The Intrigue and Mystery of Mary Ellen MILLER nee WHITTEMORE

[Malcolm33]

I was asked by another Berry descendant if I could help find out what happened to Mary Ellen.   This request was only made three days ago yet it feels like we have been working on a mystery that gets more and more involved the deeper we dig, for months and months.
My great grandmother’s brother, James Berry and his family migrated to Lawrence Massachusetts in the late 19th century and some grandchildren still live there.   

James’s daughter Emily Berry married Ernest Whittemore  and various records tell us that they had a daughter Mary Ellen Whittemore born 16th January, 1900, in Jaynesville, Minnesota – even though the Whittemore’s turn up in most Census in Lawrence.    So first thoughts were that Mary may have been adopted, especially since the elderly living relatives deny all knowledge of any Mary Ellen having been in the family.

Nevertheless Ernest, Emily were living in Jaynesville Minnesota when the 1900 census was taken on the 12th June that year, with son William E age 8, Clarence age 6, and Mary E aged 5 months.    William Edward and Clarence were born in Massachusetts and Mary E in Minnesota.
In 1910 they are all back in Lawrence Mass with the addition of another son, Ernest Jr.

Then in 1917 Mary Ellen Whittemore married William Frederick Miller (or Mueller) in his home town of Naperville, Illinois.   He was much older, 29 while Mary Ellen was 17, and he gives his occupation as ‘Man-o-Warsman’ which appears to be a term for a US Navy Serviceman.   The War was on so that may have led to some time apart.

The ‘Intrigue’ part of the search didn’t become apparent when we first found them in the 1920 census –
Miller   William F   Head   32               Birth Illinois
            Mary E       Wife   19               Birth Minnesota
            Shirley V    Dtr      11 months  Birth Massachusetts
Cullen  Genevieve Lodger 22              Birth Massachusetts

   What was extraordinary though in this record is that it seemed that Mary Ellen had gone back to the family home in Massachusetts for the birth of daughter Shirley who in later years on her SSI gave her birth as February 10, 1919.

      Clearly that was never the case for Shirley was born in Massachusetts on that date, while Mary Ellen was very likely still in Naperville, Illinois, as we can see by the attached birth registration.  Here we have the birth of an unnamed child on February 10, 1919 to mother Genevieve Cullen.     Many years later in 1976 someone has notified the registry office that the father was called ‘Miller’.   So our thoughts are that William was the father and possibly wanted to raise Shirley as his own, except that didn’t happen.   In 1930 Shirley was with her grandparents Ernest and Emily Whittemore in Florida and then settled back to live near her old home in Lawrence at Methuen and then Lowell.

     So here is the big question – What became of William Miller and his wife Mary Ellen?

      There was a William Miller buried in Lawrence in 1957 but cannot be sure if this was him.

        To add to the confusion Shirley named her mother as Mary Cullen born January 1900 and died January 1976 in her SSI and that makes us think that she had kept in touch.    We have now found the birth of Genevieve Cullen which was in 1897 in Boston, to parents Michael and Bridget Cullen, and she was Mary Genevieve Cullen.    The name now agrees but the birth year doesn’t!    The correction made to the birth registration was done on 4th March 1976 so possibly this was instigated by Shirley who waited until her mother had passed.

      Why then can’t we find either William or Mary Ellen after 1920?


             

[oldohiohome]

1. I think you interpreted the corrected birth record correctly.

2. I think Mary Genevieve Cullen, daughter of Michael and Bridget, is Shirley's mother despite Shirley saying her mother was born in 1900. The birth place (Hyde Park) and the age at last birth of the mother on Shirley's birth record match the birth of Michael and Bridget's daughter.

3. I wonder why the Cullens didn't raise Shirley. She was their granddaughter, not the Whittemores'. Or did Genevieve leave the scene soon after the 1920 census, leaving Shirley behind?

4. You asked why can't you find William Miller and Mary Ellen Whittemore after 1920. Maybe they broke up between 1920 and 1930, which might help explain why Shirley is with the Whittemores in Florida. Then because William Miller is too common a name to narrow down. And Mary Ellen's re-marriage, if any, isn't online. I would expect her to be near her parents, whether in Florida or Massachusetts.

[oldohiohome]

Here are a few possibilities for Mary Ellen Whittemore, but she might be none of them if she died before US Public Records or dobsearch.com's databases coverage starts.

I searched for "Mary" with that exact date of birth at dobsearch.com, and then looked elsewhere for just the women named "Mary E." There were a lot named just Mary born on that date.

After that I looked at veromi.net, and did some Googling, then US Public Records at familysearch.

