Father LTC Stanley Maddox Rumbough
Mother Elizabeth Colgate Rumbough
Spouse Francis Cowles
Spouse Duncan Van Norden

Elizabeth Rumbough Cowles Van Norden

ELIZABETH VAN NORDEN Wife of the late Duncan Van Norden, (Passed away on Sunday. November 21, 1999. She was 87 years old. Born in New York City to Elizabeth and Stanley M. Rumbough, Miss Van Norden was a resident of New York before moving to Palm Beach. She served as a director of the New York City Mission Society and was a member of The Garden Club of Palm Beach, the Society of Four Arts and The Colonial Dames of America. Mrs. Van Norden was involved in Planned Parenthood as well as other philanthropic organizations. She Is survived by two daughters. Elizabeth Harris Taylor of California and Mama Cowles Dean of Missouri; a brother, Stanley M. Rumbough, Jr. of Palm Beach; six grandchildren and six great -grand-children. A private memorial service followed by Interment will be held at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Palm Beach, Memorial Donations may be made to the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue league of the Palm Beaches.

Mrs Elizabeth Van Norden
United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries
Deceased
Name Mrs Elizabeth Van Norden
Event Type Obituary
Event Date 23 Nov 1999
Event Place Florida, United States
Residence Place New York
Gender Female
Age 87
Occupation Director
Birth Year (Estimated) 1912
Birthplace New York City
Death Date 21 Nov 1999
Burial Place Palm Beach
Newspaper Palm Beach Post, The
Spouse and Children
Duncan Van Norden Husband Male
Elizabeth Harris Taylor Daughter Female
Marcia Cowles Dean Daughter Female
Parents and Siblings
Elizabeth Rumbough Mother Female
Mrs Stanley M Rumbough Parent Unknown
Stanley M Rumbough Jr Brother Male

Father Stanley Maddox Rumbough obit

Stanley was born at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on 10 August 1886. His father, David J. Rumbough, USMA 1880, of Lynchburg, Virginia, was then serving as an aide to Stanley’s grandfather, General David Sloan Stanley, USMA 1848, Medal of Honor, who was then in command of the Department of Texas.

David J. Rumbough had married General Stanley’s daughter, Sarah Eliza (called Lillie) Stanley. The “Maddox” was for Dr. Maddox, who was to have been best man at their wedding, but unfortunately was killed by Indians just before it. He was with a detachment sent out after a hostile band, and rather foolishly left the detachment to go hunting alone. He came back into camp at a gallop, an Indian arrow through his body, and fell dead from his horse. Stanley’s grandmother was the daughter of (Brevet) Brigadier General Joseph J. B. Wright, who was instrumental in establishing Carlisle Medical School. Stanley’s father, Colonel Rumbough, died in December 1912, and his mother died when she was 91 years old in May 1952.

After attending school at Fort Barancas, Florida, San Francisco, California, and Washington, D. C., Stanley went to Lt. Braden’s West Point Preparatory School at Highland Falls, N.Y., took a Presidential Competitive Examination, and was appointed “At Large.” He was so sure that he had not passed his examinations for West Point that he took the first train to San Francisco to rejoin his family, who were then stationed at the Presidio. When he arrived, he found he had passed and was appointed to the USMA.

During his four years at West Point Stanley had the nicknames of "Jumbo” and “Rhombus” and was “all horse.” Quoting from the 1909 Howitzer, “The acknowledged leader of the horsey set, polo, stunts, exhibition cavalry, or high jumping,” and he also played on the ice hockey team for three years. He graduated Number 1 in horsemanship, and was captain of the cadet polo team. Upon graduation he and George Patton were both assigned to the squadron of the 15th Cavalry, at Fort Sheridan, IL., and shared bachelor quarters together. They took part in several horse shows on the post and in Chicago, Roman riding and doing monkey drill. Stanley used to tell of one exhibition during which George Patton broke his wrist when taking a jump, but continued until the show was over.

