Joseph
Robinette
Biden
Sr.
[uncertain]
Born in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Ancestors 
Brother of
Mary Alice (Biden) Eshbach and Frank Hanafee Biden
Husband of
Catherine Eugenia (Finnegan) Biden
— married
30 May 1941 in Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, United States
Descendants 
Father of
Joseph Biden Jr., [private daughter (1940s - unknown)], [private son (1940s - unknown)] and [private son (1950s - unknown)]
Died
at age 86
in Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware, United States
Profile last modified
| Created 20 Nov 2011
This page has been accessed 12,943 times.
| Joseph Biden Sr. is an ancestor of a US President/Vice President Join: US Presidents Project Discuss: Presidents |
This person is an ancestor of Joseph Biden Jr 46th US President
Biography
Joseph Biden Sr. has English ancestors.
NOTE: This person’s CLN/AKA did not include the suffix, Sr., until his son was born. Also, using both the Pennsylvania World War II Draft Registration Card and the marriage license as sources, the legal name was recorded as Joseph R. Biden (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7T-FSC2-C?i=539&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQ29C-YBD9), (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6GFW-MN?personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AVF7X-175).
Joseph Robinette Biden was born on November 13, 1915, in Baltimore, Maryland, to parents Joseph Biden and Mary Robinette.
On January 29, 1920, Joseph, age 4 years, 6 months, was living at 2732 Mosher Street, Baltimore City, Maryland, with his parents and siblings: Joseph H., age 27, salesman for an oil company; Mary E., age 25; Mary A., age 2 years, 11 months; and Frank H., age 1 year, 4 months (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR6L-QLV?i=62&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM63G-FM2).
On, April 3, 1930, Joseph, age 14, was living at 1504 West 7th Street, Wilmington City, New Castle, Delaware, with his parents and siblings: Joseph H., age 36, salesman manager; Mary E., age 34; Mary A., age 13; and Frank H., age 11 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRHM-VHF?i=5&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3ACHM8-VMM)
On April 9, 1940, Joseph, age 24, was living at the Y.M.C.A, southwest corner of Newberry and Philadelphia, York City, York, Pennsylvania. He was employed as a clerk typist for an oil bulk plant (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9MY-9GR?i=35&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AKQW7-S3F)
On April 16, 1940, Joseph, age 24, employed as a superintendent of an oil company plant, was recorded as living at 2109 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, with his parents and siblings: Joseph H., age 47, manager at an oil company; Mary E., age 44; Mary A., age 23, saleslady in a department store; and Frank H., age 21, salesman in a furniture store. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9MY-7QYV?i=17&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AKQWK-8PL)
On April 12, 1950, Joseph, age 34, employed as an automotive inspector, was recorded as living at 2446 N. Washington Avenue, Scranton, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, with his father-in-law, A. J. Finnegan, head of household, widower, age 66. Also living in the same household was Edward B. Finnegan, single, age 38, steward in a restaurant; Catherine E. Biden, age 32; Joseph Biden, Jr., age 7; Mary Valerie Biden, age 4; James Biden, newborn; Gertrude Blewitt, single, age 70; and Frank Biden, lodger, age 32, census enumerator (https://1950census.archives.gov/search/?county=Scranton%2C%20Lackawanna&ed=79-239&name=Joseph%20Biden&page=1&state=PA)
He married "Jean" Catherine Eugenia Finnegan on May 30, 1941, in Lackawanna, Pennsylvania.[1]
Children
- Joseph, Jr.
- Valerie Biden Owens
- James Biden
- Francis Biden
Joseph Sr. was initially wealthy but suffered financial setbacks around the time Joe Jr. was born, and for several years the family lived with Jean's parents. Scranton fell into economic decline during the 1950s and Joseph Sr. could not find steady work. Beginning in 1953, the family lived in an apartment in Claymont, Delaware, then moved to a house in Wilmington, Delaware. Joseph Sr. later became a successful used car salesman, maintaining the family in a middle-class lifestyle.
- At one point, Biden, Sr., had a lot of money, but he lost it all, for reasons that went mostly unexplained. “I never asked him much about his life, and he didn’t offer,” his son, Jimmy Biden, wrote.
- "One of the most influential figures in Biden, Sr.’s life was Bill Sheene, Sr., his uncle and godfather, the husband of Biden, Sr.'s maternal aunt, Alice Robinette. The Sheenes lived in Baltimore, and they had a son, Bill Sheene, Jr., who was about a year older than Biden, Sr. The cousins were inseparable, and Sheene, Sr., treated his nephew like another son."(https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/08/22/the-untold-history-of-the-biden-family)
Joseph Robinette Biden, Sr., died on September 2, 2002, in Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware, and is buried at Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery, Greenville, New Castle, Delaware.[2][3][4]
Joseph Robinette Biden, Sr., 86, father of Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D., Del.), died yesterday at the senator's home in the Wilmington suburbs after a long illness.
Mr. Biden was born in Baltimore on Nov. 18, 1915. His family moved to Wilmington, where he attended St. Paul's School and Wilmington High School. He graduated from St. Thomas Academy in Scranton.
During World War II, Mr. Biden was an executive with a Boston factory that supplied plastic hulls, a special waterproof sealant applied to all U.S. merchant marine ships built during the war. After the war, he co-owned an airport and crop-dusting service on Long Island.
