Genevieve Lucille (Gast) Driver (abt. 1911 - 1955)

Born about 11 Oct 1911 in California, United States

Wife of James Wayne Driver — married 19 Apr 1941 in Orange, California, United States

Died 24 Dec 1955 at about age 44 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Genevieve was born in 1912 to Paul Gast and Minette Becknell. She married Kenneth Carlson in 1931 and Paul Gilworth in 1936. She died when hit by a car on Dec. 24, 1955.

Murder Case: Nov 29, 1955

Father, 74, Dead in Family Fracas; 2 Daughters Held as Knife Suspects Two middle-aged women were booked on suspicion of the murder of their father early today in a wild, knife-waving family brawl. Paul P. Gast. 74, of 6607 DeLongpre Ave., retired restaurateur, was at first thought to have died of a heart attack during the violent argument. At Pierce Bros. Mortuary, however, it was found he had a stab wound near his heart. His daughters, Paulette Gast, 42, of 6601 DeLongpre Ave., and Mrs. Genevieve Driver, 45, of 1636 N Cahuenga Ave., were booked while detectives sought to unravel the mystery. Lt. Fred Earl. chief of Hollywood detectives, and Det. Sgts. C. C. Forbes and T. B. Close said the fatal evening started when the two sisters had several rounds of drinks and went to the home of Harold Cook, 54, of 6419 Homewood Ave. Wayne Driver, 48, Genevieve's husband, arrived soon after to take his wife home. Paulette started an argument with Driver, according to witnesses, which ended when she slugged him with a liquor bottle and chased him from the place with a butcher knife, obtained in the Cook kitchen, Genevieve then returned to the Gast home, where her daughter, Sandra, 14, was spending the night with her grandparents. Gast, on learning that his son-in-law had been injured when hit with the bottle, went to the Driver apartment to care for Driver. During Gast's absence, Paulette turned up at her parents' home, and engaged in an argument with her niece, Sandra, who took the elder woman to task for hitting her father with the bottle. Gast, according to detectives, arrived home to find Paulette waving another kitchen knife, which she had concealed in her sleeve. Gast called the police, and Paulette left for her home nearby. A police car arrived soon after. Driver came back to the Gast home in response to a message from his daughter, Sandra. She told her father that her grandfather had slumped to the floor during the argument. After investigation, the body was released to the mortuary where one of the Pierce Brothers staff found the stab wound between the third and fourth ribs. Both sisters deny stabbing their father. The Driver girl said she did not see either of them stab him. Police said also that neither of the kitchen knives Paulette had threatened to use caused the wound in Gast's body. However, a pocketknife was found at the death scene, which all the principals deny owning. Chemical tests are being made on all three knives. Gast's invalid wife, Manette, 70, was in another room and did not witness the fracas. ^[1] Mirror News Los Angeles, California 29 Nov 1955, Tue • Page 2

Genevieve Cleared of Charges
Genevieve eventually cleared, Sister held on murder. ^[2]

Death: Dec 24, 1955

Woman Killed When Hit by Auto in Crosswalk Driver Held on Suspicion of Manslaughter; Victim of Accident Figured in Death Case Mrs. Genevieve .Driver, 44. of 6613 De Longpre Ave., was killed yesterday when she was struck by an automobile while she was crossing Santa Monica Blvd. at Cole Ave.,and the driver of the automobile, Stanley R. Field, 27 of 6108 Saturn St., a TV technician, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Police charged that Field failed to yield the right of way to a pedestrian and that there was physical evidence of excessive speed. Mrs. Driver was in a crosswalk when she was hit, police said. Involved in Death Case Mrs. Driver, according to police, was the daughter of Paul P. Gast, 75, who died last Nov. 29 while stopping a family quarrel. She was questioned but was released, although a sister. Miss Paulette Gast, 47, of 6601 De Longpre Ave., was ordered held.on a murder charge. The sister is scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court Tuesday. ^[3][4]

Death Notice

DRIVER — Mrs Genevieve Driver Wife of James W Driver mother of Sandra Lu Driver daughter of Minette Gast sister of Paulette Gast Services Wednesday at 2 o'clock at the Callanan Mortuary 1301 North Western ^[5] Los Angeles Evening Citizen News Hollywood, California 27 Dec 1955, Tue • Page 2

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72885739/mirror-news/
2. ↑ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42156711/the_los_angeles_times/
3. ↑ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42154287/the_los_angeles_times
4. ↑ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72876954/los-angeles-evening-citizen-news/ Los Angeles Evening Citizen News Hollywood, California 27 Dec 1955, Tue • Page 2
5. ↑ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72876954/los-angeles-evening-citizen-news/

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCD4-F7S : accessed 7 March 2021), Geneveve L Gast in household of Paul P Gast, Culver City, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1531, sheet 11A, line 1, family 268, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 176; FHL microfilm 2,339,911.

• "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8JS-8D5 : 8 December 2017), Kenneth Carlson and Genevieve Lucille Gast, 04 Apr 1931; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,074,885.

• "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8JG-CFS : 8 December 2017), Paul Gilworth and Genevieve Lucille Carlson, 10 Mar 1936; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,113,868.

• "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8FK-YHR : 8 December 2017), James Wayne Driver and Genevieve Lucille Gilworth, 19 Apr 1941; citing Orange, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,051,273.

• "United States City and Business Directories, ca. 1749 - ca. 1990", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:81V4-HVN2 : 22 January 2021), Genevieve L in entry for J Wayne Driver, 1942.

• "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGJW-43L2 : 26 September 2019), James Wayne Driver in entry for Genevieve Lucille Driver, 1955.