In 1911 Stanley was ordered to the squadron of the 15th Cavalry at Fort Myer, Va. He was on the polo team there, and was made a junior aide to President Taft. He was also in charge of all the horses of the Army Olympic Team that were not taken to England. He raced them on many tracks on the east coast, and rode in horse shows.

On 20 September 1911, Stanley married Elizabeth Morse Colgate, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Colgate of New York City and Onteora Club, Greene County, N.Y. An opportunity to go into business in civil life caused him to submit his resignation which was not accepted.

In the autumn of 1912 Stanley was assigned as an instructor in English at West Point. In July 1913 his resignation from the Army was accepted, and he went into business in New York City.

World War I found Stanley volunteering for service. He went to Fort Jay, N.Y., and saw General Leonard Wood who, several years before when Chief of Staff, had disapproved his resignation, and received a commission as a major in the US National Army. After serving on the staff at Fort Jay for a while, examining the men who wanted to go to the Officers Training Camp at Plattsburg, N.Y., Stanley was sent to head the Officers Training Camp at Princeton University. He was given the Blair suite as quarters and his wife was the first woman ever to live there on the campus. He had two veterans from World War I to help him in training, one of them Raymond Massey, the great actor. After the Training Camp was over Stanley was sent to Camp Mills, N.Y., and was made brigade adjutant of one of the Infantry brigades of the 42d Division under General Robert A. Brown, USMA 1885. In September 1917 he went to France in command of an advance billeting detachment of the 42d Division.

Upon graduating from the Staff School at Langres, Stanley was asked for by General MacArthur, USMA 1903, then a colonel and Chief of Staff of the Division, to be assigned to the Division Staff in the G-3 Section with Colonel Grayson M. P. Murphy, USMA 1903. After Chateau Thierry he was slightly gassed, which gave him trouble for the rest of his life and finally was one of the causes of his death. Later Stanley was G-3 and went with the Division to Ahrweiler, Germany. In April 1919 Lt. Col. Stanley M. Rumbough came back to New York with part of the Division on the S.S. Leviathan, and returned to civil life. The Rainbow Division was in every battle but one that the Americans fought in World War I, and was also with the French in the Champagne engagement. The French awarded Stanley the Legion d’Honneur.

Stanley returned to business and became an officer in the White Metal Manufacturing Company of Hoboken, N.J. He was later president of it, and then chairman of the board. He retired on 1 November 1961 when the Rexall Drug and Chemical Company bought the business and its two branches.

His son, Stanley M. Rumbough Jr. is now chairman of the board of the White Metal Manufacturing Company.

Stanley was a member of the University Club of New York, and was on the membership committee there for a great many years.

At one time he was on the board of the West Side YMCA of New York, and a former member of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club. He also was a member of the Piping Rock Club, the Army & Navy Club of Washington, D.C., the N.Y. Chapter of the Military Order of the World War, the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce, the Huntington (L.I.) Chamber of Commerce, the Southern Society, the District of Columbia Society Sons of the American Revolution, and the Cold Spring Harbor Beach Club. He was a charter member of the Lloyd Harbor Bath Club, a life member of the Lake Placid Club, and the president of “The Sno Birds” when a part of the Olympic Games was held there. The cup that he donated is still at the Club. He was a trustee of Lloyd Harbor Village for 27 years, longer than any trustee of the village. He was very fond of boating; he sailed a great deal and also had power boats. He built a home at Lloyd Neck, Long Island, in 1927, called “Elstan Oaks,” which he enjoyed very much, but he always kept an apartment in New York. During World War II, Stanley was determined to serve, but every time that he was examined, he was disqualified due to his lung condition. He had his 75th birthday and his 50th wedding anniversary in 1961. Stanley died after an operation at Doctors Hospital, New York City, on 16 December 1961.

Stanley’s wife survives him, as do two children: a daughter, Elizabeth Colgate Rumbough, who married Francis Cowles and then married Duncan Van Norden; a son, Stanley Maddox Rumbough Jr., who married Nedenia M. Hutton; and also five grandchildren.

Stanley was greatly beloved by everyone. He was so gay, outgoing, and kind and had a wonderful sense of humor.