Roberts: What We Found

CGS volunteer Dick Rees handles the mail at the society, so it was he who first read McMaster's request. Dick spearheaded the research efforts of a small group that included Verne Deubler, Nancy Peterson, Vinnie Schwarz and Pat Smith.

William Harold Roberts was the son of John and Elfreda Seifert Roberts, born October 14, 1895, in San Francisco. No official birth record exists because the ledgers were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire.

The team gathered data from all the likely sources and also contacted the Episcopal Diocese Archives, the Lick-Wilmerding High School, the San Francisco Historical Society and the San Francisco Public Library and their Sixth Floor History Center.

But "Look-up" volunteer, Pat Smith, hit pay dirt when she followed the "no stone left unturned" approach and found a listing for William Harold Roberts in the San Francisco probate index.

The estate file includes a typescript of a letter that Roberts wrote to his father on July 4, 1918 from France. After Robert's death in November of that year, the letter became his last will and testament.

Harold's letter was started in ink but was finished in pencil when his fountain pen went dry. It was in the closing sentences, in pencil, that Roberts indicated that if he died everything should be left to his father's sister, Ida May Zeile.

Roberts, who was unmarried, left a war risk insurance policy, probably standard issue by the Army. The "will" was challenged by family members when Harold's aunt filed for probate in 1924, two years after the death of Roberts' father. An article from the November 18, 1924, San Francisco Chronicle, "Will of Hero Hit in Court - Relatives Attack Letter Written on Battlefield Leaving Estate" describes charges of forgery and the fight for the money.

Ultimately, Ida was named the executor and Roberts' $8000 estate was divided among the living relatives.

Read the entire series:

• Part 1 — Searching for Harold Roberts
  
• Part 3 — Roberts' Battlefield Letter
• Part 4 — A Face for Harold Roberts
• Part 5 — A Hero's Final Resting Place

Searching for Harold Roberts

The letter to CGS didn't use these words but the message was clear:
find Corporal Harold W. Roberts.

Periodically the California Genealogical Society and Library receives a research request that morphs into a group project. In this case the letter came from Gary McMaster, director and curator of the Camp Roberts Historical Museum. He was looking for Harold Roberts, the World War I soldier posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, for whom the camp is named.

Camp Roberts is a one-time Army base, now National Guard training facility, off U.S. 101 about half way between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Originally called Camp Nacimiento, the name was changed even before it became operational during World War II. It is the only U.S. facility named in honor of an enlisted man.

Gary McMaster, Retired Army Sergeant First Class, has been on a mission to find out all he can about Roberts. He first contacted CGS last summer with the letter that said in part:

"We would like to find out about any of his family and try to find out whatever happened to his parents and his Medal of Honor. We also would like to find any photographs of him, as we have none. The large painting we have in his exhibit in the Museum... is an artist's impression. We would like to know what he actually looked like."

The Paso Robles Gazette did a story about McMasters and the planned exhibit on Roberts, but no mention was made of the efforts of the research team at the California Genealogical Society. I thought I should set the record straight.

Read the entire series:

• Part 2 — Roberts: What We Found
  
• Part 3 — Roberts' Battlefield Letter
• Part 4 — A Face for Harold Roberts
• Part 5 — A Hero's Final Resting Place

Sacramento Membership Coffee

Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Belle Cooledge Library
5600 South Land Park Drive
Sacramento, CA 95822

California Genealogical Society members living in the greater Sacramento area have been invited to a coffee at the Belle Cooledge Branch Library on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The get-togethers are a fun way to meet members who live locally and are designed to help us link with neighbors who share similar genealogy research interests. Take advantage of this opportunity to network and set up car pools for future CGS meetings, events or research trips. CGS President, Jane Lindsey will give guests an update on current events at the society.

If you live in our target area, please save the date and let us know if you can come. You can also feel free to bring a friend who is interested in genealogy. The society gratefully acknowledges the generosity of Sacramento member, Janet Feil, who made the arrangements and is acting as hostess. RSVP to the society at (510) 663-1358 or email CGSpublicity@gmail.com.

Wordless Wednesday

California Genealogical Society and Library
Research Tour to the Family History Library
Salt Lake City, Utah
April 13 - 20, 2008

Photographs courtesy of Cathy Merrill Paris.

Salt Lake City Success

Another CGS Tour to Salt Lake City came to a close on Saturday night with the annual dinner at Lamb’s Grill. Special guest and CGS member, Steve Danko, took time out from the United Polish Genealogical Societies Biennial Conference to join us.

President Jane Lindsey thanked all of the participants and gave an overview of the upcoming society events. Before the annual group photograph was taken, several members shared their research success stories.

Jane was doing the genealogical happy dance after finding the marriage record of Magdelena GERTH and Valentine HUND in Renchen, Germany.

Mother-daughter team, Penny Pollock and Faith Hazelton have attended the SLC trip for all eight years. Penny got closer to proving a Mayflower line through George SOULE; Faith proved one last year.

Mary White Limosner, equipped with new knowledge obtained during the Eastern European Research Workshop, finally had success finding her BUDNICK family in Polish records.

Arlene and Ted Miles enjoyed their first trip and found information on their Brooklyn ancestors and Ted's Kentucky MILES family.

Rick Sherman was finding elusive Danes online in his hotel room.

Pat Smith and Laura Spurrier took advantage of the Danish talks offered this week at the Family History Library. Pat applied the knowledge to her Swedish ancestor Johan WIDMAN and found a probate record from the late 1700s.

Betty Barnard Walker found her BIERMANN ancestor in German passenger records from the mid-nineteenth century.

Bill O’Neil finally found the documentation he needed for his French Canadian DRINKWINE/BOIVIN and MITCHELL/MICHAUDs.

And last but not least, Cathy Paris and CGS librarian, Laura Spurrier, discovered that they are MERRILL sixth cousins.

SLC Tour group 2008

Photograph courtesy of Cathy Merrill Paris.