Part 737b – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1940 High School Graduation – Patricia (née Bulah) McKenna

Good Day,

This genealogy researcher and avid investigator continues to find connections in the most unobtrusive and discreet way. I am always looking for an iota, a shred of evidence that can connect me with that distant branch on my Family Tree.

This time I travel, electronically to California, to Los Angeles and to Manual Arts High School. Manual Arts High School, according to Wikipedia, was established in 1910 in the middle of bean fields, one-half mile from the nearest bus stop. It was the third school in Los Angeles and is the oldest high school still on its original site in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

I chanced upon the 1940 Senior Class as presented by the Manual Arts High School Yearbook, The Artisan W40. And I discovered on Page 53 Patricia Bulah.

Based on my research and logical deduction, this is second cousin Patricia Bulah, daughter of 1st cousin twice removed Muriel C. (née St. Philippe) Bulah, daughter of great-grandaunt Marie Adèle Céléstine (née July) St. Philippe. Great-Grandaunt Céléstine was one of the younger sisters of great-grandmother Catherine Marie Antoinette (née July) Abraham. And both were daughters of my gg-grandparents Jean Jacques Alfred and Catherine Cora (née Merle) July.

Here is the Page 53 extracted from The Artisan Winter40, the Manual Arts High School 1940 Yearbook… Ancestry.com provides a database of various school yearbooks from across the United States.

Oh and by the way, I discovered that Frank Capra, Kathryn Grayson, Irving Stone, and Paul Winfield were just a few of the notable alumni of the Manual Arts High School. Another point of interest is that the name of the Class of W’40 at Manual Arts High School was the Mounties, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Enjoy,

Jim

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June 27, 2009 - Great-Grandmother Marie Descendant Charts

Morning,

As I wrote on Part 10 I would try and figure a way for you to read the information provided on great-grandmother Marie Descendant Chart and I think that I have come up with a manner which may be more "eye-friendly". I have de-constructed the single Chart and have created unique ones for each one which should include each sibling's as well as great-grandmother Marie's immediate family. You can put your magnifying glasses down.

Shortly I will be adjusting the Descendant Charts on the left-hand side of my Blog page. As information changes and new data is presented and found I will try to make sure that there are concurrent changes as applicable.

And yes, I'm obsessed!

Jim

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Bonjour,

Comme je l'ai écrit sur la partie 10, je voudrais essayer de figure une façon pour vous de lire les informations fournies sur mon arrière-grand-mère Marie Descendant Chart. Je pense que je suis venu avec une manière qui mai être plus facile pour les yeux. J'ai construit de la même carte et ont créé uniques pour chacun d'eux, qui devrait inclure chaque frère ou sœur, ainsi que l'arrière-grand-mère Marie de la famille immédiate. Vous pouvez mettre vos loupes bas.

Peu de temps je serai adaptant les tableaux Descendant sur le côté gauche de ma page de blog. Comme l'information et les nouvelles données sont présentées et a trouvé, je vais essayer de faire en sorte qu'il ya des modifications le cas échéant.

Et oui, je suis obsédée!

Jim

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June 26, 2009 - In Transit to Saint-Sauvuer and Great-Grandmother Marie - Part 10

Afternoon,

And before I continue I just received an email from cousin Yann who lives in France. His great-grandmother was Marie-Eugénie Berthe (née July) Clergeau Rénier, another younger sister to great-grandmother Marie Antoinette. Remember I mentioned the letter to Mr. Rénier in my Blog posting on May 23, 2009. I also offered to provide a French translation of my Blog, but any French reader will have to bear the embarrassment of my "bi-lingual-ness." So beginning today my best effort in French of the text of my Blog will follow the English composition, and with the help of Google Translate.

Here's Update 6 of the Descendant Chart including the great-grandaunt Marie-Eugénie Berthe, and the Bulah finds from Part 9. Once you click on the Descendant Chart you're going to have to get out your magnifying glass, until I figure out how to increase the viewing size.

I know why great-grandmother Marie traveled to San Diego, in 1919... to visit her sister great-grandaunt Célestine. But why did great-grandaunt Célestine leave Barbados in 1906?

And how did she get to San Diego? Great-grandmother Marie was going to visit family, and that makes sense. It states the same recorded on the 1919 S.S. Parima Manifest. (See the Manifest in Part 5.) So can I say that great-grandaunt Célestine was going to visit family. I haven't a clue... yet.

According to the 1906 S.S. Trinidad Manifest, Lines 22 and 25, and the column entry "Whether going to join a relative; and if so, what relative, the name and address" it is written that both she, great-grandaunt Célestine and her daughter, Muriel are "In Transit to Quebec".

