Charles Edward Curtis (1890 - 1952)

Born 10 Oct 1890 in Wessington, Beadle, SD

Ancestors

Died 5 Oct 1952 at age 61 in Itaska, IL

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This profile is part of the Curtis Name Study.

Biography

CHARLES EDWARD CURTIS, b. Oct 10th 1890 in Huron, Beadle, South Dakota (some sources say Fox township, Illinois, but they were living in South Dakota at this time and censuses list that state), d. October 5 1952 in Itasca, IL. Married CLARA ADELIA JUNCKER, daughter of WILLIAM JUNCKER from Germany and EMMA , b. September 17, 1893 in Illinois or Missouri, d. September 25 1958 in Elmhurst, IL. Married August 14, 1916.

Notes from Barb & Ruth: Charles was a businessman. While as a child he lived on farms and helped in cheese making he quickly became a city boy. He finished high school in 3 ½ years and was the only one of the family to attend college--only one semester. Then to work for Emerson Electric Company and in 1911 for Sears, Roebuck & Co. in Chicago until 1950. In 1917 he was listed on his son’s birth certificate as an office manager, living at 627 N Lockwood Ave. in ward 33 of Chicago. He became head buyer in radios for Sears Catalogue store on West side Chicago. Every radio in the catalogue went through him. When TV started in 1945 he bought those also. He was one of the first to have a TV in his house. From a letter Rita Curtis, Elburtis’ wife, wrote to her sister on August 22, 1918: “She [Rita’s mother, who was visiting] will have lots to tell you about Charlie and Clara and how cheap they were.” From a letter by Rita Curtis, Oct. 20, 1919: “We got two new tires last week. Charlie got them real cheep at Sears.” Bert and Rita were living in Morrice, MI at this time, and it seems most of the Curtis siblings came to visit Bert and Dexter around that time. They obviously thought nothing of traveling several hours for visits. Somewhere around 1924 Charles was offered a job with Sears in Kansas City, MO. Charles had been working for Sears in Chicago. Clara’s boss so hated the thought of losing her that he offered to pay her whatever additional monies Charles was going to make by moving to Kansas City. They moved anyway. Three things happened there: Charles was transferred from the Chicago office, promoted and received a huge pay cut. They were in Kansas City about 3 years altogether. Their son George was placed a half grade ahead when they moved from Chicago to Kansas City; when they returned to Elmhurst he was once again placed a half grade ahead. In February 1926 they gave birth to a 2nd child, Ralph. He died 2 months later, and was buried there. From Ruth: “My dad decided that he should be my guardian [her dad died in 1948]. Before mother died, Uncle Jake [Meindersma] had been. When dad died, Aunt Clara decided she didn’t want to raise a teenager so I went to live with his son George & wife Helen. At that time they had 3 children – Barbara, 5, Chuck, 3, and Jim, 1 ½. So I got 2 little brothers and a sister. Barb and I became close. She would sit on my lap and snuggle with me.” Charles and Clara didn’t go to church. Ruth’s Christian faith influenced 4 of George & Helen’s children to attend church. Aunt Clara was the character. When Uncle Charlie retired, she did too and never cooked another meal. Restaurants! She was very gullible. One time she was babysitting. Barb kept telling her that her mother let her do various things. When Barb started getting in the garbage and said, “my mommy always lets me eat garbage,” Aunt Clara decided she’d been had. She always reminded me of Aunt Clara on Bewitched. From Ruth: “I had to start school and could not go on vacation with Helen and George the first 2 weeks of September. I stayed with Uncle Charlie and Aunt Clara. She took me shopping for school clothes. She also thought she had to teach me to shave. Pat and I had discovered shaving by ourselves years before. She spent about an hour showing me how to do it.” In 1942 Charles and family lived at 300 Chandler Street in Elmhurst, IL. He loved to play golf, and his enthusiasm for the game led him to membership, directorship, presidency and eventually a part ownership of a prestige private golf club--Itasca Country Club, Itasca, Illinois. Uncle Charlie died while playing golf at the age of 62. He had a massive heart attack on the golf course.

Census 1910: still living with his parents, as a mechanical draftsman.

1917 Draft card: filled out June 5 1917. Charles E Curtis living at 627 N Lockwood, Chicago, a correspondent at Sears Roebuck Co. Supports wife and son. Height: medium; Build: slender; eyes: blue; hair: brown.

Census 1920: Charles Curtis, 29, overseer at a mail order house; Clara, wife, 27, stenographer in an office; George, son, 2 years 8 months; Emma Juncker, mother-in-law, 54, born Missouri, mother born France.

Census 1930: living in Elmhurst, Du Page county, Illinois. Charles E Curtis, head, 39, home worth $48,000, dept. manager at Sears Roebuck, not a veteran; Clara A, wife, 36; George E, son, 12; Irene, daughter, 3.

Census 1940: living in the same house in Elmhurst. Charles Edward Curtis, head, 49, Assistant buyer for radio dept. / mail order house (I think these were 2 compatible jobs at Sears). Clara, 46; George E, 23, credit investigator for a retailers credit agency; Irene, 13.

Children of Charles and Clara:

1. GEORGE EDWARD CURTIS (born May 6,1917 Chicago IL; died June 27 1992 Arroyo Grande CA) married HELEN MARIE STERNBERG (born July 30, 1915 Minneapolis, MN; spent her childhood in Phelps, MO; died January 30 1993 Davis CA) on January 27 1942 in Chicago. Helen’s parents were Vladimar (Woldemar) Markovich STERNBERG (born St. Petersburg, Russia) and Leona Barbara Lawson.
2. RALPH WING CURTIS Born Feb 12 died April 2 1926 Kansas City, MO
3. IRENE CURTIS born Feb. 1 1927 married DONALD NORMAN PAGE.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, as found at [FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSWL-SKP : accessed 10 January 2016), Elbartus D Curtis, St. Charles Township St. Charles city Ward 1-3, Kane, Illinois, United States; citing sheet 27B, family 586, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,240,312.]

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, as found at [FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK88-HBT : accessed 10 January 2016), Ellbartus D Curtis, Chicago Ward 32, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1380, sheet 5A, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,374,291].

• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6DS-2XY : 13 March 2018), Charles E Curtis, 1917-1918; citing Chicago City no 80, Illinois, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,503,991.

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJ75-8GQ : accessed 14 November 2018), Charles Curtis, Chicago Ward 33, Cook (Chicago), Illinois, United States; citing ED 2120, sheet 10A, line 42, family 211, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 353; FHL microfilm 1,820,353.

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSYS-V8B : accessed 14 November 2018), Charles E Curtis, York, DuPage, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 6, sheet 13A, line 28, family 341, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 511; FHL microfilm 2,340,246.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KW42-597 : 15 March 2018), Charles Edward Curtiss, Ward 4, Elmhurst, York Township, DuPage, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 22-8, sheet 15A, line 5, family 300, 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 796.