Ancestry US Veterans death records

[Merry]

Nothing to add to BK6 from this thread

Please could someone with worldwide Ancestry membership have a look at the following file and see what sort of info it contains?

Charles F Ederle, gender, birth date, death date dd mm 1983

[Merry]

Actually, I'm not sure if that's the right person, because the Social Security records on Family Search show he was born in 1910 which sounds a bit early.

I'm trying to find out about the Charles Ederle who was the nephew of Gertrude Ederle who swam the Channel in the 1920's. She was born in 1905 and whilst she could easliy have a nephew born in 1910 it doesn't sound quite right.

I see there are two Charles Ederles in the US WW2 Army Enlistment Records 1938-1946.

I think the one I'm looking for was in something called the "8th Army Division" (no idea if that makes any sense?!)

*hopeful smile* :)

[kiterunner]

The other one is Charles H Ederle born 1919, so he must be the one who died in 2000 according to the Social Security Death Index. Born in New Jersey, living in Bergen, NJ, enlisted 1942 at Newark NJ but it doesn't say what division of the army.

[Merry]

Thanks Kite.

Hmmmm...I think the 1919 one sounds the more likely. Pity I don't know what the middle inital should be......

[Merry]

Any chance someone could look at this US 1910 census entry:

Gertrude Ederle Jr. name, name city, New York, New York 1906

and see how old her parents are? (trying to establish if she might have had siblings old enough to have a son in 1910 or not)

[kiterunner]

Her parents are Henry 34 and Gertrude 27, sisters Helen 7 and Margaret 5. Helen would be pushing it to have a child in 1919 really...also they're all together in 1920 with a son George 9 and another daughter 7, and Helen is still there, age 16, with no baby.

[Merry]

Oooh, that's interesting. So....I always understood that Charles' father was brother to the lady who swam the Channel, but that doesn't seem to be remotely likely. I suppose it's going to be some more complex relationship!

I'm not bothered how he was related to Gertrude, I was just using that to try and work out which is the right Charles!

Thanks for doing the lookups, Kite. I will have to have a think and see if I can come up with any more clues. My money is still on the 1919 one.

[kiterunner]

Hmmm, could that be the wrong Gertrude? I've found a newspaper called the Berkeley Daily Gazette from 6 Aug 1926 that says she was age 22, the daughter of Charles Ederle, a retired Staten Island butcher. Henry or Harry is a butcher in 1920 (age 44) and a Proprietor., Meat and Provisions, in 1930. Gertrude jr doesn't have an occupation listed on either census so I can't tell whether she is a champion swimmer or not! But I can't see another Gertrude Ederle except her mother. I'll look some more though.

Edit - I took a long time typing this post so I didn't see yours before! Most likely the Berkeley Daily Gazette is wrong anyway.

[Janet]

The New York Times has been known to make mistakes :eek: but if we believe her obit:

December 1, 2003
Gertrude Ederle, the First Woman to Swim Across the English Channel, Dies at 98
By RICHARD SEVERO

Gertrude Ederle, who was called ''America's best girl'' by President Calvin Coolidge in 1926 after she became the first woman to swim across the English Channel, died yesterday at a nursing home in Wyckoff, N.J. She was 98.
[...]
Ederele was born Oct. 23, 1905, in New York City, one of four daughters and two sons of Henry Ederle, a butcher and provisioner, and his wife, Anna. Her father owned a summer cottage in Highlands, N.J., and she learned to swim on the Jersey Shore.
[...]
With the help of her sister Margaret, she designed a two-piece bathing suit that would not drag in the water, yet would be ''decent in case I failed and they had to drag me out,'' she said.
[...]
Ederle lived for many years in Flushing, Queens, with two female companions.

She is survived by 10 nephews and nieces.
[...]

On the other hand, in this case they can't even spell Ederle the same from paragraph to paragraph. At least they got it right in the headline!

Flushing, Queens is in New York City.

[Merry]

Thanks Janet!


Interesting about the surname Ederle.....I always understood Charles pronounced his surname e-derl (with the first e as in egg), but apparently Gertrude's surname was pronounced e-der-lay!!

The 1919 Charles died in New Jersey, which is where Gertrude died (I realise that counts for nothing!)

Edit - got that wrong - his social security number was issued in NJ! lol

[Janet]

Did you see this, Merry? Someone posted the Ederle family in the 1930 census:
http://www.fold3.com/spotlight/10610/gertrude_ederles_family_in_the_1930/

[kiterunner]

Interesting about the surname Ederle.....I always understood Charles pronounced his surname e-derl (with the first e as in egg), but apparently Gertrude's surname was pronounced e-der-lay!!


That's what often happens to non-English names after a generation or two in the USA, the pronunciation becomes Anglicised.

[Merry]

But it does seem odd that Charles pronounced the surname one way for himself and another way for his "aunt".

Thanks Janet!

[Kit]

Records for Charles.

1. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 about Charles H Ederle
Name: Charles H Ederle
Birth Year: 1919
Race: White, Citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: New Jersey
State of Residence: New Jersey
County or City: Bergen

Enlistment Date: 3 Sep 1942
Enlistment State: New Jersey
Enlistment City: Newark
Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Branch Code: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life

Education: 4 years of college
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 67
Weight: 131

2. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 about Charles F Ederle
Name: Charles F Ederle
Birth Year: 1910
Race: White, Citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: Illinois
State of Residence: Illinois

Enlistment Date: 30 Apr 1941
Enlistment State: Illinois
Enlistment City: Chicago
Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Branch Code: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Grade Code: Private
Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life

Education: 4 years of high school
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 69
Weight: 193


Charles F died 27 Nov 1983.

The 1919 Charles' DOB from U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1 is 15 Dec 1919. It also lists his phone number and address. It says his middle initial is H. He also lived in Little Rock AR.

1919 Charles died 16 Jul 2000 Little Rock, Pulaski, Arkansas according the social security death index.

[Merry]

Thanks Kit.

So one was 5'7" and the other 5'9" - the first 131lbs and the other 193lbs. Going by photos I would say 'mine' must be the shorter one (am a bt surprised at that) as there's no way he was 193lbs unless the military lifestyle led to him getting more trim!