In 1953, he moved his family to Claymont, Del. He was a sales manager for several Wilmington automobile dealerships and worked for 15 years in real estate condominium sales in New Castle County and Rehoboth Beach for the Patterson-Schwartz agency.
His eldest son, Joseph, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972, and will run for his sixth term in November.
Mr. Biden is survived by his wife of 61 years, Jean Finnegan Biden; three sons: Sen. Biden, James B. and Francis W.; a daughter, Valerie Biden Owens; 10 grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.
A viewing will be held tomorrow from 5 to 9 p.m. at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church, 10 Old Church Rd. in Greenville, Del. A Mass of Christian Burial will be said at the church at 9 a.m. Thursday. Burial will follow in St. Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery.
The family suggests contributions to the Biden Scholarship Fund at Archmere Academy or to First State Hospice of Wilmington (https://ancestors.familysearch.org/LZTC-BZK/joseph-robinette-biden-sr.-1915-2002).
Sources
- ↑ "Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VF7X-175 : 5 August 2020), Joseph R. Biden and Catherine Eugenia Finnegan, 30 May 1941; citing Marriage, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, United States, multiple County Clerks, Pennsylvania.
- ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 24 October 2020), memorial page for Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. (13 November 1915–2 September 2002), Find A Grave: Memorial #16741370, citing Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery, Greenville, New Castle County, Delaware, USA ; Maintained by Russ Pickett (contributor 46575736).
- ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J24X-HQQ : 21 August 2020), Joseph R Biden Sr, 2 September 2002; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
- ↑ "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVTG-BPKD : accessed 27 August 2021), Sen Joseph R Biden Jr in entry for Mr Joseph Robinette Biden Sr, Pennsylvania, United States, 3 September 2002; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Philadelphia Inquirer, The, born-digital text.
See also:
- "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M63G-FM2 : accessed 24 October 2020), Joseph R Biden in household of Joseph H Biden, Baltimore Ward 16, Baltimore (Independent City), Maryland, United States; citing ED 277, sheet 32A, line 42, family 742, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 660; FHL microfilm 1,820,660.
- "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:CHM8-VMM : accessed 24 October 2020), Joseph R Biten in household of Joseph H Biten, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 20, sheet 3A, line 48, family 48, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 289; FHL microfilm 2,340,024.
- "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQW7-S3F : 20 May 2020), Joseph R Biden, Ward 5, York City, York City, York, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 67-117, sheet 81B, line 43, family , Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3645.
- 1950 Census
- "Pennsylvania, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7T-FSC2-C?cc=2603579&wc=22T4-DBS%3A1590012512 : 2 May 2023), Bicking, Wilbur Henry - Biedka, May Alexander > image 540 of 1006; records extracted by FamilySearch and images digitized by Ancestry; citing "Draft Registration Cards for Pennsylvania, 10/16/1940 – 3/31/1947," NAID 5324575. Records of the Selective Service System, 1926 - 1975, RG 147. National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri.
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Joseph:
It may be possible to confirm family relationships. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Joseph:
-
~0.78%
Nancy Harrington
:
AncestryDNA, Ancestry member gendine30
- Comments on Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. Aug 27, 2021.
- Pres. Joseph R. Biden Ancestor Table in American Ancestors Mar 13, 2021.
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B > Biden > Joseph Robinette Biden Sr.
Categories: US President Direct Ancestor | Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery, Greenville, Delaware | Parents of US Presidents
edited by Jerry Regan
MD, JD, LLB, etc make a good point. Would, "Name Doe, MD was born...." be appropriate in the Biography? That person was not an MD when they were born. They earned it later. And wouldn't the biography have a statement like, "Name earned their MD from some college in some year?" My point is that many people that commonly use Sr or Jr in their everyday life do not use them in documents if they are not part of their legal name - usually LNAB. What name, then, should I use when searching non-Wikitree databases? Clarity. Accuracy. And doesn't WikiTree insist on date and place of birth and death to distinguish between to individuals with the same name?
The meaning of sr and jr are not what this is really about so I only want to say that to my knowledge, I, Ii, (first, second, third ,etc) were the appropriate suffix when the two people were not father/son. But what do I know? I’ve never heard of the use when the people are not related. As for jr only applying when sr is still living, that assumes jr is not part of LNAB, I.e., the legally recorded name of jr I appreciate your comment. I may have learned something new. But see Wikipedia-> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffix_(name)#Generational_titles
edited by Jerry Regan
edited by Lynette Jester
As I mentioned, the point is not whether the suffixes should be applied. Look at my first post, "[T]o me it would be helpful for the public profile to point out that this person’s CLN/AKA did not include the suffix until his son was born." And as my second post notes, wouldn't a profile include language for an MD, PHD, LLB, etc. like, "<name> was awarded their <whatever> by <some schoool> on <some date>." So the point is, I believe the date the suffix became relevant should be noted in the profile.
With all due respect, you are wrong. The date and place of birth are shown on the person's profile to whom Jr would be applied -- not on the page of the person to whom Sr would be applied. It can be found, but you give too much credit to the amount of work people will go to. I've made my point: Clarity. Same bucket as date and place of birth, death, etc. go in. Be specific, don't rely on assumptions of any kind. Enjoy the rest of the year.
This may be worth checking if someone is interrested:
https://gw.geneanet.org/tdowling?lang=en&pz=timothy+michael&nz=dowling&m=A&p=joseph+robinette&n=biden&oc=1&siblings=on¬es=on&t=T&v=6&image=on&marriage=on&full=on
Regards