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| Jane Sherman |
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born:
09 November 1900 Virginia, Gage County, Nebraska, United States of America |
died:
07 September 1983 San Bernadino, California, United States of America (age 82) |
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American actress. Some mystery surrounding her birth date and location. Her passport application states she was born in Virginia, Nebraska (in her own handwriting) [link below]. California Death Index says she was born 1901, Findagrave and Social Security Index have 1900 as her birth year. As a child she was living in San Bernardino (1910 Census). The 1920 Census says that she was working in Motion Pictures. ~ information submitted by LampyMeier2007. Jane's parents, SMITH RHEA SHERMAN and MAUDE LAWSON were married in 1898. He (1873-1932) from Tecumseh, Johnson County and she (1873-1913) from Sterling, Johnson County a few miles away. This was Maude's 2nd marriage. On April 11th, 1900 (Census), they were living in Sherman Twp (Virginia), Gage Co., NE about 30 miles from Tecumseh. They had no children yet. (Other records give Jane's birthday as 09 November.) The Dad worked for the railroad as an engine wiper. If Jane was born in Tecumseh, Johnson County, as some sources say, that would mean her Dad and pregnant mother relocated to Tecumseh during a 5 month "window of opportunity". (No birth record or newspaper birth announcement found.) See Mom's death sourced below. About 1903, the family relocated to San Bernardino, CA where Jane's sister, Edith(e) (1903-????), was born. The Dad evidently had a better railroad job as a "car carpenter". According to the 1910 Census (San Bernardino, CA), Jane was born in 1900. Her age "at last birthday" is given as 9 yrs "as of April 15, 1910", (using the November 9th date she gives for her passport application of 1918, makes her born in 1900). In October 1913, Jane and Edith's Mother died suddenly and unexpectedly at age 40. The girls had gotten up for school and found her dead. The Dad was not there but in Montana, probably with his railroad job. He did not make it back for the funeral or memorial service a week later but he accompanied her body to LA for burial. internment. In February 1918, in LA, the 2 Sherman sisters apply for passports to "indefinitely" relocate to Australia for "residence" with their deceased Mother's sister, Mrs. Gertrude Duclos, a Canadian citizen by marriage. This is their Aunt Gertrude's (Oct.1879- ????) second marriage. The girls state that their Father is "deceased". This is an outright lie. He is living and working in LA. It may have something to do with Aunt Gertrude's sworn, nortarized letter for both sisters dated 23 Feb 1918 and included as the final page of the passport application: ".......:That she is the aunt and the legal guardian of the person and estate of Elva Sherman; that she is the sole support of said Elva Sherman; that affiant is going to Australia to there permanently reside, and it is therefore necessary that said Elva Sherman go with affiant in order that said Elva Sherman may be and remain under the proper care, custody and control of affiant, her guardian, and in order that affiant may properly support her......". They were supposed to leave on the White Star Line from San Francisco on 26 March 1918, but it appears that they never left. My speculation is that the girls and their Aunt Gertrude were upset over the Mom's death and the Dad's absence and non-attendance at the memorial and funeral. In September 1918, living in LA, the Dad registered for the WWI Draft. He is working for the Santa Fe RR as a car carpenter. He lists "ELVA MAY Sherman" as his "nearest relative"; both living at the same address. In the January 1920 LA Census, Elva, an actress (19), is living with her Aunt Gertrude Lawson who is divorced and using her maiden name. In the January 1920 LA Census, sister Edith (16), is living with her Father. She is working as a "saleslady in a candy store". On 18 December 1920 LA, "ELLA MAY Sherman" (20) marries Ellis Morrison Jr.(27) with Aunt Gertrude Duclos signing as witness. "ELLA" gives her birth date as 09 Nov 1900. She gives no profession. Other than her given name, all other personal data matches Elva Jane Sherman 100%. Her husband works as a salesman from San Francisco. After their divorce, he re-marries and eventually has 4 more children. In 1936, he was convicted and sentenced to 18 month in prison for writing bad checks and "scamming" his lawyers out of money supposedly to pay hospital bills for his son who was hit by a streetcar and then for more money for "the funeral expenses of his son, who died"! (all false). By the time of the 1940 LA Census, he was still in San Quentin Prison and was paroled just after "Pearl Harbor" and went to work at an Army Air Corps pilot training base. In September of 1942, he died of chronic heart failure while working as a pipe fitter at a shipyard. He was given a military burial for his honorable service in WWI. On 01 March 1921 LA, daughter Betty J. Morrison (1921-1992) is born. By the time of the 1930 Long Beach, CA Census, Jane and Ellis are divorced and her daughter is living with a foster family BUT Jane must have been "bettering" herself in the 1920's because she is a "dental nurse". Even better for her is the fact that her future husband, Canadian/Syrian, John V. Malouf (1900-1970), a Dr. of Chiropractic is living right next door. They marry in 1933 and Jane is a licensed Dr. of Chiropractic by 1934. Husband John eventually becomes a lawyer as well as chiropractor. By 1939 they own their own commercial building at 919-925 Atlantic Ave. in downtown Long Beach. He adopts her daughter, "Betty Jane" who gets married in 1939 to Wallace Rodecker, a movie theater usher from Long Beach who eventually (1949) earns a law degree becomes a US Air Force bomber pilot with 52 bombing missions over North Korea (1952). One more tragedy befalls Jane in 1955 when her son-in-law, Wallace is killed when the reconnaissance bomber he is piloting over Germany crashes. He leaves behind his wife and 3 small children. By the time of the 1940 Long Beach Census, Jane Malouf had 3 years of college and her husband John had 5 years. Both were still practicing chiropractic medicine as of the 1968 Long Beach City Directory. ~ submitted by Jim Jarvis. |
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Real name: Elva Jane Sherman Height: 5'6" (age 17) |
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography. |
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