The Palmer / English Tree

Nana's Side

Rev. 9/10/21

See Also:

• Grandpa's side: The Boullet/Melchior Tree

• Dad's side: the Farrell Tree and the Kempen Tree

• See Nana and Grandpa's Life Together, the extended version

• 'Our Ancestry' Home page

You can see from the width of the tree that it goes back into the 1500's. I won't go into that, but if you're curious, you can access her Ancestry.com page yourself without a subscription. You will need to create a free account, but it's well worth it!

Ellen Marie Palmer (aka Nana) was born Sept 12, 1904 in San Francisco.

Her story, of course, begins with her parents. Franklin Palmer and Mae (Mary) English. So we'll list below a few fun facts, and a rumor, regarding their individual backgrounds.

Mary (aka Mae, Mamie) Ann English-Palmer - Nana's Mom A very young Mae English and her sister Edith Mae was born May 25, 1881 in Cairo Illinois. Her Parents: Her father, Richard English, was born June 19, 1854 in Canada. He immigrated to the US in 1859 when he was 5 yrs old. Richard's father and mother were both born in Ireland. Her mother, Mary Ellen Kronberg, was born March 23, 1862 in Anna, Illinois and died in 1945 at 83. Mae's parents were married July 1, 1880; her mom was 18; her Dad was 26. Mae was born a year later. Mae was the oldest of 9 siblings, although 3 of them died before their 10th birthday. Her siblings were James (1882-1885), Richard (1883-1893), Margaret (1886), William (1888-1957), Katie (1890-1917), Louise (1893-1984), Edith (1896-1987), Geraldine (1898-1898), Evelyn (1900). Bold is pictured below. At 19 yrs. old, Mae was living in Illinois with her parents and siblings. At 29, she was married to Franklin with 4 kids and living at 4340 18th St, SF, right down the street from her parents and younger siblings who ALSO relocated to California. She died at age 84 on Nov. 23, 1965 in SF and is buried in Colma. The English Women (L-R) Evelyn, Louise, Mae (Nana's Mom- 50ish), Margaret, Edith (35ish, in front: Mary English Kronberg, (their Mom - 70ish) All ages are guesses.

The Complicated Palmer Story

Frank and Mae probably met in Cairo, Illinois where she was born. Cairo is at the southern tip of Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, which is also on the border of Missouri and Kentucky. But they were issued a marriage license on April 23, 1903 as reported in the San Francisco Call Bulletin: 

This is somewhat interesting because their first-born, Everett, was born over a year before that on December 12, 1901 in Cairo, Illinois. Makes me wonder if that is why they moved to California.

They eventually had 6 more kids, all girls born in San Francisco: Ellen Boullet (Nana - 1904-1997), Genevieve Amelia Casazza (1907-1978), Iola Aylworth (1909-1966), Louisa Palmer (1911-1983), Marie Callaghan (1913-1990), and Evelyn Wieck (1915-1984).

1910 Census

Shows:

• The young Palmer family living at '484' 18th St. in SF California. This is a mystery, because there is no 484; it would be on the waterfront. And the address is sandwiched between 4352 and 4356, but there is no building there.
• They had four kids (so far): Everett, Ellen, Genevieve, and Iola.

Their family would be complete in 1915 with three more girls: (Louise, Marie, and Evelyn)

From the left - youngest to oldest

On September 5, 1916, a week before her 13th birthday, Ellen, joined by Genevieve and Iola, were admitted to St. Mary's Orphanage at Mission San Jose. From the record, (check it out) their parents were already divorced. Mae was listed as being "Intemp(erate)" - probably liked to drink, and Catholic. The only reason given for sending the children to the orphanage was "needy" even though both parents listed professions.  In July 1918, Louise joined them at the orphanage.

Not coincidentally, this area is where Nana met Grandpa. More about that later.

The girls were released on June 26, 1919 to Mae's care at 631 Castro St. in SF, almost 3 years after the eldest 3 girls were admitted. This is where the 1920 Census finds them and the younger girls.

1920 Census

Shows:

• Mae Palmer (37 yrs) is now Divorced (D), and head of the house at 631 Castro St. in SF.

• They have three more girls: Louise (9), Marie (7), and Evelyn (4).

• Calvin Everett, nephew was living with her. Strange that he is the same age as Everett, her son.

In 1923, Mae remarried to Joseph M Cohen (from Canada).

In 1925, Nana and Grandpa married. See their story on the Boullet page.

1930 Census

Shows:

• Mae and the 4 younger girls lived at 3574A 17th St. in SF with her new husband Joseph Cohen.
• Genevieve was married to a man with the last name of Levey, is now divorced, and living with the Cohen family alone with her 2 daughters Doris and Bernie(?).
  

L to R: Genevieve, Evelyn?, Nana, and Marie

As mentioned earlier, Everett was born about 2 years after his parents were married in Indiana. His obituary does not list a wife, but apparently he married Henrietta Adams in Pennsylvania when he was 19 yrs. old and had a little girl shortly afterwards. The marriage may have been short-lived. In 1941, at 40 yrs. old, Everett registered for the WWII draft. He was living on Fillmore St. and working for the Ship Builders Union.

Everett died in 1966 while we were living on Pope St. I remember him smoking and working on electronics in the workshop, just off the yard. Mike described him as a high-functioning alcoholic. He had a deep smokers voice and was very kind and gentle. His electronics stuff stayed in boxes in the workshop for many, many years.

Mom's Aunt Marie spent a fair amount of time around our Pope St. house in her waning years. Someone around the house started calling her 'Butch', and it stuck. I think she liked the attention. Marie died in 1990 at age 77. Of her 5 siblings, Marie outlasted 4 of them. The last to die was Nana, the second oldest, who lived another 7 years.

More Pictures

Frank Palmer

Nana's writing: far left is young Franklin and his Dad Emanuel Palmer (circa 1900)

Nana's first communion

Nana's writing; Pretty sure from L to R Marie was born 1913

L-R Ellen, Iola, Genevieve Circa 1915 Maybe at St. Mary's Orphanage

Back LR - Ellen, Genevieve Front -  Louise, Iola Franklin Circa 1912 - Before Marie

'Mother, Iola, myself (Nana) 1919'

'myself (Nana) 1941'

Franklin Palmer Funeral Arrangements

Mae English Palmer Obituary No mention of her 2nd husband.

Genevieve

Iola

People I can't even guess

2.

3. Sure looks like Nana. Her Mom, older Mary English?

4. This was labeled Feb. 1940. The kids would be about Mom's age, roughly 10. The Mom (I guess) would be about Nana's age (35ish?) The older couple would be about Franklin and Mae's age. Looks like the lady I think is Nana's sister Evelyn on the far right with her daughter and grandkids?

5. Franklin Palmer, Nana? far right, and ??

end pics