Melanie Paul is a Wonderful WikiTreer

Question

Melanie always does a wonderful job. She participates in allsorts of Wikitree activities, always welcoming, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. I asked her for a brief favor, to find a couple of sources, where I was unable, and she went above and beyond, going all out, to give her best. She certainly needs to be recognised, and often, for her tireless efforts. Thank you.

Comments

(I've been discovering interesting things about the Marx family.)

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I'd love to hear. I'm trying to expand Gra Gra's family at the moment, at least as far and wide as Aussie BDM's will take me. I've got just about every Marx Bros movie at home. They are my favourite.

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Nothing startling, really, just that the eldest child, the baby who died, was totally ignored even by his parents in the 1900 census wherein it states that Minnie had given birth to 5 children (correct), and that she had 5 children still living (not correct, given Manfred had died young prior to 1900).  This census lists a daughter, Pauline, who -- I discovered -- was actually the "natural-born" daughter of Minnie's sister Hänne (Hannah / Johanna).

Fun times.  

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Sorry Ben, I don't know what you are meaning with BDM. For me it is an organizaton in the German Third Reich called "Bund Deutscher Mädel"

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lol. BDM is Births Deaths and Marriages. In Australia, each state has a BDM registry.

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Melanie. Well, I'm wrong about the number of children then, because it was the 5 sons who performed. I see Manfred has a profile though, which is good. I'll have to change the opening statement about Harpo, unless you beat me to it.

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Well, considering how "everyone" (including nobility) ignores the existence of children who died at or soon after birth, it's not so terribly surprising that the official biographies state 5 sons.

It's also not surprising that Samuel and Minnie would informally adopt / claim Pauline as their own.  It's what people did.  (Hänne had already lost a son, in 1882, and, as she married a second time in 1892, it is easy to imagine that she lost her husband soon after the baby and things happened, perhaps through grief and seeking solace.  It is also always possible that Pauline was legitimate, born just before, or soon after, Hänne's first husband died, and she just could not cope with a child so soon after the double loss.  Family used to step in for those situations, too.)

I think it's fantastic that Manfred has been confirmed as a 6th child; and equally fantastic that Pauline is conformed as niece, not daughter (1930 census), even though she bore the Marx last name.

I've added the 1900 census to Samuel and Minnie, with a Research Note.

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I may have been a tad early in considering Hänne had lost her son, as apparently he lived until 1973.  He, as with Minnie's brother "Al", changed his last name to Shean.

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I seem to have also been a tad premature in speculating regards Pauline's birth, as I found a record for her being legitimately born to her mother's first husband (I did include this possibility in my speculating!) -- albeit under an different spelling than it should have been.  So, not learning anything regards speculation -- maybe she was known as Marx because of the family fame; or because her mother truly could not cope with two youngsters so soon after her husband's death.  The son also changed HIS last name (Lefevre) - to Shean.  Go figure.

Answer 1

Melanie is an extremly helpful person and always kind. She deserves every single Wonderful WikiTreer award.

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Answer 2

We love our greeters

Answer 3

Melanie is a WikiTree Rockstar! Congrats, Melanie!

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. . . but - I can't be a rockstar!  I can't play guitar, keyboard, or drums!  

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You are a genealogy rockstar!