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Eva Loretta Davis (abt. 1900 - 1961)

Eva Loretta Davis aka Noonan, Merola, Alexander
Born about in ORmap
Ancestors ancestors
Wife of — married 19 Oct 1917 (to 24 Jan 1923) in Clark, Washington, United Statesmap
Wife of — married 26 Jul 1923 in Orange, CAmap
Wife of — married about 1926 [location unknown]
Died at about age 61 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United Statesmap
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Dave Davis private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 17 Sep 2018
This page has been accessed 155 times.

Biography

She is the daughter of Elmer Davis and Alice Sims.

Birth:
Eva was born about 1901.
Married:
Eva Davis and Sylvester Noonan married 19 Oct 1917, Vancouver, WA
Divorce was finalized on 24 Jan 1923, in Portland, OR
Married:
Eva Noonan and Tommy Merola married 9 Nov 1922, Camas, WA
Marriage anulled on 24 Jan 1923, in Portland, OR
Married:
Eva married Robert Alexander in about 1926.
Eva was touring, when in 1929, her daughter, Joan, was born in Columbus, Ohio. After that, they lived in California, first in Hollywood, then in Lennox (Inglewood).
Death:
Eva died in 1961. She died of barbiturate overdose but it is uncertain whether it was on purpose or accidental. She was bereaved from the loss of her husband, Robert.

Sources

  • The Portland Oregonian, Jan 24, 1923, Girl Loses Two Hubbies; Divorce Granted - Second Marriage Anulled; Eva Noonan of Lyric Chorus Advised To Wait Six Months Before Marrying Again
  • The Portland Oregonian, Jan 24, 1923, Girl Loses Two Hubbies; Divorce Granted - Second Marriage Anulled; Eva Noonan of Lyric Chorus Advised To Wait Six Months Before Marrying Again
  • The Portland Oregonian, Jan 27, 1922, City News in Brief: Divorce suits filed
  • The Portland Oregonian, Nov 9, 1922, Vancouver Marriage Licences
  • The Portland Oregonian, Nov 10, 1922, Rosebud Chorus Girl Bride
  • The Portland Oregonian, Nov 18, 1922, Pretty Chorus Bud Faces Bigamy Charge; Two Lay Claim To One of Lyric’s Dancers; Reception to Newlyweds Given by Stage Folk but 10 Days Ago After Wedding at Camas
  • The Portland Oregonian, Dec 23, 1922, Chorus Bud Is Indicted; Polygomy Is Charged to Mrs. Sylvester Noonan
  • Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013
  • Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013
  • Year: 1910; Census Place: Portland Ward 1, Multnomah, Oregon; Roll: T624_1285; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0127; FHL microfilm: 1375298
  • Year: 1920; Census Place: Portland, Multnomah, Oregon; Roll: T625_1498; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 3
  • Year: 1930; Census Place: Calexico, Imperial, California; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0016; FHL microfilm: 2339854
  • Year: 1940; Census Place: Inglewood, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00236; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 19-344
  • Place: Los Angeles; Date: 27 Nov 1961; Social Security: 572056346
  • AncestryDNA chat with Eva’s granddaughter, Michele Bagby, June 6, 2019.




Memories: 4
Enter a personal reminiscence or story.
Saturday, November 18, 1922 Portland Oregonian

Pretty Chorus Bud Faces Bigamy Case Two Lay Claim To One Of Lyric’s Dancers. Reception to Newlyweds Given by Stage Folk but 10 Days Ago After Wedding at Camas.

“Is Eva there?” where queried the male voice coming in over the phone.

“No, Eva isn’t here but if you have a message for her this is her husband talking,” said the listener into the transmitter.

“The dickens you are - I’m her husband,” came back the assertive answer.

And there are you have the tangle into which Eva Davis (stage name), member of the Rosebud chorus of the Lyric musical comedy company, has walked - for she has two husbands. Her arrest on charges of bigamy was made yesterday, after Sylvester Noonan, husband No. 1, was so courteously told over the phone by Tony Merola that Eva belonged to him.