Mary E Baer
United States Public Records, 1970-2009
Name:   Mary E Baer
Residence Date:   01 Jan 1993-01 Jan 2004
Residence Place:   San Mateo, California, United States
Birth Date:   16 Jan 1900
Address:   San Mateo, California 94402
Address Date:   01 Jan 1993-01 Jan 2004
Possible Relatives:   Ellen Baer, Kenneth P Baer, Kenneth Baer
Record Number:   215011640v

spokeo says her name is "Mary Ellen"

----------
United States Public Records, 1970-2009
Name:   Mary E Marts
Residence Date:   01 Jan 1996-01 Jan 2004
Residence Place:   Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Birth Date:   16 Jan 1900
Address:   Cincinnati, Ohio 45224
Record Number:   600590548v

-----------
United States Public Records, 1970-2009
Name:   Mary E Curran
Residence Date:   02 Feb 1991-01 Jan 2004
Residence Place:   Seal Beach, California, United States
Birth Date:   16 Jan 1900
Address:   Seal Beach, California 90740
Possible Relatives:   Lawrence H Curran
Record Number:   698290855

---------- 
Mary E Stewart, Porter Ranch CA
  Robert L Stewart, age 117
  dobsearch said she was born 16 January 1900
  veromi: not found
  US Public Records, not found
 
----------
not
   
Mary E Charles, San Francisco CA
  Nevonne C Charles, 69
  Robert L Charles, no age
  Troy Muse, 118
her name was Mary Eugenia   

[shellyesq]

To add to the confusion Shirley named her mother as Mary Cullen born January 1900 and died January 1976 in her SSI and that makes us think that she had kept in touch.   

What is SSI?

Do you have any obituaries for Mary Ellen's parents or siblings? 

[oldohiohome]

None of the people I suggested from US Public Records are right. Mary Ellen (Whittemore) Miller died in Jan 1976 in Illinois.
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L139-Y1W

I thought when you said "Mary" died in 1976, you meant Mary Genevieve Cullen, and that you had no trace of Mary Whittemore after 1920. Since she died in Illinois, they ought to be in the area somewhere until her death. William died in Rock Island, Il in 1951, according to a link from the page on familysearch.

[loobylooayr]

Hi,

Interesting mystery.

I'm a bit puzzled as to who you are referring to that died in 1976 -
like oldohiohome , i assumed you were refering to Mary Genevieve Cullen .

Incidentally, Genevieve Cullen is recorded as a widow on the 1920 Census - are you certain she hadn't be married and Cullen was her married name - I realise the term Widow could be to give her a respectabilty - but with WW1 and influenza rife during this era , she could easily have been a widow at age 22.

Looby

[Malcolm33]

To add to the confusion Shirley named her mother as Mary Cullen born January 1900 and died January 1976 in her SSI and that makes us think that she had kept in touch.   

What is SSI?

Do you have any obituaries for Mary Ellen's parents or siblings?

Hi Shelly,

   I think it is a Social Security Identification in America or Supplemental Social Identification - Our American friends may tell us more.

   The obits found so far are mainly those of William's siblings.   These are named in the 1900 census where the household is headed by John Miller and his wife 'Minnie' (Wilhelmina).   The marriage index for Illinois when William Miller married Mary Ellen Whittemore in 1917 names his father as 'John' and his mother as 'Minnie Herring'.     However according to another Family Search page and one of the obits she was 'Wilhelmina Tettzman'.    Looks like William wasn't sure about his mother's maiden name - or was she married before?

Mary  Frieda Mueller Belanger first wife of Elmer Levi Belanger  Jan 20, 1886-May 26 1941 Naperville -Cementry

Minnie J Miller Dougherty  born 1880 Germany Sep 10-1956 wife of Thomas Dougherty 1877-1960
•   Paper: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Deceased: Minnie Dougherty
Date: September 11, 1956 Aurora.

Paper: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Deceased: Minnie Dougherty
Date: September 11, 1956
--Minnie Dougherty, 741 Sexton street, Aurora, Ill., wife of Thomas F.; mother of Irene and the late Margaret; sister of Mrs. Amanda Osterland of Naperville, Ill., Mrs. Helen Krepp of Aurora, and Max Miller of Winfield, Ill. Funeral from Daleiden [Lincoln avenue] mortuary, Wednesday, 9 a.m., to St. Mary's church, Aurora. Mass 9:30 a.m. Interment Mount Olivet, Aurora.
 
