Individual Details

Married 1) Julia McGinnis; one son, Julian; 2) Eugenie Clara Hilbold. This is the great-grandfather of Rebecca Haden who sent the information. Robert and Eugenie were missionaries to China. He was lost on French Ship Athos.

I discovered a great deal more about the family from their passport applications online at Ancestry.com, 1795-1925.

Robert's first passpost in these records was an Emergency Passport Issued Abroad, dated 16 Mar 1892. He applied to the Legation of the U.S. in Peking China the previous date,on March 15th. He stated he was born Keachie, DeSoto Parish in Louisiana on 13 Aug 1865. His father was a native born citizen of the U.S. He considered his permanent domicile in the U.S. as being Keatchie. He was a Minister. He left the U.S. on 26 Sept 1891 and was temporarily sojourning at Waseih, China. He desire the passport for his missionary work. He was then 26 years old, 6 feet tall, blue eyes, dark brown hair. All evidence indicates he was a single man at this time.

On 30 April 1908, Robert Allen Haden again applied for a passport for himself and his wife, Clara E. [Eugenie] and his minor children: Frieda E. born at Kiangyin, China on 2 May 1898; Eric George, born at Kuling, China on 14 Aug 1899; Dorothy J. born Shrevesport, LA on 21 Apr 1901, and Ernest Faber born Mokaushen China on 21 Aug 1904. I stated his birth at Keatchie, LA on 13 Aug 1865 and gave his permanent residence as Shrevesport [sic]. He was a clergyman and had left the U.S. on 26 Sept 1891 and was presently living at Kiangyin, China. He intended to return to the U.S. within two years and wanted the passport for travel in connection with his Missionary work. He was at that time age 43 and in the description it was noted that his hair was dark, slightly gray. The passport application was made at the American Consulate at Shanghai, China.
[Note: This application did not include his son Julian, born by his first wife - Julian was included two years later.]

Another application for passport was made in Berne, Switzerland on 8 Aug 1910. R. A. Haden applied for himself, his wife Eugenie Clara and his minor children: Julian C., born at Shanghai on 24 Jul 1894. Frieda E. born Kiangyin 2 May 1898; Eric G. born Kuling, China, 21 Aug 1899; Dorothy J. born Shreveport, LA, 21 Apr 1901; Ernest Faber born Mohkanshan, China, 14 Aug 1904; and Robert A. born Kiangyin, China, on 2 Jun 1906. Robert himself born Keatchie LA on 13 Aug 1865. Permanent residence again listed as Shreveport; occupation was missionary in China. He temporarily residing in Neuchatel, Switzerland and intended to the return to the U.S. within one year. He wanted the passport for the purpose of proving his nationality. Description states that his hair is now "iron grey".

Eugenie's applications for passport following his death tells the rest of the story.
On 7 Sept 1917, Eugenie stated that she was a missionary to China prior to her marriage in Shanghai, Jan 1897. Her husband had also been a missionary. They were working in China until 1900 when then had a year furlough in the U.S. which is the only time she ever lived there. They returned to China in 1901. In 1910 they had another furlough, coming first to Switzerland for seven months. They wanted the children to have a European education so they went to Germany for the next 18 months. She then returned to Switzerland with the children and her husband went back to China. He remained there until February of 1917 - he was returning to his family when he was lost off the coast of Malta, his ship being torpedoed by a submarine. The ship was the "Athos" en route from China to Marseilles.

