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The pictures of my Aunt Aileen in her younger years are truly a treasure.  Here she is in her graduation picture which I did feature in a past post in the page for the West Seattle High School yearbook.  This photo is one of my very favorites of my aunt.  My aunt’s formal name was Hazel Aileen Boardman.

Aileen 1925 Graduate of West Seattle High School

Here she is in a fancy dress looking very happy.  I place this about 1925 because she looks a lot like her graduation picture.  Could this be a prom dress?

Aileen is a very fancy dress about 1925

This picture is also a treasure.  I do not know why she is in the sailor suit? It was very faded so I have manipulated this version a little.  I do love the attitude of her pose.

Aileen in a Sailor Suit about 1925

Here she is sitting next to a young man in a sailor suit looking very shy.  I do not know the name of the young man nor whether he was a relative or boyfriend.  Her hair is different so it might be a much later photo.

Aileen and the Sailor

There will be more pictures of my Aunt Aileen to come.  Meanwhile, her sister Marjorie was also growing up and enjoying grammar school, high school.

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To learn that my Aunt Aileen was quite the athlete in her youth has been a great discovery and I wish I knew more.  Here she is learning to swim.

The back of the photographs say “Burton, Vashon Island 1924, Aileen learning to swim.”

Aileen prepares to take a dip

If you are familiar with water in the Puget Sound area, it is cold even in the summer.

Vashon is an island in Puget Sound that is over near West Seattle.  There is a ferry boat that runs from Fauntleroy to Vashon and Southworth.  http://www.vashonisland.net/

This is not the only time Aileen enjoys the water.  Here she is with her father and a friend.

Aileen and a canoe

Aileen is posing for this picture and I really like the tie, shirt and pants.

Aileen posing for the camera

In this photograph she gets adventurous and takes a dip.  Again the water is cold.

Aileen taking a dip

At least I know a little about where Aileen was learning to swim, but the other photos have no information written on the back to clarify.  There is also another problem, Aileen and her sister Marjorie, my mother, looked a lot a like at times and so it might be possible the last two pictures were Marjorie?

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These are some of the best photographs I have of my Aunt Aileen in her younger years but I have no information on what the event was all about.

Here we have a group of ladies all dressed in different costumes.  I suspect that Aileen is the one with the mustache, second row, third over.  This probably took place in West Seattle in the mid 1920′s. If anyone knows what this was about, I would love to hear the story.

Aileen in the mustache and hat 2nd row 3rd over.

This photo is a riot.  She appears to be in another costume that at first I thought was a graduation cap and gown but it is looks different. Sadly nothing is written on the back.

Aileen really having fun

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Aileen graduated from grammar school and entered West Seattle High.  Much to my amazement she was on the girls basketball team. She was not that big a person.  I so wish I had learned of this and heard her stories.  My Aunt Aileen is the one on the far right in the front row, seated  next to the wall. Unfortunately there are no names listed on the back of this photo.

Aileen and basketball?

Here are a few poses of her with the short hair.

Aileen posing

My Aunt Aileen was very good at the “proper thing to do.” So it is not unusual to find that her high school graduation invitation has survived.

A 1925 Graduation from High school invitation

Hazel Aileen Boardman graduated from West Seattle High School 10 June, 1925.

A Diploma from 1925

The Seattle Public Library (Hugh and Jane Ferguson Seattle Room 10th floor)  has a wonderful collection on their top floor of high school year books.  Here is the one for the Blue and Gold.  Can you find my Aunt Aileen among the other students?

West Seattle the Blue & Gold

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Aileen attended Gatewood Elementary school in West Seattle, Washington.  It is located between California Ave SW and Fauntleroy Way SW on SW Frontenac and Myrtle St.

Seattle Neighborhoods from http://www.househunt.com

West Seattle is the area that is the light blue on the left piece jutting out into Puget Sound on the southern shore of Elliott Bay.  It is the birthplace of Seattle.  Arthur Denny decided to moved to the Downtown area at a later date.  I show you this map of the neighborhoods of Seattle because it is good to get and idea of a place.  You see I am a northern Seattle girl, so to me West Seattle is way over there!  West Seattle played a big part in my family history for my mother and my father’s family.  I remember Christmas Eve at Aunt Eddies (Dad’s sister) and Christmas Day at Aunt Aileen’s in West Seattle.

Aileen probably didn’t go to Gatewood for very long probably going there from 1917 to 1918 and then again when the returned from Tacoma in 1920 to 1921 with the family?   I do not know much about my family’s Tacoma days.

In this photograph below Aileen is the sitting on the bench, second one from the left.  She is very intent on her task an instead of the white bow, she has a black one?  It looks to me like they are knitting?  There are no names on the backside so I do not know the other girls or where this was taken.

Is this a knitting class?

In the photo below, we see Aileen surrounded by other children.  This was when she was at Gatewood Elementary.  Aileen is the one that is third from the left in the front row with the big smile.  If you can read the very badly scribbled names, good for you.  Flipping the photograph over I do not find any other names. It looks like it says 8th Grade at the top?

Gatewood School circa 1919?

Here is a close up, it is too wonderful not to see it more clearly. Aileen is in the middle. She is smiling and has come a long way from the serious frown she had in her pictures as a child.  This makes me laugh, she is so happy.

A close up of Aileen. She seems happy.

Aileen’s Grammar School certificate dated June 17, 1921, that means this certificate has been around about 91 years.

Grammar School Certificate

The date on the following photo reads Seattle, West 1921.  It must be spring or summer so it is probably something to do with graduation from grammar school?

Aileen in 1921

Aileen was confirmed in 1921 per the certificate below.

A Confirmation 1921

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It is so strange for me to look at these photographs and see a very serious Aileen, my mother’s sister, my aunt and the daughter of Robert and Ethel Boardman.

My memories are of a lady who was small in stature but strong in spirit, outgoing, generous and with a great sense of humor, a wonderful laugh and much the lady.  She loved beautiful dishes, glassware, rich colors and antiques.  She lived high on a hill above Puget Sound in West Seattle and her furniture was covered in material that seemed like velvet.  She had a collie dog names “Pal, and a cat named “Twinkle Toes.” Aileen and my mother, Marjorie, were good friends all their lives.

I love these photographs and treasure them.  I can only guess at the location and possible time frame of these photos.  Aileen was born 23 May 1907 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  The family migrated to Vancouver B.C. about 1910 and then to West Seattle by 1917.

Probably Taken in Vancouver B.C.

Aileen dress with a cap

Aileen is the one in the middle with the white dress. Do not know others.  Aileen in pigtails, love it!

Aileen is on the left, do not know the other children

Aileen on the left, other children unknown

Aileen is the girl with the bow and the other child might be my mother Marjorie or baby brother Boardie

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My Aunt Laura, as we called her, was the wife of John Henry Boardman.  She was a little person with an independent spirit and lots of determination.  She lived alone for years (26) after the death of John, I know because I knew her personally.

Laura Cuthbert Boardman

After John’s death on 15 January 1957 in West Seattle, King Co., Washington, Laura came and joined us at Christmas, birthday celebrations and other events.  So I came to know her from the age of about 9 years and on.  She was a lovely and gentle person but very determined to continue living on her own and remaining independent till the very end.  She had a nice giggle.

Aunt Laura in later years

Laura has an interesting ancestry because she is a Cuthbert. I am not an expert on her family line but this is what I know and I have taken this from an Ancestry.com tree – see source info below:

Laura was the daughter of William James Cuthbert born 8 Mar 1862 Darwen, Lancashire, England and died 16 May 1930 in Long Beach, Los Angeles.  Her mother was Charlotte Elizabeth Wilson born 8 Sep 1860 and died 29 Mar 1911 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  

Laura has two siblings a William James Cuthbert born 28 November 1887 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and a Charlotte Elizabeth Cuthbert born 28 November 1887 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  

Laura’s father’s parents were a William Cuthbert and Susan Howarth.  Her mother’s parents were James Stewart Wilson born 18 Aug 1835 in Kingston, Ontario and Eleanor Branscombe born 6 May 1835 in New Brunswick and died 14 May 1924.  

They had 8 more children besides Charlotte Elizabeth.  They were David, George, William, John, Martha, Nell, James and Mary Catherine.

 James’ father was a John Wilson born about 1809 in Barrhead, Renfrew, Scotland and died 21 December 1856 in Sydenham Twp., Grey (is all I have).  Eleanor’s parents were Mill Branscombe and Charlotte Day (1816-1903). She is buried in Sarawak Daywood Cemetery.  

Charlotte’s father may have been a Peter Day.  Charlotte had some siblings:  Eleanor, George, Miller and then she had married a Charles R. Noble (16 Oct. 1813 to 4 Jan 1891) and had Mary, Walker, Buzza and Frances.

Source:  Ancestry One World Tree, A Community Tree, Feb. 2008.  There are other family trees at Ancestry, some with pictures and stories about Laura.  Apparently she had earned some medals for service.  They are public trees so you can access them easily with an Ancestry.com subscription or try Rootsweb.

I have her birth as the 8th of May 1891 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  It comes from her naturalization record which I talked about in an earlier post.

