Paulina (Longworth) Sturm (1925 - 1957)

Born 14 Feb 1925 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Alexander McCormick Sturm — married 26 Aug 1944 in Magnolia, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 27 Jan 1957 at age 31 in Georgetown, District of Columbia, United States

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Biography

Birth

Paulina was born on 14 Feb 1925 to Alice Lee (Roosevelt) Longworth, wife of Nicholas Longworth, III (1869—1931) who died when Paulina was barely six years of age.^[1]

The diaries of her mother, Alice Lee (Roosevelt) Longworth, have revealed her biological father to be William Borah, Republican Senator from Idaho, who was 59 when Paulina was born. Paulina's relationship to Senator Borah was often rumored in political circles as confirmed by one family friend, everybody called her "Aurora Borah Alice".^[2] Others whispered that Paulina's given name should have been DeBorah.^[3]

Marriage

On 26 August 1944, at age nineteen, Paulina married Alexander McCormick Sturm, an artist and Yale graduate.

Alexander Sturm died at age 28, from a short illness with vital hepatitis, after which Paulina became depressed and dependent upon sleeping pills and alcohol.

Death

Paulina died on 27 January 1957 from an overdose of sleeping pills, less than three weeks before her 32nd birthday.

Children

Joanna Mercedes Alessandra Sturm,^[4] historian and philanthropist, born 9 July 1946, who was orphaned at the age of ten, and adopted by her grandmother, Alice Lee (Roosevelt) Longworth.

Grandchildren

Alice Roosevelt Sturm,^[5] born 26 June 1987, daughter of writer Robert J. Hellman, Ph.D. (19 April 1945—9 March 2008)^[6] and Joanna Sturm.

Sources

1. ↑ "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKMW-9Q4S : 18 May 2016), Paulina Longworth, 14 Feb 1925; Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, reference/certificate 5231, Cook County Clerk, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm .
2. ↑ Brands, H. W. Traitor to his Class. 2008. Doubleday, New York, NY, p. 91. ISBN 978-0-385-51958-8.
3. ↑ Washington Widow: Mary Borah - The Knoxville Focus
4. ↑ Paulina Longworth Sturm (Wikipedia)
5. ↑ Joanna Sturm (Wikipedia)
6. ↑ Robert J. Hellman - Washington Times Obituary

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X472-25B : accessed 4 April 2022), Paulina Longworth in household of Nicholal Longworth, Cincinnati (Districts 1-250), Hamilton, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 60, sheet 14A, line 18, family 257, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1808; FHL microfilm 2,341,542.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10597582/paulina-sturm : accessed 04 April 2022), memorial page for Paulina Longworth Sturm (14 Feb 1925–27 Jan 1957), Find a Grave Memorial ID 10597582, citing Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA ; Maintained by Terri Morgan McKenny (contributor 50036556) .