52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 32: Sister: Margaret Rose Lancaster

This is my second year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails Into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

My maternal second great-grandaunt, Margaret “Maggie” Rose Lancaster, was the only daughter of George W. Lancaster and Martha Jane Polly. She had two older brothers, William Carl and Lonnie O., and three younger brothers, George Eldon, Reginold F., and Jesse Polly. So she grew up with only brothers until her mother’s second marriage to Noah Flood Parks. She then had two half-sisters, Daisy O. and Rosy A. Parks.

Early Life

Maggie was born 27 April 1880 in Rockwall County, Texas.[1] Her early life was spent in Texas and then in the late 1880s her father moved the family to Maricopa County, Arizona.[2] However, her father left the family and returned to Texas. Her oldest brother, Carl, went with him. Her mother, Mattie, filed for divorce.[3]

Her mother married the ranch hand, Noah Flood Parks, five days after her divorce was final on 28 December 1893.[4] Noah and Mattie had two daughters born in 1894 and 1898.

Marriage

Maggie lived at home until she married Arthur N. Pauff in Phoenix on 5 February 1899 at her parent’s home. A newspaper article gave some information about the wedding. “Mr. Pauff is a trusted employee of the New York store and the bride is one of the most estimable young ladies of the community. They will make their home at 340 North Third Street.” [5]

Arthur was seven years older than Maggie and was born in Ohio. He would have been a fine catch, as he had a good job and owned his own home free and clear.[6]

By 1910, they were living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Arthur was still in retail merchandizing and owned his own home. By now, they had two sons, Harry C. and Arthur C. They also had a servant, Minnie Hepner, living with them. They lived next door to his parents, Peter & Dalia J. Pauff.[7]

Arthur, however, died two years later of lobar pneumonia on 21 December 1912.[8] He must have been well-liked as two obituaries gave glowing accounts of his life and the funeral. He was a member of Vegas Lodge No. 32, F. & A.M. who took “charge of the remains and the beautiful and impressive Masonic service carried out at the Methodist church.”[9] He was buried in Los Angeles.

Second Marriage

Margaret must have moved to Los Angeles area after Arthur’s death. She married a second time to William J. Harper on 2 August 1914 in Santa Ana, Orange County, California, by Paul E. Wright, a minister of the First Christian Church. This was a second marriage for both parties, as William was divorced.[10]  His occupation was a rancher.[11]

They continued to live in Los Angeles at 3662 South Van Ness Avenue until the late 1930s.[12]  William was listed in city directories up to 1939, but Margaret was by herself in the 1940 census.[13] There is no sign of William. She continued to live on her own until her death on 5 November 1951.[14]

Discussion

I have two documents I need to order from Los Angeles County: Margaret’s death certificate and their divorce record. I don’t know where she is buried, and the death certificate might give a clue or state she was cremated. Her sons are buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.

I did find a death record for Margaret in a Los Angeles County Death Index 1951 that lists Margaret Rose Pauff. There is no death registration number but states it is in volume 547. There is a remark “R” under the column removals.[15]  There is another index that does list a death certificate number.[16] This information will help in getting the certificate from Los Angeles County.

Letter

I don’t know much more about Margaret, except she sent a letter to my grandmother (Mam-ma) in 1946. The return address was 1600 Midway, Glendale, California, which was the same address as the city directory. She wrote:

"Dear Pansy & family,

Glad to receive your nice letter and thanks for the pictures.  Yes I knew my brother Carl was married.  Had a letter from his wife.  I answered right away but no ans so far.  You spoke about your brother who was close to Tokio.  I did not know you had another brother.  Do you have any sisters?  What large city are you close to or where is Walnut Creek located.  One of my brothers live in Tulare, one in Fresno and one at Atascadero California.  I do not see them very often as I am not able to visit or have company either.  You will see by my address I have moved in 1944.  I bought a small home in Glendale.  Both of my son's live in Glendale.   I really like it very much.  Los Angeles is too large and so different to what it was when we first moved here in 1913.  I know you are glad to have your husband home.  What kind of business are you in.  My older granddaughter is attending college at University of Colorado.  She will be home first part of June.  We miss her very much .  She was home for Christmas and between semesters in January.   September she goes into her third year.  I was really glad to know my brother was married again. it is very lonely living alone.  When your children are married you miss that companionship.  I have a lady with me and that helps some.  Had nice long letter from Pearl.  Write me when you have time. 

