Dear Listers, I have another apparently "hopeless brick wall" to share with you today. I have a feeling I have tried everything, but still it is a big "mystery" where this gentleman resided and what he did between 1905 and 1940, when he shows up in Los Angeles, CA? John Silvan MORGAN born July 10, 1881 in St. Paul, Ramsey Co., MN son of Frank M. Morgan (1852-1929) and his 1st wife Severina "Susie" Peterson (Ovrebo) (1858-1887) John grew up with father and stepmother in Anoka Co., MN moving about 1903 to Minneapolis, MN. The last time I see John living "at home" is in the 1905 census for Minneapolis, MN. He does NOT show in any Minneapolis, MN city directories between 1906 and 1912! The next note I have on him is from 1916 when he supposedly resided at Terre Haute, Vigo Co., IN, but I have no source for this information, and he does not appear in the Terre Haute , IN city directory for 1915. The WW1 draft record from Sep. 1918 shows him with address c/o Arlington Hotel, Marinette, Marinette Co., WI with a brother Myron Morgan of St. Paul, MN as his "nearest" relative! His occupation was a salesman for Roman Oil Portrait Co. on 1554 Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL Then he shows up in the 1940 census for Los Angeles, CA residing on 432 W 88th street, where he remained until he died on July 7, 1962. In 1940 he's called a peddler in dried fruit (the WW2 draft says he worked for Sterling Food Products), but when he died in 1962 it says about him that he had been a photographer for 50 years and a resident of Los Angeles Co., CA since 1941! Marital status in 1940 is given as married, which is over-lined and replaced by single. In 1962 at the time of his death it says he was divorced! Like everyone else on the same census page he lived at the same place in 1935! In 1940 he lived at this address with a cousin Julia Sewell. She is later referred to as Julia Marguerite Morgan, born in Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO Sep. 1, 1905. She was indeed a 1st cousin of John's, and she died "single" in South Gate, CA Dec. 5, 1968. Julia's death certificate shows she had resided in CA since 1928, and she had been a telephone company accountant for 30 years. She was single both in 1940 and when she died, although in the 1930 census she shows up as married since 1928 to Frank Sewell, born in NH 1896! Many years ago I talked to a niece of John's in Minneapolis, MN, and she told me that John came from California to visit in Minneapolis, MN some time in the 1950's, and he "dragged this woman along with him". Obviously she wasn't very "welcome"... They apparently lived in some kind of a "common-law" union! An online family tree shows a "possible" discovery of John in the 1910 census for Minneapolis, MN, born in MN about 1884 with both parents born in MN, married to a Jennia and with a son Frank, 4 months old. He was a salesman. And there is also a single salesman Johnnie Morgan in St. Paul, MN in 1920, born in MN 1881 with parents born in IL and WI. "Our" John Silvan Morgan's parents were born in Ohio and Norway, and I am not too sure that these census entries are really for "our" John! I wish to "narrow down" my questions to the following: * Does anyone recognize the company name Roman Oil Portrait Co. on 1554 Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL for which John was a salesman in 1918? * How about the company Sterling Food Products which employed John in 1942? * John Silvan Morgan appears to have acted more-or-less like a "travelling salesman", and I feel he must have travelled between Indiana and Minnesota until finally removing to California. Then there is a question, can NEWSPAPER ITEMS be found to tell us more about him, about his marriage and professional activities? Thanks a million in advance for any suggestions that can help us locate more facts about John Silvan Morgan! Very sincerely yours, Lars E. Oyane

