03 May 2020

Missing Ancestor Report - SOLVED?

Click on image to enlarge

Well . . .

Here’s the deal.  I know what ultimately became of Mary, more about this in a bit.  But . . . there is a significant 10-year gap where she is (sigh) still “missing.”  Her gap years are 1935 and 1937 - 1946.  The 1930 US Federal census and Mary’s Social Security Application (SS-5), completed and signed by Mary in 1936, place her in Mifflinburg, Union County, Pennsylvania and in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania respectively. 

In the Missing Ancestor Report - UPDATE the attached flyer included a plea to please contact me if anyone had information about Mary’s whereabouts, or had information that could help further the “investigation” (research) and help me re-unite Mary’s “leaf” with her family tree.  After publishing the blog and flyer, I received many supportive comments and emails.  There were several who did some sleuthing and I’d like to thank you ALL.   Special gratitude to two in particular – Elmer and Marilyn whose clues yielded results.

Okay, here is what I now know about Mary.  To recap, for those that may be new to Family Preserves, Mary Telthia LINDSEY was born in York, York County, Pennsylvania, 2 January 1908, to Walter Cleveland LINDSEY and Marguerite (AKA Margaret) Ethel LEARN.  Walter and Marguerite were living at 181 East Cottage Place, York, York County, Pennsylvania, at the time of Mary’s birth.1  In 1910, Mary, her brother Walter and her parents were living at 35 South Street, York City, York County, Pennsylvania.  And, in November of that same year, Mary had a new baby brother, William (Bill) Gordon LINDSEY; they were still living in the same home.2 Over the intervening years, 1911 – 1919, the Lindsey family is living at: 3 

1911: 938 East Philadelphia Street, York, York County, Pennsylvania
1913: 561 West Clark Avenue, York, York County, Pennsylvania
1915: 143 East Maple, York, York County, Pennsylvania
1917: 529 MacKenzie, York, York County, Pennsylvania
1919: 305 North West Street, York, York County, Pennsylvania


Mary’s parents were divorced by 12 June 1919.4  And, by 1920 the children were separated; Mary living in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, with the Emmanuel Crone family, with whom she lived until the age of 18.5  Mary’s siblings, Walter Galloway LINDSEY is living with the Beard O. Sharretts family in Cumberland Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania;6 William Gordon LINDSEY is living in the Children’s Home of York and York County, York County, Pennsylvania;7 and Maretta Grace LINDSEY is living with her adoptive parents, M. H. and Catherine Bailey, in Shrewsbury Township, York County, Pennsylvania.8  And, their father, Walter Cleveland LINDSEY can be found still living at 305 North West Street, York, York County, Pennsylvania.9  After their divorce, Marguerite “farmed out” her two eldest children to work local farms and to earn their room and board.  She placed the two youngest children in the York & York County Children’s home, located in York County, Pennsylvania; Bill would live there until the age of majority and Maretta would be adopted by the Bailey’s soon after her arrival at the home.  The US Federal 1930 census shows that Marguerite married her third husband, Robert J Harris at the age of 33; Marguerite was born 1887 making their wedding year 1920.  I have, however, not been able to locate the Harris’ in the US Federal 1920 census.10 

We know from the US Federal 1920 census that Mary is living with the Crone family on their farm located in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.  Emmanuel Crone is the Head of Household.  His wife, Minnie; daughter, Laura; and Grandson, Chester Lancaster are also living in the home.  In the Missing Ancestor Report - UPDATE  I noted that the grandson of Mary’s sister Maretta uploaded a photo of Mary, dated 1926.  It is my belief that the photo may be Mary’s graduation picture.  In that post I noted that the Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School (MASH) served several communities to include the borough of Upper Allen Township.  I did an initial search for MASH 1924 – 1926 yearbooks online at E-Yearbooks.com and Classmates.com; no luck.  My search for yearbooks continued.  I contacted the Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School and spoke to the school librarian.  The earliest yearbook that the school library has in their collection is 1930.  I then contacted the Joseph T. Simpson Public Library in Mechanicsburg and learned from the Librarian the following . . .

“What we have pre-1930 is a 1926 yearbook and a 1920 Commencement Booklet that does list the names of some of the younger classes (not the entire class list however). Unfortunately, I’ve looked through both of these items and have not found your Grand Aunt’s name!  I have a sneaking suspicion that she somehow fell in the ‘gap’ that these two items do not cover.”

