Descendants of Captain Arthur Fenner
Howard Irving Fenner Jr.
Howard Fenner Jr., 10 June 1945.
[b 8 Apr. 1905 at Providence, RI; d 26 May 1946 at Fort Lewis, WA; bur Los Angeles, CA] When Howard Jr. was only 17, he became involved with a friend of the family, Eva Viola Howarth [b 10 Dec. 1904 in RI; d Apr. 1954], daughter of Wilfred James Howarth and Ellen Berry. She came to be pregnant by Howard Jr. In an effort to be honorable to the young woman, Howard Sr. proposed to marry Eva and raise the child.
Howard Irving Fenner Jr. m 1st Lillian V. Alburn [b 6 Apr. 1905], daughter of Walter E. and Lillie Alburn, on 1 Jan. 1924 in Providence, RI. Their daughter Virginia was born seven months later, 31 July 1924. In 1925, they were living in Central Falls, Providence Co., RI. After only a few years of marriage, they went through a highly contentious divorce (Lillian was a strict Catholic and was opposed to it), but afterward Lillian remained close to members of the Fenner family. According to Howard’s sister, MaryAnn, Lillian was “a wonderful woman.” On 19 November 1926, Howard enlisted in the U.S. Army, beginning a long military career.
In 1930, Howard was single, stationed at Fort Logan in Sheridan, Arapahoe Co., Colorado. He m 2nd Helen Kristina Laursen [b 19 Aug. 1911 in NE; d 24 Aug. 1997 in Fountain Valley, CA] on 24 November 1932 in Denver, Colorado. After 1935, they moved to a U.S. Army base in Bexar, Texas, where Howard served in Company B, 2nd Engineering Battalion, stationed there in 1940. On 27 Sept. 1942, Howard was given a different military assignment in relation to serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war, the family had settled in Compton, California. Howard died while at Fort Lewis, near Tacoma, Washington, cause of death being “coronary thrombosis due to arteriosclerosis,” a heart attack. His body was returned to Compton for burial.
Child by Howard Jr. and Eva Howarth:
Irving A. Fenner [b 6 Jan. 1923 in RI; d 5 May 1985 in Bozrah, Providence, RI].
Child by Howard Jr. and Lillian Alburn:
Virginia I. Fenner [b 31 July 1924 in MA; d 14 June 2003 in Hartford, CT] m Salvadore Samperi. They had Marie and Kenneth.
Children by Howard Jr. and Helen Laursen:
Corrine Wade Fenner [b 19 Feb. 1934 in Denver, CO; d 16 Nov. 2005].
Robert Baily Fenner [b 10 Nov. 1936 in Arapahoe, CO; d 26 June 2004 in Tuscon, AZ].