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| Thomas Craig and Dorothy Marie Stark Cooper Photograph was found on Ancestry Photographer was Dorothy's brother, Walter Alfred Stark |
What an adorable couple. I wonder if the picture shown above was their wedding photograph.
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| The Pittsburgh Press June 13, 1912 page 11 |
On September 5, 1914 the Cooper's welcomed their first child, Dorothy Wilma Cooper, who was born in the Borough of Bellevue, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
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| World War I Draft Registration |
The World War I draft registration gives a good glimpse into the life of the Cooper's in 1917. Thomas was born on October 14, 1886 in North Buffalo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. He was employed as the chief clerk for Crucible Steel Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Cooper's were living at 75 Kendall Avenue, Bellevue, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Thomas was described as short in stature, slender, with blue eyes and dark brown hair.
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| Dorothy Stark Cooper and Dorothy Wilma Cooper |
Wilhelmina Stark (Granny Stark) and Dorothy Wilma Cooper
These adorable photos were shared by Dorothy Cooper Richards, the little nurse pictured. I am ballparking them circa 1919.
A second daughter, Lois Margaret Cooper, was born on March 4, 1919 in Bellevue Borough, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, I do not have any photographs of Lois as an infant.
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| 75 Kendall Avenue Bellevue, Pennsylvania |
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| 1920 Pennsylvania Census Bellevue Borough, Allegheny County January 29,1920 |
75 Kendall Avenue
Cooper, Thomas C., Head, rents his home, male, white, age 33, married, can read and write, born in Pennsylvania, father and mother both born in Illinois, speaks English, employed as the chief clerk with a steel construction company.
Cooper, Dorothy, Wife, female, white, age 31, married, can read and write, born in Pennsylvania, father born in Germany, German was his mother tongue, mother born in France, French was her mother tongue, speaks English, not employed.
Cooper, Dorothy, Daughter, female, white, age 5, single, born in Pennsylvania, both parents born in Pennsylvania
Cooper, Lois, Daughter, female, white, age 10/12 months, single, born in Pennsylvania, both parents born in Pennsylvania.
Checking the house on the Internet, it was built in 1910 and has three bedrooms and one bath. It was very new when the Coopers moved in. From the World War I draft registration we know Thomas and Dorothy lived there from 1917 to 1920. Perhaps they moved in following their marriage and lived there until their relocation to Brooklyn, New York.
Married Stark sisters and their children at the beach circa 1923. I have no idea where I got these photographs or what beach they are visiting. Pictured are Dorothy Stark Cooper with her two daughters, Dorothy and Lois. Lucy Stark Munger with her children, Wilma Munger and Mont Munger, Jr.
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| New York Census Brooklyn, Kings County June 1, 1925 |
According to Thomas' obituary, the Cooper family relocated to Brooklyn, New York in 1921.
Cooper, Thomas. Head, white, male, age 37, born in the US, citizen, works as an office clerk.
Cooper, Dorothy. Wife, white, female, age 35, born in the US, citizen, works at housework.
Cooper, Dorothy Jr. Daughter, white, female age 10, born in the US, citizen, at school.
Cooper, Lois. Daughter, white, female, age 6, born in the US, citizen, at school.
The Cooper's were in the Avalon, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania area visiting during the summer of 1926. Pictured are Stark cousins Dorothy Wilma Cooper, Lois Margaret Cooper and my mother, Martha Jean Stark. The families were at Kennywood Park and each cousin has a one dollar bill.
Tragedy struck later in the summer.
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| The Pittsburgh Press Saturday, August 28, 1926 page 4 |
Saturday, August 28 1926
page 16
In 2004 I met and interviewed, the eldest daughter of the Coopers, Dorothy "Dottie" Wilma Cooper Richards. She told me that the family, along with Thomas' father, William Shearer Cooper, had made a road trip to Chicago in the summer of 1926. On the return to Millvale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Thomas became very ill.
According to the death certificate, Thomas was admitted to St John's Hospital on August 16, 1926. The diagnosis was chronic tuberculosis contracted in New York, with complications of the kidneys and bladder. He died just shy of his fortieth birthday at age 39 years, 10 months, 13 days.
Thomas Craig Cooper was buried on August 30, 1926, in the Cooper Family plot at Mount Royal Cemetery, Glenshaw, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Lot # 305, Part 3, Crescent Section, Space 4.
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| 1926 Wills and Probate Records Proceedings Index Volume 7-28 page 421 |
Dorothy Stark Cooper at age thirty-seven became a widow. With her two young children, she returned to Brooklyn, New York to pack and plan the move back to Avalon, Pennsylvania, where she had family support. Her daughters were children when their father suddenly died. Young Dorothy was eleven and Lois was seven.
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| 301 California Avenue Avalon, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania |
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| 1930 Pennsylvania Census Avalon Borough, Allegheny County April 8, 1930 |
301 California Avenue
Avalon, Pennsylvania
Cooper, Dorothy, Head, rents home, $40 per month, owns a radio, female, white, widow, married at age 25, did not attend school this year, can read and write, born in Pennsylvania, father born in Germany, mother born in France, speaks English, employed as a clerical with a Fire Insurance Company.
Cooper, Dorothy, Daughter, female, white, single, age 15, attended school this year, can read and write, born in Pennsylvania, both parents born in Pennsylvania, speaks English.
Cooper, Lois, Daughter, white, single, age 11, attended school this year, can read and write, born in Pennsylvania, both parents born in Pennsylvania, speaks English.
