Chang & Eng Bunker- "Siamese Twins"

For Christmas, I received a book called "Mobituaries", written by Mo Rocca. I am loving it, even though I haven't much time to read. I just read a very interested story about the "first" siamese twins, or more-or-less the twins the term was named after. 

Born: 11 May 1811- Siam
Died: 17 Jan 1874- Mount Airy, North Carolina
         Age- 62

Eng and Chang Bunker

Now, obviously, I have heard of these twins before and I know I've seen there picture in various articles, but I never knew their story. Born in Siam (today, it's Thailand), they traveled to America at the age of 18 with a man who wanted to "manage" their talent, but he rather took advantage of the twins disability and pocketed most of the profits. At the age of 28, they stopped touring and settled into a small town in North Carolina so that they could marry and have lives of their own. I didn't know this part of their story. I had no idea they both married and even had children! 

Chang and Eng married in 1843 to sisters Sarah and Adelaide Yates, daughters of David and Nancy Yates. Between the two brothers, they had 21 children (Chang-10) (Eng- 11)!

~Family of Chang Bunker:

Chang married Adelaide Yates. Adelaide was born on 11 Oct 1823 and died at the age of 93 on 21 May 1917. She outlived her husband, his brother and her sister my many years. Chang and and Adelaide together had 10 children: 

1. Josephine Virginia (1844-1867)
2. Christopher Wrenn (1845-1932)
3. Nancy Adelaide (1847-1874)
4. Susan Mariana (1849-1922)
5. Victoria (1852-1896)
6. Louise Emiline (1855-1934)
7. Albert Lemuel (1857-1944)
8. Jesse Lafayette (1861-1909)
9. Margaret Elizabeth (1863-1950)
10. Hattie Irene (1868-1945)


~Family of Eng Bunker:

Eng married Sarah Ann Yates. She was born on 18 Dec 1822 and died at the age of 69 on 29 Apr 1892. Together, Eng and Sarah had 11 children:

1. Katherine Marcellus (1844-1871)
2. Julia Ann (1845-1865)
3. Stephen Decatur (1846-1920)
4. James Montgomery (1848-1921)
5. Patrick Henry (1850-1938)
6. Rosalyn Etta (1852-1852)
7. William Oliver (1855-1932)
8. Frederick Marshall (1857-1886)
9. Rosella Virginia (1859-1941)
10. Georgianna Columbia (1863-1865)
11. Robert Edward (1865-1951)

This is a terrible picture, but it was the largest "person" picture I could find of the twins and their families (picture courtesy of Google.com). Pictured are the twins, their wives, children and one of their slaves.

Surprisingly, neither brother had twins. However, with all of their 21 children, their direct descendants number over 1500! That is insane! These two men very well could have succumbed to their "disability" or "oddity" but instead, changed their lives for good and did what THEY wanted and I LOVE that part of the story! 

Chang and Eng and their wives Sarah and Adelaide are buried together in the White Plains Baptist Church Cemetery in White Plains, North Carolina. 

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

My 8 year old son Jack has discovered The Wizard of Oz. Apparently they watched it at school (learning about Tornadoes he says). Now, this is his favorite movie. He and my 3 year old daughter Chloe are currently watching it as they make a magnet tower from MagnaTiles.

I realized, even though I have Judy Garland and Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch of the West) in my family tree, I have never made a blog post about them or the movie, which is surprising. So, here we go!



~Judy Garland (born: Frances Ethel Gumm)
born: 10 Jun 1922 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota
died: 22 Jun 1969 in Belgravia, England

Judy was born Frances Ethel Gumm, the daughter of Francis Avent Gumm (1886-1935) & Ethel Marion Milne (1896-1953). She and her 2 sisters Dorothy and Mary were all actresses and  my 7th cousin, 4x removed. 

Judy was the lead actress in The Wizard of Oz in 1939, playing Dorothy Gale. She was 17 years old at the time.

The Gumm Sisters- 1935

Judy started acting in 1936 at the age of 14 years old and has starred in at least 25 different films.


U.S. Census Records:

1930- Antelope, Los Angeles, California (age 7): Judy is living with her parents and 2 sisters in Antelope, California, at 1211 Ceadir Street (?). Their home is rented for $40 a month. Her father works as a proprietor of a theater- owner and operator.

