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1914 Helen Irene Livingston


Born: Apr. 10, 1914 at Windsor, Broome County, NY

Died: Jan. 10, 1993 at Vestal, Broome County, NY


She is buried at Vestal Hills Memorial Park, Vestal, Broome County, NY

She is buried as Helen I. Ress.  Her Find-A-Grave ID is 98199358.


Her father was 1887 Forrest Myron Livingston.

Her mother was 1890 Viola Amelia Doolittle.



The photo at upper right was taken about 1931 for the yearbook at
Binghamton Central High School.  Helen was about 16 at the time.

Helen and other family members are listed in the 1934 City Directory.
Also listed are aunt, uncle and cousins living at 45 Brook Avenue.

We know from the Binghamton City Directory of 1934, 1936 and 1938
that Helen was residing with her parents during those years, at
# 7 Clarke Street, Binghamton.  That would have been a 25-minute
walk to 78 Wall Street, where the Livingston Printing Company was
located.  In 1939, she was living at 2 Goethe Street and in 1941, 
at 16 or 46 Clarke Street - the printing is so small that it is 
difficult to make out.

Helen had a son out of wedlock in 1938, who was adopted out.  The
identity of the child's father was not reported by Helen, but it
was discovered by DNA in 2021 that he was 1903 Edward Frank Bennett.
The child was her first child and was born May 1, 1938 at 11:51 PM.  
He was named Wayne Richard Passage by his adopting parents.  
The adoption was through Broome County.  

It has been reported that Wayne's birth father owned a hardware 
store in Binghamton, but that has not been confirmed.

Helen seems to have been married at least three times, to these men:

  Fred G. Lane      - married about Nov. 1944; he died _______  1960
  William J. Arnold - married about July 1961; he died June 11, 1972
  Robert Ress       - married about Feb. 1974; he died Jan. 13, 1983

She first registered with the SSA (Social Security Administration) in
September 1942 as "Helen Irene Livingston".  Her SSN was 123-18-0659.
One record shows her first marriage, to Fred Lane, on June 27, 1945
however her SSA record says that her married name "Helen Irene Lane"
was registered with them in December 1944, so I suspect she was
actually married in 1944; I have guessed November 1944 because of
the December name change recorded, however that is only a guess and
depends on the assumption that the name change was recorded promptly.

According to the 1936 Binghamton City Directory, Helen was working 
as a messenger/clerk/stenographer at her father's printing business 
in Binghamton, in 1936.  She was residing with her parents at the 
time, at No. 7 Clarke Street, Binghamton, Broome County, New York.

On her death certificate it is recorded that she resided at
44 Otseningo Street, Binghamton 13903, that she was or had been
manager of the Bates-Troy Laundry in Binghamton, and that her
informant (I presume this means next of kin) was Kenneth W. Bunts,
who resided at 5 Brownell Avenue, Binghamton, NY 13905.  Ken was
her nephew, born June 25, 1938, the son of her sister Caroline.

She was admitted to Binghamton General Hospital on Dec. 13, 1992
and died Jan. 10, 1993 of acute pulmonary failure. 

Here is a 1918 Group Photo of the Livingston/Burhyte reunion held 
that year.  We believe that Helen is the young girl seated 4th from 
the left among the children in front.  She would have been about 
four years old in this photo. 

Here is a photo of her birth certificate.

Here is a photo of her death certificate.

Info from Peggy Brewster

In the other four photos, Helen is approximately 30, 40, 60 and 70
years of age; they were taken in about 1944, 1954, 1974 and 1984.