Two Different Frank Roscoe's

Frank was a name used in my Roscoe family in two consecutive generations.  The two men are often confused in various online trees.  I've found some records to sort them out.

Frank Abraham Roscoe was a son of David A. Roscoe and Mary Crosby Fero.  He first appears with his parents in the 1870 census of Will County, Illinois at age 4, his birthplace was New York.  Ten years later they are still in Will County.  The next census record I had for him was the 1930 Clatonia, Gage County, Nebraska, although I did have the rest of the Roscoe family for the other census years.

According to his mother's obituary in May of 1923, Frank was living in Miami, Florida. Then when his brother William died in 1947, Frank was living in Salt Lake City, Utah.  My final clue was that his wife's name was Anna.  I got that information years ago from another Roscoe researcher, Ivan Roscoe, who has since passed away.  Ivan was very helpful to me getting started on this line.  So with these clues, I did more searching for this Frank and found what I believe is a good timeline for him.

1891 - This marriage record from Gunnison, Colorado could be the right Frank Roscoe.  His age would be about right with his birth year of 1867.  The wife's name is Anna, she is 6 years younger.  There is a memorial at Find A Grave for Annie Roscoe in Gunnison.  Her birth year is unknown, and no other information is given.  She died in January, 1911.

Colorado Statewide Marriage Index, 1853-2006, Family Search

1900 - Gunnison, Colorado census record shows Frank Roscoe, 33, born Jan. 1867 in New York.  He was working as a railroad conductor.  His wife is listed as "Hettie", age 29, born Oct. 1870 in Colorado.  I noticed they live next door to a "house of ill fame" with three women living there.  In 1910 I found Annie "Rosoe" living in Gunnison with her parents Thomas and Mary Williams, she was 38 and divorced.  I wonder if the house next door had anything to do with that.

1907 - October 7th.  Frank A. Roscoe married Emma Smith in Salt Lake City, Utah. Smith? He was 40 (about right), she was 34.  I'm not sure this is the same man, but...

1910 - Salt Lake City.  Frank A. Roscoe (Rascoe at Ancestry) is living with Emma Roscoe and a step-son Ernest Cox, Jr.  Frank was 50 (a little too old), born in New York, working as a bartender; Emma was 37, born in Switzerland and Ernest was 14.  I've found Emma's marriage record to Ernest Cox, and also mentions of their divorce in the Salt Lake Herald in 1903.

1920 - Frank, 53, and Emma, 47, are still living in Salt Lake City.  Ernest is no longer living with them.  Frank is a solicitor for an insurance company.  It seems like maybe selling insurance didn't set well with him and he needed a change...

1924 - If it wasn't for the mention in his mother's obituary that Frank was in Miami, I would never have thought to look for him there.  But from the Miami City Directory:

US City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry

1930 - Frank, age 63, was living back in Clatonia, Nebraska.  Enumerated #1, Frank was working as a cook in a restaurant.  He is listed as a widow, but I'm sure now that that is an "alternative fact".  It also states he was not a veteran and he was 21 years old when he first married.

1940 - Salt Lake City at age 74, Frank is divorced, living in Long Hotel on West So Temple.  He was born in New York, had an 8th grade education and didn't work.

1947 - According to William Roscoe's obituary, Frank was in Salt Lake City, which looks like where he spent the rest of his life.

Death Certificates, Utah State Archives

1951 - Frank died on June 5 aged 63.  The information on his death certificate was provided by Charles A. Apgar whose address was the same as Frank's.  Parents are unknown, his birth date is January 1, 1866 and place is Utica, New York.

Frank was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Salt Lake City.  In that same cemetery, listed at Find A Grave is Emma Baer Roscoe with it noted that she was divorced from Frank A. Roscoe at the time of her death.  And on Emma's death certificate, the informant was Ernest Roscoe.  Frank may have officially adopted his step-son, it doesn't seem that he had any children of his own.

Frank Abraham's brother William had a son he named Frank Edward.  Born in January of 1889, he lived with his family in DeWitt and later Clatonia, Nebraska.  In 1910 (he would be 21 years old) I haven't been able to find him in the census.  He served as a Fireman in the Navy during the Great War.  I don't know if he was in the service as early as 1910 and stayed in through the War.  Or I wonder if he was living with his oldest sister in Canada and that's why I haven't found him then.

In 1920, Frank E., at age 28, is single and living with his parents and one brother in Clatonia, Nebraska.  Then in 1923, Frank died at age 31 of typhoid fever on May 16.  According to his obituary, he was survived by his wife.  I haven't been able to find any marriage record.  His obit was in the DeWitt Times-News, Thursday, May 24, 1923.

I suspect that Frank's wife was from Missouri, and I've looked for a marriage record there but haven't found one.  I've also tried to find her in the 1920 census as "Era Roscoe" in case they had married earlier and were separated then.  This appeared in the DeWitt Times-News one week after the obit on May 31.

I also suspect that she was pregnant when he died and gave birth to a baby girl later in 1923.  Several years later on August 20, 1941, this appeared in the social column of Clatonia news in the Beatrice Daily Times:

If Miss Frankie Mae Roscoe is the daughter of Frank Edward, she would never have known her father.  Her mother may have remarried, but it looks like she kept the Roscoe name.  I have not been able to find anything more on Miss Frankie Mae.

If you have these Frank Roscoe's in your tree, please let me know if you question any of this.  And if you know of Miss Frankie Mae Roscoe, I'd love to hear from you.

My Relationship to:

Frank Abraham Roscoe, son of David A. Roscoe: Second Great Granduncle
Frank Edward Roscoe, son of William Harlow Roscoe: Great Granduncle

The lineage:
1. My Third Great Grandfather David A. Roscoe
2. My Great Great Grandfather William Harlow Roscoe
3. My Great Grandma Charlotte Isabelle (Roscoe) Menke
4. My Grandpa
5. My Dad
6. Me