Monthly Archives: April 2013

Mildred Burch, a hometown girl for life

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Mildred C. Burch, 1931 Plymouth High School

Mildred C. Burch, 1931 Plymouth High School

Mildred C. Burch, was a very studious looking 18 year old in 1931! She was born in Michigan in June of 1913 and lived her entire live in Canton, Wayne County, Michigan. She died there on May 13, 2006.

She was the youngest child of Elmer Burch and Catherine Kobbeman. The family consisted of brother Ralph (4 years older) and sister Henrietta (2 years older). Elmer was a farmer. He married Catherine, a much older woman, in 1908. Elmer was 26 and Catherine was 38 – at least according to 2 out of 3 census records. Catherine’s brother, Mildred’s uncle, lived with the family for many years.

According to her obituary, Mildred married Albert Foege and they had 3 children. She died in Canton where she has was born and raised and is buried in Riverside cemetery in Plymouth – probably not far from where this photo was taken. Find A Grave reports that husband Albert passed away 33 years before she did! I hope this photo is a welcome new addition to the family collection.

Lucy M. Moore, one of the few women on staff at the UT Law School in 1936

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Lucy More, Librarian & Instructor, 1936 UT Law School

Lucy More, Librarian & Instructor, 1936 UT Law School

An interesting start to this research. I had appeared to find who I was looking for right away in the Austin, Travis county, Texas 1930 census. A Lucy M. Moore, teacher at the state university, was single, 40, living with a boarder (another teacher) in her household. Her parents were from Virginia, but she was born in Texas. What a great match! But after that I could find no Lucy Moore born in 1890 with parents from Virginia. There was however, another persistent Lucy M. Moore, this one born in 1881 – quite a big gap even for sketchy census data. Lucy #2 also never married. She was also a teacher at the state unversity. She also lived with boarders in Austin, Travis county. But her parents were from Arkansas and Missouri (dad and mom respectively).

My suspicion is that the 1930 census is a fluke with bad data for whatever reason. As it happens Lucy #2’s mother (Leah Ann Bateman Moore) had parents from Virginia. Could that have been the mix up? What about the nearly 10 year age gap? All I know is that Lucy #1 doesn’t show up again. Here’s a little history on Lucy #2 as I follow the documents…

Born on September 5, 1881 in Texas. The family lived in Stephenville, Erath county, Texas where Lewellyn D. Moore, dad, was a farmer. In 1900 Lucy was 18 at home with 4 siblings. By 1910, she was working as a teacher but still living with family in Stephenville. A Lucy M. Moore shows up several times in 1918 and 1920 in The Catcus, the yearbook for the University of Texas. One of those is a photo of her with the UT Cofer Law Society. Hard to tell if the photos match, but my feeling now is it is likely her. If we are to go with the theory that 1930 Lucy equals Lucy #2 then she’s teaching at UT at the time and continues to do so in 1940.

Lucy died on November 2, 1953 in Stephenville. Sister Nell was the informant on her death certificate. She is buried in West End cemetery in Stephenville with her parents. She’ll have no children to follow this, but hopefully some nieces and nephews.

A quick side note that caught my attention when I did a simple Google search for Lucy:

From the endowments at the University of Texas webpage:

Name: Lucy M. Moore Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law

Approval Date: October 12, 1990

Description: The Lucy M. Moore Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law was established by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System on October 12, 1990, for the benefit of the School of Law. Gift funds were provided by Mr. Emory T. Carl of Bellaire, Texas, a 1936 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. The endowment honors Ms. Lucy Montlee Moore.

Gerald Rogers and a scattered family story

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*rald Rogers, Wakeman HS 1932

*rald Rogers, Wakeman HS 1932

Another partial name from the 1932 class of Wakeman High School near Lorain, Ohio. On the back of the photo, all we have of the name is *RALD ROGERS. Initially I thought the D was an O. But I could find absolutely no one with the name *RALO ROGERS. Then it dawned on me that it was indeed a D!

So Gerald Rogers came to life (again). There is one definitely Gerald Rogers that is bound to be our man. In the 1930 Wakeman, Huron County, Ohio census, Gerald is a 16 year old born in Ohio to parents also from Ohio. However, he’s living as a lodger (not working) with Gage and Gertrude Garner. Because he’s not living with his parents or anyone identified as family it makes comparing our Gerald with other Gerald’s harder.

In 1940, there is another Gerald Rogers still in Huron County. He’s 26 now, a farm hand on the Sweeting farm, married to Eleanor Rogers (21). Hard to know if it’s the same George but there is more than a little likelihood that it is.

Another Gerald Rogers in Ohio that comes up is Gerald Ernest Rogers, lets call him GED. GED was born 11/18/1913 in Lima, Ohio. His parents were Robert Rogers and Edith Ryerson. GED died in California on 2/27/1989. In 1920 in Kenmore, Summit Co., Ohio GED lived with his dad, step-mom, 4 siblings and grandparents (John & Ida Rogers) on his grandfather’s farm.

In my opinion, GED is our Gerald Rogers. By 1925, GED’s dad has married for the 3rd time. In 1930 older brother Howard is a lodger elsewhere, grandparents John & Ida are living with a sister of GED’s, dad Robert (now a widower again – this guy was trouble!) and another sibling Hazel are living in Cincinnati. In other words, the family is spread out all over the place. It would not be surprising that Gerald was living as a lodger. What would be surprising is if the Garner’s (with whom he was living) were not somehow related or at least close friends of the family. Maybe actual family can fill us in!

I’m sure hoping we can find your descendants Gerald!