Author Archives: Jodi

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!

*herine Salzman – spelling various are so much fun (insert sarcastic exclaimation point)

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Yes, Another chopped off name from Wakeman High School in Huron County, Ohio. This one seemed straight forward, ____herine Salzman. What else besides “Catherine” or “Katherine” could that really be? So I was shocked when it didn’t turn up much. (Although I shouldn’t be shocked by any research hiccup at this point!)

But I think I’ve found the identity of this lovely lady. Kathryn Salzman was born in 1916 in Ohio to Walter Salzman and Edna Johnson. She was the second oldest of 6 siblings, including Louise, Stella, Grace, Robert, and Charlotte. Lovely classic names! In 1930, 2 years before this photo the family lived in Lorain, Ohio – not far from Wakeman. Walter was a dairy farmer. In 1920 Ohio census the last name appeared as “Saltzman.”

Something happened by 1940. Brother Robert lived with an uncle in Pittsfield, OH. John Glynn (but mom’s maiden name was Johnson?) and a John Salzman as well listed as “Helper”. Robert is listed as “nephew.” Sister charlotte lived with her grandparents, Conrad and Ida Salzman in Camden, Lorain, OH. Where is Kathryn?

Walter apparently lived until 1968 in Lorain, OH. Edna died young in 1933, which explains why the children may have been split up to live with relatives. According to Edna’s death certificate her death was related to third degree burns. Robert was not far behind his mother and died in 1943. 

As for Kathryn, I’m not sure what became of her. Hopefully a searching family member will!

Wakeman 1932

Albert R. Haskin, Principal Eastman Business College

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Albert R. Haskin, Principal of the Eastman Business College

Albert R. Haskin, Principal of the Eastman Business College

In 1888, Albert R. Haskin was the principal of the Eastman Business College. (See the full class photo here.) He was married to Mary Haskin with 2 children Albert and Minnie, aged 9 and 5 respectively.

Albert R. was born about 1850 in Indiana – although you’ll see Iowa on some documents – to Caleb and Rebecca Haskin. He appeared to be their oldest child. His father and grandfather were both farmers in Iowa when the family lived there. But by age 24, in 1874 Albert married a woman from New York (Mary). He was likely living there at the time.

His professional career (all in New York, most in Poughkeepsie) was in teaching and accounting. According the the census records: 1880 – Professor, 1892 – Teacher, 1900 – Auditor, 1910 – Accountant for a Tobacco company. I don’t see him in any census records after 1910 so he likely died before 1920.

It’s possible his daughter never married as she lived alone with her father in 1910, after Mary died. Minnie was 28 then. Son, Albert Cline Haskin (Cline is Mary’s maiden name I believe) was living with wife Julia in Connecticut in 1920.

Hopefully we can find some interested descendants!

The Rasmussen Siblings, Leonard & Marie of Minnesota

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Leonard Luvern Rasmussen, the elder, born in 3 days before Christmas in 1912 in Filmore county, Minnesota. Marie Francis Rasmussen, the younger, born in on Christmas day in 1913 also in Minnesota. Siblings almost exactly one year apart! Parents: George … Continue reading →

Dorothy Mills, truly the baby of the family

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Dorothy Mills, 1934, about 18 years old

Dorothy Mills, 1934, about 18 years old

Meet Dorothy Mills, 18 in this photo of the class of 1934 from Williamsville Township High School. Born in 1916, she was the last child of John Mills and Lydia Sparks. The year of her birth her father was almost 60 and her mother over 40. Dorothy’s oldest sibling Flora was born in 1890. Then Bertha, Winifred, Mary, Helen and finally Dorothy. The family lived all their live in Williams, Illinois where John and son Winifred were farmers.

In 1928, when her father died, Dorothy and mother Lydia went to live with Winifred and his wife Cecelia and children. They lived with them at least through the 1930 and 1940 census in Williams. Dorothy’s mother passed away in 1947. John and Lydia, and many other members of the Mills family, are buried in Wolf Creek Cemetery in Sangamon county. I did not find a Dorothy Mills there.

I don’t know what happened to Dorothy. In 1940, she was still single and worked in “domestic work” with 4 years of high school. Did she ever marry and have kids of her own? Hopefully family can fill in the blanks.