Okay, and which member of which family was living in Quebec that they were going to visit? Well, Quebec is a bloody big place, that is until I noticed that something was also written in the same column of the Manifest. I only noticed the addition when I zoomed in using one of the software tools that I use. Written faintly underneath "In Transit to Quebec" is "Convent Sacre Coeur St. Sauveur."

Right, who's in St. Sauveur? Why the Sacre Coeur Convent? I used to ski at St. Sauveur, north of Montreal. Why was a young widowed mother, Célestine with her infant daughter making a trip in 1906 from Barbados to St. Sauveur, Quebec, Canada. But was this the Saint-Sauveur, north of Montreal or the Saint-Sauveur, a district of the city of Quebec? ? This is another puzzle that I haven't been able to figure out.

The next records pertaining to great-grandaunt Célestine I have are the 1920 US Census in San Diego... and her Death Certificate. But here's the computational problem. She arrives at New York in 1906, is headed for Saint-Sauveur, is recorded in San Diego in 1920, and passes away in Los Angeles in 1946. Simple math - 40 years. Her Death Certificate, see Part 8, states that she, If Foreign Born, How Long In The U.S.A.?, 40 years. A match. And per the Death Certificate great-grandaunt Célestine had lived in Los Angeles, In This Community 8 yrs., and In California 36 yrs. Where did she live for four years? I don't have the answer. Did she live in another state in the US? Or did she actually live in Saint-Sauveur, Quebec, in Canada? And why can't I find a recording of her name on a 1910 US Census? Nor on a 1930 US Census?

These questions still continue today. They are unknowns. Anybody? My head is beginning to hurt.

To be continued in Part 11.

Enjoy, and now on to a French translation.

Jim

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Bonjour,

Et avant que je continue, je viens de recevoir un email de mon cousin Yann, qui vit en France. Son arrière-grand-mère était Marie-Eugénie Berthe (née Juillet) Clergeau Rénier, jeune sœur de m'arrière-grand-mère Marie-Antoinette. Rappeles-tu j'ai mentionné la lettre adressée à M. Rénier, dans mon Blog annonce le 23 Mai 2009. J'ai aussi proposé de fournir une traduction française de mon blog, mais tout lecteur français aura à supporter la honte de mon "bi-langue-ness". Donc, à partir d'aujourd'hui de mon mieux en français du texte de mon blog va suivre la composition de l'anglais, et avec l'aide de Google Translate.

Voici la mise à Carte 6 de la Descendant graphique, y compris mon arrière grand-tante Marie-Eugénie Berthe, et de la Bulah trouve sur la partie 9. Une fois que tu cliques sur le graphique Descendant tu vais avoir à sortir ton loupe, jusqu'à ce que je figure sur la façon d'augmenter le format d'affichage.

Je sais pourquoi mon arrière-grand-mère Marie s'est rendu à San Diego, en 1919 ... pour rendre visite à sa sœur de mon arrière grand-tante Célestine. Mais pourquoi mon arrière grand-tante Célestine quitter la Barbade en 1906?

Et comment a-t-elle se rendre à San Diego? Mon arrière-grand-mère Marie allait visiter de la famille, et qui a du sens. Il précise la même enregistré sur la 1919 SS Parima Manifest. (Voir le manifeste dans la partie 5.) Alors que je peux dire que de mon arrière grand-tante Célestine allait visiter de la famille. Je n'ai pas la moindre idée ... pourtant.

Selon le manifeste de la SS Trinidad de 1906, les lignes 22 et 25, et l'entrée de la colonne «Que va rejoindre un parent, et si oui, quel parent, le nom et l'adresse», il est écrit que les deux, elle, mon arrière grand-tante Célestine et son fille, Muriel sont «en transit au Québec».

Bon, et membre de la famille qui vivait au Québec, qu'ils allaient visiter? Eh bien, le Québec est une très grande place, qui est jusqu'à ce que j'ai remarqué que quelque chose a été écrit dans la même colonne de la Manifest. J'ai seulement remarqué que le plus lorsque je zoom en utilisant l'un des outils logiciels que j'utilise. Ecrit légèrement en dessous «en transit au Québec» est «Couvent Sacré-Coeur Saint-Sauveur.»

Droit, qui est à Saint-Sauveur? Pourquoi Couvent du Sacré Cœur? J'ai utilisé pour faire du ski à Saint-Sauveur, au nord de Montréal. Pourquoi une jeune mère veuve, Célestine avec sa fille faire un voyage en 1906 en provenance de la Barbade à Saint-Sauveur, Québec, Canada. Mais est-ce le Saint-Sauveur, au nord de Montréal ou de Saint-Sauveur, un quartier de la ville de Québec? ? Ceci est un autre casse-tête que je n'ai pas été en mesure de comprendre.

