What Do I Know

James Lawrence Adams was born between the years 1869-1872 to Dr. James William Adams and Mary I. Cox. He lived in the Des Moines area from birth through 1900 and was the younger of two children.  His older sister, Katie, was born in Michigan. Their father attended medical school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

In 1900 James married Edna J. Brass in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The newlyweds lived with his parents in Prairie City, Des Moines Township. The young couple had one son, James Lyman Adams, who was born on 4 March 1905 is Des Moines, Iowa. Sometime between 1905 and 1910 the young family moved west to Long Beach, California.

In 1910, James Lawrence Adams and family resided at 1132 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach, California. James worked as an accident insurance agent. Just for fun, I performed a Google search and found the home. This multi-family residence built in 1923 is located in downtown Long Beach.

Details of James Lawrence's life during the years from 1910- 1926 remain a mystery. During that time, his marriage to Edna Brass failed. James Lyman graduated with a law degree from Stanford University and was admitted to the California State Bar in 1929. In 1930 James Lyman, lived with his paternal grandmother, Mary Adams nee Cox. Mary is eighty-two years of age and James is twenty-five. Grandmother Mary Adams nee Cox passed away in 1931 and in 1933 James Lyman Adams wed Helene M. Rapp. Where is James Lawrence Adams for all of this?

At some point James Lawrence made his way to Chicago. It is here he met Charlotte Ludiger. This was a first marriage for Charlotte Ludiger. The 1930 census records report she was married at the age of 24; which suggests a marriage year of 1924. Charlotte Jane Adams was born in 1926.

From this point on, James lived at 5550 Kenmore Avenue in Chicago. His occupation is reported to a salesman of stocks and a racetrack employee. Charlotte Jane reports that her father gambled. He was known to bet on racehorses at all the Chicago area racetracks.

James Lawrence made friends with celebrities and would bring home personalized autographs of famous people for his little girl. Her collection includes autographs from Judy Garland, Jimmy Durante and Uncle Al Jolson just to name a few. A Chicago Tribune sports writer wrote about James Lawrence Adams saying “Old Doc Adams” just sits around mumbling. I have not yet found the newspaper article.

During those World War II years, James Lawrence Adams would invite servicemen home for dinner.

James Lawrence came from a highly educated family. He was a stickler about school and good grades. He wanted Charlotte Jane to be well educated. Charlotte Jane desired to attend Northwestern University and become a doctor. Of course, she wanted to live on campus and James Lawrence told her no. She could get her education but had to come home at night.

He then suggested that nice Catholic College down the road. It was supposed to be a good school for girls. Charlotte Jane Adams enrolled in Mundelein College just a bus ride down from their apartment. Mundelein College later became Loyola University located along Lake Michigan’s shore in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Charlotte Jane Adams never met her paternal grandparents. She recalls her father telling her that his father passed away from throat cancer. He told her he grew up in a small town in Iowa and that he had a sister. He never spoke about his mother. He also told her about his son Jimmy. During the war, Jimmy had an important job with the government. When Jimmy passed through Union Station in Chicago, he would go meet him.

James Lawrence’s life was in Chicago. He was an aging man with a young family. He gave the following advice to his daughter, Charlotte Jane. Be Good. Be Kind. Stay with your mother and her family. He was thinking of her future.

On July 4^th, 1945, James Lawrence Adams did not wake up from his night rest. His passing was a shock to the family. His wife ran across the street and fetched the doctor. This seemingly active and healthy man was pronounced dead at home.

Women made their condolences to the family. No men attended his funeral as they were away serving in World War II. His death certificate reports his burial on 6 July 1945 in Graceland Cemetery, but his final resting place is at Memorial Gardens, Skokie, Illinois.

Just Trying To Learn About The Man

To recap my 24 May post:  I debated James Lawrence Adam’s birth date. His death certificate reports that he was born 19 June 1872 in Des Moines, Iowa. As births were not recorded at that time in Iowa, I must rely on the U.S. Census records to help in determining his birth date. The following birth dates are reported in his census records.

1870 U.S. Census             Lawrence Adams            Age 11/12              Born in July

1880 U.S. Census             Lawrence Adams            Age 10           

1900 U.S. Census             James L.  Adams            Age 30

1910 U.S. Census             James L. Adams             Age 40

1920 U.S. Census             Missing data

1930 U.S. Census             James L. Adams            Age 57

1940 U.S. Census             James L. Adams            Age 71                       

The first discrepancy that shouts out at me is the name variations of this man. It appears that he may have been called Lawrence as a child. About 1900 Lawrence Adams suddenly becomes James L. Adams.

Are Lawrence Adams and James L. Adams the same person? I believe they are. In 1910 James L. Adams and wife reside with his parents, Dr. James W. Adams and Mary Adams. James W. and Mary were also reported to be Lawrence’s parents in the 1870 and 1880 census records. James W. and Mary most likely named their only son after his father.

