Mary Means of Chicago then Los Angeles

[m23to53]

Mary Means was, in the late 1940s, the co-author of a couple of crime novels as Denis Scott with a Theodore Saunders. Up to now the only clue to their identification was that they lived in Chicago according to a couple of contemporary references.

However in 1971, the copyright of one of the books was renewed at the Library of Congress by a Virginia K Dreier for the estate of M. D. Means. Looking for this lady I discovered that, according to Los Angeles electoral listings, both ladies were living at 741 S. Detroit St  c1954 to 1962 (unfortunately though Ancestry says it has the All California registrations to 1968 I cannot find Detroit Street after the 1962 listings!).

I cannot find any family connection between the two women, Virginia Dreier being Virginia Krebs Dreier, born 1907 in Missouri, was in Illinois in 1940 married to a Ray Dreier, and later moved to San Diego where she died in 1991. Though I cannot find her first marriage, I assume she is the Virginia D Krebs/Virginia D Dreier who married Raymond Dreier in San Diego in 1977.

That aside I assume Mary (D) Means- always Miss on the electoral listings with no middle initial - died in the 1962-1971 period and possibly in Los Angeles. She is on an August 1962 passenger list returning from England. There are few such deaths but nothing to say any of them is the one I am after - and I can say that the Mary Jane Means 1879-1962, and known as Mary D Means, is not the author as she was a widow and lived in Pasadena.

Can anyone help identify the author, Is it possible to access the electoral lists for S. Detroit Street after 1962 to see when either or both ladies no longer appear?

Many thanks
John

[shellyesq]

There are reverse city directories for Los Angeles where you can look up the address and see who is living there.  http://rescarta.lapl.org/ResCarta-Web/jsp/RcWebBrowseCollections.jsp  The 1963 one did not have anyone with the surname Dreier or Means at 741 S. Detroit St.

Ancestry only has Los Angeles County voters' registrations up to 1962.  The database covers up to 1968, but what is available for each county varies.

[Erato]

"co-author of a couple of crime novels as Denis Scott with a Theodore Saunders"

Is the identity of Theodore Saunders known?  Was he the 31 year-old artist in Chicago in 1940?

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89MB-ZSGX?i=21&cc=2000219

[m23to53]

Looking at the directories I found that though there were Dreiers and Means in LA in the 1950s/1960s no Virginia or Mary found, either in S Detroit St or anywhere else.

As to Theodore Saunders I found three possibilities in Chicago in late 1940s, but doubt the author was the jazz musician/bandleader, and nothing to tie any of them to the being an author. But then no Mary Means found in Chicago street directories around the time - and the Means who were listed did not appear to have a Mary in the family. Though I did find a Mary S Means and a Mary L Means in Chicago in 1940s according to nursing records.

I take it there is no easy way to check for death notices in the press for a Mary Means in the 1962-1971 period. Ancestry has one who would appear not to be the lady I am searching for.

John

[TreeSpirit]

From a newspaper article:
Mary was Indianapolis-born-and-bred and daughter of Mrs. Irene Parkin Means

So this should be her?:
California Death Index, 1940-1997
Name:   Mary Means
Event Type:   Death
Event Date:   27 Oct 1968
Event Place:   Los Angeles, California, United States
Birth Date:   20 Jan 1913
Birthplace:   Indiana
Gender:   Female
Mother's Name:   Parkin

[TreeSpirit]

I'm not sure whether I'd believe her birth year though. I think it should be 1909:

United States Census, 1910
Name:   Irene Means
Event Place:   Indianapolis Ward 9, Marion, Indiana, United States
Gender:   Female
Age:   23
Marital Status:   Widowed
Race:   White
Race (Original):   White
Relationship to Head of Household:   Daughter
Relationship to Head of Household (Original):   Daughter
Birth Year (Estimated):   1887
Birthplace:   Indiana
Father's Birthplace:   Canada English
Mother's Birthplace:   Indiana
Sheet Letter:   B
Sheet Number:   5
Household   Role   Sex   Age   Birthplace
Lettie T Parkin   Head   Female   44   Indiana
Leona G Parkin   Daughter   Female   26   Indiana
Georgia Parkin   Daughter   Female   25   Indiana
Frances M Parkin   Daughter   Female   18   Indiana
Helen A Parkin   Daughter   Female   16   Indiana
Harry A Parkin   Son   Male   13   Indiana
Irene Means   Daughter   Female   23   Indiana
Mary F Means   Granddaughter   Female   1   Indiana
George N Scott   Brother   Male   36   Indiana
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRNV-3X7?i=8&cc=1727033

United States Census, 1930
Name:   Irene P Gleason
Event Place:   Alhambra, Los Angeles, California, United States
Gender:   Female
Age:   43
Marital Status:   Married
Race:   White
Race (Original):   White
Relationship to Head of Household:   Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original):   Head
Birth Year (Estimated):   1887
Birthplace:   Indiana
Father's Birthplace:   Canada
Mother's Birthplace:   Indiana
Sheet Letter:   A
Sheet Number:   2
Household   Role   Sex   Age   Birthplace
Irene P Gleason   Head   Female   43   Indiana
Mary Francis Means   Daughter   Female   21   Indiana
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R4V-F5D?i=3&cc=1810731

Death of her mum:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45910161

This has a link to Mary's memorial:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85466299/mary-francis-means

Sylvia

[m23to53]

Looks possible except that Mary has the middle initial 'D' according to the LOC record.

Have just found a Mary Delilah Means born c1888 who married a Virgil Burnett in  1914. I suppose she could have divorced or widowed and reverted to her maiden name? (she is a Miss on the 1950s electoral registrations.) And the Mary (A) Means 1888-1968 in the deaths was born Dunn though she married a Ross according to Findagrave


But now have a problem stopping me from using Ancestry to check further. Signed into Ancestry UK and can search okay. But when I click on a result I am told to sign in and leave Ancestry.com for Ancestry UK!!! have emailed them as I cannot get a reply on phone. Is anyone else having this problem today?

regards
John

[*Sandra*]

Its been ok for me today but others have had problems for a few days. Reply 19 here.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=790895.msg6473201

Sandra

[TreeSpirit]

John, "Indianapolis-born-and-bred" and "daughter of Mrs. Irene Parkin Means" were mentioned in a 1949 newspaper article re the crime writer Mary Means/Denis Scott. So, it is okay if you are not sure re the rest of my story, but the mothers name and place of birth seem a certainty.

Sylvia