Laura tenaciously lived on her own till about six months before her death when she moved into a nursing home somewhere in West Seattle. I vaguely remember my Aunt Aileen struggling with the issue of caring for an aging person.

The story goes that she was wandering around one day in the nursing home and went into a room, climbed on the bed and passed. It was not her room.  She was 92 years old.

Laura Eleanor Cuthbert Boardman is buried in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in West Seattle next to her husband John, her in-laws Robert and Ethel Boardman and other family members.

It never occurred to me at the time to ask Laura about the family and John, so I say to you, go now and ask questions of your family don’t be like me!

Laura E. Boardman’s headstone

My mother received a letter with tax forms from Laura’s niece Peggy Korver regarding her estate, dated March 1985.  Apparently Peggy was the executrix of her aunt’s will.

I do believe that Laura and Aileen were close throughout the years up until the end. Laura was sixteen years older but that didn’t seem to matter. Their friendship spanned probably, if I guess correctly, from about 1921 to Laura’s death in 1983, which is 62 years.  The picture below was probably taken when they all gathered in Pasadena for the reunion I have posted about in a past post:  9/12/2012, “A Series of Photographs Give a Clue to a Family Reunion.“

Aileen & Laura 1924

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John Henry Boardman was the youngest son of Edmund and Charlotte Anne McMurray Boardman.  He is my granduncle and a younger brother to my grandfather Robert.

I have no memory of my greatuncle.  I have no memory of him attending his niece Aileen’s yearly Christmas party in West Seattle where we all went for many years. I was very young at the time and more interested in playing with Pal, my Aunt Aileen’s Collie dog.  It was Christmas so food and presents were of more importance to a very little girl.  Aunt Aileen’s husband’s son had little girls my age and we also played together.  If I met him, I do not remember.

Hopefully I honor my greatuncle a little in these posts.

John Henry Boardman at Graduation

John was mentioned in a Seattle Times article on Sunday, September 10, 1944 titled: Reception at New Quarters of B.A.W.R.  He was to be part of the receiving line.  B.A.W.R. refers to the British American War Relief.

John did apply for some military service as indicated in this Attestation document.   Interesting that he has his birth year as 1888 when I have it as 1886.

John’s Attestation pg 1

John is on the far left, standing.

Unfortunately, I do not know the names of the other men in this photograph.

John Henry Boardman

John died on the 15th of January 1957 in Seattle (West Seattle), King Co., Washington.  I found this notice in the West Seattle Herald, Thursday, Jan. 17, 1957 on the front page at the University of Washington newspaper collection in the basement of Suzzallo Library on the campus in Seattle.  They have a great collection of local area newspapers including neighborhoods.

Memorial Service – Memorial services for Mr. John H. Boardman, 70, 6328 28th Ave. SW, who died Tuesday in West Seattle General Hospital after a short illness, will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Seaview Methodist Church. Mr. Boardman was employed by West Seattle Drug Co. as a druggist. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Laura Boardman.

John has a simple stone and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in West Seattle near his brother and his wife Laura.  They rest by a lovely fountain.  The stone has the Masonic emblem embossed between the dates of his life span.  John and his wife Laura had not children.

John’s headstone in Forest Lawn West Seattle

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On a field trip to the Seattle National Archives Branch, I was searching for my mother’s naturalization papers and much to my surprise I found John and Laura Boardman’s naturalization in 1945.  I was pleased for I know very little about my greatuncle.

John had both a Declaration of Intention and Petition for Naturalization.

John H. Boardman’s naturalization picture

Information as indicated on the Declaration of Intention dated May 6, 1936 #39912:

US District Court, W. Distr of Wash, Seattle, WA
Name: John Henry Boardman
Address: 4507 California Ave., Seattle, King Co., Wa
Occupation: Pharmacist
Age: 49
Male
White
Fair
Eyes: Grey
Hair: Brown
Height: 5 ft 7-1/2 inches
Weight: 140 lbs.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Date of birth: April 2, 1886
Married: Laura Eleanor Boardman (no maiden name given)
Married in Winnipeg, Manitoba
She was born in Winnipeg,Canada
on May 8, 1891
Came into the US through Wilmington, California
on December 13, 1923
Permanent Residence – Seattle, WA
Emigrated from Victoria, B.C., Canada
Came on the SS Princess Adelaide December 4, 1923
Signed John Henry Boardman
Seattle, WA May 6, 1936 Certification No. 20-25611
Signed by Edgar M. Laxin – Deputy Clerk

Followed by a Certificate of Arrival U.S. Department of Labor,  #20-25611, Issued February 24, 1936 at St. Paul, Minnesota

