The journey began with my husband’s DNA results, utilized through ancestry.com, to track down his biological parents. Within 2 months time I had found them, and my husband was able to meet his mother and half-siblings. A few months after that, we spoke with his paternal uncle, and after a year he and his father started chatting as well, via email.
To find his biological family I researched all of the cousin's family trees that he was a DNA match with, and then started creating a family tree for my husband based on all the family members his cousins had in common. By the time I had confirmation as to who his parents were, I had a lot of his family tree already completed. However his paternal line proved to be more of an enigma.
To find his biological family I researched all of the cousin's family trees that he was a DNA match with, and then started creating a family tree for my husband based on all the family members his cousins had in common. By the time I had confirmation as to who his parents were, I had a lot of his family tree already completed. However his paternal line proved to be more of an enigma.
It starts with a man named “Happy Jack” Walker, my husband’s Great-Grandfather. There is no family history that has been passed down preceding this man, as far as I know. So let’s begin this tale with the paper trail he left behind, and what I do know:This man appeared on records for the first time in 1906, registering to vote in San Francisco, CA stating that he was 24, and worked as a “peddler”. I am not sure if they had to show proof of age during this time, and since issuing a birth certificate was not standardized in the United States until 1902, I am not sure how he could have proved it. This was the same year as the great San Francisco Earthquake, when “devastating fires broke out in the city that lasted for several days, destroying about 28,000 buildings. As a result of the quake and fires, over 3,000 people died and over 80% of San Francisco was destroyed. The death toll from the earthquake and resulting fire is the greatest loss of life from a natural disaster in California's history.” - Wikipedia
In May of 1907 he married a Portuguese girl named Therese Gomes. He put his official name as “Happy Jack” Walker on the marriage registration information. He doesn’t list his age. I am not sure if any documentation was needed during this era to marry. They had a son together, my husband’s Grandfather, Raymond, born the next year in September. On the 1910 US Federal Census, any record of them as individuals, or as a couple, are nowhere to be found, but their son is found living with her parents in Alameda, CA. She is found again in 1920 remarried, and the son, Raymond, is living with her under her married last name.
Happy Jack is next found on record in November of 1918 marrying a Russian woman, Martha Mohr, in Vancouver, WA. At this time he lists his age as 33, and his profession as a Theatrical Professional. I don’t know if, at this time, any documentation was even required to get married in Washington State. He lists his name as just Jack Walker on the marriage registration. He says that his father is from Ireland and his mother is from Scotland (and lists their supposed names). In 1920 Happy Jack and Martha are residing in Oregon, they have a daughter together born in 1919, but there is also a Happy Jack Walker Jr. living with them that was born in 1915 in Oregon. (Was Happy Jack Jr. born out of wedlock to Martha, or was he a son of Therese?) On this US Federal Census of 1920, Happy Jack lists his age as 33 (although it is 2 years later), born in New York, states that his father is from Scotland and that his mother is from New York. He is working as an Advertising Agent in a Theatrical Company, and says he never attended school.
This couple must have divorced before 1926, because she had remarried by then, and he had moved back to California. He is found residing in San Francisco, CA in 1927, and his occupation is a “Theater Performer”. In 1929 he is found living in Sacramento, CA working as an “Actor”, and that same year he married a woman from California named Georgiana. On the 1930 US Federal Census, the daughter is found with her mother Martha, and the son is found with Happy Jack in San Francisco (which makes me believe he wasn’t Martha’s son). On the Census he lists his age as 35 (even though it has been 12 years since he was supposedly 33 when he got married), born in New York, states that he was 16 at the time of his first marriage in 1907 even though at time he was saying he was 25. Under “military experience” he says “WW”, but I can find no record of him, under any variation of this name, even signing up for the draft. He also states now that his father is from England, his mother was born in the USA, and his occupation is working in Advertisement. By this time, his first born son, Raymond, who had stayed with his mother, Therese, has married and has 2 daughters of his own, and is still residing in Alameda, CA.