I had learned from the MASH school librarian, that a retired teacher, within the district, purchased a home from which he operates the Mechanicsburg Historical Archives.  It was suggested I reach out to him to see if he might have the MASH school yearbooks for 1924 – 1926; Bill got back with me a short time later.  Unfortunately, he did not have those years in his yearbook collection.  I next reached out to the Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School Alumni on their Facebook Group of the same name and learned of a local Mechanicsburg restaurant, Dieners, located at 135 West Main Street Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania that has a collection of MASH yearbooks on display.  It was suggested that it might be worth contacting them to see if they had the yearbooks for the years I’m looking for.  This is still on my “to-do” list. 

This brings us to reader contributed clues.  

After reading the Missing Ancestor Report - UPDATE  , Elmer contacted me after having spent some time sleuthing.  Using what we did know, Elmer discovered Mary in the Reclaim the Records, NYC Marriage Index – Staten Island 1945 – 1946 at Archives.org.  And, Marilyn too, using what we knew, discovered an obituary for Mary’s sister Maretta.  The obituary mentioned a sister, Mary Perugini.  YAY!!!  Using these two promising clues I requested the marriage record; a three-page document consisting of the application, the affidavit, and the marriage license, from New York City.  Here is what I learned.

 On 14 January 1946 Mary and Richard H. Davis applied for license to marry.  The groom was living at 35 Andrews Street, South Beach 5, Staten Island, New York.  Richard was 30 years of age, born 8 November 1915 and employed as a seaman.  He was born in Newton, Massachusetts and his parents are Roscoe W Davis, born in the United States and Anne Curtin also born in the United States.  Richard had not been previously married.

Mary Telthia LINDSEY lived at 35 Andrews Street, South Beach 5, Staten Island, New York.  She was 38 years of age, born 2 January 1908 and employed as a waitress.  Mary was born in York, Pennsylvania and her parents were Walter G. [C] LINDSEY, born in the United States, and Margarita [Marguerite] Ethel LEARN, born in the United States.  Mary had been previously married once before.  Her former husband was Marland C. Rudy and he, at the time of Mary’s and Richard Davis’ application for marriage, was still living.  Mary and Marland Rudy were divorced 7 January 1946 in Richmond County, New York.  The grounds for divorce?  Adultery.  According to the application for marriage, Marland Rudy was served a summons in Meflinburg [Mifflinburg], Pennsylvania and did not appear in court in person; an attorney did not appear on his behalf or file for a waiver.  John J. Demane, Deputy City Clerk, solemnized the rites of matrimony, 16 January 1946 in the presence of Mary’s daughter, D. Marie Rudy and Joseph A. Diminico.11

This IS my Mary!  YAY!!  Mary records her father’s name as Walter “G” LINDSEY.  Her father’s name was actually Walter Cleveland LINDSEY.  However, her brother’s name was Walter Galloway LINDSEY.  Mary didn’t grow up with her father, she was 12 when her parents divorced, it is reasonable to assume that she either didn’t know her father’s middle name or perhaps forgot it.  Whereas, Mary had recently, between 1941 – 1946, briefly reconnected with her brother, Walter, so perhaps when recording her father’s name on the license and affidavit she mistakenly wrote her brother’s, rather than her father’s, middle initial. 

Mary states that her former husband, Marland Rudy, was served a court summons in “Meflinburg” Pennsylvania.  Marland was born,12 and indeed lived, the majority of his life in Mifflinburg, Union County, Pennsylvania,13 except for a stint in the U.S. Army14 and his death in a New Jersey Tuberculosis Sanatorium, in 1953.15



To Do:  Order a copy of the divorce records.

Remember, I still have no clue as to Mary’s whereabouts 1935 and 1940 – 1946.  Now having the name of Mary’s 2nd husband, Richard H. Davis, and learning from their marriage records that she and Richard are living at 35 Andrew Street, South Beach 5, Staten Island and recognizing that to be the same address that my Grandmother, Mary’s sister-in-law, recorded on the back of this photo.  

