Donna Darling Collection – Part 48

Posted on June 15, 2019 by Don Taylor

Two Venues & Two Photos of Russell

Treasure Chest Thursday
By Don Taylor

For this week’s Treasure Chest Tuesday, I’m looking at image DSCN1422 from the Donna Darling Collection. The image consists of four items. Two are articles and two photographs.

Two articles

1.  Keeney’s Livingston, Brooklyn, N. Y.

(Reviewed Thursday Evening, April 8)

From the Donna Darling Collection

… Donna Darling Company., four shapely, pretty misses, in songs and dances in full stage with special drapes, brings the show to a bang-up close. The act opens with three girls dancing, followed by Miss Darling in a song, then a gypsy dance by one of the girls, followed by a toe dance by another of them, and then two of them in a wooden shoe Dutch characterization dance, Miss Darling returning for a Hawaiian dance. A trio then puts over a song after which much applause and a brief announcement preceding a change of costume, Miss Darling presents what she calls Lightening Up the Charleston, done by all four members of the act Garbed in Luminous Costumes that glow when the lights are out. It’s a tricky bit.

JACK F. MURRAY.

April 8th was a Thursday in 1926, so the date is definite. The location and the theater are also given. Hopefully, future research will provide answers for the duration.

I added a new venue added to Donna’s Career: April 8 – Keeney’s Livingston Theater, Brooklyn, NY – Donna Darling Revue.

2.  Darling Revue Has Top Place on State Bill

Donna Darling Collection

Perhaps it is because this happens to be the season of Lent. Anyway, the vaudeville programs at the State Theater these days are very good and increasing size of audiences at the matinee and evening performances is proof of this assertation.

The Bill this week is no exception. Lead the fine array of talent is the act in which the Darling Revue strive to keep patrons interested. That they succeed was demonstrated in the liberal applause they received yesterday afternoon. Their specialty is singing and dancing. The numbers containing much that is original and enjoyable. The dances include the clog, toe and gypsy steps and the songs are of a varied nature….

I note that the other acts on the bill include the “Metropolitan Trio,” “Love and King,” “Chick & Dog,” and “William & Perry.” “Queen O’ Diamonds” with Evelyn Brent is the feature picture.

“Queen O’ Diamonds” was released on 24 January 1926, which places the show in 1926.[i] Lent runs from Ash Wednesday to Easter. In 1926 this was from February 17th to April 4th. Easter was on April 4, 1926.

I haven’t previously found a date for Donna to have been at a State Theater during Lent of 1926.[ii]

New Venue Added:  Between 17 Feb 1926 and 4 April 1926 – Unknown Location – State Theater – Darling Revue – DDC-48.

Two Photographs

Interestingly the two articles from this page of the Donna Darling Collection were from 1926; however, neither of the photographs are. Both photos are clearly of Donna’s son, Russell. Russell was born in August 1927. In both cases, he appears to be about three years old, so I estimate the photos to be ca. 1930.

Russell with two unknown boys during the summer (ca. 1930?)

Russell in a child’s Indian headdress. (ca. 1930?)

Sources

[i] IMDB Queen o’ Diamonds (1926) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0017301/

[ii] Internet: The Life of Madonna Montran https://dontaylorgenealogy.com/donna-montran/

 

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ThruLines – Part 4 – Patience A Marshall

Posted on June 13, 2019 by Don Taylor

ThruLines Thursday
Roberts, Marshall
DNA

In Part 4 of my ThruLinestm verification process, I’m looking closely at matches with my 2nd great-grandmother, Patience Anna Marshall Dean Roberts.

Patience married Asa Ellis Roberts in Jefferson County, Illinois on 25 August 1872. She had four children with him, Charles Wilson Roberts, Rosa Della Roberts, Florence Elizabeth Roberts, and my great-grandfather, Hugh Ellis Roberts.  I wrote about my ThruLines findings with that family in Part 3 of this series.

Before Patience married Asa, she was married to Thomas B. Dean. Thomas died in 1863, but Patience had at least one child with him[i]. Her name was Elnora Dean. My records included her birth, marriage, and death information but nothing about any children of hers.

ThruLines indicated there were four here-to-for unknown half-cousins, all descended from Elnora Dean, and have tested with Ancestry DNA.

Step one:  Does the shared DNA amount match expectations for the relationship?

  • Match 1 is a half 3rd cousin, 1x removed, with whom I share 79 cM
  • Match 2 is a half 3rd cousin, 2x removed, with whom I share 22cM
  • Match 3 is a half 3rd cousin with whom I share 60cM
  • Match 4 is a half 3rd cousin, 1x removed, with whom I share 17cM

According to the Shared cM Project 3.0 tool v4, all four of the individuals and I share expected amounts of DNA.

Step two: Do the cousin’s common ancestor with me and match my known information about that common ancestor.

Yes. My records indicated that Patience had a daughter Elnora Dean and Elnora married Samuel H Pitchford on 11 Nov 1880 in Jefferson County, Illinois. All of the ThruLines matches are descended from Elnora and Samuel.

Using the ThruLinestm, I learned that Elnora and Samuel had seven children. Mary, Edward, Grace, Blanche, Florence, Edith, and Herbert.

Blanch married Homer H Roberts and had two children Theodora and Earl. Earl was the grandfather of one of my new cousins.

Edith married twice, once to Walton Pyles where she had several children. She married a second time; that marriage produced a son Eric Lemons. Eric was the father, grandfather, and great grandfather to the other three half-cousins in my ThruLinestm.

Thanks to ThruLinestm, I added 25 new half-cousins to my chart all descended from Patience Anna Marshall’s daughter Elnora Dean.

Sadly, none of these cousins carry Patience’s mtDNA. However, hopefully adding several generations of Patience’s descendants will yield, in the future, new cousins, some of whom will carry Patience’s mtDNA.

If you are a descendant of Patience Anna Marshall, consider testing with Ancestry DNA; it is an excellent genealogical resource and can help you broaden your tree too.

Endnotes

[i] The 1900 Census for Patience Anna Roberts indicates that she had six children, five of whom were living. It is unclear if the one child that had died was a child with her first husband, Thomas Dean, or her second husband, Asa Ellis Roberts. In either event, it does not appear that the child lived to have children.

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Montran in the News – 3 New Articles from Genealogy Bank

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Don Taylor

Montran Monday
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.

This week for Montran Monday[i], I decided to renew my subscription to Genealogy Bank. Genealogy Bank is one of the top three paid newspaper sources that I know about; I use them regularly. My search for “Montran” yielded three new entries since the last time I searched their system that were not about my grandmother.

This week’s first entry is from the Trenton Evening Times dated 19 July 1887, Page 1

Under “Police Pickings” was:

“William Montran, Patrick Conlon and James Connors were each fined $3 last night for disorderly conduct at the Clinton street railroad station.”

The second entry is from the Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) dated 30 January 1917, page 16:

Times-Picayune – 1/30/1917

TEN GROCERS FACE CHARGES.

Baton Rouge Scene of Arrests for Violations of Sunday Law.

“Baton Rouge, La. Jan. 20—Ten arrests for violation of the Sunday law were made yesterday by Officers Lejeune and Schoonmaker. The men were proprietors of small grocery stores and almost all of them were Italians. Those arrested were:

Nick Montran, Palmer and America Streets, Sam Dagestino…..”

The third entry is from the Sun (Baltimore, MD) dated 4 April 1920. Under “Marriage Licenses.”:

COLOGNE—MONTRAN. –JOHN T., 24, Philadelphia, Pa.; Ruth G., 22.

Things I learned

One – A William Montran was fined for disorderly conduct in Trenton, New Jersey in 1887.

My records have two William Montrans. The first one was born in Canada, about 1846. Yes, a 41-year-old Canadian could be in Trenton, New Jersey getting disorderly. However, there is nothing to link this incident to that William Montran.

My second William Montran was born in Kansas sometime before 1860. Again, there is nothing to link this William Montran to the individual fined for disorderly conduct in Trenton, New Jersey in 1887.

  • I added a third William Montran to my records indicating the event.

Two – A Nick Montran, grocery store proprietor, was arrested for being open on Sunday.

My records have two Nick Montrans. The first one was born about 1882 in Romania. He had children born in Pennsylvania in 1916 and 1919, so it is unlikely he was a store proprietor in Baton Rouge, LA in 1917.

The second Nick Montran is the son of Nick Montran and was born in 1916. This can’t be the same Nick who was arrested.

  • I added a third Nick Montran to my records indicating the event.

Three – Ruth G. Montran and John T. Cologne received a marriage license before 4 April 1920. John was 24, and Ruth was 22.

I had Ruth and John Marrying at ages 24 and 22, respectively, based on the 1930 Census[ii]. Ruth was born on 27 Nov 1897, so she would have been 22 on 27 Nov 1919. So, my records suggested the two were married between 27 Nov 1919 and 27 Nov 1920. Assuming that marriage licenses are reported weekly, I believe they received their license after 25 March 1920.

  1. I changed the marriage date of Ruth Montran and John Cologne to between 25 Mar 1920 and 27 Nov 1920. I added the marriage location as Maryland.
  2. I added an event, Marriage License, before 4 April 1920. Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, to my database.

————–  Disclaimer  ————–

Endnotes

[i] Montran Monday – My grandmother’s father was John Montran. She used the surname, as a young child and again when she began in show business. The name is uncommon, and most of the Montrans I see in the newspapers are my grandmother during her early vaudeville career. However, with the constant flow of newly digitized material, I often learn of new articles which contain the Montran name. I pay attention to the finding and try to determine a possible relationship of any Montrans to Donna’s father, John Montran.
[ii] 1930 Census (NARA), Ancestry.Com, 1930 – John T. Cologne – Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Year: 1930; Census Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0496. Original data: the United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.

Posted in Montran, Montran Monday, Montran Project | 2 Comments

Brashears – Surname Saturday

Posted on June 8, 2019 by Don Taylor

Roberts – Brashears

Brashears Name Origin or Meaning

None of the sources I have provide a meaning for the surname Brashears. Ancestry indicates that it is an Americanized form of French (Huguenot) Brasseur[i]. Forebears indicates that virtually all of the people with the Brashears surname live in the United States. Likewise, ForeBears indicates it is an Americanized form of Brasseur and is almost entirely in the United States. Today, individuals with the Brasseur surname live mostly in France and Belgium[ii].

Geographical

Worldwide there are approximately 3,003 people who bear the Brashears surname.

It is most prevalent in the United State where over 99 percent of the people with the Brashear surname live[iii].

My Earliest Brashear Ancestors


Discover you family history through historical newspapers at Newspapers.comI don’t know where any of my Brashears ancestors were born. I believe that my fourth-great-grandmother, Rebecca Brashears, was born about 1771. She married Elias Roberts about 1786 and the two located to Tennessee in the 1790s.

Her father, Robert Samuel Brashears, appears to have been born about 1731.
His father, Robert Cager Brashears, was possibly born about 1700[iv].
His father, Samuel Brashears, was possibly born about 1670[iv].

I have not determined an immigrant ancestor, so where my Brashears came from would be entirely speculation. That said, Rebecca Brashears is number 6 on my Roberts research list, so, hopefully, I’ll be able to research her in depth by next June (2020).

My Direct Brashears Ancestors

65 – 4th Great Grandmother: Rebecca Brashears (1771-1859)
130 – 5th Great-grandfather: Robert Samuel Brashears (1731-1819)
260 – 6th Great-grandfather: Robert Cager Brashears
520 – 7th Great-grandfather: Samuel Brashears

Brashears Descendants

My records have 362 direct-line descendants of Samuel Brashears identified in my tree.

I have no known living Y-DNA descendants of Robert Samuel Brashears[v].

I have no known living mtDNA descendants of Rebecca Brashears[v].

Sources:

Ancestry – Don Taylor’s Roberts-Brown Tree accessed 6 June 2019.

Endnotes:

[i] Internet: Ancestry.Com – Name Origins – Brashears. https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=brashears

[ii] Internet: Forebears – Results of a name search for Brasseur. https://forebears.io/surnames/brasseur

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] Speculative dates based upon nothing but the age of their children.

[v] If you are a descendant of Samuel Brashears that carries his Y-DNA or a descendant of Rebecca Brashear that carries her mtDNA, I would love to hear from you.

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Ancestor Bio – Oscar Hopfe

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Don Taylor

Hopfe Project
By Don Taylor

One of my favorite documents to find is a Naturalization Record.  I was recently researching Oscar Hopfe. Oscar was born in Germany on 12 April 1896 and came to the United States, arriving on 2 November 1911. Luckily, I was able to find a Naturalization Record for him. What a wealth of information.  The process for Naturalization has three major steps. First, a person declares an intent to naturalize. Later they petition for naturalization and finally become naturalized by declaring an oath of Allegiance to the United States.

In June, 1914, Oscar filed his letter of intent. He was barber, 5’8” tall, 138 pounds, and he had brown hair and brown eyes. His birthdate of 12 April 1896 was confirmed. He arrived in New York about 2 November 1911 aboard the “President Lincoln.”

Seven years, and World War I, passed before he filed his petition for Naturalization, on 3 February 1921.  At that time, he was a Chauffer and was living at 79 Avenue “A.” His dates aboard the President Lincoln were confirmed.  Albert Braummer (of Wantagh, L.I.) and Ernst Wolff of 3486 9 st. attested to knowing him to have lived in the United States since 1914.

