Cassie Gladys (Shanks) Switzer (1904 - 1997)

Born 28 Feb 1904 in Edgar County, Illinois, USA

Wife of George Frederick Switzer — married before 1922 (to 1 May 1960) in Illinois, USA [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 8 Mar 1997 at age 93 in Fallbrook, San Diego County, California, USA

Biography

Cassie Gladys (Shanks) Switzer was the mother of Carl and Harold Switzer of "Our Gang".

Gladys Shanks was born in 1904 in Illinois to her parents John Shanks and Hattie Mathews. Note that many have documented her first name as "Cassie". However, most records simply Show Gladys or "Gladys G". The G could be mistranslated from a C, so Cassie is possible. The records of the birth and death of her first child do reflect "Cassie" as her first name. But the death records presumed to be hers show "Pamela" as her first name.^[1][2]

Gladys married Fred Switzer presumably in Edgar County, Illinois around 1920-1922. Their first child died at birth and they went on to have three more children between 1923 and 1927. Their two boys were quite talented and in 1934 while visiting relatives in California, they had their boys do an impromptu performance at the Hal Roach Studios cafeteria. They were noticed and signed up to appear on "Our Gang".

While Fred is reported as actively campaigning for his son's screen time, not much is reported of Gladys. The family did move to Los Angeles after the boys were signed and were reported on the 1940 Census as living in LA both for 1935 and 1940.

She faced a series of tragedies all in a short time. Her son Carl died in 1959 of a gunshot wound. Fred passed away in 1960. Her oldest son Harold committed suicide in 1967.

From her death and grave information, it appears that she may have remarried at least one more time to a "Doerr". No information has been found on this marriage as of yet. She passed away in 1997 in San Diego. She was interred

Sources

1. ↑ "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP3J-RLH : 26 November 2014), Pamela Gladys Doerr, 08 Mar 1997; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
2. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JGHN-86T : 20 May 2014), Pamela G Doerr, 08 Mar 1997; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Switzer

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MKFG-Y6V : accessed 29 March 2018), Gladys Shanks in household of John Shanks, Paris Ward 4, Edgar, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 51, sheet 13B, family , NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 286; FHL microfilm 1,374,299.

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MJWP-1MN : accessed 29 March 2018), Gladys G Shanks in household of John S Shanks, Paris Ward 3, Edgar, Illinois, United States; citing ED 53, sheet 5B, line 54, family 129, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 367; FHL microfilm 1,820,367.

• "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NQ41-GP5 : 8 March 2018), Cassie Gladas Hanks in entry for Switzer, 18 May 1922; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,570,834.

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XSYW-VPN : accessed 28 March 2018), Gladys Sweitzer in household of Fred Sweitzer, Paris, Edgar, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 16, sheet 6A, line 8, family 151, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 513; FHL microfilm 2,340,248.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9CB-TYG : accessed 28 March 2018), Gladys Switzer in household of Fred Switzer, Councilmanic District 11, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Township, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 60-924, sheet 13B, line 55, family 346, 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 412.

• "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VPWP-ZVN : 26 November 2014), Shanks in entry for Carl Dean Switzer, 21 Jan 1959; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.

• "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VPJQ-D7J : 26 November 2014), Shanks in entry for Harold F Switzer, 14 Apr 1967; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=139757227