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

I now wondered if Mary and Richard might be found together at that Staten Island address in the US Federal 1940 census?  No such luck.  I was not able to find Mary anywhere in Staten Island, New York.  I searched by the address, 35 Andrews Street, South Beach, Staten Island, New York; using her maiden name, Mary T. LINDSEY; using her married name Mary T. Rudy; using the name she recorded on her 1936 Social Security Application (SS-5), Marie T. LINDSEY-Rudy;16 and though I knew from the New York City marriage records that Mary and Richard were not yet married in 1940, I still searched for Mary using the name Mary T. Davis.  I also searched for Richard H. Davis in Staten Island, New York.  Nothing!  I did however, find Richard H. Davis living with his parents in Belmont, Middlesex, Massachusetts on 35 Alma Avenue.  He was living in the same household in 1935.17  I searched all 367 of Staten Island, Richmond County, New York’s enumeration districts image-by-image . . . nothing!

I should note here that I also looked for Mary in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, as that is where she was living and working at the time she applied for her social security number.  No luck.  And, I did the same here, searched all 72 of Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania’s enumeration districts image-by-image.  And, I also searched for 626 Chew Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania as that was her address in 1936.  And, I broadened the search. I looked for any Mary T. LINDSEY, Mary T. Rudy, Marie T. LINDSEY-Rudy and Mary T. Davis in any town or city in the United States.  You can imagine with a common name such as Mary and common surnames such as LINDSEY, Rudy, and Davis the daunting task.  I didn’t find her.

Had Mary returned to her husband and daughter, is she perhaps with them in 1940?  No.  Marland Rudy is living with his daughter Doretta M. and his parents, Elmer C. and Emma J. Rudy, in Mifflinburg, Union County, Pennsylvania.  The date was 10 April 1940.  According to The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pennsylvania, dated 23 August 1940, Marland accepted a carpenter position in Valdosta, Lowndes, Georgia.18 And, on 16 October 1940, Marland reported to the Local Draft Board No. 1 Lowndes County, Georgia.  The address that Marland provides is 303 East Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Lowndes, Georgia.  He indicated that the person “who will always know your address” was his father, Elmer Charles Rudy.19  I also looked to see if Mary could be found in 1940 with her mother, Marguerite and her husband Robert J. Harris.  No.  Robert and Marguerite are living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 1628 Sydenham Street. 20 

Lastly, I also looked to see if Mary had returned to the Upper Allen Township or Mechanicsburg area, where she had grown up with the Crone family.  No.

As noted previously, Family Preserves reader, Marilyn, ran across an obituary for Mary’s sister, Maretta Grace LINDSEY Ziegler, that ran in the Thursday, 12 August 1982 York Daily Record, York, Pennsylvania, on page 7.  The obituary states “she was the daughter of the late Walter C. and Margaret LEARN LINDSEY.  Additional survivors are: . . . a sister, Mary Perugini, Staten Island, New York; three brothers, William LINDSEY, New Jersey; Maurice Bailey, Mount Joy, and Walter LINDSEY.”21

Click on image to enlarge

This IS my Mary! Mary’s and Maretta’s parents, Walter C. LINDSEY and Margaret LEARN are identified, as are their brothers, Walter LINDSEY and William LINDSEY.  Maurice Bailey?  The Bailey family had adopted Maretta circa 1920.

So, by 1982 Mary is remarried.  Did she and Richard Davis divorce?  Or, did Richard pass away?  When did Mary remarry? 

To Do: 
  • Look for divorce and/or death records for Richard H. Davis
  • Look for New York City / New York marriage record for Mary and [?] Perugini

So where in the WORLD did Mary Telthia LINDSEY Rudy go?  Mary, PLEASE STOP being so contrary!!

But . . . there’s a silver lining!!!  I found Mary’s granddaughter!  Note, to protect her privacy, I will only refer to her as “A.”  I was able to locate her via social media and reached out to her, sending her a letter introducing myself (hoping that she didn’t think I was a crazy loon!).  I included a copy of the Missing Ancestor Report - UPDATE .  And, she phoned!!!  We had a lovely conversation - getting to know one another and sharing information.  I learned . . .

  • Mary’s third husband’s name was Arthur Perugini

  • Mary had reconnected with her mother, Marguerite and, at the time of Marguerite’s death, Mary invited her step-father Robert Harris to live with her family

  • Mary died 28 January 1983 in Staten Island, Richmond County, New York (I’ve requested a copy of Mary’s death certificate from New York City.  I will have to wait though until the city’s government offices are open and operational again.)