According to information in the Internet, 301 California Avenue in Avalon was built in 1907 as a multi family house. When the 1930 enumeration occurred, only the Coopers lived there.
My mother remembers Aunt Dorothy living on the second floor and many Stark family gatherings around a player piano. There were numerous rolls of music and Uncle Mont Munger playing and singing. My guess is that these memories were from the 1930's. My mother was age 9-19.
Although not enumerated at 301 California, Dottie (Dorothy Cooper Richards) said that Granny Stark lived with them and spoke fluent French. Perhaps after 1930.
These photographs were shared by Dottie Richards (Dorothy Wilma Cooper). I am ballparking them circa 1935.
In 1938, Dorothy's daughter, Lois Margaret Cooper, was married to Allen Garfield Nichols in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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| 1940 Pennsylvania Census Avalon Borough, Allegheny County April 4, 1940 |
301 California Avenue
Avalon, Pennsylvania
Rent on apartment $27.00 per month
Cooper, Dorothy M., Head, female, white, age 51, widow, highest grade accomplished freshman in high school, born in Pennsylvania, lived in the same house in 1935, not working.
Cooper, Dorothy W., Daughter, female, white, age 25, single, graduated high school, born in Pennsylvania, lived in the same house in 1935, employed as an office clerk with a General Construction Company.
The Cooper's lived at this address for a minimum of a decade. In 1940, there were two families living at this address. Eight days before the census enumeration, Dorothy Cooper's mother, Wilhelmine Stark, died in the apartment.
Dorothy Stark Cooper photograph shared by Dottie Richards. No date or place.
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| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Friday, November 15, 1946 page 16 |
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| Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph Sunday, December 15, 1946 page 45 |
On October 30, 1946, thirty-two year old Dorothy Wilma Cooper married thirty-two year old Samuel Milton Richards, son of Clarence Milton Richards and Vesta Beatrice Helfrich Richards in Bellevue Methodist Church, Bellevue, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
My mother, Martha Jean Stark Hughes, Dottie's Stark Family cousin, was one of the attendants and two to three months pregnant with me. Also identified is another Stark cousin, Lorraine Wilma Miller.
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| 1950 Pennsylvania Census Ben Avon, Allegheny County April 13, 1950 |
222 1/2 Park Avenue
Ben Avon, Pennsylvania
Richards, S. M., Head, white, male, age 35, married, born in Pennsylvania, worked 44 hours last week as a railroad trainman.
Richards, Dorothy C. Wife, white, female, age 35, married, born in Pennsylvania, worked 40 hours last week as a secretary for a Packing Company.
Cooper, Dorothy M. Mother-in-Law, white, female, age 61, widow, born in Pennsylvania.
Dorothy M Stark Cooper had to answer additional questions on the census. She was living at this house in 1949, father born in Germany, mother born in France, finished eighth grade, did not work or earn any money in 1949, earned $200 in 1949 from other sources.
Dorothy Wilma Cooper listed this as her address on her 1946 marriage license. She and her mother were living there then.
Dorothy Stark Cooper, my mother's Aunt Dorothy, was still keeping in touch sending my Mom a birth card when Ken was born.
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| The Pittsburgh Press Tuesday, January 28, 1964 page 31 |
Dorothy Marie Stark Cooper died on Sunday, January 26, 1964 at the age of seventy-five. Her death occurred at her daughter's, Dorothy Wilma Cooper Richards, home in McCandless Township, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Dorothy lived with her daughter from 1914 until her death. The house on Lindisfarne Drive is also where I visited with Dottie in 2004.
Dorothy was buried beside her mother, Wilhelmina Schwarz Stark at Union Dale Cemetery on January 29, 1964. Her father, Charles Stark and sister, Lucy Stark Munger are also buried in different sections at Union Dale.
Thoughts
My grandaunt, Dorothy Marie Stark Cooper, is another of my mother's Stark family who I never met or heard of until I began my genealogy quest. She lived in the area near our house from 1960 until her death in 1964. I was seventeen when Dorothy died, and honestly as a teenager, I probably was not that interested; however, there was never any mention made by Mom or my grandmother. Dorothy was my grandmother's sister-in-law.
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| Dorothy "Dottie" Wilma Cooper Richards |
Before her death in 2004, I had the pleasure of meeting Dorothy "Dottie" Wilma Cooper Richards. We spent a delightful afternoon at her home, which was not that far from our family home in the 1960-1981 and close to where my Dad was living at that time. Dottie shared numerous memories and photographs. She generously allowed me to take photos to have them copied. We exchanged letters and cards and she wrote additional family information.
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I jumped right into this blog with Dorothy's marriage and without any mention of her life before. I have covered her parents, my maternal great grandparents, Charles Stark and Wilhelmina Schwarz Stark in numerous blogs on Flipside.
Given name on birth document, Dora Maria Stark was born on December 14, 1888 at home, 357 East Street, Allegheny City, Pennsylvania (known known as the North Side of Pittsburgh). A year later the family moved to 250 Howard Street one street away from their previous address.
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| Dorothy with her siblings, Alfred Walter Stark and Lucy Wilma Stark circa 1889  |
The Stark Family lived a very nice lifestyle until Charles was committed to a City Home in 1889. Dorothy (Dora) did not live a life of financial excess as she was young when her father died in 1895. A blog on Flipside outlines this portion of Dorothy's father and the family's life.
Dorothy grew up in various homes in Avalon, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania with her mother until she married in 1912.
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