Les documents relatifs à la prochaine arrière grand-tante Célestine j'ai le recensement de 1920 des États-Unis à San Diego ... et son certificat de décès. Mais ici le problème de calcul. Elle arrive à New York en 1906, est dirigée de Saint-Sauveur, est enregistré à San Diego en 1920, et passe à Los Angeles en 1946. Simple mathématiques - 40 ans. Son certificat de décès, voir la Partie 8, elle dispose que, si nés à l'étranger, combien de temps aux USA?, 40 ans. Un match. Et par le certificat de décès mon arrière grand-tante Célestine a vécu à Los Angeles, dans cette communauté à 8 ans., En Californie et 36 ans. Où a-t-elle vivre pendant quatre ans? Je n'ai pas la réponse. At-elle vivre dans un autre état des États-Unis? Ou at-elle fait vivre à Saint-Sauveur, Québec, au Canada? Et pourquoi ne puis-je trouver un enregistrement de son nom sur un recensement de 1910 des États-Unis? Ni sur un recensement de 1930 des États-Unis?

Ces questions continuent encore aujourd'hui. Elles sont inconnues. Quelqu'un? Ma tête commence à faire mal.

A suivre dans la partie 11.

Bon chance,

Jim

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June 25, 2009 - Bugs, Spiders, Butterflies and Great-Grandmother Marie - Part 9

Morning,

I've come up with a brilliant idea! And except for the one little small detail, it really makes sense. It's the "creepy crawly" effect. I spent the day yesterday cleaning the kitchen pantry. And as usual there was the normal infestation of those type of bugs that attack all type of grain and grain-based food. It seems that as the weather gets warmer, the infestation grows. And then the infestation attracts the spiders. Well the spiders eat the bugs.

So I thought that I could train an army of spiders to co-exist in my pantry and give them free access to all the bugs they want. There's only one problem. When I reach into the shelves I'm greeted with web filaments, and there is one thing I detest, spider web threads coating my skin. And so out came the pantry contents, I vacuumed and cleaned, and sprayed the interior of the cupboards with a diluted bleach mixture. And I'll get bay leaves to spread around.

And then I had to clip the Italian parsley outside which was under attack by an army of black swallowtail caterpillars. They love parsley and so do I... and so I'll have to plant more next season... for me and the black swallowtails.

Brilliant colors of green and yellow and black, and every time I touched one of the buggers it shot out a pair of retractable orange antennae. I love butterflies, so I just moved them to another part of the backyard. And there's a new batch of monarch caterpillars on the milkweed. And that's my lesson in entomology.

Following Part 8 of my trek to learn as much as I can about my great-grandmother Marie Antoinette C. (née July) Abraham, I continue.

As a side note, and regarding collateral research I discovered more information of 2nd cousins once removed Patricia and Beverly Bulah, also spelled Beulah. Per the California Death Index, 1940-1997 cousin Patricia (née Beulah) McKenna was born in California, 14 December 1921. She passed way in Los Angeles, on 31 December 1983. Her sister, cousin Beverly (née Bulah) Moodie who was born 2 May 1925, in California and passed away 20 July 1986 in Ventura, California. I also discovered from the same Index that their father Charles Bulah was born 7 Jan 1893 and passed away in Los Angeles on 26 July 1969. His mother's maiden name is given as Buell. I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that the data entry for her granddaughter Patricia's named is entered in the index as Patricia Beulah (née Beulah) McKenna.

I then discovered that great-grandaunt Célestine's daughter, Muriel C., 1st cousin twice removed remarried to a Thompson, no other information. And both the California Death and the Social Security Death Indexes report her passing in March 1980 in Ventura, California.

But I need to get back to my great-grandmother Marie, my bloodline. It does not appear that great-grandaunt Célestine line, of my collateral line, will provide me any more immediate clues to great-grandmother Marie, at this juncture... so I think.

So I've answered the question as to why great-grandmother Marie left Georgetown, British Guiana and ended up in San Diego, California; to see her sister, great-grandaunt Célestine. Makes sense, so far... but the next question could be "Why did great-grandaunt Célestine Marie (née July) St. Philippe go to San Diego?" And one thing you learn in the practice of genealogy is never to assume anything. Come up with some logical and not so logical possibilities, but never assume. You have to have something to back up the statements.

In this case I could "assume" that great-grandaunt Célestine, with Muriel, left Georgetown, British Guiana for San Diego. When I first read the 1920 US Census I read what I could decipher was that Muriel was born in Berbice. (Check back to Part 3 for a copy of the 1920 Census.) Well my limited knowledge is that Berbice equals British Guiana (now Guyana). So again "Why did great-grandaunt Célestine travel from British Guyana to California?" The 1920 Census reports that she and Muriel immigrated to the United States in 1908. Okay, find a 1910 US Census. Muriel would have been about 6-years old when they arrived. Maybe her birth location could be a bit more legible. To date I haven't found a copy of a 1910 US Census which includes their names.

Next step look for a passenger manifest. Success! The 1906 List Or Manifest Of Alien Passengers For The Commissioner of Immigration from Barbados... but under the spelling of Mrs. Celestine St. Philips, see the inserted clipping to the right. And two rows down, (I can't answer why not immediately after her mother), is Meriel St. Philips who is two years old. And it is written that her, Muriel's Country of Nationality is Barbados. So my question changes... "Why did great-grandaunt Célestine leave Barbados and travel to the United States?" One point of note is that on the Manifest she is noted as "W" for Widow. And more curious, which of course has me baffled is that her Country of Nationality is France. But wait a minute. French Guiana is a French colony, therefore a part of France.

Well, why did she leave Barbados?

To be continued in Part 10...

Enjoy,

Jim

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June 24, 2009 - Great-Grandaunt Célestine and Great-Grandmother Marie - Part 8

Afternoon,

No, my mind is not leaving me. It might be somewhere sitting at some bus-stop in downtown Tampa, but it definitely knows when to come home when it needs sustenance. On the other hand, some persons may believe that my brain left quite some time ago. That is, of course debatable.

For those of my readers who believe that the information provided in this serial, search, and research of the life of great-grandmother Marie Antoinette (née July) Abraham is similar to information that I provided over the prior couple of years, you're right. The current work is my organization and presentation of a new sifting of the data about her life, her descendants, and her ancestors. Your comments are received as compliments. You are reading my work. You're interested. Thank you!

And now back to great-grandmother Marie, I continue from Part 7.

Well, after discovering her Certificate of Death, my next step was to locate a similar document for her sister, great-grandaunt Célestine. Checking Ancestry.com I found an entry for one Celestine Mary Stphilippe. All-things-being-equal, this had to be her, I think. The date of death is 29 Jan 1946; place of death Los Angeles; and her birth date 10 Dec 1872. And again great-grandaunt is listed as being born in Other Country. Data-entry errors abound; her name and place of birth... so when I'm looking for someone's information I have to consider how to and take into account how information can be entered into records incorrectly. Check out great-grandaunt's name on the printout on the right: STPHILIPPE, CELESTIN M. And it does provide the initials of her husband: J H.

And I contacted the County of Los Angeles and within a short time I received a copy of her Death Certificate. Three new bits of information:

1. Her complete name is recorded as Celestine Mary St. Philippe,
2. Her husband's name is recorded as John Henry St. Philippe, and
3. Her father's name is listed as Henri July.

Great-grandaunt Celestine's father has the same name almost, as the name provided on great-grandmother Marie's Death Certificate - Henri versus Henry. The informant is her daughter Muriel (née St. Philippe) Bulah, 1st cousin twice removed.

And at this point I get a bit confused. Listed on both Death Certificates, the 1940 one for great-grandmother Marie Antoinette C. and the 1946 one for great-grandaunt Celestine Marie is the same word "Unknown" for the name of their individual mothers, who I would venture to hope is the same person. The two informants are their respective daughters; grandaunt Cécile and 1st cousin twice removed Muriel. I have a question, for which I don't think any of us can answer. How could two daughters not know, at least some part of the name of their grandmother, great-grandmother Marie's and great-grandaunt Celestine's mother? (And seriously, I don't know the answer... and I don't think I ever will.)

My next move was to see if I could find a 1930 US Census for both great-grandaunt Celestine and her daughter Muriel. And I haven't! I then thought that as cousin Muriel's married name on her mother, great-grandaunt Celestine's Death Certificate is Bulah there could have been a chance that cousin Muriel could have been married at least sometime shortly before the 1930 Census. And sure enough I was able to locate her as Muriel C. Bulah, and her husband Charles H. and their two daughters, Patricia; aged 8, and Beverly; aged 4 11/12. They were living in Los Angeles, California, but still no found record of great-grandaunt Celestine.

And a few name possibilities of searching for her are:

1. Celestine St. Philippe
2. Celestine M. St. Philippe
3. Celestine Marie St. Philippe
4. Celestine Mary St. Philippe
5. C. Marie St. Philippe
6. Mary St. Philippe
7. Celestine Stphilippe
8. Mary Philippe
9. And all other permutations and combinations of the name, ad infinitum... I can come up with at least 55 possible combinations, based on some of the recordings I've come across.

Any thoughts? And she could have been living in San Diego or Los Angeles or anywhere in-between...

Updating the Descendant Chart follows:

To be continued. Enjoy,

Jim

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