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Note: From census records I know that Florence married Frank Ward Henderson in about 1921. According to the census records, she was listed as being born in Germany and immigrating to the U.S. in 1913. On her death certificate, she was listed as born in Austria. According to Jack Waggener, he said that Florence was born in Alsace-Lorraine and that she was a very interesting woman who spoke several languages. Stuart Crossman confirms that she spoke several languages, and that she worked as some sort of translator for the courts. Her death certificate says she worked a machine operator at a defense plant. As I have been unable to find a marriage record for Frank and Florence in Michigan, I believe that they were probably married somewhere other than Michigan. It seems possible that they met and married in the Chicago area. I also am not sure of her maiden name. Some family members believed it was Durey or some variation of the spelling of that name. On her death certificate however, her daughter Frances reported her father's name was Peter Borkowski and his mother's maiden name was Tess Sikerski. I know that there were two children born to Frank and Florence, Frances in 1923 and Donald in 1926. Both were born in Michigan, so assuming Frank and Florence had married outside of Michigan, they had moved to Michigan by 1923. From the city directory records and census records for 1930 and 1940, I know that Frank and Florence lived for about the next 20 years in various locations in Royal Oak, Oakland County, Michigan. In 1924, he and Florence are living with the family of his sister Adelaide and Dick Waggener, in Royal Oak at 423 Maryland Avenue. Frank is listed as an auto worker. I am not sure how long it was before this that they moved there, or who had moved to Royal Oak first. Dick and Adelaide Waggener had been living in Detroit in 1921-22, and I know that they subsequently lived in Royal Oak until Mary's death in 1959. In 1928, Frank and Florence are living at 238 Oakwood Blvd. in Royal Oak, and Frank is listed as a bodyworker. In the 1930 directory for Royal Oak they are again listed as living at this same location, but in the 1930 census in April, Frank and Florence and family are living at 238 12 Mile Road in Royal Oak, and Frank is listed as being a foreman in a factory. In the 1933 directory, Frank is listed as a clerk and they are living at 1023 Cherokee Ave. in Royal Oak. In the 1936 they are living at that same location and Frank is listed as a foreman at the Pontiac Motor Company in Pontiac, Michigan. In the 1940 census they are living at 249 E. 12 Mile Road, Royal Oak; which was next door to Dick and Adelaide Waggener. Frank is listed there as time keeper for a road project. In the 1942 directory they are living at 224 Marlin Ave., Royal Oak; and Frank is listed as a foreman with the Stinson/Valtie Aircraft Division in Wayne County. From family reports, Frank apparently left home some time in 1942 and was gone for a number of years, I think at least ten. I don't know much about this, but I know that Florence came to live with Adelaide and Dick Waggener in Royal Oak, and that she was died there in Royal Oak in December of 1942. I am not sure what was the cause of her death, but it must have been tragic, as she was only 36 years old. Jack Waggener, who was eight at the time and living in that house, said he thought she was in some sort of a traffic accident. Midge Waggener, who was even younger, said she thought she had some kind of cancer. The death record I found does not mention an accident. I believe that their son Donald was living with his mother at the time she died, but don't believe their daughter Frances was. Donald would have been 16 years old at the time and Frances 19 years old. Although I know a fair amount about what became of Donald and a little bit about Frances, I am not sure what happened to them in the immediate years after Frank disappeared and Florence died. I know that for whatever reason, neither of them had much contact, if any, with any of their father's family. -RW ============= From the 1930 Federal Census of Royal Oak City, Oakland County, Michigan, district 63-105, sheet 1a, taken April 2, 1930, household 9, address- 238 Twelve Mile Road; from ancestry.com, image 1 of 32. Florence is listed in the household of her husband: ------ Florence; wife/ head, female, age- 24, married, 16 years old at 1st marriage, r/w's, born- Germany, parents born- Germany, immigrated to U.S. in 1913/ Naturalized Citizen, occupation- none =============== From the 1940 Federal Census of Royal Oak City, Oakland County, Michigan, district 63-145, sheet 26a, taken April 29, 1940, address- 249 E. 12 Mile Rd, Florence is listed in the household of her husband: ------ Florence; wife, female, age- 35, married, highest grade completed- 7th, born- Germany, naturalized citizen, residence in 1935- same place, not working last week of March or 1939 ================ I have obtained a copy of Florence's death certificate: State of Michigan County of Oakland Certificate of death: File no 2326 Name: Florence Henderson Place of death: 247 E. 12 Mile Rd., Royal Oak, Oakland County, Michigan Usual residence: 247 E. 12 Mile Rd., Royal Oak, Oakland County, Michigan Sex: female Color: white Marital status: married Name of spouse: Frank Spouse's age: 39 Birth date: May 15, 1906 Age: 36 years, 7 months, 12 days Birthplace: Austria Occupation: Machine Operator Business: Defense Plant Father's name: Peter Borkowski Father's birthplace: unknown Maiden name of mother: Tess Sikerski Mother's birthplace: unknown Informant: Miss Frances Henderson Address: 212 Potowatomi, Royal Oak, Mich. Place of burial: Oakland County, Holy Sepulchre, 12-30-1942 Funeral director: William Sullivan, Royal Oak Date of death: December 27th, 1942 Time of death: 2 a.m. Cause of death: Pending Pathology Specimen Report
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