Gregoire Events in the 1950's through the 1960s.

Octave passed away on Jan. 27, 1953 in Manhattan, New York.  

Abstract of information about death of Octave Gregoire on the New York City
Death Index.  From Ancestry.com.

I don't know much at all about Octave except for what I have found in my research.  My Mom didn't mention him; neither did my maternal grandparents, at least as far as I can remember. I did get two tidbits from my older brother Mike about his relationship with his son Maurice.  It wasn't a good one!  Maurice brought Mike to Octave's apartment, and Mike remembers it being very quiet.  

Maybe I'll find out more in the future.

Margo Gregoire, Octave's daughter with his wife Charlotte, was granted a marriage license with Paul Burke.  Not too much information here, but nothing else seems to be available about their marriage.

Abstract of marriage license information for Marguerite
"Margo" Gregoire and Paul Burke.  From Ancestry.com.

Rudolph Hirten, who had been the husband of Helen M. "Nellie" Gregoire, Octave's daughter, until her death in 1929, passed away en route to Brussels on Oct.25, 1967.  He was on Sabena Airlines Flight 548 from New York when he had a fatal heart attack.  He had been flying to Brussels for a business meeting.

Top, a copy of "Report of the Death of an American Citizen,"  issued by the U.S.
Consulate in Brussels.  From Ancestry.com.
Bottom, the affidavit by Dr. P. Martens attesting to the death. Also from Ancestry.com.

 

Charlotte passed away in New Jersey in 1968, where she was living with her daughter Margo.  Her obituary states that she "was the widow of Octave Gregoire," which is poignant because they hadn't lived together since the 1930's.

About six weeks after she died, a local paper published a descriptive list of wills probated in the area. That is new to me.  (The bit about another will below Charlotte's, that of someone not related to the family, is a bit of a cliff-hanger so I will tell you that the article goes on to say that the mink jacket was left to to the decedent's sister.  The rest of her clothing was to be divided among the sisters. Ms. Harrison must have had some collection of clothing.

Maurice Joseph Gregoire Marries

 On May 27, 1944, Maurice J. married Helen Hogan in Yonkers, Westchester County, New York.  

Abstract of New York State Marriage Index showing Maurice J. Gregoire married
on May 27, 1944, in Yonkers.  From Ancestry.com.

I can't find Helen Hogan in this index except on the list that the department kept of grooms' names.  She is on the right side of the page, with her last name abbreviated to "HOGA."

The list showing Maurice J. Gregoire as the groom, with abbreviated
name "HOGA" for his bride Helen Hogan.  From Ancestry.com.

I did try different spellings of her last name, but so far, no luck.

Maurice J. and Helen Hogan Gregoire on
their wedding day, May 27, 1944.  Maurice
is on the right, next to Helen.  Original photo
is in the collection of Michael J. Tobin.

We do have this lovely wedding portrait with everybody looking very dapper.  My father, Andrew Joseph Tobin is on the left, and it seems that he was Best Man.  The woman next to him is unknown to me;  she was the Maid of Honor, I'm guessing.

WWII: Maurice J. Gregoire Registers for the Draft then Enlists in Army Air Corp

 On Feb. 16, 1942 Maurice J. Gregoire registered for the draft.  His draft card shows that he was living on Barnes Ave. in the Bronx with his parents, he was 20 years old, and he worked at Anaconda Wire & Cable Company in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY.

Draft registration card, front side,  for Maurice J. Gregoire, found on Ancestry.com.

Back side of Draft registration card for Maurice J. Gregoire.

An "obvious physical characteristic" noted on card is the "scars on both legs from burns."  I remember Mom telling us about an accident in the kitchen, involving a pot of boiling water, that caused those burns when Maurice J. was a child.  I need to ask the older siblings if they know about it.

On Sep. 28, 1942 Maurice J. enlisted in the Army Air Corps.  

Abstract of Army Air Corps enlistment for Maurice J. Gregoire.
From Ancestry.com

The 1940 U.S. Census

The 1940 U.S. Census shows Maurice and Lillian at 2720 Barnes Avenue in the Bronx along with their son Maurice, 18 years old, Helen (Lillian's sister) and Helen's husband Peter Santini.  Octave is living there also, listed as "single."  We always knew Helen as "Tante" the French word for aunt, and pronounced as one syllable.

Maurice G. Gregoire and family on the 1940 U.S. Census at 2720 Barnes Ave.
in the Bronx.  Also living at that address the census shows Helen and Peter
Santini, and Teddy and Matilda (Urbinelli) Soldati with their three daughters.

Charlotte and Margo are living at 300 E. 79th Street in Manhattan, Margo working as a legal secretary, and Charlotte as a seamstress for a private family.  Margo is "single" and Charlotte is "married."  Charlotte's obituary states that she was the spouse of Octave Gregoire, so I don't think they ever got divorced.  Education for Margo is noted as four years of high school, but I haven't found any information for her graduation, as I did for Eleanor.

Maurice G. continued his naturalization process by submitting a "Petition for Naturalization."  The witnesses that signed on his behalf were Peter Santini and Andrew J. Tobin, the former his brother-in-law, the latter his son-in-law.  On Dec. 23, 1940, Maurice took the Oath of Allegiance and thus became a U.S. citizen.  

Abstract from Ancestry.com showing some details of Maurice G. Gregoire's 
Petition for Naturalization filed on Mar.21, 1940

Card on file indication that Maurice became a U.S. citizen on Dec.23 1940.
Ancestry.com

Photos of the Naturalization papers on file.  Witnesses Andrew J. Tobin and
and Peter Santini are shown on the left.  Ancestry.com.

Grandpa Gregoire and Dan Party Harty in SF

My brother Dan shared a story about Grandpa Gregoire on a text to siblings.  With his permission, I am adding it to the blog.  It includes a lovely photo of the bar that features in the story.  (I am wondering if Dan took it.)

"Hi everyone,

The pictures of gramps in that great book [?]reminded me of when he and nana came to visit.

I took gramps to a local bar in North Beach, which at the time was a little Italy, called the North Star.  The customers were a mix of lawyers, cops, firemen, construction folks and a judge once in a while.  It was busy and noisy.  There was a firehouse next door and when an alarm went off, there were plastic firemen hats near the door, so who ever was near the door would put the hats on and go wave at the firemen leaving.  

This is the bar where gramps and I knocked down a few!

When it came time for the guys we were with to have another round, everyone yelled "I'm in."  Well, gramps had this big smile and yelled, "I'm in too!"

When we got back to my apartment Nana was waiting and I think she had a wooden spoon at the ready!  Poor gramps got a talking-to in Italian and French, but that smile lasted 'til they left to go home!"

When I texted back to Dan commenting on how much fun that evening must have been, he said it was lunchtime!