Mildred Katherine West (1898 - 1982)

Born 8 Dec 1898 in Brooklyn, New York, USA

Ancestors

Wife of Serge Treshatny — married 29 Jan 1917 (to 1927) in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States

Wife of Vladimir Eugene Baikoff — married 3 Jan 1934 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Died 12 Mar 1982 at age 83 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Michael Gabbard [send private message]

Biography

Mildred West, professionally known as Beverly Arden, was an American torch singer. Beverly mostly performed in live concerts; however, she made some recordings and appeared in one film, the German documentary Gala der Schallplatte (1967). She was the sister of the actress Mae West.

Mildred was born in 1898. She was the daughter of John West and Matilda Doelger. ^[1]

She was married to Sergei Treshatny 29 January 1917 in Brooklyn. An inventor, Treshatny had arrived in the U.S. by 1916. It's not clear how long they remained a couple, as Serge later often appears in censuses and other records as living alone. In 1924, Beverly tried to divorce Serge; however, when it appeared that she would not receive an adequate settlement, the case lapsed. In the case, she referred to herself as "The Bird-in-Cage Wife." (Please see below for a lengthy article relating to the divorce.)

A decade later, when Mae and Beverly were arrested in Bridgeport, Connecticut on 2 February 1927, Sergei took advantage of the scandal and got a divorce, which was granted by Supreme Court Justice George H. Taylor, Jr. in Newburgh, New York in 1927.^[2]

She was married to her manager, Vladimir Eugene Baikoff, 8 January 1934 in Chicago. He was also known as Robert Balkoff and Robert Duval. He was the son of Eugene Balkoff and Elizabeth Panteleeff. "Beverly West, actress-sister of Mae West, and her manager, Vladimir Baikoff, were married in Chicago. Beverly and her first husband, Count Sergei Treshatny were divorced in 1927."^[3]

She passed away in 1982.^[4] Her remains were interred at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn in the West Family Crypt.^[5]

Beverly West Referred to as a "Bird-in-Cage Wife"

From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, New York, Saturday, August 23, 1924

Treshatny Denies Charges Made by Bird-in-Cage Wife Who Says He Posed as Count

Serge Treshatny, the Russian, whose wife, formerly known on the stage as Beverly West, has taken the first step in an action for an absolute divorce, today denied through counsel that he is a Russian count or that he ever represented himself as such contrary to newspaper reports and his wife's allegations. Treshatny, who, under the name of Tray, is president of the Trey Air Cooled Motors corporation of Manhattan, claims that he came to this country in June 1916 as a member of the Russian Munitions Commission of the Imperial Russian Government.

Treshanty's Denial

According to Robert H. Law Jr. counsel for Treshatny, the Russian makes the following denial:

I' Serge Treshatny, desire to correct statements made that I am a Russian count and I deny that I ever posed as a Russian count. This case will be answered at the proper time and place. On advice of my counsel I will make no other statement."

Law on Wednesday will oppose the wife's application for alimony and counsel fee and enter general denial of all the allegations, he said. The case will come up in the Brooklyn Supreme court at that time.

Wife' Charges in Suit

Mrs. Treshatny said in her affidavit, which has not been filed as yet:

"I was married to Count Treshatny in April 1918 in Brooklyn, after I had known him three months. He made an imposing appearance and told me he was a member of the Russian nobility and had been graduated from Oxford University. He said he came here as an inspector of munitions for the Russian Government and that his income then was about $20,000 a year. In addition, he had several thousand dollars in cash and influential connections all of which were literally thrown at my feet. At that time I was only about 17 years of age and inexperienced. Such representations and promises worked upon my inexperienced youth and I became his wife."

"As soon as we were married he commenced to assert himself and adopted a peculiar method of treating me. Whether he did these things because of jealousies or customs of other countries I do not know, but he made me a bird in a cage."

Locked Her in Room

"On several occasions when he left home in the morning he would lock me in a room and take away the key, and I would be obliged to remain locked in there until he would return in the evening. Finally this became unbearable, and one day he opened the 'cage' and I flew out and returned to my mother."

"At first he gave me as much money as was necessary to run the house, but later his foreign temperament got the best of him and he ceased provision. He thought that all that was necessary was to count out the daily expenses to the penny and allow nothing over that for me."

"He would never allow me to visit my mother or talk to her over the telephone."

1900: Lived in Brooklyn, Kings, New York according to the Census: Head/Husband John West, wife Tillie, and children Mary J., Mildred K., and John E. ^[6]

1905: Lived in Brooklyn, Kings, New York according to the NY State Census: Head/husband John West, wife Mathilda, and children Mary, Mildred, and John. ^[7]

1910: Lived in Brooklyn, Kings, New York according to the Census: Head/husband John West, wife Matilda, and children Mary J., Mildred, and John Jr. ^[8]

1920: Lived in Queens, Queens, New York according to the Census: Head/Husband John West, wife Tillie, and children Mary J., Mildred, and John. ^[9]

1930: Lived in Brooklyn, Kings, New York according to the Census: Head John E. West, and sisters Mildred West and Mary West. ^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ "New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W4D-TB1 : 11 February 2018), Mildred Katharina West, 08 Dec 1898; citing Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, reference cn 18965 New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,984,423.
2. ↑ Sergei Treshatny on the Mae West Blog Spot.
3. ↑ Source: The Bryan Daily Eagle (page 6); published on Monday, 8 January 1934.
4. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V3GZ-P2H : 11 January 2021), Beverly West, Mar 1982; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
5. ↑ Find a Grave Memorial for Mildred Katherine West.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MSF5-JHD : accessed 3 February 2015), John E West in household of John West, Borough of Brooklyn, Election District 10 New York City Ward 15, Kings, New York, United States; citing sheet 17B, family 383, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,241,052.
7. ↑ New York, State Census, 1905, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MKSY-54R : accessed 3 February 2015), Mathilda West in household of Emanuel Hasert, Brooklyn, A.D. 20, E.D. 06, Kings, New York; citing p. , line , county offices, New York.; FHL microfilm .
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MP17-3PY : accessed 3 February 2015), John West Jr. in household of John West, Brooklyn Ward 27, Kings, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 861, sheet 16B, family 361, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,374,993.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVM4-KPX : accessed 3 February 2015), John West, Queens Assembly District 5, Queens, New York, United States; citing sheet 20A, family 191, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,821,234.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X42G-HWF : accessed 3 February 2015), John E West, Manhattan (Districts 0501-0750), New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0570, sheet 27B, family 634, line 67, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1567; FHL microfilm 2,341,302.