This couple must have divorced before 1926, because she had remarried by then, and he had moved back to California. He is found residing in San Francisco, CA in 1927, and his occupation is a “Theater Performer”. In 1929 he is found living in Sacramento, CA working as an “Actor”, and that same year he married a woman from California named Georgiana. On the 1930 US Federal Census, the daughter is found with her mother Martha, and the son is found with Happy Jack in San Francisco (which makes me believe he wasn’t Martha’s son). On the Census he lists his age as 35 (even though it has been 12 years since he was supposedly 33 when he got married), born in New York, states that he was 16 at the time of his first marriage in 1907 even though at time he was saying he was 25. Under “military experience” he says “WW”, but I can find no record of him, under any variation of this name, even signing up for the draft. He also states now that his father is from England, his mother was born in the USA, and his occupation is working in Advertisement. By this time, his first born son, Raymond, who had stayed with his mother, Therese, has married and has 2 daughters of his own, and is still residing in Alameda, CA.
In 1932, after the beginning of the Great Depression, Happy Jack is still residing in San Francisco but his occupation is “Bill Poster”, which is far cry from the title of “Theatrical Performer” or working for a Theatre Company. It is a more humble description of how he made ends meet, and a statement of the hard times he was living in. His son, Happy Jack Jr., joined the Marines in 1935, and sadly died the following year at the young age of 21. In November of 1938 he applied for Social Security under the name Jack Walker Sr. (dropped the “Happy” officially), and gives his birthday as July 16th of 1891 in New York. He gives his parents names, but they are different than the names he gave in 1918.
On the 1940 US Federal Census his name is just Jack Walker. He is still residing in San Francisco, still married, and states that he was born about 1891 (49 years old) in New York. He is now listed as just a “laborer” for his occupation. He also says he only attended school up to 5th grade (putting him around the age of 10), which makes you wonder what he was doing from age 10 until he got married at the age of 16/17, started lying about his age to appear older, and had taken on the stage name of “Happy Jack”.
From this point on it looks like he was taking odd labor jobs to make ends meet. He is found in 1942 filling out a draft card for WWII under the name Jack Walker Sr. He states his employer is W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration -was an ambitious employment and infrastructure program created by President Roosevelt in 1935, during the bleakest years of the Great Depression. Over its eight years of existence, the WPA put roughly 8.5 million Americans to work. Perhaps best known for its public works projects, the WPA also sponsored projects in the arts – the agency employed tens of thousands of actors, musicians, writers and other artists. ). He lists his birthday as July 16th of 1889 in New York (making him 53).
Up until this point the one consistent piece of information has always been that he was born in New York, and on 2 legal documents his birthday is July 16th (but again without a birth certificate I assume agencies in the early 1900’s were just taking people’s word for it?). The last known employment he had was in 1943, and he says he is a “Ship Dock Worker”. His death certificate lists the date as May 2nd of 1943 in San Francisco, California. His mother’s maiden name is listed but it is different than the two previous statements he’d given: his 1918 Marriage License, and his application for Social Security in 1938.
Based on the pattern he set, of making up ages and parental history his whole life and the lack of any evidence of his existence prior to 1906, I feel it safe to assume his identity was completely fabricated.
Based on the pattern he set, of making up ages and parental history his whole life and the lack of any evidence of his existence prior to 1906, I feel it safe to assume his identity was completely fabricated.
Per my husband’s DNA results he is 12% European Jewish. This came as a real surprise. He’d heard rumor growing up that his biological father might have been Portuguese, so his mind always identified with that area of the world. He looks Mediterranean. When we found out that his Great-Grandmother, Therese Gomes, was indeed Portuguese, it was great confirmation. Of all his 3rd to 6th cousins I had found related to the Walker side, no one listed any European Jewish ancestors on their tree. I did note, however, that the cousins that shared Happy Jack Walker in common with my husband all shared this European Jewish DNA.
