ANCESTORS IN THE NEWS ~ Gordon Charles Hall–my father-in-law, makes news in high school–San Diego, CA., 1935

If you read my blog regularly, you will know that newspapers are a favorite source of information for me.  They cover everything from births to deaths and all the happenings in between.  You can fill in that dash in someone’s life by finding them in newspapers.

 

Gordon Charles Hall is my father-in-law, now deceased.  Naturally, I’ve written about my husband’s parents before.  You can read about their marriage here CHURCH RECORD SUNDAY–Gordon & Dorothy Hall and their burial here THOSE PLACES THURSDAY ~ Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery–San Diego, California.

Today I decided to conduct a search of Genealogy Bank, since they contain many editions and years of the San Diego Union and Tribune.  I am usually searching for marriage announcements or obituaries.  But, today, I decided to see if my husband’s father, who was born, lived and died in San Diego, California, had been mentioned at other times in his life.

BINGO!  Here’s what I found.

Gordon & other boys were given the opportunity to “rule” San Diego government for a day.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)

Published in the San Diego Union, 20 Dec 1934, page 7

An article published in January shows a photo of Gordon Hall sitting at a table with other boys.  This group was appointed as the Board of Education for a day.

Published in the San Diego Union, 6 Jan 1935, page 5

Here's the news article associated with the photo above.

Gordon attended San Diego High School and would have been 17 at the time this occurred, probably a Senior.  I expect it was a fun day for all the boys.

Little did Gordon know, at the time, that his son, born 15 years later, would spend a career working for the City of San Diego.

 

What fun newspaper articles have you located for your ancestors?  I’d love to hear about them.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2020   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

SUNDAY’S OBITUARY ~ Thomas W. Davis (1873-1952) –husband of Gladys Olive Grout

Published in the San Diego Union 13 Apr 1952, page 9

I’m always surprised when I find a San Diego connection among my ancestors.  Over the years, I’ve found the majority of them stayed in the Midwest or on the east coast.

This week I located the obituary of Thomas W. Davis, who was living in San Diego at the time of his death.

TRANSCRIPTION:  
Thomas W. Davis
Funeral services will be held at 2 tomorrow afternoon in La Jolla Mortuary under auspices of La Jolla Masonic Lodge for Thomas W. Davis, 79, retired railroad agent and telegraph operator.  He died yesterday at his home, 844 Archer St., Pacific Beach.
For more than 50 years he was employed by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.  He was a member of the Order of Railroad Trainmen and the Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include his wife, Gladys Davis, a brother and a niece both of Cuyahoga Falls, O.  Burial will be in the family plot in Mount Hope Cemetery.

Thomas was married to Gladys Olive Grout, daughter of Bradley B. Grout and Nellie E. Tibbits. This makes Gladys my 2nd cousin twice removed.  I had located her death record, also in San Diego and that lead me to search for the death record and obituary for her husband Thomas.

Thomas was born 21 Dec 1873 in Glencoe, Belmont, Ohio to Samuel Davis & Mary Jane Warren.  He spent over 50 years working for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, as an agent and telegraph operator.  I find that Thomas and Gladys were still living in Ohio in the 1940 census.  There move to San Diego took place between then and his death in 1952.
 
It looks like they came west after his retirement?  The address given in the obituary is 844 Archer St., in Pacific Beach (a community here in San Diego).  It must have been quite a change for he and Gladys, having lived in the colder climates all their lives.  I hope they enjoyed it here.

Using Google maps you can see they were living just a few blocks from the ocean.  Having been in the area many times, I can attest to how beautiful it is.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)

Screenshot courtesy of Google Maps©

Screenshot courtesy of Google Maps©

I looked in the city directory listings for San Diego and the first listing for Thomas & Gladys is in 1950.  They were living at the same address on Archer St.
 
On Genealogy Bank I ran the address, 844 Archer and found an article about Thomas having been struck by a car on 23 Feb 1951.  He was a pedestrian and sustained critical head and internal injuries.  I wonder if the injuries he sustained had anything to do with his death the following year?  I don’t have his death certificate, so I don’t have a specific cause of death, at this time.

Here’s the article:

Published in the San Diego Union 24 Feb 1951, page 6

Gladys stayed in their home on Archer St. for a few years, but later moved to different addresses nearby, according to city directory listings.  She died in San Diego 25 Nov 1985 at the age of 93.

Thomas and Gladys are both buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery here in San Diego.  Thomas #112364040 and Gladys #112364020.

All four of my husband’s grandparents are buried at the same cemetery, so I’ve been there a time or two.  Next time I go, I’ll have to visit the Davis gravesites.  There are no headstone photos on FindAGrave, so I wonder if they have headstones or not?  Perhaps they just need to be photographed.  I have submitted a photo request as well as some edits to enhance their memorials.
 
If you are related to the Davis or Grout family, I’d love to hear from you. 

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2018   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks–Week #9–Robert Walton Hall–1907-1987–My husband’s uncle–Part 2

Now, where were we?  Oh yes, Robert had just married Alice Evelyn Bullock on 15 Jul 1929 in San Diego, California.  They were married at St. Vincent’s church by Rev. Thomas Morris.  Please read Part 1 of this story here.

The next time I find information about Robert W. Hall is in a San Diego newspaper.

ROBERT HALL HANDCUFFED IN CONSCRIPTION EFFORT DURING ALPINE FIRE – October 1929

What the heck is that about?