Three months later, on May 10, 1921, Oscar took the oath of Allegiance.

So many questions and areas to research further. Who else was on the President Lincoln with him?  What did Oscar do during the war?  Did he sit it out or did he participate somehow?  Who were the people who vouched for him?  Were they related?

Oscar isn’t a direct-line ancestor, rather, he is the brother of a direct line ancestor. I am researching him, in particular, to see if I can find additional information about their parents, Franz and Hedwig (Hohl) Hopfe.

Hopfe Project 2019 – Brother of Ancestor #4

List of Great’s & Grands

  • Grandfather: Erdman Max Hopfe
  • Great-grandfather: Franz Hopfe
  • Great Uncle: Oscar Hopfe

Oscar (1896-DoD)

Birth

Oscar Hopfe was born in Blankenburg, Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis, Thüringen, Germany on 12 April 1896. That was same day as the German football club “Hannover 96” was founded. His parents were Franz and Hedwig (Hohl) Hopfe. He had at least two older brothers, Max and Oscar. He was living in Blankenburg when he left for the United States.

Childhood

S. S. President Lincoln

Oscar’s older brother, Herman Hopfe, emigrated to the United States in 1903. Another brother, Erdman Max Hopfe, emigrated to the United States in 1906. It appears that Herman returned to Germany and escorted Oscar to the United States in 1911 as they traveled together from Hamburg, Germany aboard the President Lincoln arriving in New York on November 2, 1911. Oscar was 16-years-old.

In June 1914, the 18-year-old Oscar decided to become a US citizen and filed a Declaration of intent. At the time he was living at 259 East 150th Street in the Bronx. He was working as a barber.

The 1915 Census finds Oscar living with his brother Max and family at 317 Central Avenue, Brooklyn, New York.

Marriage

I have found no evidence that Oscar ever married.

Adult

In June 1917, when Oscar registered for the draft, he was apparently living across the street from his brother at 314 Central Avenue. He was working as an auto Mechanic at the Leo M Car Co, 70 Albany Ave., about two miles away.

I found no evidence that he served in the war (World War I).

On February 3, 1921, Oscar petitioned for naturalization. He was living at 79 Avenue “A” and he listed his occupation as a chauffeur.

Passport photo for Oscar Hopfe

On May 24, 1921, Oscar took the Oath of Allegiance and became a United States Citizen. Within a couple of weeks he applied for a passport with intent to travel to Holland, Switzerland, Belgium, and Italy for business.  He returned the United States aboard the SS George Washington on October 18, 1921.

I have been unsuccessful in finding Oscar in the 1930 census.  He appears to have applied for a social security card in December 1936, but he doesn’t appear in the Social Security death index.

Death & Burial

I have found no record of his death.

Further Actions / Follow-up

  • The passenger list for Oscar coming to America indicates the address for his father in Germany. I’d like to try to figure out what the address is, but am having a hard time interpreting the writing.

    • Passenger List indicating Oscar’s Father name and address
  • Find a record for Oscar’s death.
  • Research the life of Max & Oscar’s brother, Herman Hopfe.

Sources

  • 1915 New York State Census, Ancestry.Com, Max Hope – ED 18, Brooklyn, Kings, New York.
  • Bremen Passenger Lists, Internet, Oskar Hopfe from (USA) travelled 18 Oktober 1921 on the ship ‘George Washington’ from Bremen to New York. https://www.public-juling.de/passagierlisten/listen.php?ArchivIdent=AIII15-18.10.1921_N&start=391&pers=&ankunftshafen=New+York&abreisehafen=Bremen&lang=en.
  • Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934, Com, Oscar Hopfe. Departure 21 Oct 1911 – Hamburg. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/1068/records/2373762/.
  • New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924, Family Search, Oscar Hoppe [Hopfe]. “New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJGY-MM2 : 30 January 2018), Oscar Hoppe, 1911.
  • New York, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1940, Com, Oscar Hopfe . The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Petitions for Naturalization from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1897-1944; Series: M1972; Roll: 206. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/2499/records/3852025.
  • Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Ancestry.Com, Oscar Hopfe. Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007.
  • United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925, Family Search, Oscar Hopfe – Passport Application # 42006 – Ancestry. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 1628; Volume #: Roll 1628 – Certificates: 42000-42375, 26 May 1921- 27 May 1921 – Accessed 20 May 2019.
  • United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, Family Search, Oscar Hopfe. “United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXY2-GB9 : 13 March 2018), Oscer Hopfe, 1917-1918; citing New York City no 72, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,754,600.

————–  Disclaimer  ————–

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