Thomas was the son of William Barnett and Mary (Hummel) Barnett, who was the maternal aunt of Betty Smith (1896-1972), author of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." He was likely named after his maternal grandfather Thomas Hummel.
The character "Aunt Sissy" in Betty Smith's novel, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" was partially modeled on Thomas' sister, Sadie (Barnett) Rupp Hoegler, who is buried in the same plot as Thomas.
Sources:
1900 1910 1920 US Census Brooklyn NY
1930 US Census Queens NY (living with sister Sadie Grandner and her family)
The character "Aunt Sissy" in Betty Smith's novel, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" was partially modeled on Thomas' sister, Sadie (Barnett) Rupp Hoegler, who is buried in the same plot as Thomas.
Sources:
1900 1910 1920 US Census Brooklyn NY
1930 US Census Queens NY (living with sister Sadie Grandner and her family)
Thomas was the son of William Barnett and Mary (Hummel) Barnett, who was the maternal aunt of Betty Smith (1896-1972), author of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." He was likely named after his maternal grandfather Thomas Hummel.
The character "Aunt Sissy" in Betty Smith's novel, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" was partially modeled on Thomas' sister, Sadie (Barnett) Rupp Hoegler, who is buried in the same plot as Thomas.
Sources:
1900 1910 1920 US Census Brooklyn NY
1930 US Census Queens NY (living with sister Sadie Grandner and her family)
The character "Aunt Sissy" in Betty Smith's novel, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" was partially modeled on Thomas' sister, Sadie (Barnett) Rupp Hoegler, who is buried in the same plot as Thomas.
Sources:
1900 1910 1920 US Census Brooklyn NY
1930 US Census Queens NY (living with sister Sadie Grandner and her family)
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