Wilhelmina E POKE (POOK)

WILHELMINA POKE (POOK)

Wilhelmina Poke/Pook (Polk) (Minnie E Poke; "Willa", Wilhemina) was born at 264 Southern Avenue in the city of Pittsburgh, PA on April 16, 1891 to William and Minnie Brookmann Poke. Wilhelmina was apparently raised by relatives, and moved to California as a young girl where she married Leo Carroll McCurdy on November 22, 1913 in Los Angeles. Sophia Prill Loesby was her witness at the ceremony.

Wilhelmina was in Oakland bathing a baby when the 1906 earthquarke hit San Francisco (recollection of Martin McCurdy). She was an accomplished seamstress and her occupation was dressmaker (census records). She would make flannel pajamas for her grandchildren every Christmas and hats and purses every Easter.

Wilhelmina was probably Presbyterian (marriage certificate). She had two sons, John Wilfred and Leo Carroll (Jr) McCurdy. She lived her life in Glendale, CA and worked in the laundry facilities of a local L.A. hospital. Since her husband lost his business during the Depression, she was financially stressed and raised her sons, essentially, by herself. In the family bible in the black chest there is a small sheet of paper where she wrote "Dear Lord, please help my husband find work."

She was artistic and liked to paint and though she was very well read, she was not well educated.

She lived (in 1940) at 327 Madison Way, Glendale, California.

Wilhelmina died in Oregon City, Oregon (near where her son John Wilfred lived) on July 24, 1978.

Comments