francisco, in 1891, in Louisville, Kentucky. All three of them were very much involved in horse racing. It’s only a guess they were in Louisville for reasons connected to the Kentucky Derby when they married. All three, as evidenced by their passports, were frequent visitors to the American Jockey Club in Havana, Cuba and stayed there months on end. They also spent their winters in California. Travel seems to be a constant theme in both their’s and their mother’s lives. They lived a good adventurous life. Their mother’s obituary, in August of 1900, states she had “wealthy relatives in the East”, which would imply all the children were quite successful. Abraham lists his occupation as “turfman”, which is one who is devoted to horse racing and every indication shows that to be a life long passion.
Abraham, Dora and her husband, Mark, stayed close throughout their lives. Abraham passed on May, 22, 1928, in New York City. As In life, they remained close in death and all three were cremated in Fresh Pond Crematory in Queens New York. Moses, or Maurice, as he was later known, lived the longest to the ripe old age of 94 and died in New York City. Both he and his wife,Tekla, were also cremated at Fresh Pond. The fifth Kempner sibling was Seelig, who died as an infant child, and is buried with his parents in Affton, St. Louis County, Missouri,in the New Mount Sinai Cemetery.
Years of extensive research show, neither Abraham, Moses (Maurice) nor Dora produced any offspring. Our grandfather, Emanuel, was the only Kempner child to do so. He had six children, five boys and one girl who was my mother.
Finally, Abraham, like his father and his brother Emanuel, was a Free Mason initiated in New York City.
This memorial is written with love on behalf of the entire Kempner family and also in memory of my late cousin, Norman David “Baggins” Kempner, who assisted me with our family genealogy until he passed in 2014. Until we meet, RIP, Uncle Abraham.
Your great nephew Robert. RKF.
Abraham’s dad, Isaac, had been a successful merchant in Chicago (as told by my grandfather in The history of Utah Statehood) until his business was destroyed in the Great Chicago fire and the family moved to small town Pana, Illinois, where he started over in business and raised his family. Isaac became a successful clothier and was well known and well liked in the community. It appears all the boys worked in the family business, along with their father, even for a short time after their father’s death; however, my grandfather, like his father, ventured off on his own to begin his entrepreneurial life after he worked various jobs and served in the United Staes Army.
The boys, and their sister, Dora, grew up in Pana and Litchfield and shortly after their father died in 1887, moved to St. Louis along with their mother. After moving to St. Louis, as per the 1890 Census, they all lived together. According to local newspapers, Dora and her mother were quite social. Abraham and Dora moved to New York City and their mother remained in St. Louis where she passed away in August 1900. Moses married Tekla Weslow, in Texas; and, like his siblings, chose New York as his final domicile. I didn’t find a lot of interaction between the twins, which is not to say there wasn’t any, but it appears Abraham and his sister, Dora, were closer. There is no record of Abraham ever marrying; however, Dora married Mark A. Elias of San Francisco, in 1891, in Louisville, Kentucky. All three of them were very much involved in horse racing. It’s only a guess they were in Louisville for reasons connected to the Kentucky Derby when they married. All three, as evidenced by their passports, were frequent visitors to the American Jockey Club in Havana, Cuba and stayed there months on end. They also spent their winters in California. Travel seems to be a constant theme in both their’s and their mother’s lives. They lived a good adventurous life. Their mother’s obituary, in August of 1900, states she had “wealthy relatives in the East”, which would imply all the children were quite successful. Abraham lists his occupation as “turfman”, which is one who is devoted to horse racing and every indication shows that to be a life long passion.
Abraham, Dora and her husband, Mark, stayed close throughout their lives. Abraham passed on May, 22, 1928, in New York City. As In life, they remained close in death and all three were cremated in Fresh Pond Crematory in Queens New York. Moses, or Maurice, as he was later known, lived the longest to the ripe old age of 94 and died in New York City. Both he and his wife,Tekla, were also cremated at Fresh Pond. The fifth Kempner sibling was Seelig, who died as an infant child, and is buried with his parents in Affton, St. Louis County, Missouri,in the New Mount Sinai Cemetery.
Years of extensive research show, neither Abraham, Moses (Maurice) nor Dora produced any offspring. Our grandfather, Emanuel, was the only Kempner child to do so. He had six children, five boys and one girl who was my mother.
Finally, Abraham, like his father and his brother Emanuel, was a Free Mason initiated in New York City.
This memorial is written with love on behalf of the entire Kempner family and also in memory of my late cousin, Norman David “Baggins” Kempner, who assisted me with our family genealogy until he passed in 2014. Until we meet, RIP, Uncle Abraham.
Your great nephew Robert. RKF.
Gravesite Details
Cremation at Fresh Pond
