Continuing down the research trail…
I’m now working on the children of John C. and Margaret Jones. The 1900 census shows that Margaret had four children and three survived. They were Nettie, Nellie, and Maud. This is what I found on the children so far…
1. Nettie
In the 1870 Census, Nettie is listed as Jeanette. She is 3 years old, born in California.
In the 1880 Census, Nettie is 13 and attending school.
According to the San Francisco Call Newspaper Index, Nettie Jones married Frank L. Walthers in 1887 in San Francisco.
In the 1900 Census, Nettie and Frank live in San Francisco. Nettie’s sister, Maud, lives with them. Nellie is 32. Frank is 40. He was born in California but his parents were from Germany. Frank works as a butcher.
On 6 Dec 1905, Frank L. Walther passes away. He died of apoplexy at a mental hospital. I looked up apoplexy. Today it has something to do with bleeding, but previously it referred to seizures. I suspect since Frank was in a mental hospital that he had seizures. I would imagine they viewed them different in the early 1900s.
I couldn’t find Nettie or Jeanette Walther in the census after 1900. Perhaps she died young or remarried. From Frank’s obituary, I learned that he had several siblings. Perhaps Nettie went to live with one of them.
2. Nellie
In the 1870 Census, Nellie is 1 years old, born in California.
In the 1880 Census, Nellie is 11 years old and attending school.
Nellie is given as Nellie Phelps in her father’s obituary in 1905 and her mother’s obituary in 1908.
I couldn’t find mention of Nellie (Jones) Phelps in the census, birth index, death index, newspaper index, or mortuary index. I did a search in the 1900 through 1930 census records with Eleanor as a first name, but there wasn’t anything that jumped out at me.
3. Maud
Maud is not listed with the family in 1870 or 1880.
Maud is noted as Maud Jones in her father’s obituary in 1905. She is noted as Maud Porterfield in her mother’s obituary in 1908.
Maud is living with her sister, Nellie and family, in 1900. She is single and working as a Dressmaker.
I found an entry for Maud’s daughter also named Maud in the Halsted’s Mortuary Index. Baby Maud was born prematurely on the 7th of Jul 1904 and died on the 9th of Jul 1904.
In 1910, the Porterfield’s live on 4th Avenue in San Francisco. Maud is given as Sarah. James and Maud have been married for 6 years. James is a telephone salesman. They have a daughter, Maud Ethel, 2 years old.
In 1920, the Porterfield’s live on 35th Avenue in San Francisco. James is listed as 43 years old, Maud as 37, and daughter, Maud, is 12. It looks like James’ profession is commission/business.
In 1930, the Porterfield’s live on 36th Avenue in San Francisco. James is listed as 51, Maud as 48, and daughter, Maud is listed as 21. Both mother and daughter are given as Maude [sic] E. James works in advertising/merchandise. Their daughter, Maud, is a stenographer for an insurance company. She is single.
The California Death Index gives this entry for Maud:
Maude [sic] E. Porterfield, b. 30 Jul 1882, CA; d. 31 Aug 1960, San Francisco County. Mother’s Maiden name Coffin.
There is a World War I draft registration card for James Percy Porterfield, dated 12 Sep 1918. James lived at 866 35th Avenue, San Francisco. He was born 25 Nov 1875. He worked International Correspondence School as a salesman. His nearest relative was his wife, Maud Ethel Porterfield.
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That’s all that I was able to find on the three daughters Nettie, Nellie, and Maud. I’ll have to think over the best way to research them further. I need to figure out what happened to Nettie Walther after her husband, Frank, died. I need to figure out where Nellie Phelps lived after she got married. City directories might be the best bet on tracking them.
The only one I have a death date for is Maud. I will have to search the San Francisco Chronicle or Examiner for an obituary. If I’m lucky, Maud’s sisters and daughter will still be living and the obituary will provide information on their whereabouts.
All in all, not a bad day’s work.