1940: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (age 17): Judy is living at 1231 Stone Canyon Road in Los Angeles, the home is owned, valued at $50,000. She is living with her mother, sister Sue, a butler and a maid. Both her mother and sister have also adopted the name Garland.

1231 Stone Canyon Rd in Los Angeles- (information from Realtor.com)
5 Bed, 5.5 bath, 5,513 Sqft, built in 1938. Last sold for 6.7 million in 2012.

Judy married 5 times in her 47 years and had 3 children:
1. Liza May Minnelli (b. 1946)
2. Lorna Luft (b. 1952)
3. Joseph Luft (b. 1955)


Judy died at the young age of 47 years old of a barbiturate overdose- a drug used to depress the central nervous system- example would be Xanax or Valium. She is buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.



~John Joseph Haley "Jack Haley"
born: 10 Aug 1898- Boston, Massachusetts
died: 06 Jun 1979- Los Angeles, California

Jack, born John Joseph Haley Jr., was born to John Joseph Haley Sr. and Ellen Curley. Jack is actually in my tree as well since his son John III married Judy Garland's daughter- Liza.
Jack played the Tin Man and the farmhand "Hickory" in the Wizard of Oz. He was 41 years old at the time.

Jack married Florence McFadden (1902-1996) and they had 2 children: Jack Jr. (1933-2001) and Gloria (1923-2010).

Jack died at the age of 80 of a heart attack on 06 Jun 1979. He is buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.


~Margaret Brainard Hamilton
born: 09 Dec 1902 in Cleveland, Ohio
died: 16 May 1985 in Salisbury, Connecticut

Margaret was the daughter of Walter Jones Hamilton (1865-1935) & Mary Jane "Jennie" Adams (1865-1926). She is my 8th cousin, 2x removed on my mother's side.

Margaret starred as The Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz in 1939. She was 37 years old at the time. I read somewhere a long while back that she had originally auditioned to play Glenda the Good Witch, but they said she was too ugly. I have no idea if that is accurate- I'd hope not! How cruel!

Before she played the Witch, Margaret was married to Paul Boynton Meserve (1902-1983) on 13 Jun 193 and they divorced in 1938. They had one son together: Hamilton Wadsworth Meserve (b. 1936). Hamilton married and gave his mother 3 grandchildren, one of whom he named after her.


U.S. Census Records:

1910: Cleveland, Ohio (age 7): Margaret was living at 2098 East 96th Street with her parents (father was a lawyer), 3 siblings and 2 servants. Their home was owned- mortgage-free. I couldn't find the house online, so either it was written incorrectly on the record or it doesn't exist anymore.

1930: Cleveland, Ohio (age 27): Margaret was living with her father and a servant. It appears to be the same address above, the number is different. It looks like it reads 2050, but it's transcribed as 2346. (None of the numbers come up in google search). Their home is owned, valued at $35,000. Her father is still an attorney.

1940: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California (age 37): Margaret is divorced, living with her son and a cook. They live at 611 Canon Drive- home is owned, valued at $42,000. Her occupation is listed as Movie Actress- motion pictures.

611 N. Canon Drive- (information courtesy of Zillow.com)
6 Bed, 7 bath, 10,999 sqft. Unfortunately, it appears Margaret's house in 1940 was probably torn down and this house was put in it's place because this house was built in 1983.

I thought it'd be fun to look up famous neighbors who were also in the movie business:

Next door @ 609 Canon Drive- Actor Ralph Bellamy, his wife Catherine and a lodger

Margaret died at the age of 82 and died on 16 May 1985. She was cremated, ashes scattered over her property in Dutchess County, New York.




Update-
18 Jan 2020- I found this wonderful video of The Wizard of Oz burials! Check it out if you get a chance!


VIDEO

Sylvan Cemetery (Citrus Heights, California)

Early last year (2019), I visited Sylvan Cemetery in Citrus Heights, California. This is a cemetery located a couple miles from my home in Fair Oaks. It's not a huge cemetery, but since I did have my two small children with me, I wasn't able to look gravestone-to-gravestone for the one I was looking for. I ended up emailing them when I got home and returned to the park later.

