North Dakota, Eugene McPherson, adopted, born approx 1911

[caroline_forster]

Apologies, just noticed this should have been posted in Look-up Requests!
I'll re-post there and hopefully this post can be removed.

Good evening,

I am looking for some help in tracing Eugene McPherson, born approx 1911.

On the 1920 US Census he is the adopted son of Francis and Edna Cook.
On the 1930 US Census he is Eugene Thomas MacPherson, in the army, stationed in Hawaii.
On the 1940 US Census he is back in North Dakota, married, with his wife and child.

I believe his birthday was 26th April, probably 1911 but possibly 1910. He may have been born in Colgate / Steele, North Dakota.

I am trying to find out who his biological parents were but have not found any resources online to shed more light on this.

Is it correct that North Dakota birth records are sealed for 125 years?

Can anybody recommend any resources to help me find out more about his birth / adoption / biological parents?

I am based in England so cannot physically visit any archives in North Dakota.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance,

Caroline

[*Sandra*]

Also posted https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=826257.msg6899694

[caroline_forster]

Yes, sorry about that. Realised I posted this in the wrong section, so reposted in look-ups but don't know how to delete this thread.

[*Sandra*]

Its not possible for us to delete a thread but a moderator will take care of it for you.

Sandra 

[oldohiohome]

I wouldn't worry about "Mc" vs "Mac"

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"By state law, only birth records 125 years or older are included in the index"
https://www.history.nd.gov/archives/vitalrecords.html

That probably means you can't get a copy either, even if you know the date of birth. But just in case, here is the state site:
https://www.health.nd.gov/vital
contact link at bottom of page. If you talk to them, ask if they will do a 5 year span searching for the birth, some states will.

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on the 1915 Census, Steele County, ND
Eugene is listed on the line after Francis, Edna, and Vesta Cook. a separate dwelling, according to the census, for what that is worth. So he was with them by then.

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In 1910 Edna says she only had 1 child, 1 alive, which would be her son Vesta. so Eugene is not their grandchild, whom they were raising. Did either Edna or Francis have a niece in the area?

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In 1920, with the Cooks probably answering the questions, it says Eugene's parents were born in North Dakota. not too much help

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16 Oct 1940 WWII Registration
Eugene Thomas McPherson
living in Seattle, King Co, WA
born 26 April 1910, Colgate ND
contact: wife Edna McPherson, of Woodworth, Stutsman Co, ND
blue eyes, black hair, ruddy complexion, 5'10 1/2", 170 lb

--his date of birth, according to him. But even that is not always 100% reliable. People were off by a year or so sometimes.

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and just rounding up the usual suspects, there is this man in the area:
1910 Census, Hope, Steele County, ND
Walter McPherson, 25, a barber, born in Wisconsin, father in Scotland, mother in Canada

That was 6.7 miles from Colgate, ND

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLGK-2YH

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All in all not much help.
Did he have descendants that you know who would want to submit a DNA sample somewhere?

[jorose]

I removed the duplicate post.

North Dakota had state censuses in 1915 and 1925, which would help fill in details of his early years.

I can see him with the Cooks in 1925, he has their surname: (but can't find any of them in 1915 unfortunately!)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9C-F1JX

https://statemuseum.nd.gov/database/marriages/index.php?content=marriages-sort-main-2&search_Groom=McPherson&search_Bride=&radioSpelling=First&search_range_1=&search_range_2=

 - marriage index online. You can find Eugene's marriage in 1934, but also I had a look for others who might be part of his birth or adoptive family in case there was a connection.

Now, his adoptive mother Edna's maiden name was Curry, and it seems that a John A. McPherson married a Lida Curry in 1907 in Cass Co.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87096037/1908-01-02/ed-1/seq-6/#date1=1789&sort=date&date2=1963&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&index=1&words=John+McPherson
 - Lydia Curry was of Colgate, John A McPherson was from Page, North Dakota, and had lived in the area since he was a child.

https://apps.nd.gov/doh/certificates/deathCertSearch.htm
 - John A. McPherson died in October 1910 in Cass Co, so if this is the right couple then Eugene was born after his father's death.

Possible remarriage also in Cass Co -  Lida McPherson married in 1912 - Oscar E. Seim

Another possible child to Lida/Lydia and John, born 1908:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2MN-YTXX
Can't find him in 1910 but he's with Curry family in 1920:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4MW-J4Q


In 1900 Lida I Curry is with family in North Dakota:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9V6-1GJ

I think this is the same family in 1880 with Edna:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW3S-JSP



So to summarise: Edna Cook nee Curry, Eugene's adoptive mother, had a much younger sister  named Lida, born 1891, who I think could have been Eugene's birth mother.

Lida or Lydia Curry married in 1907 to John A McPherson, and they had a son Frank in 1908 (can't find any of these people in 1910).  In 1910 John A McPherson died, and in 1912 Lida may have remarried (can't find her later in life). Frank went to live with some of his mother's relatives and is traceable from 1920 onwards.

[oldohiohome]

@jorose
very nice work
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 Minnesota, Death Index, 1908-2017
Name:    Eugene Thomas McPherson
Death Age:    65
Record Type:    Death
Birth Date:    1 Jan 1900
Death Date:    12 Mar 1965
Death Place:    Ramsey
Death Registration Date:    1965
Mother's Maiden Name:    Curry
Certificate Number:    007920
Record Number:    1597329

[1 January 1900 sounds like a "generic" date that every record has, or maybe the ones without a birth, or ...]

buried in Jamestown, ND
Eugene T McPherson
Birth    1910
Death    1965 (aged 54–55)
Burial    
Highland Home Cemetery
Jamestown, Stutsman County, North Dakota, USA
Memorial ID    178373824

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178373824

he and his wife are the only McPhersons in the cemetery. There are two Currys, husband and wife, unknown how they are connected

Frank E Curry (1871-1959)
Adelaide S Curry (1873-1960)

[caroline_forster]

Thank you oldohiohome and jorose!

that is great information, I had wondered if Eugene may be a relative who was taken in by the Cooks. I will look at all the information you have provided and see where that takes me.

Many thanks,

Caroline

[RJ137]

To help support the above findings and theories.


The  Curry family often appears in the records by 1st two initials or interchanges first & middle names.

E S Curry= Edwin Seth
S H / H S Curry = Seth Halsey Curry (wife Lillie)
H S Curry =  Halsey Smith (b.1841/1842)

The 1910 census as well as the mention of John McPherson's funeral places the family around Colgate, which is where Eugene was born, according to his WWII Registration.
 
=======

The Hope Pioneer
Hope, North Dakota
Thursday, November 10, 1910 - Page 1

Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Curry went to Colgate last Sunday to attend the funeral of John McPherson, a brother-in-law of Mrs. Curry, who died there last week. They returned home Tuesday.

========================

Halsey Smith Curry(H S) the father of these 8 Curry children is living with his married daughter Edna E Cook in 1910, Colgate, Steele, North Dakota. This is the same family Eugene is listed as adopted son in 1920.

1910 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLG2-M5W

John A McPherson and his wife Lida(daughter of H S Curry) & son their son Frank are living in Broadlawn, Steele, North Dakota. That is about 10 miles from Colgate.

1910 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLG2-DHW

In 1915 Frank is living with his uncle S H (Seth) Curry, his wife Lillie & their daughter Gladys. Frank is grouped with the wrong family on the census page. Should be with Curry family above his name, not with Sheperd family below his name.

1915 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVR9-6RTF

Frank in 1920 with Uncle Seth

1920 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4MW-J4Q

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A tree at Family Search of the Curry's- No sources

Tree: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L62S-G5G