Love Aunt Margaret."

What I love about this letter is confirmation that the siblings kept in touch. When I first started researching, I only knew about her father and brother living in Texas, as I descend from her brother, Carl. It was much later that I received a message from another researcher saying Mattie, whom I had thought died, moved to California with the younger children and died there. The siblings may have never seen Carl again, but kept in touch at least.

The brothers mentioned in the letter: George Eldon lived in Tulare, Jesse Polly in Fresno, and Reginold in Atascadero. I did recently find an article stating George and Jesse of Tulare and Rosy of Dinuba went to visit their sister in Los Angeles because of illness in 1936.[17]

I also have no photographs of the family. I should try to find descendants of the Pauffs to see if any of them have photos. I also need to have the letter digitized.

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[1] For date, see “California Death Index,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com), 1951, Margaret Rose Pauff. For place, see 1880 U.S. census, Rockwall Co, Texas, pop. sched., Rockwall Village, ED 30, George W. Lancaster household, digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com), T9. She was 1/12 years old.

[2] George purchased land from the federal government. See Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office, database & digital images, https://www.glorecords.blm.gov, AZAZAA 014321, Serial Patent, Cash Sale, George W. Lancaster, 1890.  He and his wife later sold it to Mary E. Coulson. See Territory of Arizona, Maricopa Co, Land Deeds, Bk 21, p 32, 1889, Lancaster-Coulson, FHL film 2196859.

[3] Pima County, Arizona, RG 110, Superior Court Records, SG 8 case 2250, Lancaster v. Lancaster, decree, 23 December 1893; Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, Phoenix.

[4] Maricopa County, Arizona, Marriage Licenses & Certificates, RG 107, SG 8 Superior Court Records, Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, Phoenix, 1893, Noah F Parks & Mattie J Lancaster, p 405.

[5] Marriage announcement, Phoenix Weekly, 9 Feb 1899.

[6] 1900 U.S. census, Maricopa Co, Arizona, pop. sched., Murphy Addition, ED 36, sht 28b, p 363b, dwelling 589, family 587, Arthur Pauff, digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com).

[7] 1910 U.S. census, Clark Co, Nevada, pop. sched., ED 5, Las Vegas, sht 5a, p 57 (stamped), dwelling 124, family 131, Arthur N Pauff , digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com).

[8] "Nevada, Death Certificates, 1911-1965," digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com), no. 12-000911, Clark County, Arthur Noble Pauff, 1912.

[9] “Funeral of A.N. Pauff,” Las Vegas Age, 28 Dec 1919, digital image, Las Vegas Clark County Library District (http://digital.lvccld.org/lvage.html.

[10] California County Marriages, 1850-1952, database & images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org), Orange County, 1914, p 279, no. 9602, Harper-Pauff; citing FHL film 1290106.

[11] Los Angeles City Directory, 1921, p. 1251, Wm J Harper. Also 1922, p. 1305, Wm J Harper. Also 1923, p. 1470, Wm J. Harper at 3662 S. Van Ness Avenue. Also 1934, p. 747, Wm J. Harper.

[12] See Los Angeles City Directory, Los Angeles Directory Co, Los Angeles, California, 1937, p. 865; also 1938, p 902.

[13] 1940 U.S. census, Los Angeles Co, California, pop. sched, Los Angeles, ED 60-517, sht 10a, fam 286, argaret R Pauff, digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com), citing NARA T627, roll 423.

[14] “California Death Index, 1940-1997,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com), Margaret Rose Pauff, 1951.

[15] “California County Deaths, 1800-1994,” digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org), > Los Angeles Co > 1951 > v45-A-Z > Pauff, Margaret Rose.

[16] “California County Deaths, 1800-1994,” digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org),> Los Angeles > Death index 1951-1954 P-Z > Margaret Rose Pauff, 16278.

[17] Tulare Advance-Register, 13 Jun 1936, p. 4, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com).

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