Vere Preston Marsh and Genevieve Ann DeNoble Family

Here you have the entire family of Vere and Genevieve Marsh. Print out this blog and you will have the history of this family.

This is the only photo I have been able to locate of Genevieve and the three children. This photo was taken in 1931 or 1932 and it has the look and feel of a photo taken by Herbert DeNoble, the brother of Genevieve. I have looked at many Rooper, DeNoble and Marsh album’s including CD’s, and I have never been able to locate a photo of Vere, Gen and the three kids. I have written to many historical societies in northern Minnesota and other places and have never seen the elusive photo.

The two most difficult things in genealogy are identifying photos and locating gravesites.

Did anyone observe an unusual statistic in the Vere Preston Marsh and Genevieve Ann DeNoble family? I will post the results one week from today.

Order of Birth:

John Preston Marsh

Mary Jeanne Marsh

William Marsh

Order of Death:

William Marsh

Mary Jeanne Rooper

John Preston Marsh

The odds of this happening in reverse order are less then 2%. It also makes the odds different if the second born is male or female.

My Sources are from my database, newspapers, U.S. Census Records, birth, marriage and death certificates.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh

Genevieve Ann (DeNoble) Marsh 1893-1963

Genevieve Ann DeNoble was born December 5, 1893 in Duluth, St. Louis, Minnesota the second daughter of August DeNoble and Odelia Levant Girard (called Delia). Genevieve lived with her parents in Virginia, St. Louis, Minnesota and attended school there.

Vere was working up in International Falls and he would travel down to Virginia in a canoe and snowshoes to pick up supplies and clothes from time-to-time. It was one of these trips that Vere and Genevieve met and fell in love. Here is a letter that Gen wrote to Vere in the spring of 1916.

Dew Drop Inn, Sand Lake, Minnesota

My Dearest Vere,

Well it’s almost bedtime for me at the camp. Socks the cat acts as if its morning instead the way he is chasing around here. Made a pair of feather bed pillows today out of a feather bed left of my grandmother’s perfect doilies. That’s the only thing I have of either of my grandmothers.

Had two rides in the Evinrude outboard since we got it. Herb busted the timer in two. Then he took it into town and had it fixed and broke it again. Then next time he took it out and once we were way over to Birch Point and we had to paddle home. The motor refused to budge. It seems that some of the oil got into the carburetor and so now its still on the bum. Guess it will never work right until you show him how dear, so better come to see me, because its almost a month since, at least it seems like two. Went in swimming the other night, just before we went to bed, it was a circus, only was afraid of sharks. Wonder if your (or pretty soon our) daddy has been up to see you yet? You’ll came back with him wont you as far as the junction and then run out and see me dear.

Did you discover your grippe (pack back) was heavy Vere – going back? If not you had better look inside that paper in there. Mother thought she would sweeten you, although I told her that you could not be sweeter.

Well dearest by, guess I’ll hop into that trundle bed. Have to go up to the night office first and see if Herb sent any cream. Good night dear and oceans of love always,

Yours, Gen

They were married July 31, 1916 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Virginia, St. Louis, Minnesota. Father W. J. Powers officiated at the wedding. They had three children, John, William and Mary Jeanne.

In 1950 Genevieve moved to The Dalles, Wasco, Oregon to be near her daughter Mary Jeanne Rooper. Genevieve passed away on May 10, 1963 at a local hospital. A Requiem mass was celebrated at St. Peter’s Catholic Church and the rosary was recited at Smith Callaway Chapel. Msgr. Michael J. McMahon officiated.

Genevieve was a member of Gold Star Mothers; this is an organization of mothers who have lost a son or daughter in the service of our country. For more information on Gold Star, please click here.

My Sources are from my database, newspapers, U.S. Census Records, birth, marriage and death certificates.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh

John Preston Marsh 1917-2000

John Preston Marsh was born August 24, 1917 in International Falls, Koochiching, Minnesota, the oldest son of Vere Preston Marsh and Genevieve Ann DeNoble. John loved to hunt and fish in Minnesota until he had a hunting accident at the age of 16 in October 1933, injuring his right hand.

John became a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) with Company 3708 in Ely, Minnesota from 1936 to 1937. Each camp had a commanding officer, normally a lieutenant or colonel in the army, a mess hall, laundry, and tool house. In general, the camps also had a reaction hall and canteen where the men could buy candy and tobacco. Modular barracks made it easy to add to a camp or tear it down. In 1942, when the Corps disappeared, some of the housing was reused in local POW camps or the determent camps of Japanese-Americans on the West Coast. Each CCC "boy" would receive $30.00 each month ($25.00 would go to his wife or family and he kept the rest).

