Pauline Frances Veneziano Vaillant O'Rourke 2 April 1911-7 November 1974

 

One year, seven months and 30 days after her sister June died, Pauline died.  That is a bit of a blunt start to my Aunt Pauline’s life.  I think it is accepted within the family that Pauline missed her older sister who had been the focus of her entire life to the extent that Pauline decided it was time to join her sister.

 

Pauline date of birth was stated in several places[i] as April 2^nd.  What varied from document to document was the year of birth.  The first census in which she appears (1920)[ii] her name is Ida and she is the 8 year old daughter of Mary.  Ida is born in Missouri and has attended school.  Both her parents were born in Italy and the surname was Venziana [Veneziano].

Ida P. Veneziano graduates from the 8^th grade at McLaren School in Chicago, IL on the 28^th of January 1925.[iii]  By 1930 Pauline is the 19 year old daughter of Mary and was born in Missouri. She is working at an electrical company and living at 4843 Palmer Street.[iv]  In 1931 she and sister June join the Delta Zeta Chi Sorority.[v]

Pauline continues to live at 4843 Palmer[vi] until 1935 at which point the family moves to 4105 Fletcher.[vii]  She makes application for a Social Security number on the 30^th of November 1936.  In her application she states her name as June Vaillant living at 4105 Fletcher in Chicago, IL.  She works at the Automatic Electric Company located at 1033 W. Van Buren Street in Chicago, IL.  She was 25 on her last birthday and was born April 2, 1911 in St. Louis, MO.  Her father was August Vaillant and her mother Marietta Branca.  Pauline is a white female. 

 

Pauline continues to live at 4105 Fletcher into the early 1940’s.[viii]  When the 1940 Federal Census (7 April) is recorded Pauline is listed as the 29 year old daughter of Mary and is single. She has completed two years of high school and was born in Missouri.  She worked 40 hours in March 24-30 as a biller in an electrical utility for 52 weeks earning $1100.  She provided the information.[ix]

 

Four month later Pauline would marry a Gail O’Rourke on 31 August in Chicago, Cook, IL.  The marriage license gives his age as 31 so he probably was born about 1909.  He is one big mystery to be solved.  Family lore has them living in Wisconsin or Michigan raising mink.  It did not work out as they separated by the end of World War II and Pauline can be found in Seattle working as a clerk at the F. C. Dahnken Company and living at 5414 1^st Av NW in 1948-1949.[x]  She joined her sister June and their mother Mary.

 

Pauline can be found in city directories[xi] residing at 5415 1^st NW until March 1952 when she is located at 154 W 54^th Street.  Her mother Mary dies on April 4^th 1951.  Pauline continues at 154 W 54^th Street until her death on November 7 1974 due to suicide-ran car mother in closed garage.[xii] She was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Seattle, WA.[xiii]

 

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[i] Social Security application as well as Certificate of Death

[ii] "United States Census, 1920," index and images, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MJQQ-TJV : accessed 26 Nov 2014), Ida Vinegina in household of Mary Vinegina, Chicago Ward 19, Cook (Chicago), Illinois, United States; citing sheet 15A, family 229, NARA microfilm publication T625, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 1820329.

[iii] There was several years ago a website listing Chicago graduates.  The site is no longer available-drats!

[iv] "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XSPD-FQS : accessed 26 Nov 2014), Pauline Vaillant in household of Mary Vaillant, Chicago (Districts 1251-1500), Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1309, sheet 1B, family 12, line 56, film number 471, NARA microfilm publication T626, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); FHL microfilm 2340206.

[v] Southtown Economist, Chicago, Illinois, Friday, January 23, 1931, page 4 at Newspaper Archives (http://newspaperarchive.com/us/illinois/chicago/southtown-economist/1931/01-23/page-4?tag=vaillant&rtserp=tags/?psi=37&pci=7&ndt=by&py=1930&pey=1932&pl=vaillant) assessed 6 November 2014 because I did not do this initially!

[vi] Chicago Telephone Directory (1932, page 1287; 1933, page 1137; 1934, page 1155

[vii] Chicago Telephone Directory, Dec 1935, page 1220.

[viii] Lurie Index of People in Chicago in 1937 (1937). Chicago Telephone Directory, June 1937, page 1295; Dec 1938, page 1313; Sept 1939, page 1335.  In each case she is listed a Miss Pauline Vaillant.

[ix] "United States Census, 1940," index and images, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KW1P-WQX : accessed 26 Nov 2014), Pauline Vaillant in household of Mary Vaillant, Ward 35, Chicago, Chicago City, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 103-2187, sheet 6A, family 122, NARA digital publication of T627, roll 991, NARA digital publication of T627, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

PPolk’s City Directory, page 1036.  F. C. Dahnken was a wholesale jeweler located at 414 Olive Way on the 5^th floor in Seattle, King, WA.

[xi] Seattle City Directory, June 1948, page 326; April 1949, page 337.

[xii] State of Washington, Department of Health, Certificate of Death, local file number 8463 states the cause of death was Asphyxia and carbon monoxide.

[xiii] The funeral costs were $100 for interment and recording fees. $90 for cement box, tax of $4.77 and 2nd burial rights $150 for a total of $344.77 paid for by her brother Benjamin Vaillant.