Dear Lars, Morton immediately suggested "salt", Morton Salt. I googled and found that a J. Stirling Morton was founder of the the Morton Salt company. That lead me back top Sterling and looked that up and in with that the list , was Morton Salt. Morton salt was in Chicago. Stargill Company now owns Sterling, I think.:} I don't know if this could be a connection or not or if you had already seen it and ruled it out. Sincerely Barbara in MA On 4/2/2015 1:38 PM, Lars E. Oyane via wrote: > Dear Listers, > > I have another apparently "hopeless brick wall" to share with you today. I have a feeling I have tried everything, but still it is a big "mystery" where this gentleman resided and what he did between 1905 and 1940, when he shows up in Los Angeles, CA? > > John Silvan MORGAN > born July 10, 1881 in St. Paul, Ramsey Co., MN > son of Frank M. Morgan (1852-1929) and his 1st wife > Severina "Susie" Peterson (Ovrebo) (1858-1887) > > John grew up with father and stepmother in Anoka Co., MN moving about 1903 to Minneapolis, MN. > > The last time I see John living "at home" is in the 1905 census for Minneapolis, MN. He does NOT show in any Minneapolis, MN city directories between 1906 and 1912! > > The next note I have on him is from 1916 when he supposedly resided at Terre Haute, Vigo Co., IN, but I have no source for this information, and he does not appear in the Terre Haute , IN city directory for 1915. > > The WW1 draft record from Sep. 1918 shows him with address c/o Arlington Hotel, Marinette, Marinette Co., WI with a brother Myron Morgan of St. Paul, MN as his "nearest" relative! His occupation was a salesman for Roman Oil Portrait Co. on 1554 Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL > > Then he shows up in the 1940 census for Los Angeles, CA residing on 432 W 88th street, where he remained until he died on July 7, 1962. In 1940 he's called a peddler in dried fruit (the WW2 draft says he worked for Sterling Food Products), but when he died in 1962 it says about him that he had been a photographer for 50 years and a resident of Los Angeles Co., CA since 1941! Marital status in 1940 is given as married, which is over-lined and replaced by single. In 1962 at the time of his death it says he was divorced! Like everyone else on the same census page he lived at the same place in 1935! > > In 1940 he lived at this address with a cousin Julia Sewell. She is later referred to as Julia Marguerite Morgan, born in Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO Sep. 1, 1905. She was indeed a 1st cousin of John's, and she died "single" in South Gate, CA Dec. 5, 1968. Julia's death certificate shows she had resided in CA since 1928, and she had been a telephone company accountant for 30 years. She was single both in 1940 and when she died, although in the 1930 census she shows up as married since 1928 to Frank Sewell, born in NH 1896! > > Many years ago I talked to a niece of John's in Minneapolis, MN, and she told me that John came from California to visit in Minneapolis, MN some time in the 1950's, and he "dragged this woman along with him". Obviously she wasn't very "welcome"... They apparently lived in some kind of a "common-law" union! > > An online family tree shows a "possible" discovery of John in the 1910 census for Minneapolis, MN, born in MN about 1884 with both parents born in MN, married to a Jennia and with a son Frank, 4 months old. He was a salesman. And there is also a single salesman Johnnie Morgan in St. Paul, MN in 1920, born in MN 1881 with parents born in IL and WI. "Our" John Silvan Morgan's parents were born in Ohio and Norway, and I am not too sure that these census entries are really for "our" John! > > I wish to "narrow down" my questions to the following: > > * Does anyone recognize the company name Roman Oil Portrait Co. on 1554 Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL for which John was a salesman in 1918? > > * How about the company Sterling Food Products which employed John in 1942? > > * John Silvan Morgan appears to have acted more-or-less like a "travelling salesman", and I feel he must have travelled between Indiana and Minnesota until finally removing to California. Then there is a question, can NEWSPAPER ITEMS be found to tell us more about him, about his marriage and professional activities? > > Thanks a million in advance for any suggestions that can help us locate more facts about John Silvan Morgan! > > Very sincerely yours, > > Lars E. Oyane > > > > > Norwaylist Archiveshttp://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index?list=norway > > RESUBSCRIBE UNSUB > http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/NOR/NORWAY.html > > guidelines http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/guidelines.htm > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORWAY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >