Sentimental Sunday: Patricia Pape Hunter and Gordon Merritt Parks, 1947

This is my dad's first cousin, Patricia "Pat" Pape Hunter (1923-1967), daughter of his aunt Rhea Maria Pape (1892-1977), and her husband, Gordon Merritt Parks (1916-2004).  This photograph was among the many shared with me by my second cousin Bill, grandson of Rhea's (and my grandfather Paul Pape's) sister, Martha Pape Bleidt (1890-1981).

According to Bill's notes, this photo was taken by his aunt, Mary Jane Bleidt Herring (1925-1965), on a visit she made to Des Moines, Iowa, to visit her cousin Pat and aunt Rhea in July 1947.  The oldest sibling of Rhea, Martha, and Paul, Clara Pape (1889-1975), had moved to Des Moines from Sioux City, Iowa, by 1938, working first as a secretary to the State Auditor and later (1940-1944) as a statistician in his office.  Here's Clara on the 1940 Census:

 (above is the left half of the page, below is the right half, showing her occupation - Clara is on line 31)

 In the 1946 Des Moines city directory, Pat is shown living with Clara at 1002 Des Moines, and the following year, her mother Rhea is living with her at that address.  Not sure where Clara is, nor where Rhea is in the 1949 directory, when Pat is at this address alone (but we know directories aren't always right).

Pat worked as a technician and office secretary for Central Broadcasting company, parent of radio station WHO. Gordon Merritt Parks worked there too.  I suspect that is how they met.

I'll write more about Gordon and Pat in future posts.

© Amanda Pape - 2012 - click here to e-mail me.