Helen (Menkin) Richard (1901 - 1966)

Born 12 Dec 1901 in New York County, New York, United States

Wife of Humphrey DeForest Bogart — married 20 May 1926 in New York, New York, New York, United States

Wife of Henry Templeton Smith — married 12 Jul 1932 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

Died 27 Mar 1966 at age 64 in New York County, New York, United States

Biography

Helen Menken (December 12, 1901 – March 27, 1966) was an American actress. Menken was born Helen Meinken in New York City, to a German-French father, Frederick Meinken, and an Irish-born mother, Mary Madden. Her parents were deaf, and her early communication came via sign language.

Originally a teenage actress who made her Broadway theatre debut in Parlor, Bedroom and Bath in 1917. Menken was active on radio in the 1940s (starring as Brenda Cummings in Second Husband and notably recreating her performance opposite Judith Anderson in a 1946 radio adaption of The Old Maid).

Menken received a special Tony Award posthumously in 1966 "for a lifetime of devotion and dedicated service to the Broadway theatre."

The first of her four husbands was actor Humphrey Bogart. She was Bogart's first wife. They were married at the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City on May 20, 1926, and she divorced him November 18, 1927. She married Dr. Henry T. Smith on July 12, 1932 and divorced him in 1947, then in October 1948 married George N. Richard who survived her.

Sources

• "New York State Census, 1905," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPFV-FMV : 8 March 2021), Helen Minken in household of Fred Minken, Manhattan, A.D. 23, E.D. 24, New York, New York; citing p. 63, line 22, various county clerk offices, New York; FHL microfilm 1,433,099.
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5SZ-R7F : accessed 23 June 2023), Helen Meinken in household of Frederick Meinken, Manhattan Ward 12, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 522, sheet 2B, family 38, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1021; FHL microfilm 1,375,034.
• "New York State Census, 1915", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K92C-SPV : 2 June 2022), Helen Meinken in entry for Fred Meinken, 1915.
• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KX94-7NG : 2 March 2021), Helen Menken, 1925; citing Immigration, New York, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "New York State Census, 1925," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSQM-P5Q : 8 November 2014), Helen Menken, New York, A.D. 10, E.D. 14, New York, New York, United States; records extracted by Ancestry and images digitized by FamilySearch; citing p. 2, line 27, New York State Archives, Albany.
• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXM6-X7N : 1 March 2021), Helen Menken, 1926; citing Immigration, New York, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXG3-PTM : 2 March 2021), Helen Menken, 1927; citing Immigration, New York, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24D8-FMD : 21 June 2023), Henry Templeton Smith and Helen Menken, 1932.
• "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (ark:/61903/1:1:KQTN-836 : Thu Jun 08 21:11:41 UTC 2023), Entry for Henry T Smith and Helen Menkin Smith, 1940.
• "United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5S1-N4M9 : 18 July 2020), Miss Helen Menken, 1966.
• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #41662136 (accessed 22 June 2023)
  Memorial page for Helen Menken (12 Dec 1901-27 Mar 1966); Maintained by Arlene Michelle (contributor 49266525).

See Also:

• Ancestry Profile