John Preston Marsh married Dorothy Mae Lange on June 22, 1946 in Nashwauk, Itasca, Minnesota. They first lived several miles north of Grand Rapids on Highway 38. From 1947 to 1961 they lived in Splithand Township, Grand Rapids, Itasca, Minnesota. In the summer of 1961 the family moved to Fort Pierce, St. Lucie, Florida. John and Dorothy retired to Mena, Polk, Arkansas in 1983.

After World War II, John worked for S & S Auto Parts in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and for Vaughn & Wright Auto Parts in Fort Pierce, Florida. In 1966 he left that auto parts business and joined his wife Dorothy in running the Happyland Pet Shop. John Marsh passed away at his home on April 1, 2000 in Mena, Polk, Arkansas. They had five children.

His body was cremated and his ashes are currently with his daughter in Louisville, Kentucky.

My Sources are from my database, newspapers, birth, marriage and death certificates.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh

Mary Jeanne (Marsh) Rooper 1922-1991

Mary Jeanne Marsh was born August 19, 1922 the third child of Vere Preston Marsh and Genevieve Ann DeNoble. She was born in Virginia, St. Louis, Minnesota.

Mary Jeanne moved out west sometime in the early 1943’s, first to California where she visited her brother William Marsh in San Diego, California. Later on she moved to Oakland, California where she met Ralph Bonjay Rooper who was serving in the U.S. Navy. He was a gunner’s mate third class and had served in the Navy for two years when he met Mary Jeanne. Ralph was involved in five major battles during World War II. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Rooper of Antelope, Oregon.

They were married December 22, 1943 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Oakland, California, with the Rev. Father J. Connally officiating. Mary Jeanne lived in Oakland, California while her husband served in the Navy. After the war ended, Ralph and Mary Jean moved to The Dalles, Oregon where they had five children.

Mary Jeanne Rooper passed away September 28, 1991, she was a member of St. Peter Catholic Church, and Recitation of the Rosary and Memorial Services were held on October 2, 1991 at Smith Callaway Chapel in The Dalles, Oregon.

My Sources are from my database, birth, marriage and death certificates and Military Service Records.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh

William Marsh 1921-1945

William Marsh was born July 2, 1921, the second son of Vere Preston Marsh and Genevieve Ann DeNoble. He was born in Virginia, St. Louis, Minnesota and entered the U.S. Navy Reserve on June 11, 1942. He attended flight school and Landing Signal Officer (LSO) training and was appointed Ensign on July 10, 1943 before being assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Ommaney Bay (CVE-79) on March 15, 1944.

In the years after William Marsh died, some people speculated that his real name was William Preston Marsh or William Arthur Marsh or William Jerome Marsh. I did find a court document from 1942 that states he did not have any given middle name. Here is what it said:

June 19, 1942, I, William Marsh, do herby certify that I am one and the same person as William Arthur Marsh, and Bill Marsh, as shown on my supporting credentials. Hereafter, I shall use my full legal name as William Marsh, as shown on my birth certificate in signing all governmental papers. Signed by William Marsh.

William Marsh was appointed Lieutenant (Junior Grade) on October 1, 1944.

The ship was in the Sulu Sea, Philippines when it was hit by a Japanese twin-engine kamikaze on January 4, 1945. The plane crashed into the Ommaney Bay's starboard side, and its bombs penetrated the hull to set fire to the hangar deck. Exploding ordnance and burning aviation fuel irreparably crippled her. She was abandoned and then sunk by the destroyer USS Burns. 93 men, including William Marsh were lost.

There is no known grave for William Marsh, his name is listed on The Tablet of The Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Philippines.

My Sources are from my database, Minnesota 8th District Court, birth, and death certificates and Military Service Records.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh

Vere Preston Marsh 1889-1925

Vere Preston Marsh was born March 21, 1889 in Langford, Marshall, South Dakota. He married Genevieve Ann DeNoble on July 31, 1916 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Virginia, Minnesota. On Vere's 1917 Draft Registration Card his occupation is listed as Game Warden. In the 1920 U. S. Census Record, Vere's occupation is listed as a lumber cruiser. He worked for a lumber company in International Falls, Minnesota and would go out into the forest and mark trees to be harvested.

Vere died March 20, 1925 in Virginia leaving behind his wife Genevieve and three children, John, William and Mary Jeanne. His cause of death is listed as peritonitis following rupture of his duodenal ulcer. Vere was buried on March 23, 1925 at Greenwood Cemetery, Virginia, St. Louis, Minnesota.

My Sources are from my database, U.S. Census Records, birth, marriage and death certificates.

Copyright © 2009 by Gus J. Marsh