The Intrigue and Mystery of Mary Ellen MILLER nee WHITTEMORE

[jorose]

Have you seen their son, William Miller, born almost the same time as Genevieve?
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLGT-DM9W
died in the same year, Emily Whittemore was informant.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:23T6-3XP

I think this is
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24F-19ZQ
"Mae Elaine Miller" was claiming to be a single woman aged 20 at the time, born Janesville, Minnesota, with a father Ernest and a mother Emily Berry 

She married a Thomas Gochie. This must be his death index entry in California in 1961:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPW1-Z3J

I can't find him/them in the censuses though, or what happened to Mary Ellen aka Mae Elaine.

[Malcolm33]

Many thanks for these finds, Jorose.   The whole case is getting weirder and weirder by the minute.

We had just found the birth of William around the same time as Shirley, but not that Emily Whittemore was the informant of the death of that child.

This Mae Elaine Miller can only be Mary Ellen Miller nee Whittemore being born in Jaynesville with father Ernest and mother Emily Berry, however she has twisted her first names and her father's surname from Whittemore to Miller.

But that marriage can't have lasted and looks like she reverted again.   I found the birth of another William Miller in Chicago in 1924 and the mother was named as Mary Miller born 1900 Minnesota which looks like her.   That child died after two months.

However the next thing is a street directory from 1927 where we can see she was back with William Miller and they were in the family home 41 Fern Street Lawrence.    The Berry's and Whittemores were at that address and at the home next door 39 Fern Street from at least 1920 to 1940 and those houses faced Lexington Avenue where more Whittemore's lived at No. 75.    Has to be the same William Frederick Miller as I think we've seen his occupation as being in a furniture factory before, as well as the right home address.

    So next think I guess is to see what happened to the Gochi marriage.

  Malcolm

[jorose]

Found Thomas indexed as "Gochia" in California in 1930:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC87-15B
He is with another wife, Marian L from Wisconsin. According to the "age at first marriage" entries they were both married for the first time in 1928...

He has a Carlton Miller listed as "stepfather", and a Lucy Miller as grandmother, here they are together in 1920:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFVQ-BMB
And Carlton with daughter Marian L in the 1900 census, household of her mother's family (Kelley):
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMK4-PGN

So just to make things more complicated he went ahead and married a different Miller!

Carlton died in 1935 and the informant was daughter Mrs Marion Gochie
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPWJ-Z6B3

Carlton M Miller is buried in the same cemetery as a Marion L. Miller 1899-1964, but I can't find a death under that name
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/8442/memorial-search?firstName=&lastName=Miller&page=1#sr-148615394

It would appear likely that this is her death indexed under the name Densmore:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP48-B44

At any rate, as you say this marriage must have been short-lived, and there's no sign of any kids that might be Mary Ellen's linked to the Gochie family or any later contact between them.

Just marking off another possibility:
Harry Whittaker married to a Mary E (according to kid's birth, Mary E Miller born Duluth) born Minnesota, in California 1930 and 1940...
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCDW-CM1
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9W5-3RH
She was Mary Elizabeth Miller and her birth can be traced in Minnesota.

[Malcolm33]

  Thanks again Jorose

   I've renewed my subscription to Ancestry as I wasn't getting very far with My Heritage and this case has myself and cousin mind boggled.

    I had just come across a number of photos of Tom Gochie, some with his wife Edria (Dorothy Edrie Clark Woodsworth) whom he married in 1945 and one with a Marion who I was about to look into, until I read your post.   So Marian must have been deceased before 1945 if Thomas was keeping to the usual rules.

     That Mary Ellen Whittaker looks close what with a birth year close to 1900 and birth in Minnesota.   However Father's birth Pennsylvania wouldn't be right as Mary Ellen Whittemore's father Ernest was born in New Hampshire.

     There are a couple of William Miller's in the 1940 census aged 53 and born in Illinois we are looking into, but I don't hold out too much hope as there were so many William F Miller's in Illinois.

      And now you have come up with more Miller's.    Perhaps they were all Mueller at one time as was John Mueller/Miller father of William, and this looks like a name as common as 'Smith'.

       Have to go, message popping up in Ancestry,

  Thanks Again,  Malcolm

[Malcolm33]

I've just made quite a surprising discovery, well I think it is anyway.    The Whittemore and Berry families were living at 75 and 77 Lexington Street Lawrence Mass. in 1910 and Garfield Berry was still at No. 75 in 1920.

I have just found a Mary Cullen living at No. 68 Trenton Street Lawrence in the 1927 directory.  When checking to see how far away it could be from 75/77 Lexington Street, I've found that these two addresses were back to back.    I've verified it by examining both maps and the street views.   We can even see the top of 77 Lexington Street at the back of the side of 68 Trenton.

So this has to be Mary Genevieve Cullen or if not then an enormous coincidence.