…rie Pettiford, A sad story for a Valentine’s day baby and her mother

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Wakeman High School 1932

Wakeman High School class of 1932

“…rie Pettiford” turned out to be Marie Pettiford. The class photo you see on the left has most of the first name of each person cut off. I wasn’t sure how easy they would be to find. But the last person on the list was also the only black person in the class. So when I looked for a female, unmarried Pettiford born around 1914 who lived in Huron County, Ohio one person came up. And luckily her first name ended in “rie”!

Marie E. Pettiford was born on Valentine’s day 1914 to Herman E. Pettiford and Myrtle Stafford. Her father was a barber. She had one brother, Robert who was about 3 years older than Marie. Her family lived in Wakeman all her life. They are in the 1910, 1920, and 1930 census. However by 1930 her father was a widow. Myrtle died in 1921 at age 28. The death certificate states the cause of death was exophthalmic goiter. Huh? I had never of heard of this. One website defines it as “hyperthyroidism with protrusion of the eyeballs.” I’ll let you google the images.

Marie Pettiford, age 18. One year before her death.

Marie Pettiford, age 18. One year before her death.

Her daughter was even younger when she died. The lovely Marie Pettiford died at age 19, one year after this photo was taken. On March 22, 1933, according to the death certificate, Marie died of a heart attack due to “surgical shock” during a laparotomy. A laparotomy was basically abdominal surgery. Why she was having surgery is unknown, maybe some form of hyperthyroidism like her mother. Whatever the reason, her body couldn’t take it.

By 1940 her father and brother are living together and working as barber’s in Mr. Pettiford’s barber shop; feeling quite lucky to be alive I imagine.

An Update on Cora & Ethel

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A reader with questions prompted me to do a little more digging on a photo I gave up on too fast. Here’s the result:

On the original post of Cora and Ethel, I had a grand time finding out to Cora was but remained stumped on Ethel. I was so thrilled to have found Cora with her two last names that I stopped early. But Ethel has now been identified, because she was sitting next door to Cora in 1900 all this time.

Ethel Thompson was born in Michigan in 1882. The middle child of Hiram & Libbie Thompson, although there may have been some older siblings that had left the home. In 1900 when Ethel was 17, her father was 62 and her mother 57.

Here’s the Find A Grave memorial.

Welcome Ethel!

Magdalene Weinman #68 at the Westbrook Academy, a stenographer

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Magdalene Weinman, Westbrook Commercial Academy, 1924-25

Magdalene Weinman, Westbrook Commercial Academy, 1924-25

Magdalene had a very sweet young face. She was about 21 or 22 in this photo. She would soon be a full time stenographer at the Gouranda State Homes Hospital in Erie, New York. But in 1925 she lived with her family. Father: Charles Weinman (1871-1941), mother Christina Frey (1873-1965) and brother LeRoy (1904-1980). For all of Magdalene’s life up until 1930 she lived in Wellsville, Allegeny, New York – right next to the county where Westbrook Commercial Academy was. She was the first of two children, born the year after they were married, 1903.

Unfortunately I know little about Magdalene past the 1930 census. Wait, make that nothing. I know nothing past 1930. :(  In 1940 her parents were still in Wellsville and her father would pass away a year later. Both Charles and Christina are buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Wellsville. Did she marry? Did she die? Did she move? Right now I have no answers, hopefully a family member does. It seems odd that there is information on every other family member other than Magdalene after 1930, but sometime that’s just how it goes.

Arthur Gordon – but which one??

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Arthur E. Gordon, 1931 Plymouth High School

Arthur E. Gordon, 1931 Plymouth High School

This handsome gent is likely Arthur Gordon, son of William and Anna Gordon. It’s not a terribly uncommon name, but identification is compounded by the fact that no Arthur Gordon lived in Plymouth directly. This one, or the one I suspect him to be, lived in Highland Park, Wayne county, Michigan. That’s about 30 miles from Plymouth. Too far for a high schooler to travel? Probably in 1930. By 1940, that family lived in Detroit, very close to Highland Park. There’s also the very little issue of the middle initial. In all the documentation of Arthur (son of William and Anna) he had the middle initial of F., not E. When it’s all you have to go on a middle initial gains some weight in the game!

Now to really confuse things: An Arthur “F” Gordon born January 23, 1914 died on new year’s day 1995. He lived in Wayne, Michigan. Then again, an Arthur “E” Gordon born on February 22, 1914 died on February 11, 1999 in Detroit. Hmmmm. Maybe a family member will know which Arthur Gordon is really in this picture.