I am so pleased to have solved a minor mystery this week! I have found some new branches to our family tree, related to my maternal grandmother. I am making progress towards my goal of finding out where my Italian ancestors lived. We're planning a vacation in Italy next summer and this would make the experience more meaningful for me.
My grandmother, Leona Lavona Schmidt, was born August 12, 1900 and grew up in Bremen, Indiana. Her mother, Ada Nicolini, was born in Italy. Her father, Jacob Schmidt, was born in Germany (or maybe France). I am ultimately looking for Ada's origins.
When Leona's parents died in the flu epidemic of 1918, she moved in with her brother, Jacob. She married when she was 21 to a man named "Lind" - about which I have no further information. Later, she divorced and moved to Dayton, Ohio where her sister Luella Schmidt Reed lived. Leona worked as a buyer at Elder's department store. The grandson of the owner, Robert Dickson Marshall III, was charmed by her. Another of Leona's sisters, Ada Schmidt Cragen, hosted their wedding in Los Angeles November 25, 1931.
Lee (as she later was called) and Robert had 3 daughters. She didn't speak much of her early life to her daughters. They apparently had little or no contact with their Schmidt cousins although they did see Aunt Luella and her daughters occasionally. Their extended family interaction consisted the Marshall and Elder families of Dayton.
Below are the 1930 Census documents for Leona, her brother Jacob, sister Ada, and husband-to-be, Robert. Although interesting for the little slice of life they offer, you'll note that census documents are filled with errors.
Leona Lind in Dayton, Ohio - 1930
Entry at line 37.
Jacob Schmidt Jr.'s family in Mishawaka, Indiana - 1930
(Leona's brother)
Entry starting at line 21.
Edward Cragen's family in Los Angeles, California - 1930
(Leona's sister, Ada)
Entry starting at line 36.
Albertus McLaren Marshall's family in Oakwood, Ohio - 1930
(Leona's future husband, Robert)
Entry starting at line 39.