Sylvan Cemetery

7401 Auburn Blvd

Citrus Heights, California

95610

Website: www.sylvancemetery.com

Hours: Daily- 8-3:30pm

I didn't visit the office at all, like I said, I emailed them but they do have an email on their website if you want to email them for a map or location of a gravestone. They were very helpful! 

~Nathaniel H. Mendenhall (1871-1972) & Sally Dee Mendenhall (1881-1935)

Nathaniel Hobson Mendenhall is my 4th cousin, 5x removed and Sally was his wife. They are buried together in Sylvan Cemetery in the Old Section, Map 8. 

Nathaniel Mendenhall

09 Mar 1871- New London, Indiana

03 Apr 1972- Placer County, California 

Sally Dee Ponder

23 Jan 1881- Kentucky                                              

04 Nov 1935- Citrus Heights, California 

          (Daughter of James F. Ponder & Mary Foster)

Nathaniel and Sally were married on 09 Jul 1906. I couldn't find Nathan in the 1940 U.S. Census records, but in 1930, they were both still living in Rockford, Illinois. Nathaniel was working as a cleaner at a Dry Cleaning Company. They must have moved to California between 1930 and 1935 when Sally died.

I couldn't find any evidence of children. 

East Lawn Memorial Park (Sacramento, California)

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Sacramento! To kick off the first day of the new year, my family and I went grave hunting for some of my Mendenhall ancestors. I had previously gone to this cemetery before, but it's very large and I had gone by myself with my two small children. We didn't even get out of the car because I was so overwhelmed. 

So, I ventured to PetSmart with my husband for fish tank supplies and he ventured with me and the kiddos to the cemetery- fair trade, don't you think? :)

East Lawn Memorial Park 

4300 Folsom Boulevard

Sacramento, California

95819

Website: www.eastlawn.com

Here are a few maps that I received while vising the cemetery-- VERY useful. 

Mendenhall Burials according to Find A Grave:

~Lavina Caroline Williams Mendenhall (1863-1954)

Lavina was already in my tree. Her husband Martin Lincoln "Lincoln" Mendenhall (1861-1904) is my 6th Cousin, 6x Removed. Lavina's memorial is located in the Centennial Hall in the Main Building. Her's is located next to her son & daughter-in-laws. 

Lavina Caroline Williams Mendenhall

11 Sep 1863- Guernsey County, Ohio

30 Dec 1954- Sacramento, California

Lavina and Lincoln were married on 27 May 1883 in Guernsey County, Ohio. Between 1883 and 1902, they had 10 children (including 2 sets of twins): Ray Lincoln, Nellie, Lora, Lola, Joseph, Amy, Ada, Daphne, Thomas and Halleck .

Lincoln died in 1904 and it looks as though Lavina and her children made the move from Ohio to California sometime between 1910 and 1920 (according to U.S. Census Records).  Lincoln is buried in the Salesville Methodist Episcopal Cemetery in Salesville, Ohio. 

~Joseph Harold Mendenhall (1890-1977) &

         Irene L. Mendenhall (1900-1974)

Joseph and his wife Irene are buried next to his mother Lavina in the Centennial Hall in the Main Building of the cemetery. 

Like his mother, I already had Joseph and his wife Irene in my tree.

Joseph Harold Mendenhall- 7th Cousin, 5x Removed

27 May 1890- Salesville, Ohio

31 Dec 1977 - Sacramento, California 

 Irene L. Mendenhall

11 Jan 1900- Tahiti 

09 Jan 1974- Sacramento, California 

I have yet to find out Irene's maiden name, but from the 1940 U.S. Census record, it looks like she was born in Tahiti. Joseph and Irene never had children. Joseph is already living in the Sacramento area in 1910 while his mother and most of his siblings are back in Ohio. Irene must have already been in Sacramento when they met and married. I have yet to find a marriage date as well. 

~Ray Lincoln Mendenhall (1883-1965)

Ray Mendenhall was the eldest child of Lavina and Lincoln. He and his wife Alice Maude are located in the Azalea Court area of the cemetery, which is located just behind the El Dorado Building. 

