Why did Gertie leave Germany without her 2 year old son in 1911? Why did it take another 17 years for Don to join his mother in the USA?
In the 1930 census the family lived at 148 and 1/2 So Avenue 54. They are renting for 35 a month. Irwin is 30, Gertrude is 37 and Donald is 20. Irwin and his parents were born in Wisconsin. Gertrude and her parents were born in Germany. He was 25 when first married, she was 32. Irwin is a sign painter and Donald is a mechanic for a typewriter company. Gertrude immigrates in 1911 and Donald in 1928.
In the 1940 census he is living with his stepfather Irvin R. La Rue and Gertrude M La Rue. He is 31 years old and has an 8th grade education. He is a mechanic in the typewriter industry. In 1939 he earned 1100 and did not receive government assistance. They lived at 1719 No. Avenue 55 in Los Angeles.
Mary brought Don into the church. He was baptized February 3, 1940. Don and Mary were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple April 26, 1940. They lived in Glendale during most of their married life. Don worked for Glendale Unified School District fixing and maintaining typewriters. He knew everyone in the district and was considered an excellent employee. To supplement his income he also worked as a custodian for the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, on Dryden in Glendale. All the youth at the time will remember when they were troublesome, Don would take them by the ear with his strong fingers and march them outside. Don probably weighed 250 and was 5'10 so he wasn't someone to mess with.
Note: : "I remember thinking I was so cool because I knew the typewriter repair man at Toll and Hoover." A.R.
Walter remembers on Saturday nights they would always go visit Irvin and "Aunt Gerdie" in Highland Park about 20 minutes from their home in Glendale. They watched the Lawrence Welk show, which Walter hates to this day.
After Don retired they moved to Bountiful Utah across street from David. Donald passed away 17 March 1995 in Bountiful, Davis, Utah. He and Mary were the parents of 3 boys. Harold Henry, David Herman Henry and Walter Henry.
Mary Spencer Henry was born 28 June 1911 Colonia Dublan, Chihuahua, Mexico in the Mormon Colonies. When she was in third grade she contracted scarlet fever which left her deaf. She needed to wear a hearing aide for the rest of her life. When she didn't wear it the three boys would get away with murder but when she had her hearing aide on they couldn't get away with anything. Mary's father had 9 children. He ran away with a Spanish woman and was never seen again by Mary. Mary passed away May 16, 1999 Bountiful, Davis, Utah.
Note: I liked Don Henry. I always thought I was "Big Stuff" when I would see him in my typing classes fixing the typewriters and I would say Hi to Brother Henry. He was a little gruff but mellowed after awhile. I guess he figured I wasn't going to stop saying Hi so decided to smile once in awhile.A.R.
1. Walter grew up in Glendale, CA. and attended the Glendale West Ward where he had many friends.
When Cheryl Lynn Cornwell eloped with John Scott they asked him to drive them to Las Vegas. At the time he had a small Jaguar sports car. He put John in the front seat, Cheryl in the back and drove them all the way to Vegas to be wed.
Walter graduated in horticulture from USU. He was the manager a 7/11 in Springville, and spent 18 years in New York, first as a raspberry farmer and later as a cook. He lived in Florida for one year and brought back a small orange tree he had there. He came back to Utah when his brother David asked for help caring for Mary. However David didn't need any help cashing her checks according to Walter. Walter lived and worked as a 7/11 manager in Springville and later in Deer Valley. He retired in 2000 and bought a vintage home in Lehi, He closed the deal December 31, 1999, Only two trees on the property were alive. The home was built in the 1880s. Walter is fixing up the home slowly. Recently he discovered a window in the front room that had been covered up for many years.
The house is reported to be haunted. Some residents in the area even avoid parking in front of the home. One time a realtor was talking to Walter and asked if he was afraid to live in the home. Walter said, "No, George doesn't bother me too much." The realtor turned white and informed Walter that 9 years previous a man by the name of George had died in the home under suspicious circumstances and is thought to be still haunting the home. One time Walter chopped down a small tree. Residents complained about it because some believe Orren Porter Rockwell used it for a hanging tree. The home is a couple of hundred feet from a restaurant called Porter's Place.
The home has a lovely garden and Walter likes canning. He definitely has a green thumb. When we visited him he rattled off all the scientific names of his plants. His plants and garden are amazing. Some of the trees he planted in 2000 are now forty feet tall and thriving.
2. David Herman Henry was in the US Army, married Ann Walker, had six children, divorced, lives in Roseburg Oregon and has remarried
3. Harold went to Peru, South America to find a cure for HIV and stayed there.
When Cheryl Lynn Cornwell eloped with John Scott they asked him to drive them to Las Vegas. At the time he had a small Jaguar sports car. He put John in the front seat, Cheryl in the back and drove them all the way to Vegas to be wed.
Walter graduated in horticulture from USU. He was the manager a 7/11 in Springville, and spent 18 years in New York, first as a raspberry farmer and later as a cook. He lived in Florida for one year and brought back a small orange tree he had there. He came back to Utah when his brother David asked for help caring for Mary. However David didn't need any help cashing her checks according to Walter. Walter lived and worked as a 7/11 manager in Springville and later in Deer Valley. He retired in 2000 and bought a vintage home in Lehi, He closed the deal December 31, 1999, Only two trees on the property were alive. The home was built in the 1880s. Walter is fixing up the home slowly. Recently he discovered a window in the front room that had been covered up for many years.
The house is reported to be haunted. Some residents in the area even avoid parking in front of the home. One time a realtor was talking to Walter and asked if he was afraid to live in the home. Walter said, "No, George doesn't bother me too much." The realtor turned white and informed Walter that 9 years previous a man by the name of George had died in the home under suspicious circumstances and is thought to be still haunting the home. One time Walter chopped down a small tree. Residents complained about it because some believe Orren Porter Rockwell used it for a hanging tree. The home is a couple of hundred feet from a restaurant called Porter's Place.
The home has a lovely garden and Walter likes canning. He definitely has a green thumb. When we visited him he rattled off all the scientific names of his plants. His plants and garden are amazing. Some of the trees he planted in 2000 are now forty feet tall and thriving.
2. David Herman Henry was in the US Army, married Ann Walker, had six children, divorced, lives in Roseburg Oregon and has remarried
3. Harold went to Peru, South America to find a cure for HIV and stayed there.
1940 census
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| Mary Spencer |
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| L to R Josephine Young Donaghue, Geneva Cooley Young, Mary Cooley Spencer, Mary Spencer Henry, Jack LaMar Donaghue (front), Oct 1942 |
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| The far right front row is Mike Reeder. And I think back row, second from left is a Le Cheminant (one of Keith's sons but I can't pull the first name) and behind him is is his cousin, Jim Le Cheminant. Next is Mike Ragsdale and two over from him, the shorter blonde boy is Walter Henry. Kent Gardiner front left side and Kathy Noble second from right, second row. |
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| Above: LtoR Judy Parker from Burbank Ward, Harold Henry, organists GWW, Lorie Phillips who later married Doug Ensign, Richard pettit, Mickie Haring Neilson, John Glover, friend from Hoover and Barbara Pettit Parady. |
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First row LtoR: Walter Henry, Kent Gardiner, Vernon Jolley, then Mike Reeder and Hugh Brown.
Second row: Tad Callister, Brent Frost, Wayne LeCheminant, Don Browne and Lynn Reeder.
Standing: Mike Ragsdale, Jim LeCheminant, Steve Leeper, Gordon
Christiansen, John Broberg, Brian Pettit, Charles Brown and Vernon "Rip"
Ragsdale
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| Father Clayton Goodsell - Groom Joe Goodsell - Don Henry |
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| Walter and Kent, 2016 |