Name: John H. Boardman
Port of Entry: Seattle, WA
Date: December 4, 1923
Manner of Arrival: S.S. Princess Adelaide

The next was the Petition for Naturalization November 26, 1945 which had most of the same information as the Declaration. Here I have indicated the additional information

Address: 3225 38th SW, Seattle, King, WA
Occupation: Druggist
Age: 56
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Small scar on forehead
Nationality: British
He has no children
Witnesses were: Wildr W. Willard, Retired Printer and Ethel May Willard
Address: 3240 41st SW, Seattle, WA

Source:  Naturalization Petitions, Vol. 136 (6 of 6), Box 56, Record Group # 21, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, Northern Division at Seattle, King Co., WA

His also had an Oath of Allegiance at the bottom of the Petition dated 26 November, 1945

Laura on the other hand, only had a Petition for Naturalization which was with her husband’s documents and there was no photograph of her.

Name: Laura Eleanor Boardman
Address: 3225 38th SW, Seattle, King, WA
Occupation: Housewife
Age: 57
Born: May 8, 1891
In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Female
White
Light
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Lt. brn
Height 5 ft
Weight 105 lbs.
Scar on right side of neck, white
Nationality: Canadian
Married to John Henry Boardman on Feb. 1, 1921
in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Entered the US at Wilmington, California
on December 13, 1923
Final residence: Seattle, WA
Husband was naturalized on Nov. 26, 1945, Seattle, WA #6074776
She has no children
Last place of residence was Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Came into the US Dec. 4, 1923 SS Pr. Adelaide #AR1313606
Witnesses: Joseph T. Neale, Chief, Fiscal Section of the Federal Works Agency – 2106-47th SW, Seattle, WA
Doris A O’Neill, Housewife – 2715 – A 59th SW, Seattle, WA
#20-44230

Oath of Allegiance is also included
Petition granted, line 17
List No. 2231
Certificate #6444798

Source:  Naturalization Petitions, Vol. 160 (2 of 3) Box 73, Record Group # 21, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, Northern Division at Seattle, King Co., Washington

Princess Adelaide:  http://www.evergreenfleet.com/princess_adelaide.html

We learn from these documents that John and Laura entered California at Wilmington in 1923.  Ancestry has border crossings where I found an entry for John and Laura coming into the United States  on May 4,  1924 from Winnipeg and headed for Seattle.  Source:  Border Crossing 1895 to 1956, List or Manifest of Alien Passengers Applying for Admission, 1924, Sheet 42.  

Comparing the Border Crossing with these naturalizations there is a bit of a difference.  I tried to pin down the border crossing date but have to go with Ancestry’s source that the date was 1924 because the pages of the border crossing do not really show a date at the top.  The naturalizations are a year earlier in 1923, so I am puzzled as to why they went back to Canada?

Most importantly is that they finally settled in West Seattle and remained there for the rest of their lives.

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John Henry Boardman, the youngest brother of my grandfather Robert Boardman, stayed behind in Winnipeg where he became the proprietor of the Boardman Drug Store at 19-254 Home St.

On the 1st of February, 1921 he married Laura Eleanor Cuthbert in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Source: Vital Records of the Province of Manitoba, on-line index reads:  Grooms LN: Boardman, GN: John, Brides LN: Cuthbert, Given Name: Laura Eleanor, Date of Marriage:  2/1/1921, Place WPG, Reg. # 1921,006059.  Note:  I have not obtained the actual marriage record. This information is from the index at their website.

City Directory research in Winnipeg was done by Rick McLellan of the Manitoba Genealogical Society,  who I hired.  Here are some of the listings for John Henry Boardman and Laura:

• 1908 Boardman John student, 563 Logan Ave.
• 1909 Boardman, J.H. clk Bemis Bros. Bag Co., 563 Logan Ave.
• 1912-1913 Boardman, John H. druggist WFC Brathwaite, 563 Logan Ave.
  • He was probably in the military at this time. 
• 1922 Boardman John H. prop. Boardman’s Drug Store, 19-254 Home St.
• 1923 Boardman John H., druggist 1164 Portage Ave. 19-257 Home St.; Boardman Laura hairdresser Mrs. B. Brown 366 ???Side
• 1924 Boardman, John pro. Boardman’s Drug Store 500 Basswood; Boardman Laura Mrs., cashier Boardman’s Drug Store, 500 Basswood.

After 1926 John and Laura were no longer listed in the Winnipeg City Directories.

John apparently went to Vancouver, B.C. for a while because he shows up in the city directory there helping his brother William run the drugstore in 1910, while brother Robert worked as a coppersmith.