Tony, who is the lead of the Pacific quartet of Lyric company, registered surprise and chagrin on learning that, at best, he has only half a claim on Eva as husband No. 2. Following the jolly time they had in getting married at Camas. Wash., 10 days ago and the fraternal reception accorded them that night back-stage at the Lyric, Tony had every reason to suppose he was the fully accredited husband of the pretty chorus girl. That explains why he talked so confidently over the phone from his supposed mother-In-law’s home. But even Newnan Merola was arrested by Chief Deputy Rennick of the constable’s force and arraigned before District Judge Hawkins on a charge of bigamy, issued by Deputy District Attorney John Mowry.

Eve filed suit for divorce from Noonan last January, according to Mowry, but no divorce was ever a granted. The only showing in the court records was that of default by the defendant husband. There had been no hearing and no decree. according to the records.

Despite the arrest the Rosebud chorus was not minus Eva’s witching presence last night, for she was released on her own recognizance.

[The writer uses the name Tony, but it should be Thomas or Tommy].

posted 22 Sep 2018 by Dave Davis   [thank Dave]
Saturday, December 23, 1922 Portland Oregonian

Chorus Bud Is Indicted Polygamy Is Charged to Mrs. Sylvester Noonan Six True Bills and Two Not True Ones Are Returned By Grand Jury; Most Charges Thefts

Six true bills and two not true bills were returned yesterday by the county grand jury yesterday by the gray in the by the county grand jury. Eva Noonan, arrested on the charge about a month ago, was indicted for polygamy, while three other of the indictments were for larceny of automobiles.

Mrs. Noonan member of the Rosebud chorus of the Lyric Musical Comedy company, was married November 15 to Thomas Merola when not legally divorced from her husband Sylvester Noonan. Suit for the divorce of the pair had been instituted and default of the husband entered, but it seemed the little chorus girl was under the misapprehension that this was all there was to a divorce action. Bail was set at $500.

posted 22 Sep 2018 by Dave Davis   [thank Dave]
Thursday, January 4, 1923 Portland Oregonian

Girl Loses Two Hubbies Divorce Granted: Second Marriage Annulled. Eva Noonan of Lyric Chorus Advised to Wait Six Months Before Marrying Again

Little Eva Noonan, Lyric chorus girl, who tips the beam at an even 100 pounds, walked into the courtroom of Circuit Judge Stapleton yesterday morning the possessor of two husbands and under the indictment by the Multnomah county Grand jury for polygamy 10 minutes later she tripped away minus both husbands and no longer under a criminal charge.

The girl was married October 19, 1917 at Vancouver, Wash., to Sylvester Noonan. He mistreated her and finally deserted her, she claims. About a year ago, she brought suit for divorce. Her attorney told her it would go “by default“ by which he meant that her husband would not put in an appearance to contest the action. She thought he meant that she was free.

Early last November, Mrs. Noonan again went to Vancouver and married Thomas Merola, member of the quartet of the lyric. Six days later, husband Noonan called her home on the telephone and asked to speak to “Eva”. Merolla answered the telephone and asked Noonan who he was.

“I’m her husband,” was the reply. “The deuce you are,” was the counter. Following his investigation into the matter, husband No. 1 filed charges against his wife and she was indicted.

Judge Stapleton yesterday granted the divorce, which had been pending all this time, annulled the second marriage and dismissed the indictment.

“Remember you can’t get married now for six months,” Judge Stapleton told her.

“Could we get married right away if we went to California?” inquired Merola.

“Possibly, if you did not come back to Oregon to live, but I would advise against it,” answered the jurist.

posted 22 Sep 2018 by Dave Davis   [thank Dave]
Eva Davis was a dancer and chorus girl in musical comedies in Portland, OR. She had an “oops moment”, when she was in her early 20’s, when it was discovered she was married to two men at the same time. She thought filing divorce proceedings was all it took when her lawyer said it would go by “default”. She, then, married her fellow performer, songwriter, singer, Tommy Merola. However it was annulled in court. The judge ordered her not to marry for 6 months. “Could we get married right away if we went to California?”, she asked the judge. ”Possibly, if you did not come back to Oregon to live, but I would advise against it”, said the judge.

Epilogue: Eva and Tommy went to Los Angeles, CA, and were married in July 1923.

posted 17 Sep 2018 by Dave Davis   [thank Dave]
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Eva by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Eva:

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