CORA'S SCRAPBOOK ~ Charles & Daisy Hall move their family to San Diego in 1913 - Cora also went with them

Today’s entry from Cora’s Scrapbook is a newspaper article about Charles, Daisy and their daughter and son moving from Tarentum, Pennsylvania to San Diego, California.  Cora, who is Charles’ mother, moved with them.

Here is the newspaper article.  You can see how yellowed that original page from the scrapbook is.  I cropped out the articles and display them below the original page.

(PLEASE CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)

Transcription - St. Barnabas Church Parish hall on Fourth avenue was the scene of a very pleasant affair last evening, when the people of the parish gathered for a farewell reception to Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Hall and Mrs. Cora Hall.  The reception was very informal and everyone enjoyed the evening. Mr. Hall has been a lay-reader in the parish for the whole of his stay in this vicinity, a matter of _____effecient service in assisting the different rectors at the regular services and taking the full order of services during interims between rectors and vacation periods. Mr. Hall has also been the director of the Brotherhood of Saint Andrew for eight years. He was also church organist and secretary of the Sunday School. Impromptu speeches were made by T.N. Gummert, C.F. Colls, Mrs. C.L. Leydic and the Rev. H. G. Bulsch, all appreciative of the long and faithful service of Mr. Hall. In token of their love and good wishes the parish gave to Mr. Hall a sterling set of knives, forks and spoons, made by Gorham. The parish wishes him Godspeed and prays that he may be the recipient of God's blessing in whatsoever he may do.  St. Barnabas' loss is the gain of whatsoever parish in the city of San Diego, California Mr. Hall may connect himself.

I am always curious as to how two people meet.  I wish I had the story for my own grandparents and how they met.  In this case I wonder how Charles, from Saratoga Springs, New York met Daisy Bright, who was born and raised in Tarentum, Pennsylvania.  The distance between the two cities in 489.6 miles 

In 1900 Charles was a Bookkeeper for a railroad, still living in Saratoga Springs.  The couple married three years later, in Oct 1903. 

Their daughter, Dorothy Louise Hall was born 2 Jun 1905 in Pennsylvania.  Their son, Robert Walton Hall, Sr. was born 7 Jun 1907 in Tarentum, Allegheny, Pennsylvania. 

Charles worked as an Assistant Superintendent for a Steel Work company according to the 1910 census.  Daisy was a homemaker, and Charles’ mother, Cora (the author of our scrapbook) was living with the family.  She had been widowed in 1897.

What prompted Charles & Daisy to pick up their household and family and move all the way to the west coast?  I know that Cora’s brother Albert Walton Brown moved to San Diego from Saratoga Springs.  Did he precede them?

NOTE: My question prompted me to go and look for city directories from San Diego for the years 1913 onward.

I always love it when I am writing a blog post and a question I have prompts me to dig further.  In this case I was rewarded for my efforts.

As it turns out Cora’s brother, Albert W. Brown is listed in the San Diego city directory in 1912 and 1913 and forward.  So, he DID precede Charles & Daisy & family to San Diego.

In fact, in viewing the 1913 San Diego directory I see Charles working at the same company as Albert Brown.  And another interesting fact – they are working for a company called Hazard-Gould & Co.  Gould as you know, being my maiden name.  Charles is listed as a Dept. Mgr. and Albert is listed as an Elev Opr.

On the left is the directory listing for Albert W. Brown (Cora's brother) and on the right is Chas S. Hall - you can see they are working for the same company

By 1914 Charles, his family, his mother, Cora and his Uncle Albert (reminds me of a Beatles song) are all living together at 1813 Altura Place.

I have taught a couple of classes about blogging. I always tell people that blogging can make us better researchers.  Or, at the very least lead us to new information about our ancestors.  When we are preparing a blog post we want to present the most thorough information possible.  This is not the first time that a blog post has encouraged me to dig deeper.

There are many more items in Cora’s scrapbook, so stay tuned.

To read all my previous posts from Cora – please click here Cora’s Scrapbook.

If you have any information to add to this post or are connected with any of those mentioned here, please get in touch.  Let’s exchange information.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2022   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

 

SUNDAY'S OBITUARY ~ The very sad death of Gertrude Smith Seaver - 1871-1908

Published in The Marion Weekly, 28 Mar 1908, page 8

Today I’m writing the sad story of a young woman her took her own life, at age 36.

Gertrude Irene Smith was born Oct 1871 in Ohio.  The daughter of William & Rominia Smith.

She married Bertram H. Seaver 17 Apr 1895 in Hamilton, Ohio.  Bertram is the husband of my maternal 1st cousin twice removed.  He married that cousin many years after Gertrude's death.

According to the 1900 census she had given birth to 2 children, neither of whom were living at the time.

In Jun 1903 she gave birth to a baby girl that the couple named Juanita Sunshine Seaver. She grew to adulthood and married.

We never know what causes someone to take such a drastic measure as Gertrude did on this day in 1908. If the obituary is to be believed, Gertrude was having mental or emotional issues.  Regardless, I imagine this left her family in tears.  

Her husband, Bertram was left with a 4 yr. old daughter to raise.  He married 2 more times.  Once in 1918 and again in 1929 to my 1^st cousin twice removed, Mary Ada Seigle.

FORMER LA RUE GIRL MEETS AWFUL DEATH

Throws Herself Under Wheels of Traction Car

Body is ground almost to a pulp

Mrs. Gertrude Seaver takes her life in Cincinnati – is a sister of Eugene Smith, Formerly of the La Rue News – Unfortunate leaves a husband and daughter.

Mrs. Gertrude Seaver, thirty-six years old, born and raised near La Rue and a sister of Eugene Smith, formerly connected with the La Rue News, committed suicide in Cincinnati, Saturday, by throwing herself under the wheels of a westbound Cincinnati Melford and Loveland traction car.  Her mother, Mrs. Rominia Smith was an eye witness.  The tragedy occurred at Erie avenue and Grace street.

The suicide was the wife of Bertram Seaver, who was employed as an Inspector for a telephone company in Cincinnati.  She was demented, her condition seemingly have been rendered worse after she had grown very enthusiastic at a religious meeting a number of weeks ago.

Mrs. Seaver had been taking treatment from Dr. Mar Connor, and with her mother, had started for the doctor’s office.  She seemed rational.  As the big traction car approached Mrs. Seaver got close to the track.  Suddenly, as the car was about to pass, she screamed and deliberately threw herself beneath the wheels.  Her body was ground almost to a pulp.  The remains were removed to the morgue.

For weeks before she threw her body under the fast traction car, which was known as the Milford flyer, Mrs. Seaver had schemed to end her life.  A little over a week ago she attempted to drink carbolic acid.  She found the bottle about the house.  Her husband managed to get the bottle away from her.  She was closely watched as she frequently threatened to kill herself.  That she might be prevented from taking her life, Mrs. Smith went to live with her.  Saturday morning, she detained her mother until the car was about due, then calmly walked to her awful death.  She had informed herself at the time the car arrived at Erie avenue and Grace street.

Mrs. Seaver is believed by the members of her family to have been inspired to carry out this plan of self-destruction by reading the story of the suicide of G. W. Whittington, an inmate of the College Hill sanatorium, who threw himself under the wheels of a car.

A four year old daughter survives.

Gertrude was interred at Mount Washington Cemetery in Mt. Washington, Hamilton, Ohio.  Her husband, Bertram, is buried next to her.  You may visit their memorials at Bertram #203005133 and Gertrude # 170861969.

Gertrude (left) and Bertram (right)

If you are related to or connected to anyone in this blog post, please get in touch.  Let’s exchange information.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2022   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

HAPPY DANCE WEDNESDAY ~ Church records for Thomas C. Hall, his wife Cora & their son Charles

 

What treasures can I share today?

 
How about church records recently received from a church in New York?
 
I called Bethesda Episcopal Church in Saratoga Springs, New York, last month.  I was interested to see if they still held any records from 1877-1900. 
 
I was specifically looking for records for my husband’s great grandfather and his wife, Thomas C. Hall, Cora E. Brown Hall and their son Charles S. Hall.

 
While we can find some records online, we all know, many are still not available.  Some are indexed, but even viewing an index or transcription is not the same as looking at the actual record.  There could be any number of errors on an index or transcription.
 
I did my happy dance this morning when I received an email from the church with 4 records attached!!!
 
Images of actual church record pages from church registers of Baptism, Marriage, Confirmation and Burial.
 
Here they are: Please click on any image to enlarge it.

MARRIAGE OF THOMAS C. HALL & CORA EMMA BROWN

on 5 Feb 1877

BAPTISM OF CHARLES SCHUYLER HALL 

16 Jun 1878

CONFIRMATION OF CHARLES SCHUYLER HALL 

28 Apr 1892

BURIAL OF THOMAS CORNELIUS HALL 

13 Jan 1897

I already had a marriage date & and the marriage certificate for Thomas & Cora.  You can read all about that find here:
CORA’S SCRAPBOOK–Her wedding cake & marriage to Thomas C. Hall–1877, New York
 
But, this image of the church record for their marriage was new to me and gives one more piece of evidence to this fact.
 
What I didn’t have was the other 3 documents – the Baptism and Confirmation for Charles S. Hall and the Burial record for Thomas. Those will now be added to my Legacy database and sourced and added to my Ancestry tree as well.
 
What records have you recently received that made you do a happy dance? I’d love to hear about them.
 
Have you considered calling or emailing a church, funeral home or cemetery to obtain records or information?  This is not my first time doing so and I have found it to be very rewarding.
 
TIP: Keep a record of any calls or emails.  Whether you use your genealogy program for this (I use Legacy), or a spreadsheet, notepad or some other method.  It’s important to keep the date and make note of what you said, who you spoke with, who you emailed etc.
 
When or if I receive information as I did in this case, I not only send an email of thanks, I write a thank you note and many times include a gift card.

 
If you are related to or connected to anyone in this blog post, please get in touch.  Let’s exchange information.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl
Copyright ©  2010-2022   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION