Sentimental Sunday: Where Were Jewel Moore and Francis Gresham in 1940?

Mark's parents, Jewel Moore (1914-1994) and Francis Edward Gresham (1911-1990), were married on October 26, 1940, in Corpus Christi, Texas. I found Francis on page 212 of the 1940 Corpus Christi City Directory. He's listed as living at 623 Blucher and working as a lithographer at Beacon Printing Company.  No spouse is listed.

Before their marriage, Jewel was living with her older sister, Ivis Moore Mew (1905-2004).  Jewel is on page 357 of the 1940 Corpus Christi City Directory, living at 408 Sam Rankin and working as a stenographer for Nueces Hardware Company, Chaparral at Lawrence.  Ivis' husband, Benjamin George Mew (1879–1949), with "Iva" as his wife, is listed on page 346 of the 1940 Corpus Christi City Directory as living at 408 Sam Rankin.

To find their enumeration districts (EDs) for the 1940 US Census, I used one of Stephen P. Morse's search engines, Obtaining EDs for the 1900 to 1940 Census in One Step (Large Cities), as Corpus Christi was one of the cities available with this utility.  It quickly told me that the ED for Francis Edward Gresham at 623 Blucher was 178-14.  I was even able to see what this address looks like today with a link to enter the address to view it in street view on a Google Map (it's now a high-rise building).

Finding the ED for Jewel Moore with Benjamin George and Ivis Moore Mew at 408 Sam Rankin was a little more complicated.  Sam Rankin is common to five EDs.  I needed cross streets.  So in this case, I used the Google Maps link first to see what those probably were.  This home appears to be gone as well in street view, but the address appears to be between Comanche and Lipan, so I entered those cross streets.  This told me the ED was 178-15.

Francis' sister Ophelia Mae Gresham (1914-2005) is also listed in the 1940 Corpus Christi City Directory, at 432 Palmero, working as a teacher at Wynn-Seale Junior High.  Her ED is 178-32B.  However, she may have been married to Shelton Verdo Lee (1912-1944) before the 1940 US Census enumeration.  The couple is listed in the 1941 Corpus Christi City Directory as living at 1400 4th, Apt. 3, which MAY have been 1400 Santa Fe in 1940, and is also in ED 178-32A.

There are a number of other Greshams in the 1940 Corpus Christi City Directory who may or may not be related. Thomas E. and Frances J. Gresham lived at 924 Lexington, along with a W. E. Gresham and a Lula P. Gresham (the latter being a department head at Montgomery Ward).  That address is in ED 178-6.  I'll have to see if the 1940 US Census gives any clues as to whether or not they are kin.

There are a bunch of Wolfe kin (my maternal grandmother's maiden name) who should also be easy to find in the 1940 US Census due to listings in the 1940 Corpus Christi City Directory, but that will need to wait for a separate post.

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