Boardman Brothers in Vancouver 1910

1911 Boardman, John H. clk 610 Victoria Drive lvs 1975 Keefer; Wm. T. prop. Victoria Pharmacy h 610 Victoria Drive; Boardman Robt, coppersmith h 626 Victoria Drive.

We know that John and Laura were at the family reunion in 1924 in Pasadena at his brother Willie’s home.  I posted about this Boardman Family reunion in past posts.

The 1930 U.S. Federal Census has John and Laura living in California in Inglewood City.  So apparently they stayed behind in Los Angeles County.  In looking at a map of LA you can see that Inglewood was not that close to Pasadena.

Line 31 East Carson St., 112, 224, 244 Boardman, John, Head, R, 20 R No, M, W, 44, M, 34, No, Yes, Canada English, Father born England, mother born Canada English, English, 00, 43, V, 1923 Al, yes, Proprietor, Book Store, 8V91, O, yes, Not a veteran. Boardman, Laura E., wife – H, F, W, 38, M, 28, No, Yes, Canada English, Father born England, Mother Canada English, English, 00, 43 v, 1923 Al, yes, Manager, Book Store, 8V91 NP, yes. 

Source:  John and Laura Boardman Family, 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Inglewood City, Inglewood Twp., Los Angeles Co., California, ED #19-1016, SD #19, Sht #9A (197) Enumerated on April 11, 1930 A.W. Barnhardt #3952. Ancestry.com.  

However, by 1935 they begin appearing in the Seattle City Directories.  The Seattle Public Library has a great city directory collection on the 9th floor.

• 1935 – Boardman, John H (Laura E.) lending library 4507 Calif Av h 5430 44th Av SW.
• 1936 – Boardman, John H (Laura E.) pharm W Mace Schooley Jr. lending library 4507 Calif Av h do
•  1937 – Boardman, John H (Laura E.) pharm Swift Drug Co lending library 4507 California av h do
•  1938 – Boardman, John H. (Laura E.) h 8203 32nd Av SW
•  1939 – Boardman, John H. (Laura E.) pharm Swift Drug Co. h 8203 32d Av SW

They do appear in the 1940 U.S. Federal Census living in Seattle, WA. or what we call West Seattle.

32nd Ave, SW, line 56, 8203, 18, 0, 2400, Boardman, John H., Head, O, M, W, 53, M, No, C4-70, Canada English, 35, PA, same place, no, NW, yes —–1, 48, prescription pharmacist, retail drug store, Pw, V30, 70, 1, 52, 1820, No. Boardman, Laura E., wife, 1, F, W, 48, M, No, 8, 8, Canada English, 35, Al, same place, No, NW, no, no, no, no, H.

Source:  John and Laura Boardman Family, 1940 U.S. Federal Census, Seattle, King Co., Washington, Block No. 39-100-115, 116, 117, SD#1, ED#40-329, Sht#1-B, April 2, 1940, Mary Whitman, enumerator

Here are more Seattle City Directory entries for John and Laura Boardman:

•  1940 – Boardman, John H. (Laura E.) pharm Swift Drug Co. h 8203 32nd av SW
•  There is an ad for the Swift Drug Co that reads:  Drugs, Sundries, Prescriptions, Ice Cream, Candies, at Downtown prices, Free Delivery – 6501 California Ave, the other branch is at 918 2nd Ave.
•  1941 – Boardman, John H. (Laura E.) pharm h 3225 38th av SW
•  1942 – Boardman, John H. (Laura E.) pharm h 3225 38th av SW
•  1943-44 – John H. Boardman is working for Schooley as a pharmacist.  Same address as above.  Laura E. is with him.
•  1948-1949 – John H. Boardman (Laura E) pharmacist at Schooley Drug Co. and living at 3225 38th Ave SW in Seattle.
• 1951 – John H. Boardman (Laura E) is a pharmacist working now at McRory’s Swift Drug Co. and living at the same address as above.
• 1953 – John H. (Laura E) Boardman Pharmacy,  Home was at 3225 38th Ave SW – The Pharmacy was at 6969 Calif Ave.  I remember Aileen said he worked at a pharmacy.  She pointed to a building once and said he had worked there.
• 1956 – John and Laura are together still and living at the same address. He is now working for a Westside Prescription Pharmacy.

Trying to follow John and Laura through their life has been a challenge.  In summary they grew up and lived in Winnipeg till about 1924 and then headed to the United States first starting out in Los Angeles County California, then migrated to Seattle by about 1935 and remaining there till their deaths.

In the next post I will discuss John and Laura’s naturalization as U.S. Citizens.  In that documentation we find more information about their migration to the United States and also a puzzle about a border crossing.