Dewey M. Bagley, Jr. – War Ration Book No. 3 (1943)

Dewey Bagley was just 11 years old when the ration book pictured below was  issued to him almost 70 years ago.

The ration book ended up in an antique mall in Carson, California. I purchased it a few weeks ago and have done some research to try to find out something about Dewey and see if I can reunite this memento with him or a member of his family.

The ration book has two addresses written on it. The first address on it was 8921 Hubbard in Culver City, California. That address was crossed out and another written on the book: 1711 No. Maple St. in Burbank.

I searched on Ancestry.com for Dewey Bagley born in California. The following records seem relevant:

• California Birth Index – Dewey M. Bagley born in Los Angeles County on 15 September 1932; mother’s maiden name Wall
• Burbank City Directory (1939) – Listing for Dewey Bagley (wife Jean); a sta attdt [station attendant?]; living at 1111 Clark Ave.
• Burbank City Directory (1946) – Listing for Dewey M. Bagley (wife Jeanne E.); mech[anic?]; living at 731 Evergreen
• Social Security Death Index – Dewey M. Bagley, born 15 December 1912, died 9 October 1998, in Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County, California (perhaps father?)
• California Marriage Index – Marriage of Dewey M. Bagley and Julia L. McPherson/Scherer, 1 February 1969, in Orange County

The index for the 1940 census in California was recently made available on FamilySearch. A search for Dewey Bagley at the address on the ration book was successful. Dewey, age 7, with his parents and a younger brother, were living with his grandmother at 8921 Hubbard in Culver City. Here is a snip of that census record:

I would like to return this book to its rightful owners. If you are a member of this family, or know the family, please leave a comment or email me at dspurlock (dot) ancestraltrees (at) gmail (dot) com.

© 2012 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Wyatt Scrapbook - So What Is Left?

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the individuals named.

Over the past two weeks, I posted the few items from the scrapbook that directly mentioned Laurine Wyatt. So what is left?

There are photo corners glued in the scrapbook that now hold nothing so certainly there were other items; I imagine those items were of some value to the individual who last owned the scrapbook.

There are additional items that, in my estimation, lack genealogical value in the sense they do not report vital events in the lives of individuals. But certainly those items represent people, places and events that were meaningful to Laurine.

While working with the scrapbook, I have done some research on Laurine Wyatt that is posted on a public member tree at Ancestry.com. From what I have been able to determine, she never married and has no direct descendants.

Over the next few months, I plan to continue to research Laurine’s life. I also plan to assemble a digital scrapbook containing all of the contents of the physical scrapbook. (I welcome any suggestions for the best place to publish such a digital scrapbook; I would like for it to be accessible free of charge.)

My hope is that one of Laurine Wyatt’s distant cousins will someday claim her legacy.

© 2012 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Wyatt Scrapbook - A Letter from Fairyland

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the individuals named.

Laurine must have been very ill and much in need of cheering up, based on this letter sent to her at St. Joseph Hospital in August 4, 1928.This delightful letter was neatly folded and kept in the scrapbook in its original envelope. It does refer to another event for which Laurine had a newsclipping—the engagement of Ora Beverly Goss and Lucian Leonard Davis of St. Louis, Missouri.Lucian Davis had two younger sisters, Edith and Helen, the likely writers of this letter. [Source: 1920 U.S. census, St.Louis (Independent City), Missouri, population schedule, St. Louis Ward 25, Enumeration District (ED) 510, Sheet 5A, dwelling 66, family 91, Albert S.Davis; online images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 February2012); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm publication T625, roll 961.]

  

[the envelope]

E. & H. Davis

7577 Warner Ave.

St. Louis, Mo.

                                                Miss Laurine Wyatt

                                                St. Thomas Hospital

                                                Nashville, Tenn.

Room 416

Special Del.

[the letter]

“Just Anytime —Anywhere

Fairyland_

Dear little sick girl, we are thinking of you, and we hope you are feeling better, and will soon be back to the old job. [Every woman's job]

We know you will soon be up and out. We think about you every day,and would love so much to see you. And to, we hope you will be out before the wonderful summer breezes are gone. So you can stretch your arms and feel so free once again.

