June 22, 2009 - The Story Continues - Great-Grandmother Marie - Part 7

Afternoon,

And as I stated in Part 6, I need to find more facts about great-grandmother Marie. So far I know that she:

1. Was born in Bordeau, France. (I believe the spelling should be Bourdeaux.)
2. Was born about 1860/1.
3. Lived in Georgetown, British Guiana, now Guyana.
4. Had five children: a son - Frederick, born 1885; and four daughters - René, Edmée, Jeanne, and Cécile, born 1896.
5. Became a widow in 1901.
6. Traveled to visit her sister, Mrs. C. St. Philippe in San Diego, California in 1919.
7. Lived in San Diego, California in 1920 and 1930.

My sources are The Argosy newspaper, the 1920 and 1930 US Census, and a 1919 SS Parima Passenger Manifest and Immigration Papers.

And so I tuned in Ancestry.com and began a search using the name Marie Antoinette Abraham. The first entry of four entries that appears is a reference to the California Death Index, 1940-1997. This is a data entry without any image of a document... but it is her. Great-grandmother Marie passed away on 25 January 1940 in San Diego. Her name is entered as Marie Ac Abraham, and her Father's Surname or maiden name is July. It's definitely her! The Birth Date provided is 2 Jan 1861, another almost match, but her Birthplace is entered as Other Country. (I guess the recipient of information didn't know how to spell France... or there wasn't any room for any non-United States location on the form.)

I wonder what the "Ac" stood for in her name, Marie Ac Abraham? "Ac" as far as I know is not a usual abbreviation for the name Antoinette. The 1919 S.S. Parima Immigration and Passenger List does have her name listed as "Marie Antoinette Abraham". So where does the "c" come in? Is there another name?

And I thought to check Ancestry.com for grandaunt Cécile B. (née Abraham) Ham. I found the following:

1. One entry under Cecile B Abraham; a New York Passenger List, 1820-1957. The 1919 S.S. Parima manifest.
2. An incorrect entry which is her: Cecelia Abraham; Birth: abt 1894 - British Columbia; which is the 1920 Census entry.
3. A Social Security Death Index entry: Cecile Ham; Death: Oct 1971 - San Diego.
4. A California Death Index, 1940-1997 entry: Cecile B Ham; Birth: 28 Sep 1896, South America, and
5. A 1930 United States Federal Census entry: Cecile B Ham; Spouse: Loyd W. Ham; Residence: 1930-San Diego.

None of the above entries/documents provided any more clues regarding great-grandmother Marie. The 1930 US Census did provide an entry to grandaunt Cécile and Loyd (which I believe should be Lloyd) Ham's son, Phillip L., my 1st cousin once removed. He is enumerated at six years old.

And so I decided to contact the County of San Diego to try and get a copy of great-grandmother Marie's death certificate after finding her name listed on the California Death Index, 1940-1997, (to the left). I did find a copy of the Death Index!

Within weeks I had the copy. Great-grandmother Marie passed away on the 25th of January, 1940 at home at 1421 B Street in San Diego at 9:45 am. The informant of her passing was her daughter, grandaunt Cécile (née Abraham) Ham. Great-grandmother's name is now entered as Marie A. C. Abraham.

The information provided on the Certificate of Death corresponds to information previously found, and I zero in on a piece of new information; the name of her father, my great-great-grandfather Henry July. The information is a bit sketchy, but it is a start.

And I've added more information to the progressive Descendant Chart.


To be continued...

Jim