I am looking for the family or relatives of John Joseph Parker, b: cir 1924 in Louisiana and d: cir 1948 (age 24) in New Orleans in a car accident. According to his daughter's birth certificate he was a mail clerk in New Orleans for the SP Rwy (Southern Pacific?). He married Helen Marie Johnson but she left him before his baby daughter was born in 1947. Helen passed away in 2011 and took his information to the grave with her. She never wanted to talk about him, so her daughter only knows his name and how he died. I am trying to find out more for her, if I can. I have checked Ancestry and FamilySearch and checked the obituaries online in the LA website. Can someone help please? I found two John Joseph Parkers in the 1930 and 1940 census. "Baby" Parker is my daughter's mother-in-law. Her mother was born in Calcasieu Parish. Thanks for reading.
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Hello, Ann Sandler:
Second installment, information about John J. Parker's family:
John J. Parker's mother, Bertha Theresa Rathoff and relatives
Emilie Rogge was born 1876 in Donaldsonville, Ascension Parish, Louisiana to parents both born in Germany. She married Frank Evan Rathoff there and had two daughters, Adele b. 1896 who was named for her maternal grandmother Adele Rogge, and then Bertha Theresa b. 1903. In 1904, Frank Evan Rathoff died in Donaldsonville.
At that time in Donaldsonville lived several generations of the Variani family which had Italian and Spanish roots and whose immigrant Paul Baptista Variani(?) had come from the Canary Islands. The family had been in Ascension Parish at least since after the Civil War. The family included Joseph Variani, born Louisiana ca. 1886. He married the widow Emilie Rogge Rathoff, and they moved to New Orleans. By 1920 Joseph Variani was managing a restaurant. The family lived at 1711 Louisiana Avenue in today’s Garden District. With Joseph and Amelie lived her two Rathoff daughters, several of her Rogge relatives, Lee and Elwood, and Joseph’s nephew, Joseph Milano from Ascenscion Parish. Joseph and Amelie Variani were not found by those names in either New Orleans or Ascension Parish on the 1930 census, but she was known to still be alive at that time. Joseph Milano (see above) had married and returned to Ascension Parish by the 1930 census.
Adele Rathoff married Samuel Kruse, perhaps in 1921. Their first child was born in 1922. They lived in New Orleans. Samuel Kruse is found in the family tree of Carly Ramos whose email address may be CarlyRamos1@Yahoo.com She may be able to provide more information.
Bertha Rathoff married John M. Parker Jr. of New Orleans in 1922. Amelie Rogge Rathoff Variani died and was buried in Ascension Parish in 1935. Joseph Variani died unknown
These are not my Parkers.
Good luck in your research. Patricia Ross Parker, FG#7
Patricia, thank you so very much for all of this wonderful information! Yes, I had seen the 1930/40 census of John M Parker, but couldn't be certain his son was the same John J. Parker, as I have seen so many with this same name. I thought to concentrate in NOLA but not sure if I would be right but didn't know where to go until I found this website. Genealogists are generally so helpful!
I have looked for John J's death certificate as I knew he died 1947/48 at age 24, but to no avail - not even an obituary. His wife was pregnant when she left him and returned to her home town in Calcasieu Parish, and according to the baby's birth certificate he must have been alive at the time of her birth in Oct 1947. Baby Parker thinks he died when she was 9 months old, so that would put it about July 1948.
I will email Carly Ramos to see if she has any more info. I have been trying to see if I can find any siblings or family members remaining, but have no idea if they would still be in the area.
Thanks so very much for this "back story"!!!
It was suggested by a Professional Genealogist I know in my area to call a New Orleans library to see if they could look up his death cert or obit. I have no idea where to go for this - any suggestions?
Ann Sandler
I have been in touch with Carly Ramos and she has looked up the obituary for the Parker family I was looking into - John M Parker. This is not the Parker family I am looking for as the John Parker in this family was alive in 1980 and living in Texas. If anyone knows about the John Joseph Parker family I am looking for please email me.
Hello, Ann - Sorry, I have no information about New Orleans' libraries. If you are able to find an obituary for either John McCay Parker or his wife Bertha Rathoff, perhaps some confirmation of their sons might be possible, leading perhaps to your John J. Their wills might also be fruitful. The City of New Orleans Public Service dept for which James McCay Parker worked might also have his work history with some biographical data. He worked for them for forty years. Otherwise, I have no ideas.
Good luck in your search.
Patricia Ross Parker, FG#7 researcher
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Hello, Patricia,
You are just what I needed! Fresh eyes and new thoughts. I hadn't thought about the parent's obits as I kept thinking I would have to have his to verify who his parents were! If they had an obituary it would mention his pre-deceasing them and that would validate my thoughts they are the parents! Why didn't I think of this?! I did think about John Joseph Parker's work service, although rather short due to his early death. I have requested his info from the National Archives in St Louis for his personnel file - that is if he worked in the government Railway Post Office.
Thanks so much for this last reply. Gives me new hope for sure!
Ann Sandler
Hello, Ann - After looking at the data again and giving it some thought, I believe your search might be made easier if you consider some other angles.
I know that you have not settled on the John McCay Parker and Bertha Theresa Rathoff family as parents of John J. Parker you seek, and it may turn out that they definitely are not. But if you succeed in your obit search and find something, don’t let the names of the father and the son John J. disqualify them.
The names of the father and his eldest son John on online family trees created by descendants when compared to the names used on censuses are not always the same. John M. Parker Jr. was repeatedly enumerated by that name, even on his death notice, so I am confident that he was the man who married Bertha and that they were the parents of four sons including a first born named John J. That son John, however, appeared on several censuses as a John Jr. and a John J. I would opine that your John J. assumed that since both he and his father were John Parker, that he was a Jr. So the name of the father as John W. and the name of the son as John J. are right, but the son actually just called himself John J. Jr. or John Jr.
And that may make a difference in your search.
Now, whether he was related to your Helen Marie Johnson was another issue.
And given the birth year 1924 of John J Parker, I am puzzled not to find a WWII draft or service record. He would have been 18 in 1942, a prime target throughout WWII for the draft.
Also, Bertha Rathoff Parker died in 1991 and is buried in Gretna, Louisiana.
Patricia Ross Parker
Hello, Ann Sandler - When you checked Ancestry, did you note the following?:
1930 New Orleans, Orleans Parish Louisiana census then 1940 census, same house, same family same job:
John M. Parker, Sr., b. 1901 SC, a foreman for a city railroad system, New Orleans.
Wife Bertha and four sons, including John, Charles P, Harry L., and Frank P.
John MCaa/McCay. Parker Jr. was a son of John M. Parker Sr. and Tula Faye Powell Parker of Sumter County, South Carolina. After the 1920 census where he was enumerated on the Sumter Co. South Carolina census, John M. Parker came to New Orleans where he met Bertha Theresa Rathoff who was born in New Orleans 1903. They married in 1922 and their first son John Parker was born 1924 Louisiana. John M. Parker Jr. continued to work for the City of New Orleans. In 1960 he had become a superintendent of the New Orleans Public Service. He, his wife, and single son Frank P. Parker lived at 5016 S. Claiborne Avenue, N.O. John M. Parker Jr. died in New Orleans in 1967. Information on the other sons was not found.
If you decide that this family may be related to the John Joseph Parker who died in 1947, I will be glad to gather more information, if it is available.
Patricia Ross Parker, FG#7