This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Gardere Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/0hB.2ACE/1440.1 Message Board Post: Vlasta Simich/Simick/Simeok (b.1 Dec 1902-TX) was the second of the three wives of Jean Paul Gardere (b. 3 Mar 1875-Aurignac, FRANCE d. 2 Nov 1944). They married sometime after the death of his first wife Mary McLendon in 1924. Vlasta is found living with her widowed mother, Mary, and sister Jessie(?) in the 1920 US Census Falls Co. TX , Marlin ED 71 Sheet 3B (Ancestry.com image 6). She is also reported in the 1930 US Census Falls Co. TX, Marlin, Precinct 1 (Ancestry.com Image 2) living with her husband Jean Paul Gardere. Also in their household is her widowed mother Mary Simich/Simick/Simeok. The spelling is derived from the Census images so I would appreciate it if you would let me know the correct spelling of her maiden name. John Paul Gardere was the owner of a dry goods company known as Gardere & Halloway. He had three children by his first wife Mary McLendon: George Pierre Gardere (b. 31 May 1898-TX (probably Galveston) d. 9 Jun 1973-Cameron Co., TX); Jean Paul Gardere. Jr. (b. 24 Nov 1899-TX (probably Galveston) d. 13 Nov 1944-NYC, NY); and Lucille Marie Gardere [Miller] (b. 25 Apr 1902-Falls Co. TX d. Mar 1981-Calcasieu Parish, LA). Only Lucille was present in the household at the time of the marriage between Jean Paul Gardere and Vlasta. Lucille married Ernest Martin Miller in 1930. According to my Gardere cousins, Vlasta at one time served as the nurse for Jean Paul Gardere who had been in ill health. She was employed as a receptionist in the 1930 US Census. Jean Paul Gardere was the son of my gg-aunt Marie Charlotte Adoue [Gardere]. He emigrated to Galveston, TX sometime between 1891 and 1893 to work for his Uncle (Louis) Bertrand Adoue, a prominent Galveston banker and financier who also emigrated from France with his two brothers, Jean Baptiste Adoue (a prominent Dallas Banker) and my gg-grandfather Jacques Adoue (a banker and businessman in Calvert, Robertson Co., TX) . Jean Paul Gardere was educated in a Catholic Seminary in France which was commonly referred to as a "poor man's university". Vlasta is buried in the Calvary Cem.-Falls Co., TX but unfortunately only her DOB is indicated. If you have been able to confirm her DOD, I would appreciate knowing it. I hope this information helps. Pauline "Polly" Adoue Scanlon