The Ridge Historical Society
The History of the Graver-Driscoll House – Part 8: The Fenn Family continued
By Carol Flynn
Every house has a history. The story of the Graver-Driscoll House, headquarters for the Ridge Historical Society at 10621 S. Seeley Avenue, is being shared in honor of its centennial. This also serves as a case study for the wealth of information available through research just waiting to be discovered for many old houses.
RHS is repeating the program, “Discover the History of Your Chicago House,” presented by RHS researcher Tim Blackburn, on Saturday, January 28, at 2:00 p.m., at RHS at 10621 S. Seeley Avenue, Chicago. The cost is $10 for RHS members and $15 for non-members. Registration for the program is through the link
https://bit.ly/house_research.
The Graver-Driscoll House, designed by architect John Todd Hetherington, was built in 1921-22 for Herbert Spencer Graver, an executive with his family’s business, the Graver Tank Works.
In 1940, Graver sold the house to John Grant and Grace Harrison Fenn, who were discussed in the last post. J. Grant Fenn, as he was called, was a mechanical engineer involved in the emerging air conditioning industry. Grace was active with hospitality events for soldiers during World War II.
The Fenns had two children, Helen Virginia, born on September 22, 1918, and Grant Harrison, born on May 27, 1924.
Helen graduated from Morgan Park High School in 1936. She attended Knox College, and went on to post-graduate studies at the University of Chicago, where she met Lt. Alden J. “Buzz” Ritter of Minnesota, an Army Air Corps meteorologist. Both were studying meteorology, and both were pilots.
On June 12, 1943, Helen’s and Alden’s wedding was held at the Graver-Driscoll House. Memorabilia and pictures from the wedding and Helen's wedding dress have been donated to RHS by the Ritter family.
Helen and Alden moved to Ohio, where they raised their four children. Alden advanced to the position of Vice President of Engineering with Luxaire, the maker of heating and air conditioning equipment. The Ritters were active socially and enjoyed traveling, and divided their time between Ohio and Florida.
Grant, the Fenn son, graduated from the Morgan Park Military Academy in June of 1942. The day after he received his diploma, he was appointed second lieutenant, infantry, U.S. Army, and started active duty. He went on to graduate from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, in 1945 and was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force.
In February of 1945, patriarch J. Grant Fenn died, and was buried in the family plot in Mt. Greenwood Cemetery. Grace Fenn sold the Graver House in 1946 to the Nicholas Cummings family, and moved to an apartment with her sister on 102nd Street and Hale Avenue.
Son Grant embarked on a military career, serving in Italy, and for two years as an assistant attaché in Athens, Greece. He was tragically killed in 1951 when the B-36 bomber he and twenty-two others were flying in crashed in New Mexico. He was 26 years old and left a widow, Raymonde Andrea, whom he had met in France. He was buried in Mount Greenwood Cemetery.
Grace Fenn died in 1988 at the age of 96. Alden died in 2014, aged 94, and Helen died in 2022 at the age of 103. All died in Florida and were returned to Mount Greenwood Cemetery for burial.
Although the Fenn family’s formal connection to the Graver-Driscoll House ended in 1946, Helen Fenn Ritter and her descendants kept a fondness for and interest in the house which continues to today.
In the next post, the Ritter family’s visits to the Graver-Driscoll House and donations of family heirlooms to the Ridge Historical Society will be covered.