I already had Ray and Alice in my tree-

Ray Lincoln Mendenhall - my 7th Cousin, 5x Removed

30 Dec 1883- Salesville, Ohio

02 May 1965- Sacramento, California

Alice Maude VanMaren Mendenhall

16 Mar 1897- Sacramento, California                 (Daughter of Nicholas Van Maren &

25 Feb 1968- Yolo, California                                           Ida Mae Kieffer)

Ray and Alice were married on 02 Jun 1947 in Carson City, Nevada. They never had children together. Alice had been previously married and had several children from that marriage. 

~Thomas Albert Mendenhall (1899-1984) &

            Maude Jeanette Schillinger Mendenhall (1905-1995)

Thomas was the 9th child of Lavina and Lincoln. He and his wife Maude are buried in the Rose Court area of the cemetery behind the El Dorado Building- near his brothers Halleck and Ray. 

Thomas Albert Mendenhall- 7th Cousin, 5x Removed

31 Dec 1899- Salesville, Ohio

28 Jan 1984- Sacramento, California

Maude Jeanette Schillinger Mendenhall

29 Jun 1905- California

26 Apr 1995- Carmichael, California 

Thomas and Maude had one son- Thomas Joseph Mendenhall (1925-2012). His wife Elizabeth is listed below: 

~Elizabeth M. Mendenhall (1928-2019)

Find A Grave stated that her grave was located in the Sutter Balcony, which was found in the El Dorado Building next to the Main Building. 

When I got home, I discovered that Elizabeth was not already in my tree. It took last night and all this morning to figure it out- but I did find her. I actually already had her husband in my tree- 

Elizabeth Marie "Betty" Mendenhall (nee' Sweeney)

10 May 1928- McGill, Nevada

03 Apr 2019- Sacramento, California

Daughter of John Sweeney & Mary DeMarco

Elizabeth married Thomas Joseph Mendenhall (1925-2012) on 22 Jun 1952. Thomas is my 8th Cousin, 4x Removed. They divorced in Dec 1971 after having 2 children, a son and daughter. Elizabeth had been a teacher and a parole officer (per obituary in the Sacramento Bee). She died just before her 91st birthday of lung cancer. 

~Halleck W. Mendenhall (1902-1966) &

            Kittie Naomi Culverhouse Mendenhall (1904-1986)

Halleck was the last child of Lavina and Lincoln. He and his wife Kittie are buried in the Azalea Court section of the cemetery, near his brother Ray. 

Halleck W. Mendenhall- 7th Cousin, 5x Removed

13 Feb 1902- Salesville, Ohio

19 Dec 1966- Sacramento, California

Kittie Naomi Culverhouse

28 Oct 1904- Oklahoma                                      (Daughter of Samuel Culverhouse &

29 Sep 1986- Sacramento, California                         Maud Smithson)

I don't think Halleck and Kittie ever had children. By the 1940 U.S. Census, they were both in their mid-to-late thirties and had no children. 

~Others--

There are several other Mendenhall's buried in this cemetery, but I was unable to find them and didn't have the time:

~Daphne Elizabeth Mendenhall Dart (1896-1987)- another child of Lavina and Lincoln. 

         - 7th cousin, 5x removed 

~Lola Rebecca Mendenhall Foster (1887-1987)- another child of Lavina and Lincoln.

         - 7th cousin, 5x removed

~Ada Marie Mendenhall Pierini (1898-1978)- another child of Lavina and Lincoln

         -7th cousin, 5x removed

~John W. Mendenhall (1839-1908) & wife America Ellen Fridley Mendenhall (1845-1924) (America's grave is unmarked next to her husband).

          -John- 6th cousin, 6x removed

~Aubrey Ray Mendenhall (1902-1940) (buried in section 4)

          -6th cousin, 4x removed

~Margaret Mendenhall (1906-2000) (wife of Aubrey (above))

~Charles Lindley Mendenhall (1884-1950)

           -8th cousin, 4x removed 

~Martha Adala Louise Schultz Mendenhall (1890-1978) (wife of Charles (above))

~Margaret Estelle Mendenhall Sage (1911-1996) (buried in section A)

            -8th cousin, 4x removed

~Lida E. Mendenhall Smith (1887-1953)

             -8th cousin, 4x removed