William F Miller:
MILLER (MUELLER), William Frederickwas born August 30, 1887 in Naperville, DuPage County, Illinois the son of John F. Mueller and Wilhelmina D. Tetzmann. He married Mary E. Whittemore about 1918 and they were the parents of a daughter, Shirley V. He was a veteran of World War I, serving in the U. S. Navy. He was employed as a pipefitter and then as an upholsterer for the Kroehler Furniture Manufacturing Company. He was raised a Master Mason June 20, 1922. Date of death and location of burial unknown.

Max Louis Mueller 06/05/1890- 09/29/1956
A funeral service was held Monday for Max L Miller 66
Who died Sat Sept 29. at his home in Downers Grove
He was born in Naperville June 5, 1890
Mr Miller is survived by two sisters, Mrs Paul Osterland of Naperville and Mrs Helene Krepps of Aurora
The Reverend Mrs Sinclair of the First Baptist Church in Downers Grove officiated the service. Interment was in the
Naperville Cementry

Amanda W Miller Osterland  11-25-1982- 03/12/1974
Husband Paul William Osterland  1886-1968
daughters:
Helene Amada Osterland Marquardt
12/20/1917-10/30/1998
Irene Wilma Osterland Bockwoldt
1921-2011

Helene Mueller Krepp 12-8-1897- 03/27/1966
Jacob Krepp  1884-1942

PARENTS:
John F  Mueller 10/25/1852  in Germany
 04/20/1918

Wilhelmine Tetzmann Mueller  02/27/1857
Weitendorf, Landkreis Ludwigslust-Parchim, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
08/24/1931       
Naperville, DuPage County, Illinois, USA

Malcolm


   

[Malcolm33]

None of the people I suggested from US Public Records are right. Mary Ellen (Whittemore) Miller died in Jan 1976 in Illinois.
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L139-Y1W

I thought when you said "Mary" died in 1976, you meant Mary Genevieve Cullen, and that you had no trace of Mary Whittemore after 1920. Since she died in Illinois, they ought to be in the area somewhere until her death. William died in Rock Island, Il in 1951, according to a link from the page on familysearch.

Hi, and thanks for your interest and help,

    That Family Search page was updated a few days earlier by my 'Berry' cousin and we have both got a bit confused over the two 'Mary's' and these discoveries show why?

Name:   Mary Cullen
SSN:   321-34-4922
Last Residence:   61350 Ottawa, La Salle, Illinois, USA
BORN:   16 Jan 1900
Died:   Jan 1976
State (Year) SSN issued:   Illinois (1956-1958)


As for getting SSI in the USA. To Apply you have to almost give your first born, You have to have your Birth Cert, Social security card, then, 5 or 6 forms of Id. So Shirley knew.
Name:   Mary E Cullen
Gender:   Female
Residence Year:   1957
Residence Place:   Ottawa, Illinois, USA
Spouse:   Charles E Cullen
Publication Title:   Ottawa, Illinois, City Directory, 1957

Now that birth date 16 January 1900 belongs to Mary Ellen Whittemore and not Mary Genevieve Cullen.    BUT then she had spouse name as Charles E Cullen.    Genevieve was a Cullen we know from that birth certificate of 1919 and at that time Mary Ellen was married to William Miller.   Could she have married another Cullen after William died?

There is also a thought that Mary was working in the Death Factory in Ottawa Illinois - https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/04/02/Cleaning-up-Ottawas-death-factory/5931449730000/

     I suppose it could be that Shirley at one time believed her mother to be Mary Ellen and so her birthdate was lodged in her mind, then later on discovered that her mother was really Genevieve - hence the alteration to the birth register in 1976.

    Malcolm

[Malcolm33]

Hi,

Interesting mystery.

I'm a bit puzzled as to who you are referring to that died in 1976 -
like oldohiohome , i assumed you were refering to Mary Genevieve Cullen .

Incidentally, Genevieve Cullen is recorded as a widow on the 1920 Census - are you certain she hadn't be married and Cullen was her married name - I realise the term Widow could be to give her a respectabilty - but with WW1 and influenza rife during this era , she could easily have been a widow at age 22.

Looby

   Yes, thanks Looby, we did think that she just said she was a Widow to avoid local gossip in Naperville.   

    Another thing that has crossed our minds is that William married Mary Ellen in 1917 in Lawrence Massachusetts.     While writing this I just looked once more for the date and it is there - 3rd October 1917.     He was a 29 year old sailor and she just 17 years old.    Shirley was born to Genevieve Cullen in Boston 10 February 1919 which would mean she was conceived early July 1918.     I wonder what ship he was on and if we could trace whether it was in Boston that month?

     Shirley passed by the way in the year 2000.

    Malcolm