And, “A” has thoughtfully remembered me, when she recently discovered some of Mary’s old photos and scrapbooks.  With her permission, I've posted a couple of them here.  There are three that we believe to be Mary, but "A" wasn't sure.  Looking over them closely and also asking for a "second opinion" from an unbiased party, the conclusion is we "believe" the photos in question to be her.   Click on image to enlarge.


Sadly, she does not know where Mary was in 1940; she too thought she must have been in Staten Island.
I thought about marking this “case” solved, but I am a huge proponent of striving to meet the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) of an exhaustive research – leaving no proverbial stone unturned – and with Mary still “missing” in the “gap” years of 1935 and 1940 – 1946, I must continue to try and find her.

In addition to looking for her in the US Federal 1940 census, I’ve looked to see if she might be listed in the city directories for Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; Mifflinburg, Union County, Pennsylvania; Upper Allen, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania and Staten Island, Richmond County, New York for the gap years in question.  No such luck.  I’ve also searched the usual newspaper online sites – Newspapers.com; Genealogybank.com; and ChroniclingAmerica.com.  Nothing!

To Do: Search the newspapers at Fultonhistory.com

If you are interested in a challenge, I welcome another set of eyes on this.

Tracy

Copyright © 2020 Family Preserves; Tracy L Meyers

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SOURCES:

1 Ancestry.com, Pennsylvania, Birth Records, 1906-1908 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com.  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, birth certificate, (1908), Mary Telthia Lindsey; Bureau of Vital Statistics, New Castle

2 1910 U.S. census, York County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, York City, ward 1, enumeration district (ED) 114, sheet 1-A, dwelling 10, family 10, Walter Lindsey; NARA microfilm publication T624_1435

3 Ancestry.com, U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com. 1911 page 469; image 239. 1913 page 497; image 246.  1915 page 498; image 252.  1917 page 491; image 233.  1919 page 593; image 301

4 Pennsylvania, York, Protonotary Court Files, Protonotary 93, April 1919 Docket Entry, scanned copy. 3 March 1919 Walter C LINDSEY vs Margaret E Lindsey, reference divorce from Margaret Ethel LEARN.

5 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: Upper Allen, Cumberland, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1557; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 43; Image: 533.

6 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: Cumberland, Adams, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1507; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 9; Image: 200.

7 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: York Ward 2, York, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1669; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 120; Image: 220.

8 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: Shrewsbury, York, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1668; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 91; Image: 586.

9 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: York Ward 11, York, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1669; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 139.

10 Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.Original data - 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.), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1930; Census Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 2116; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 721; Image: 111.0; FHL microfilm: 2341850.

11 New York, Richmond, Staten Island, Affidavit for License; Marriage License; and Marriage Certificate to Marry, City of New York Municipal Archives, 31 Chambers Street New York, NY 10007, Affidavit for License to Marry, 0072, 16 January 1946; Richard Harding Davis and Mary Telthia Lindsey.

12 Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, The National Archives at Fort Worth, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Georgia, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147.

13 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: Mifflinburg, Union, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1655; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 185.

Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.Original data - 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.), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1930; Census Place: Mifflinburg, Union, Pennsylvania; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 0014; FHL microfilm: 2341884.

Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: Mifflinburg, Union, Pennsylvania; Roll: m-t0627-03615; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 60-17B.

14 Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, The National Archives at Fort Worth, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Georgia, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147.

15 New Jersey, State Department of Health of New Jersey, 244 E Hanover Street, Trenton, NJ, Death Certificate, 20228, 13 May 1953; Marland Rudy.

The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pennsylvania (online archive), "Marland C Rudy, Former Mifflinburg Man, Dies," 14 May 1953, accessed 8 September 2019, obituary for Marland C Rudy.

16 Social Security Administration, Applications for Account Numbers, Form SS-5, Marie (Mary) Telthia Lindsey Rudy, 171-03-9334, filed 24 November 1936.

17 Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: Belmont, Middlesex, Massachusetts; Roll: m-t0627-01603; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 9-69.

18 "Many People Now Visiting Mifflinburg; Other Items," 23 August 1940, accessed 11 September 2019, Marland Rudy. Marland Rudy accepted a position in Valdosta, GA, as a carpenter. https://www.newspapers.com/, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pennsylvania, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

19 Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, The National Archives at Fort Worth, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Georgia, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

20 Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: T627_3750; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 51-2025.

21 Maretta G. Lindsey Ziegler, 12 August 1982, accessed 23 August 2019. https://www.newspapers.com/, York Daily Record, York, Pennsylvania, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

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