Turns out there was a pretty bad fire in Alpine, here in San Diego County, in October 1929.  The fire seemed to have gotten worse and worse as the days went by.  They had it under control and then lost it again.  There are so many articles about this incident on Genealogy Bank, that I don’t have time to read them all.  The one that caught my eye was this one.  During this time they were conscripting (forcing) citizens to fight the fire. It seems as if there were not enough fire fighters.

 

“Robert Hall who for more than two years has been employed at Price garage, Second & E. streets, declares that Deputy Sheriff Blake Mason and another officer had handcuffed him at the height of the Alpine blaze, dragged him into a car and released him only when his employer telephoned to Sheriff Cooper.”

Here are more headlines from this time in San Diego history





Robert remained in San Diego for the rest of his life.  I next find him working as a Salesman in the oil industry in the 1930 census. His wife, Alice is working as a Directory Clerk for the telephone company.
 


On 16 Sep 1932, Robert and Alice have their only child, a son, Robert Walton Hall.

California Birth Index, 1905-1995 
Name:Robert Walton Hall            
Birth Date:16 Sep 1932           
Gender:Male           
Mother's Maiden Name:Bullock           
Birth County:San Diego

In 1934 and 1938 Robert is shown in the San Diego City Directory Listing.  On both occasions his wife, Alive Evelyn is also named with him.

However, by the time of the 1940 census, Robert is living in the home of his parents, Charles & Daisy, along with his younger brother, Gordon.

He’s working at an Auto Park and the enumerator lists him as divorced.


The next time I locate Robert is in the San Diego city directory listing in 1943.  He’s now living at 4038 4th with his second wife Cornelia K. Hall and his occupation is United States Army.  That area on Fourth Ave. is all commercial today.


As far as a divorce for Robert & his first wife, Alice Evelyn, I have not found one.  Although that event must have occurred between 1938 and 1943, based on the records I have located.  

My husband’s mother kept a record of family births and anniversaries.  In that book is the marriage date for Cornelia K. and Robert W.  She lists only June 24th, with no year.  That’s another record I have yet to locate.

I was able to find a high school yearbook for Grossmont High School here in San Diego County, for the year 1932.  Cornelia’s senior photo is in that annual.  



Robert’s second wife, Cornelia, went by her middle name Kay. My husband and his cousins all remember her as Aunt Kay.  My husband said she always drove a Cadillac and that she smoked.  Funny what people remember.  There were no children born to Robert & Kay.

I located a U.S. Veteran gravesite index for Robert and found out a bit about his military service during World War II.
 

Robert and Cornelia are both buried at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.  You may visit their memorial his #3404241.

I did not find any obituaries for either Robert or Cornelia.  Genealogy Bank has the San Diego papers, but I’ve turned up nothing.

Questions still unanswered:

• What became of Robert’s first wife Alice Evelyn Bullock?
• Why did they divorce?
• Is their son, Robert Jr., still living?  Last we heard, he was still in San Diego.  He would be 84 years old now.
• Are there other pictures of Robert and either of his first wives?
• Was Robert in combat during his time in the Army during World War II?
• What was his cause of death?  I should be able to order a death certificate from San Diego County to find out.

There is still work to do on this family and I will continue my efforts.  However, while writing this post today, I did locate Robert’s birth certificate on Ancestry.  YEAH!

If you have anything to add or corrections to anything I’ve written, please contact me.

Additionally, if you are related to this family, I’d love to hear from you.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
SURNAME SATURDAY - Who was Daisy Bright?

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2017   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

WEDDING WEDNESDAY ~ Robert Walton Hall & Alice Evelyn Bullock - 1929

Robert Walton Hall married Alice Evelyn Bullock

July 15th, 1929, San Diego, California

Robert Walton Hall is my husband’s Uncle.  He is the son of Charles Schuyler Hall (1878-1953) & Daisy Fern Bright  (1882-1953).  Robert is their middle child.  An older sister, Dorothy Louise Hall was born in 1905 and a younger brother, Gordon, in 1917.  Gordon is my husband’s father.

Alice Evelyn Bullock is the daughter of Commander Charles Herbert Bullock and Josephine Marie Hurton.

I located the following newspaper articles about the wedding & honeymoon on genealogybank.com.  The articles were published in the San Diego Union newspaper.  One of them included a nice photo of the bride upon returning from their honeymoon.

The newspaper articles indicate the couple was married in San Diego.  I wonder why they applied for a marriage license in Yuma, Arizona?  Here’s the license I located.

Evidence indicates they divorced before 1940 and both Robert and Alice remarried.

This couple had one son.

While researching for this post I solved a longtime question on Robert Walton Hall’s second marriage.  Stay tuned for more on that.

If you think you might be related to anyone mentioned in this blog post, please contact me.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

WEDDING WEDNESDAY - GORDON HALL & DOROTHY BROWN

I always enjoy, in fact, I'm elated, when I find newspaper articles about my ancestors.  This particular announcement is for the wedding of my husband's parents.  

It was published in the San Diego Union on 22 Aug 1948.  This was Gordon Hall's first and only marriage.  Dorothy, who's maiden name was Fink, had been married to another man named Brown.

Gordon and Dorothy had one child, a son.  I am lucky enough to be married to that man.  We met very briefly in 10th grade, but didn't marry until many years later.  

WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT FOR 

GORDON C. HALL & DOROTHY BROWN

I hope you can locate newspaper articles that tell about your ancestor's lives too.


OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
WEDDING WEDNESDAY - Things are not always wha they seem or what they say
WEDDING WEDNESDAY - Where were they married?

AMBASSADOR BRIDGE - Update to Wedding Wednesday Post

Happy Hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHT RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION