What happened to the other adopted children?

Haswell Leask restates the family's opinion that while the Nethertons were sucessful parents, the Van Torchianas, who adopted children from the same orphanage, at the same time, were not. What happened to Nina Leanore. and Eva Miller?

I asked local historian Stan Stevens if he had come across any information about the van Torchianas in his research on H.A. Hihn. He emailed the following compilation to me. I had thought that an obituary of Van Torchiana would mention the daughters he adopted in 1909, but no daughters appeared to have survived him. The family moved to San Francisco the year after adopting them.

As often happens, this information brought forth new questions: Who is Eleanor Bump? Why did Emile Dodi, the gardener, receive a bequest, and not other servants?

Subject: Henri Albert van Coenen Torchiana

Dear Linda: You asked about "what happened to Torchiana" -- and since I need his bio for my own use, I looked him up.

Stan

[Note: I've seen his first name used both Henry and Henri.]

Source: Who's Who on the Pacific Coast: a Biographical Compilation of Notable Living Contemporaries West of the Rocky Mountains. Edited by Franklin Harper. Los Angeles: Harper Publishing Co., 1913. p. 567.

TORCHIANA, H. A. Van Coenen, Lawyer: born, Java, Dutch East Indies, Dec. 25, 1867; son [of] William George and Baroness (Van Coenen) T. Edu.: public schools, Amsterdam Holland, Academy at Arnheim, Holland; grad., College of Commerce and Economics, Amsterdam, Holland. Married, Catherine Geloudemans, Santa Cruz, Cal.

Came to Cal., 1890. Member law firm, Stratton, Kaufman & Torchiana. Pres., Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, 1908-1910. Pres., Santa Cruz County Commercial League, 1907-1909. Clubs: Family, Union League, Alumnus of the College of Commerce of Amsterdam. Republican. Res.: Family Club; Office: Humboldt Bank bldg., San Francisco, Cal.

Source: Index to Marriages from Early Newspapers (1856-1908), Santa Cruz County, California. Compiled by Sara A. Bunnett.

Santa Cruz: Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County, 1989. Torchiana, H A V [married to] Geloudemans, Cath. 18 Mar Santa Cruz Surf 19 Mar 1906 4:4.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle 1940 March 2 p. 12, col. 1: Torchiana, Netherlands Consul, Dies. Henry Albert van Coenen Torchiana, for more than 26 years The Netherlands' Consul General in San Francisco for the Pacific Coast States and Alaska, died last night in Stanford Hospital [Stanford Lane Hospital in San Francisco] after an illness of several weeks. His wife, Mrs. Catherine [Geloudemans] Torchiana, was at his bedside when the end came. It was caused by heart trouble with complications. Torchiana, 72, and a native of Java, had a wide and interesting career. He was graduated from the Amsterdam College of Commerce in 1890 and became a naturalized citizen in 1895.

MILLER & LUX CHIEF Yet in his early twenties, he was made manager of the vast Miller & Lux land holdings and studied law while riding the range. Admitted to the bar in 1900, Torchiana began his practice in Santa Cruz County, moved to San Francisco in 1910 and was a member of the firm of Stratton, Kaufman and Torchiana from 1910 to 1916. In 1913 he was appointed Consul General in San Francisco for the Netherlands, his territory embracing the Coastal and Intermountain States. He was resident commissioner-general of the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, dean of foreign commissioners in 1915, controller of Netherlands' navigation on the Pacific Ocean from 1916 to 1919. In 1912 he founded (and remained president until 1938) of the Holland-American Chamber of Commerce for the Pacific Coast States. Torchiana was variously decorated as Knight Commander of the Sacred Treasure of Japan, as Knight Commander of St. George (Greece), as Commander of the Order Oranje-Nassau (Netherlands), as Knight Lion of Netherlands, and as Knight Commander of the Gold Rice of China. In 1930 he received the degree of doctor of literature from the University of Southern California and in 1933 the degree of doctor of law from Hope College, Holland, Mich.

WROTE SEVERAL BOOKS He was a Republican, a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. His clubs were the P. E. N., University, Family and Olympic Country, and the Pasatiempo of Santa Cruz. Among books he wrote were "Holland, Birthplace of American Liberty," "Tropical Holland, Java and Other Islands," "California Gringos," "The Story of the Mission of Santa Cruz." His home was at 2398 Pacific avenue and the summer home was Villa Fair View in Santa Cruz. The Torchianas always were a gracious social turn and entertained frequently until the declining years of the Consul's life. Funeral arrangements are in the hands of N. Gray & Company, time yet to be announced. Following cremation, the ashes will rest in San Francisco until they can be taken to Holland.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle 1940 March 3 21:1 Torchiana Rites Tomorrow. Last rites for Henry Albert van Coenen Torchiana, Netherlands' Consul General at San Francisco for 26 years, will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow from the parlors of N. Gray & Co., Divisadero and Post streets. Torchiana, who was 72, died Friday [March 1] at Sanford Hospital [Stanford Lane Hospital in San Francisco] after an illness of several weeks. Thirty members of the foreign consular corps, Mayor [Angelo Joseph] Rossi and other high civic notables will attend the services. Torchiana was a native of Java, and became an American citizen in 1895. He practiced law for some years before his appointment as Consul General in 1913. He was dean of foreign commissioners at the 1915 exposition, and from 1912 to 1938 was president of the Holland American Chamber of Commerce for the Pacific Coast. Torchiana was a Republican, a member of the Dutch Reformed church and the P. E. N., University, Family and Olympic clubs, as well as the Pasatiempo Golf Club at Santa Cruz. His widow, Catherine, survives. The Torchiana home is at 2398 Pacific avenue, and their summer place is Villa Fair View in Santa Cruz. Following cremation, the ashes will rest in San Francisco until they can be taken to Holland.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle 1940 March 4 p. 16, col. 5 Obituary: H. A. Torchiana Dr. Homer K. Pitman, rector of Trinity Center Episcopal Church, will conduct funeral services for Henry Albert van Coenen Torchiana, consul general for the Netherlands at San Francisco for the last 26 years, at 11 a. m. today at the chapel of N. Gray & Co., Post and Divisadero streets. Torchiana died Friday at Stanford University Hospital at the age of 72. Assisting at the services will be a group of singers from the Family Club, of which Torchiana was a member. After cremation, the ashes will remain in San Franciso until shipment to Holland is possible.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle 1940 March 16 7:8 Torchiana Will Leaves $4000 to Quartet The will of the late Dr. H. A. Van Coenen Torchiana, veteran Netherlands Consul General at San Francisco, was filed for probate yesterday. Bequests included $1000 each to a son, Henry, of Portland; to his secretary, Mrs. Tweedie Wilson, 3254 Garfield avenue, Alameda; to Emile Dodi, gardener on his Santa Cruz estate, and to a family friend, Miss Eleanor Bump. The bulk of the estate is to be placed in a family trust under care of his widow, Catherine. Dr. Torchiana, who died at his home [sic], 2398 Pacific avenue, March 1, asked that his ashes be placed in the ancestral tomb in Holland. ###