Everything is at the heigth of its beauty here now. Mother's flowers are all in bloom. We have red roses, yellow roses, pink roses,and white roses. Beautiful red zenias, colorful Petunias, happy larkspurs, towering Tiger Lilies, swaying Hollyhawks, dancing pansies, and Oh!ever so many more.

And I can't forget our rolly, poly vegetable garden. Saucy parsley,peppery radishes, slender pole beans, sqatty lettuce leaves, oderless onions,snippy, nippy parsnips, and red hot jazz mad peppers. Now, what do you think of that for a vitality giving, bone building, garden?

Now we aren't trying to tempt you, or anything like that, but you know these vitality giving, bone building, morsels are what you need, and we are only trying to help the doctor.

And, too, we want to tempt you with these healthy things so you will soon be strong enough to fill our mail tray—>

Our little fairies wish you nothing but luck. They say they enjoyed their visit very much. I know you must have liked them too. One little fairy goes with everyeach letter to bring you a good message of cheer. Oh! yes we fairies have a Queen, but she never travels away from our Castle _^^ofhappiness. If she did it would crumble and fall away. And so it is a great privilege to have her picture here. —>

This  picture was made especially for you.  —>

I suppose you know there is going to be a happy celebration at TurkeyTime. And we shall be speeding toward your city to attend this magnificant affair. [Ora's and Lucian's wedding of course.]

And we hope to see our little friend when we arrive.

You can't imagine who we are, because fairies do not tell their names. So open this book and in it you will the images of two—Alas! —two Monkey Dunks.

Just feel how woozy we are.

Love, Oooze & Wooze”

© 2012 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Wyatt Scrapbook - A Christmas Letter

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson,California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the individuals named.

Only two letters addressed to Laurine were in her scrapbook.The first, transcribed below, was signed by B.M.C., her room-mate. Where did they live? Perhaps the YWCA, which seems to have figured prominently in Laurine’slife. How did they know each other? The stationery is from the Executive Offices of The Castner-Knott Dry Goods Company: did the writer work there? Were they both members of one of the groups the YWCA sponsored for young women? I wonder what Laurine gave her friend as a Christmas gift. Did they remain friends for life? I hope someday to learn the answers to my many questions.

“THE CASTNER-KNOTT DRY GOODS COMPANY

NASHVILLE

EXECUTIVE OFFICES

Dear Laurine:

I wish that I was going to be here on Xmas. morning, and I could know you were happy as I want you to be. But I'll think of you even though I'm away.

The atmosphere of Xmas. seems to be on your table. It all goes to prove as I'm going to say - You're one of the sweetest girl's I've ever known,and after all that's what counts in life. Wasn't it Franklin, who said,Character is what God and the Angels know about us.

If I were a  poet I'd write a poem If I were  a rich girl I'd leave you wealth, But since I'm a poor girl I leave you all I have-

My love, with best wishes for Your Health, Happiness, and a New Year of Joy.

Love,

Your room-mate

B.M.C.

P. S. Many thanks for the Xmas. gift, you couldn't have given me anything else that I'd appreciate more.”

© 2012 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Wyatt Scrapbook - The Bible Defended

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I amtranscribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the individuals named.

  

This is one of the few items in the scrapbook that mentions Laurine Wyatt. In what I believe was a short play presented by the John L. Hill B.Y.P.U. (Baptist Young Peoples Union), she was cast in the role of a shop girl.Perhaps because she was a shop girl at Tinsley’s department store? Several of the surnames in the program are familiar from THE FIDELIAN, the class paper of the Fidelis Bible class of the First Baptist Church.

  

“JOHN L. HILL B.Y.P.U

September 14, 1930

6:45 P.M.

THE BIBLE DEFENDED

in a

COURT OF JUSTICE

INTRODUCTION - Leola Schneider

COURT SCENE

DEFENDANT - Holy Bible

Angel - Ila Joyner

Magistrate - Frank H. Leavell

Prosecutor - Leola Schneider

The Spirit of Love -Bobbie Chambers

Witnesses

Education - Mrs. R.B. Brantley

Mother and Child - Mrs.W. O. Gray,

Mary Elizabeth Brantley

Business Man - C. E. Wood

Art - Elizabeth Denmark

Peasant Woman - Lucille Burgess

Science - R. B.Brantley

Shop Girl - Laurine Wyatt

A Passer-By - W. J. Issacs

Music - Mrs.Margaret Smith

An Industrial Worker- Vivian Leffler

Church - Mai Holt

Keeper of the Court- Frank Cummins”

© 2012 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Wyatt Scrapbook - The Fidelian - December 29, 1931

InNovember 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson,California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I amtranscribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with thehope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching theindividuals named.

