Catherine Anne Rogers was born in northern Minnesota in November of 1904, most probably in her mother's northwestern hometown of Thief River Falls -- where Isabel (Bulman) Rogers had married Alexander Rogers the preceding February, and where Isabel had likely returned to give birth after wintering alone on the Little Fork River to stake a land claim. Alexander's work had taken him to the West Coast, and the couple would soon make their home in Oregon[1].
Catherine married first, Fred William McGill, at Payette, Idaho, two days prior to Christmas of 1922. A daughter, Claire Isabel[le] McGill, was born to the couple in October of 1923 at Andrews, in Oregon's Harney County. The marriage failed within a few short years, as Fred McGill was remarried in the spring of 1927. Several months later, a marriage register shows that Catherine, too -- recorded as divorced -- was remarried, to a Welsh-born husband shown only as A.E. Williams (he appears in the 1930 U.S. Census as "Fred", which is in fact short for "Alfred"), at Caldwell, Idaho. This marriage, too, would end in divorce, and she would later have a third, and final, marriage to Minnesota-born Alvin Louis Engelson, whose father was Norwegian but who was a member of the Chippewa nation through his mother's family[2][3]. This third marriage was likely soon after 1940, when the pair are both shown -- in adjoining entries -- as guests at San Francisco's Broadmoor Hotel.
Catherine (Rogers) Engelson passed away at San Francisco, California, in early August of 1963. Her gravestone in Harney, Oregon's, Fort Harney Cemetery bears only her maiden surname, but her death notice records her as the "beloved wife of Alvin L. Engelson". Alvin survived her by more than twenty years, dying at San Francisco in 1984[4].
Research Notes
Her mother’s profile is locked – Isabella B. F. Bulman (1883-); request sent 19 March 2022 to profile manager to join profile's Trusted List.
Candidates for 2nd husband A.E. "Fred" Williams, born in Wales about 1881, include:
Alfred Ernest Williams, born Jan. 1881 at Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, Wales
(bp. 8 May 1881)
Alfred Ernest Williams, born Apr. 1881 at Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales
Alfred Edward Williams, born Jan. 1882 at Pontypool, Monmouthshire, Wales
↑ "Plucky Woman Earns a Claim/Mrs. Isabel Rogers Passes Through Hard Winter in North Country", Duluth News-Tribune, Saturday, May 28, 1904, Duluth, MN, p. 11; [1] (by subscription)
↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2L8-T69 : accessed 21 March 2022), Alvin L Engelson, Grand Marais, Cook, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 45, sheet 6B, family 5, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 689; FHL microfilm 1,374,702.
↑ "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP24-BKZZ : 16 April 2021), Alvin Engelson, Minnesota, United States; citing Census, NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.
↑ "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGTC-5L6 : 26 November 2014), Alvin Louis Engelson, 08 Jan 1984; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
Year: 1910; Census Place: Harney, Harney, Oregon; Roll: T624_1281; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0080; FHL microfilm: 1375294, Age in 1910 5, Birth Date 1905, Birthplace Minnesota, Race White, Relation to Head of House Daughter, Marital Status Single, Father's Birthplace Wisconsin, Mother's Birthplace Canada English
Name | Alexander L Rodgers | Age | 72
Name | Alexander Rodgers | Age | 42
Name | Nora Fair | Age | 30
Name | Nellie L Fair | Age | 9
Name | Katherine Rodgers | Age | 5
Name | Margorie Rodgers | Age | 1
Year: 1920; Census Place: St Maries, Benewah, Idaho; Roll: T625_288; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 213 living with maternal grandmother Sarah May Victoria McIvor Bulman, household of her son-in-law George W. McGee: "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDCN-M8R : 1 February 2021), Catherine Rogers in entry for George W McGee, 1920.
Name | Catherine Rogers | Age | 15 | Birth Year | 1905 | Birthplace | Minnesota | Relation to Head of House | Granddaughter | [For unknown reasons shows father's birthplace as South Dakota rather than Wisconsin, and mother's birthplace as Michigan rather than Ontario; presumed to be a census-taker's error.]
Marriage (1) to Fred William McGill at Payette ID, 23 Dec. 1922 (image of m. certificate; shows birthplace as MO rather than MN): "Idaho, County Marriages, 1864-1962," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3TH-Q9Z : 19 February 2021), Fred William Mcgill and Catherine Anne Rogers, 23 Dec 1922; citing Payette, Idaho, various county courthouses, Idaho; FHL microfilm 1,255,643.
