Robert J. Olmsted (1892 - 1973)

Born 22 Jun 1892 in Auburn, Cayuga, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 19 Feb 1973 at age 80 in Laguna Hills, Orange Co., California, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Walt Steesy [send private message]

Biography

Robert Olmsted was a New Yorker.

Robert Olmsted was a Californian.

Robert was a businessman in real estate.

Robert was a Mariner.

Robert was born in 1892 in New York State. He was the son of George Olmsted and Ella McGeer Olmsted. He lived with his parents and sister from 1892 and throughout the first part of the twentieth century. He was employed as a lawn-mower grinder for the Electric Grinding Co. located on 940 W. 60th St. Robert walked with a limp due to injuries sustained to his left leg in a motorcycle accident prior to 5 June 1917, when he registered for the draft. His World War I Draft Registration Card indicated that he was single, tall and slender with black hair. His parents depended on his income and he had rheumatism in his left leg, both of which indicate that most likely he was not able to participate in the war effort in the armed services.

Robert J. Olmsted married Grace V. Dawson who was attracted to him because he was "tall, dark and handsome." They had no children, but had several nieces and nephews. Robert was active in real-estate investments, where he made his fortune. When Grace and Robert lived on Balmer Drive in Los Angeles, California they had a yacht. Uncle Robert liked to sail to Santa Catalina Island and Aunt Grace went along for the ride because it was so important to him.

Photo Notes

The post card picture was sent from Robert, Grace and their niece, Lucille Dawson Ceruti (mother of Dr. Marion Ceruti) to Grace's brother, Raymond I. Dawson, Sr. in the form of a postcard from Tijuana, Mexico, dated 1950. It was sent before Lucille married Wm. T. Ceruti. It is the only place that that Dr. Marion Ceruti has ever seen her great Uncle Robert called "Bob." Most of the time we called him "Uncle Robert" and Raymond I. Dawson, Jr.. wondered why that is. We never discovered the reason, but most of the time we assumed that Uncle Robert preferred the name "Robert" to "Bob."

Robert and Grace also had a home in Palm Springs, California, where they had a swimming pool. The primary photo pictures Grace D Olmsted, her brother, Raymond I. Dawson, Sr., and Robert Olmsted in the back yard of the Palm Springs home by the side of their swimming pool Their niece, Lucille Dawson Ceruti, visited the Olmsteds when they lived in Palm Springs. During their later retirement, Robert and Grace lived in Leisure World, Laguna Hills, Orange County, California, USA. Robert was always kind to people in his family.

Marion had three briefcases that belonged to him, with "RJO" inscribed on each. The two oldest ones fell apart during a move from Hawai'i, USA to California, USA. These two briefcases had to be discarded because the leather was too weak to mend, but Marion still has the one that is best preserved in her second home in San Diego, California, USA.

Research Notes

Further research has confirmed the family story that Robert J. Olmsted was the third and last husband of Grace Valentine Dawson Olmsted. He also is the 23C4R of his grand niece by marriage, Dr. Marion Ceruti.

The last time Marion saw Uncle Robert was in their home at Laguna Hills, Orange County, California, USA, during a visit in 1969. When Marion moved to Los Angeles, California, USA, to attend Chemistry graduate school in the University of California at Los Angeles in the late summer of 1973, Uncle Robert had already passed away.

Sources

• Olmste(a)d files of Walt Steesy
• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch [1] accessed 20 July 2020, Robert J Olmsted in household of George H Olmsted, Los Angeles Assembly District 71, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing ED 297, sheet 2B, line 73, family 51, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 111; FHL microfilm 1,820,111.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch [2] accessed 20 July 2020, Robert J Olmsted in household of Ella E Olmsted, Los Angeles (Districts 0501-0750), Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 517, sheet 19A, line 22, family 451, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 152; FHL microfilm 2,339,887.
• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch [3] entered 24 August 2019, Robert J Olmsted, 1917-1918.
• "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch [4] entered 15 July 2020), Robert Olmstead, Feb 1973; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
• "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch [5] entered 26 November 2014, Robert J Olmsted, 19 Feb 1973; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
• Letter dated 4 March 1992 from John Bevan,(before he earned his Ph.D.) on the official letterhead stationary of The Historical Diving Society, to Raymond i. Dawson, Jr. regarding the descendants of Charles Anthony Deane. The enclosures to the letter include a four-page update consisting of the genealogy of recent Deane descendants. This document confirms death year as 1973.
• Personal experience, family experiences, and family records