The previous research I had done into all the versions of his name, versions of his parents names, and versions of his birth dates, had come up empty. So I decided to follow a different trail of information, the Jewish history of his cousins. This decision was as a result of finding that a 1st cousin had his DNA results show up for me to compare. This 1st cousin’s DNA matches helped me find even more cousins, some of which were grandchildren of immigrants with 100% European Jewish ancestry. This method proved to be fascinating, and because of this, a new theory of his true identity was emerging. There was pretty much no denying, at that point, that our mysterious “Happy Jack” Walker from maybe Ireland, sometimes Scotland, perhaps England… just wasn’t. The following section is my theory about the real identity of Happy Jack Walker:
The previous research I had done into all the versions of his name, versions of his parents names, and versions of his birth dates, had come up empty. So I decided to follow a different trail of information, the Jewish history of his cousins. This decision was as a result of finding that a 1st cousin had his DNA results show up for me to compare. This 1st cousin’s DNA matches helped me find even more cousins, some of which were grandchildren of immigrants with 100% European Jewish ancestry. This method proved to be fascinating, and because of this, a new theory of his true identity was emerging. There was pretty much no denying, at that point, that our mysterious “Happy Jack” Walker from maybe Ireland, sometimes Scotland, perhaps England… just wasn’t. The following section is my theory about the real identity of Happy Jack Walker:
Let me introduce now a man named Benjamin Elias Frenchman. His father was Elias Moses Fransman (changed to Frenchman) born in Holland, the Netherlands (an “Israelite” is what is listed on his documents), and his mother was Mary Pinto/Pinter, also of Jewish descent, born in Pozen, Germany (an area of Poland that was part of the German Empire from 1871 until 1918). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Posen Elias, along with his siblings, his mother Katrina Croost, his father Moses Benjamin Fransman (son of Benjamin Moses Fransman born in 1791), his uncle Jacob and his aunt Siphora, immigrated in 1864 from the Netherlands, through England, to America.
Through DNA I determined that my husband’s closest cousins share the same ancestor patriarch: Benjamin Moses Fransman (father of Moses Benjamin Fransman, grandfather of Elias Moses Fransman) born in the year of 1791 in Amsterdam, Holland, the Netherlands.
Based on this common denominator I started building a family tree, and traced each immigrant’s (Moses, Jacob, and Siphora) children and grand-children down through the years, until I was able to find someone who fit the profile of Happy Jack Walker’s stated time and place of birth.
Some of Happy Jack's Jewish cousins are descended from Moses, some are descended from his brother Jacob. The family group who fit the profile the best was the grandson of Moses, son of Elias: Benjamin Elias Frenchman.
Benjamin was born in the year of 1869 in Newark, New Jersey to Elias and Mary (Pinto/Pinter) Fransman. Elias was a Cigar maker, and died before 1892 in New York. Mary was last found on record in 1915 as an "inmate" in a home for the elderly and infirm. A descendant says: "Mom (Ruth, mentioned later) remembered meeting her Grandma once and said she was a little lady,
sitting in a rocking chair dressed in black with a white shawl on who
spoke in a language she didn’t understand or it was so heavily accented
that she didn’t understand it if it was English." She died January of 1918 in New York.
Benjamin married a lady named Annie Hilfstein in October of 1888 in Manhattan, New York. She was the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Pozen, Germany (her father from the Krakow area, and her mother from Galacia, an area between Hungary and Austria - considered Poland now). They had a son named Henry who was born on July 14th of 1889 in New York, and another son Elias who was born and died in the year of 1891. Sometime before 1896 heand Annie had separated. She married a man named John “Jack” Nelson in October of 1905, and she listed herself as a widow on the marriage certificate. They stayed in New York, and had two sons by 1910. Annie died in 1921.
By 1896 Benjamin had made his way west, and married a woman named Grace Valker in Oregon. On the 1900 US Federal Census he has a new name he is going by, Benjamin E. Sterling. He claims he was born “at sea”, that his family is French (actually funny considering his given last name is Fransman/Frenchman but not actually being from France), and his occupation is a “Palmist”. The photo above shows him holding a Crystal Ball. On a Play Bill that one of his descendants has, it says that he is a mental scientist and a ventriloquist. Tagline: ”Ask Sterling, he knows!”