Marriage (1) to Fred William McGill at Payette ID, 23 Dec. 1922 (image of county recorder's handwritten Marriage Register; shows birthplace as MO rather than MN): Idaho, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1864-1967 for Fred William Mc Gill, Payette, Marriage Affidavits: 1919-1948; [3] (by subscription)
Marriage (2) (age 23, birthplace Minnesota; divorced) to A. E. Williams (age 46; previously married but evidently a widower, as record shows "No" to "Divorced") at Caldwell ID, 15 Sept. 1927: [printed record] "Idaho, County Marriages, 1864-1962," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3T9-G62 : 19 February 2021), A E Williams and Katherine Mcgill, 15 Sep 1927; citing Canyon, Idaho, various county courthouses, Idaho; FHL microfilm 1,255,609; [handwritten Marriage Register] "Idaho, County Marriages, 1864-1962," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3R1-N2Z : 19 February 2021), A E Williams and Katherine Mcgill, 15 Sep 1927; citing Canyon, Idaho, various county courthouses, Idaho; FHL microfilm 1,255,604.
Residence (Omaha NE) and family, 1930: "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQKC-W11 : accessed 21 March 2022), Katherine Williams in household of Fred Williams, Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 36, sheet 16B, line 93, family 348, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1274; FHL microfilm 2,341,009. [Correctly shows father's birthplace as United States, and mother's birthplace as Canada; daughter Claire appears as "Rogers[,] Clara", "Step Daughter" of husband]
Fred Williams | Age | 49 | Head | Birthplace | Wales
Katherine Williams | Age | 25 | Wife | Birthplace | Minnesota
Max Williams | Age | 14 | Son | Birthplace | Wisconsin
Rogers[,] Clara | Age | 6 | Step Daughter | Birthplace | Oregon
Residence (San Francisco CA), with future husband at same address, 1940: "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K98L-9FF : 6 January 2021), Katherine M Williams, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 38-193, sheet 83A, line 33, family , Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 305. Alt. transcript: Year: 1940; Census Place: San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Roll: m-t0627-00305; Page: 83A; Enumeration District: 38-193
Institution | Broadmoor Hotel, guest
Name | Katherine M Williams | Age | 33 | Birthplace | Minnesota | Marital Status | D[ivorced] | Residence April 1, 1935 | Omaha | Stenographer
Name | Alvin L. Engelson | Age | 37 | Birthplace | Minnesota | Marital Status | D[ivorced] | Residence April 1, 1935 | Same place
"California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP44-VT8 : 26 November 2014), Catherin M Engelson, 09 Aug 1963; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
Name | Catherin M Engelson | Birth Date | 21 Nov 1904 | Birth Place | Minnesota | Death Date | 9 Aug 1963 | Death Place | San Francisco
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25538752/catherine-rogers : accessed 14 March 2022), memorial page for Catherine Rogers (1904–1963), Find A Grave: Memorial #25538752, citing Fort Harney Cemetery, Harney, Harney County, Oregon, USA ; Maintained by Scotvik (contributor 47026497) .
Death Notice: San Francisco Chronicle, Monday, Aug. 12, 1963, p. 32; [4] (by subscription)
ENGELSON -- Aug. 9, 1963, Catherine M. Engelson, beloved wife of Alvin L. Engelson: loving mother of Mrs. Henry Luce III; sister of Mrs. O.H. Brooks; a devoted grandmother of three grandsons.
See also (note that online family trees are regarded as reliable only when primary, or highly reliable secondary, sources are specifically cited):
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The 1930 U.S. Census (see https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC9F-4KT) shows 6-year-old Norman C. [McGill] as "Son-adopted", indicating that he was not a child of Fred William McGill by second wife Maisie, but only that he was a son of either by a first marriage (or possibly, not a biological son of either adoptive parent, though this seems far less likely).
Therefore -- unless there's a divorce record that I've been unable to find -- Catherine's first marriage need only have ended by 1927, when Fred married Maisie Hill, not by 1923; I've edited the m. data to reflect that.
I've been exchanging messages with staff at the Harney County Library and the Oregon Historical Society; theoretically, there is a MN birth record out there somewhere for Catherine, but I have been unable to find it (a red herring you may be familiar with is the the birth of a Catherine Rogers, aka Pearl, at Hassan, MN, on 31 Dec. 1904). If either the Library or the OHS can provide a copy of the record for the correct Catherine, or a link, I will post it here.
I have adopted Fred's profile and everything I'm currently finding supports your suggestion that Fred and Catherine were the parents of Claire Isabel[le] (McGill) [O'Sullivan] [Hurt] Luce. Thanks again for the input.
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Therefore -- unless there's a divorce record that I've been unable to find -- Catherine's first marriage need only have ended by 1927, when Fred married Maisie Hill, not by 1923; I've edited the m. data to reflect that.
I've been exchanging messages with staff at the Harney County Library and the Oregon Historical Society; theoretically, there is a MN birth record out there somewhere for Catherine, but I have been unable to find it (a red herring you may be familiar with is the the birth of a Catherine Rogers, aka Pearl, at Hassan, MN, on 31 Dec. 1904). If either the Library or the OHS can provide a copy of the record for the correct Catherine, or a link, I will post it here.
I have adopted Fred's profile and everything I'm currently finding supports your suggestion that Fred and Catherine were the parents of Claire Isabel[le] (McGill) [O'Sullivan] [Hurt] Luce. Thanks again for the input.
edited by Christopher Childs