In June, 1880 she was attending school and living at home with her parents' family at 425 Springfield Avenue, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.

Laura Anna Traudt before her marriage, 1891.  Photo from collection of Brian Kunde

Laura married, on Thursday, June 25, 1891, at the residence of her father in Newark, Herman August Metz of New York City. He was born October 19, 1867 in New York, New York, the son of Edward J— Metz and Frances K— (—) Metz, both natives of Germany who came to the United States in 1848. The Metzes had no children.

Herman August Metz, from Prominent and progressive Americans; an encyclopædia of contemporaneous biography (New York, New York Tribune, 1904).	Laura Anna Traudt Metz, circa 1900.  Photo from collection of Brian Kunde

Metz was a wealthy businessman and politician. one of the largest manufacturers of dyestuffs and chemicals in the United States. His highest political attainments were comptroller of the City of New York for 1906-10 and Member of Congress from the Tenth New York District from 1913-15. His biographies in the standard biographical resources list long series of lesser distinctions, and others are noted in the New York City directories of his time.

On November 19, 1915 Laura obtained a divorce from Metz at Reno, Nevada. The decree was secured on grounds of desertion, which she said occured at New York City in 1909. The complaint stated that all property rights had been settled. Metz did not contest the case, but filed an answer denying the allegation of desertion. After her divorce Laura was back in New York by about December 12 or before, and occupied the home of her former husband at 253 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn. For Herman's subsequent history, see the Appendix to this entry.

Laura endowed and supported a rest home with her money from the divorce settlement. During the Depression she suffered losses, primarily, it would appear, from trying to keep the home afloat. In her later life she lived in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, New York City. An unmarried sister, probably Mathilda, lived with her, possibly as early as 1916.

Mathilda C. Traudt, 1928.  Photo from collection of Brian Kunde.	Laura Traudt Metz and Mathilda, 1928.  Photo from collection of Brian Kunde

In 1931 Laura was living at 161 Rugby Road, Flatbush, Brooklyn. There on Wednesday, September 2, 1931 her sister Mathilda died. Services were held at the same location at 8:30 P.M. on Friday, September 4. A private interment followed on Saturday, September 5.

Laura Traudt Metz died Saturday, March 25, 1944. She was survived by siblings Margaret Wenisch, Anna Maloney, and Charles and Oscar Traudt. Services were held at the Fairchild Chapel, 86 Lefferts Place, Brooklyn, at 8:30 P.M. on Monday, March 27, 1944.

Interment was in the Traudt family section of Woodland Cemetery in Newark, New Jersey. Her grave marker bears the following inscription:

Photo courtesy of Mary Lish.

In connection with the Traudt section her sister Anna wrote later (June 29, 1948) that the cemetery wanted to level the family's raised graves, but had been prevented by Laura. But between September, 1946, when their sister Margaret died, and June, 1948 the cemetery leveled them anyway, leaving only the footstones. Herman and Laura Metz, together with U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton, are honored by Hamilton-Metz Field, a 2,112 acre recreational park at the intersection of Albany, Lefferts, and East New York Avenues in the Wingate neighborhood of Brooklyn. Originally belonging to Alexander Hamilton High School, the field was transferred to the city Parks department in 1940, augmented by several parcels of adjoining land donated by the Metz family in memory of Metz and his wife. (Note: While the circumstances suggest Metz's second wife might have been intended, Laura is specified by name.) Appendix. After his divorce from Laura, Herman A. Metz he made his home temporarily at the National Democratic Club in Manhattan. Herman married (second), February 10, 1916 in Stamford, Connecticut, Mrs. Alice M. Norman of New York, reportedly the former wife of Lawson Norman of Philadelphia, from whom she was apparently divorced about 1910. She was born Alice May Van Ronk July 1, 1879 in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Cornelius Van Ronk and Mary Emma (Thompson) Van Ronk. At the time of her marriage, Alice lived with a sister at No. 8 West 87th Street, New York City. As Herman’s mistress Alice had three sons, Henry Albert Metz, Richard Edward Metz, and Donald Alexander Metz. After her marriage to Herman they had one more son, Eugene Louis Metz. Herman Metz died in a hospital in New Rochelle, New York, May 17, 1934. Interment was in Kensico Cemetery, Westchester, New York. He was survived by his second wife, their four sons Harry, Richard, Donald and Eugene, and a brother, Gustave P. Metz of Albany. Alice Metz died July 15, 1966 in New York, New York.

* * * * *

From 8/6/2012 revision.
1st web edition posted 4/7/2004.
This page last updated 7/17/2013.

Published by Fleabonnet Press.