I’mnot sure why Laurine Wyatt saved this particular issue of THE FIDELIAN, classpaper of the Fidelis Bible class of the First Baptist Church of Nashville,dated December 20, 1931. I did not find her name in it; perhaps it was for thelist of names and numbers included on the last page.

Thenewsletter was printed in red ink so it is not easy to read. I have listed thenames of individuals mentioned below the image of each page.

[page1]

  

[page2]

 [page3]

Individualsmentioned on the above page:

Miss Alia E. Landers, Mrs. M. F. Mortimer, Mrs. HarryG. Fisher (Jacksonville, Florida), Miss Margaret Lawrence (Lewisburg,Tennessee), Mr. Whittaker, Mr. Muensch, Miss Kathleen Ligon, Mrs. Baker, MissMadge Dorider, Mrs. Margaret Rich Ackerman, Miss Christine Lamb, Mr. GeorgeNevins, Ovid Collins,  Miss FrankHollowell, Ethel Jaques Bradley, Mrs. Jack Steele, Jr., Lois Thomason, Mrs. C.Hamlin

[page4]

  

Individualsmentioned on the above page:

Mrs. Ida Baker, Mrs. Leslie B. Holmes, Mrs. Herbert P.Strack, Mattie Moore, Mrs. Ben A. Tanksley, Mrs. Willis P. Bearden, Mrs. E. H.Brown, Mrs. Elizabeth Denmark, Mrs. Robert Paull, W. Ovid Collins, John L.Hill, Miss Mai Hite, Mrs. W. P. Wooten, Miss Jennie Parham, Miss Jo Lena Bond,Miss Nina Pardue, Miss Anne Farrar, Miss Marie Stevens, Mrs. B. C. Moses, MissLena McAskill, Miss Libbie Tegarden, Miss Bessie Kirkland, Mrs. H. O. Kelly,Miss Irene Million, Mrs. Jas. C. Bartlett, Mrs. L. G. Haswell, Miss SallieGibbs, Mrs. H. P. McClurken, Miss Addie Tillou, Miss Addie Wise, Miss GoldaMoorman, Mrs. Ella Johnson, Miss Eldridge McKay, Mrs. Evans Sprott, Miss LoisThomason, Miss Bertha Dixon, Miss Lucille Burgess, Miss Mildred Dortch, MissDella Rogers, Miss Lurla M. Rollins, Miss Nelle Chaffin, Mrs. F. G.Westenberger, Miss Georgia Herndon, Miss Mayver Moore, Miss Ida France, MissRuth Bonner, Miss Evelyn Butts, Mrs. H. B. Thurston, Miss Ruby Stover, Mrs.Maude Parkes, Miss Laura Ryan, Mrs. R. H. Bruce, Miss Elizabeth Neblette, Mrs.J. A. Whittaker, Miss Lottie Holman, Miss Ila Joyner, Miss Nina Smartt, Mrs. R.R. Arterburn, Miss Ruby Shemwell, Miss Emma Baldwin, Miss Ola Maddox.

© 2012 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Wyatt Scrapbook - Fidelis Class 9th Annual Banquet

InNovember 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson,California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I amtranscribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with thehope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching theindividuals named.

It appears that Laurine Wyatt was a member of the verypopular Fidelis Bible class for women at the First Baptist Church in Nashville.

“Fidelis Class Meets

--Staff Photo.

These 376 members of the Fidelis Class of the First Baptist Churchmet for the ninth annual banquet of the class Monday night at the Hotel AndrewJackson. When the class was first organized, there were only 12 members.”

Notes: Although the name of the newspaper and date of publication ofthis clipping are unknown, I estimate its publication circa 1930-32.

© 2012 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research