The second discrepancy is that of age/birth date. As you can see, the 1870 U.S. Census reports Lawrence as being eleven months of age. Had Lawrence been born 19 June 1872, he would not have appeared in the 1870 Census. His appearance in the 1870 census strongly suggests a birth year of 1870 or earlier.

The census also reports the birth month as July; which is tricky. With James being eleven months of age and with the census enumeration date of 13 June 1870, it is a logical assumption that James was born in July of 1869. Yet his family celebrated a June birthday according to his surviving daughter.

As the years progress, Lawrence’s age progresses logically as he ages ten years in each census until the year 1900. 1900 seems to be a year of change. As an adult, Lawrence becomes James L. In 1930 his age is reported as 57 when logic suggests 60. Then in 1940, James L. Adam’s age is reported as 71.

Why would James Lawrence Adam’s age be reported in 1930 as three years younger that his logical age? It may have something to do with his young wife and daughter. James Lawrence was thirty years older than his second wife, Charlotte. In 1930 James Lawrence and Charlotte Adams (age 29) had a three-year old daughter. He may have wanted to appear younger with a wife and child of such a young age.

Life is full of discrepancies. So, was James Lawrence Adams born in June or July? Was he born in 1869, 1870 or 1872? What do you think?

Well Dressed Gentlemen Wear Straw Hats

Who is that debonair gentleman wearing the straw hat? He is James Lawrence Adams of Chicago, Illinois. His daughter, Charlotte Jane, is the only remaining person who knew him personally.

Charlotte recalls that her father was always impeccably well dressed. He was a fanatic about shining his shoes. Charlotte never saw her father sitting around in old clothes. He wore a suit daily. The straw hat was part of his summer attire. This type of hat wear was popular in the 1930s.

James Lawrence Adams

Locating and confirming the parentage of James Lawrence Adams is important in linking my husband to the Revolutionary War Patriots Captain Andrew Beatty and General James Cox.

I presently believe that James Lawrence Adams was born 19 June 1872 in Des Moines, Iowa to James William Adams and Mary I. Cox. 

Information found in the Illinois Death and Stillbirth Index of 1916-1947 and James Lawrence Adams death certificate offer the best information to date. This sounds nice, but the death certificate informant was Mrs. J. L. Adams. Information she supplied may also be recorded in the death index. I must search for another source with a different informant.

Mrs. J. L. Adams (Charlotte Adams nee Ludiger) was not present at his birth and most likely learned about his birth date and parentage from James himself. I know for a fact that Mrs. J. L. Adams never met her in-laws. While this does not diminish the importance of her knowledge or information, I feel it necessary to gather more evidence to confirm her stories.

Official, governmental proof from the Great State of Iowa can provide the proof of birth date and more importantly his parentage. If James was born in 1872, I am out of luck. The Great State of Iowa began recording births in 1880.  My next avenue for information will be the Iowa Genealogy Society. Perhaps their library will hold other records there linking James to his parents.

I currently have the 1880 and 1990 U.S. Census and his death certificate as evidence of parentage. I was hoping for another piece of evidence. Patience . . .

It’s Revolutionary . . . I Hope

The search has begun for my husband’s Revolutionary War ancestors. When the research is complete, I expect four Patriots in my husband maternal line. The surnames that I will be searching for are Cox, Potts, Adams and Cundiff. Ancestry.com has given me the base from which I will start my research. Several S.A.R. and D.A.R. applications are available for viewing on Ancestry.com.

I must connect each generation to the previous one. I plan I gathering birth and death certificates for the most recent generations and then work my way back in time. My research strategy is to begin with what is known and work from there beginning with the Cox/Pott line.

I made a quick Descendant Chart and will work from it to build my case. I believe that William Potts and General James Cox are my husband’s the fourth and fifth great grandparents. Here is the chart.

I am off to the safety deposit box for a copy of my husband's birth certificate. Then I must call his mother and ask for her birth certificate. That is the easy part of the research! Wish me luck with the rest!

Linda

One Small Step

I have finally made my first small step in the search for evidence of my husband’s Revolutionary War roots. I believe that his maternal line descends from four Revolutionary War Patriots and my goal is to prove just that.

My search led me to California. Finding California death certificates and newspaper obituaries has stymied me for quite awhile. My motto, “Never say never,” finally paid off by finally cracking the California death record files. California lists death certificates on a database by name, date of death, age of death, county of death etc.

About two months ago after reviewing my choices, I took a “best guess” and ordered two non-certified death certificates. The death certificates just arrived and I discovered I did indeed choose the correct people. I know have my first evidence linking my mother-in-law to a Revolutionary War Patriot, Andrew Beatie (Beatty)!

This will be an interesting journey back in time to Virginia prior toward the Revolutionary War as Andrew Beatie was born in Virginia. Keep you posted!