I found copies of articles from The New York Times online. The French steamer Athos was carrying Senagalese troops and colonial laborers and was torpedoed in the Mediterrianean Sea. She was being escorted by two French destroyers which, with the aid of a gunboat, rescued some 1450 passengers. An Article on Feb 23th, stating that the ship was sunk on the 17th, stated that Haden had gone to the aid of Chinese on board or he would probably have been rescued. The Athos was struck 210 miles east of Malta. Another article in the Times but from Nashville, was in the nature of an obit. It was also dated Feb 23rd.
"Robert Allen Haden, the Presbyterian missionary who was lost when the French line Athos was destroyed by a submarine, had a number of friends here and in Clarksville, where he graduated from the Southwestern Presbyterian University. At the time of his death Mr. Haden was sailing from Yokohama for Marseilles to join his wife and six children who are in Switzerland.
Dr. Haden was 53 years of age and was born in Keatchie, La. He spent tow years in Clarksville Preparatory School before entering the university, graduating in 1891. After graduating he entered the ministry under the Presbyterian Mission Board. He was first stationed at Wushi, China, but was transferred in 1895 to Kiang Yin. In 1908 he was again transferred, this time to Soochow.
About a year after he went to China, Miss Julia McGinnis of Clarksville also left for that country as a missionary. They met in Japan and were married. Then they worked together in China for a year when she died, leaving one son, Julian, who now resides in the United States. Later Mr. Haden again married, this time to a woman in the English mission in China, and of this union six children were born. Mrs. Haden is now in Switzerland with her children Albert [this was actually Frieda], Eric, Dorothy, Joseph, Ernest, and Allan.
Mr. Haden was last in the United States in 1911. He was engaged in missionary work in Soochow, and was the only male missionary in that district.
Mr. Haden was known here to be connected with the work of the Southern Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions in the parish of China. His headquarters, according to the Year Book of the organization was at Soochow, about fifty miles from Shanghai, a mission established in 1877. Fifteen Americans are located there in charge of the work. The property of the mission is extensive, consisting of hospitals, schools for girls, and building for other missionary purposes.
The French steamer Athos, according to the New York Maritime Register was last reported as arriving at Kobe, Japan, on Jan 17 form Marseilles, France. The Athose was a steel twin screw steamer, built in 1914 at Dunkirk, France. She was 508 feet long and owned by the Messageries Maritimes of Marseilles."

A long article appeared on page 1 of the Ft. Worth Star Telegram on 4 Feb 1917. Two of Robert Allen Haden's brothers and a nephew were residents of Ft. Worth and he himself had visited the city five years earlier, speaking at both the 1st Presbyterian and Broadway Presbyterian Churches. His kin in Ft. Worth: C. H. Haden, brother, 1132 Edward St; J. C. Haden, brother, 1021 Elizabeth St; Robert A. Haden, nephew, 1300 Stella St.
Five of Hadens children were being educated in Switzerland; the eldest Freda, to graduate at Easter. A son Julian was in Massachusetts - he was born to the first wife. A letter written to C. H. Haden on Nov 14, said he wanted to avoid the North sea on account of the submarines; he intended to sail from Hong Kong on a French ship - he also wanted to avoid Russia, so made the trip by sea.
Haden had spent 26 years in the Soo Chow distract. His last act was to sacrifice his life to some Chinese. His brother explained that they were probably his Chinese servants.
Haden was born at Keatchie, LA; graduated from the Southwestern Presbyterian University at Clarksville TN in 1891. He served a pastorate in Shreveport before going to China.

By 1930, Julian, Eric, Ernest & Allen [Robert Jr.] are all found living in the U.S. About 1920, Eugenie was living with her married daughter Elizabeth in Barcelona Spain. Then in 1923 Eugenie was in Geneva, Switzerland with young Robert who was in school. In 1930, Eugenie was living in Memphis with Joseph. In 1920, Dorothy was in Birmingham with her husband Allen C. Howard, but I didn't find them in 1930.

Birth	13 Aug 1865	Keatchie, Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Marriage	Jan 1897	Shanghai, China - Eugenie Clara Hiltbolt
Death	17 Feb 1917	Ionian Sea
Marriage		Julia McGinnis

Spouse	Julia McGinnis ( - 1895)
Child	Julian Haden (1894 - )

Spouse	Eugenie Clara Hiltbolt (1869 - )
Child	Frieda Elizabeth Haden (1898 - )
Child	Eric George Haden (1899 - )
Child	Dorothee Janie "Dot" Haden (1901 - )
Child	Ernest Faber Haden (1904 - 1993)
Child	Robert Allen Haden Jr. (1908 - )
Child	Joseph Henderson Haden (1911 - )

Father	Henderson Wilson Haden (1834 - )
Mother	Mary Elizabeth Woolworth (1836 - )
Sibling	A. W. Haden (1858 - )
Sibling	Mary A. Haden (1859 - )
Sibling	Charles Henderson Haden (1861 - 1943)
Sibling	Laura Haden (1867 - )
Sibling	Mary Haden (1869 - )
Sibling	Alonzo Sidney Haden (1871 - 1905)
Sibling	James Cradon Haden (1872 - 1948)