Grace Valker died in 1908, in Massachusetts, from heart failure due to exhaustion. I can’t find any of the other mentioned family members for the 1910 US Federal Census.I do know that in 1909, in Illinois, Benjamin married a woman named Lydia Shore (see update below on how they met), and that he used his given name Frenchman on the document. They are found on the 1920 US Federal Census, under the name Sterling, in Kentucky, where now he proclaims to be a Psychologist, born in New York, and that his father is English. He has a daughter named Dorothy born in 1901, another daughter, Ruth, who was born November of 1912 in Illinois. On Ruth’s birth certificate he uses his given name of Frenchman, but she goes by the last name of Sterling until she marries and takes on the last name of Brauer.
*UPDATING AS OF NOV. 15, 2019:
I have been in contact with Ruth's descendants recently and they have added some insight into this period of time. I had assumed that Grace and Benjamin had a daughter together, born October of 1901 in Utah, named Dorothy Sterling. I assumed this because she is listed on the1920 census as Ben's daughter born during the time he was married to Grace. Dorothy went by this last name until she married in 1924 and took on the last name of Miller. Apparently later on in life Dorothy learned she was adopted.
"The story goes that my Grandma (Lydia) was a nurse hired to take care of Dorothy as the family traveled around doing the Keith Theater Circuit. They lived in Newport, KY, Washington DC, Charleston, W VA, Chicago, New York city, etc. Grandpa Ben was at times a ventriloquist, mind reader, etc. His trunks said, "Busy Ben Theater" on them."
Under the name Benjamin Sterling he is found in the 1928 and 1929 city directory of Little Rock, Arkansas as a Psychologist. On the 1930 US Federal Census he and this family are still in Arkansas, he is no longer employed, and now he finally states that his father is from Holland and his mother is from Poland. He died this same year.
Some unanswered questions: Did he vanish on his first wife, Annie, and she presumed him dead because he had changed his name? Or was it easier to claim to be a widow than trying to track him down for a divorce? Did he change his name because he didn’t want anyone to know of his Jewish heritage, or was it more exotic to pretend to be French for his persona, even though he was using an English last name like Sterling?
So now let’s look at some side by side facts:
- Henry is documented as being born July 14th of 1889 in New York; “Happy Jack” Walker states he was born July 16th of 1889 in New York on the official documents of his later life. Pretty damned close.
- We can assume Henry accompanied his father west to Oregon, since he is not in any Census data with his mother, thus answering how “Happy Jack” Walker is found on the West Coast even though he was born in New York. There is no paper trail for either identity before 1906.
- We can also assume that Henry, being the son of a traveling entertainer, picked up tips from his father’s trade, and carried on in that industry – learning to take on a stage name, for example.
- Henry’s step-father went by Jack. Henry’s step-mother’s last name was Valker. Henry had just turned 16 when his mom remarried, soon followed by his dad remarrying. “Happy Jack” Walker showed up in records for the first time in Alameda, California at the end of 1906, age 17. So at least we have some hint as to where he came by the stage name. This is also too much of a coincidence to not be accurate.
- After he married Therese Gomes he disappears again from records, but shows up in Oregon/Washington to marry his second wife: A pattern similar to his father’s. I used to wonder what took him north, but if he lived there with his father in his early years then it makes sense that it would have been a home base of sorts. Perhaps he knew where to get work, because by this point he is saying he is an actor/entertainer/theater professional.
- A pattern of a nomadic life as a traveling entertainer, as well as a trail of relationships and multiple children, is shown by both men.
- Finally, the Jewish ancestor that the cousins have in common is the patriarch Benjamin Moses Fransman born in 1791. So based on scientific data, there is no other explanation for this family connection than to be descended from this man. Other cousins have DNA connections to the wives (Pinto and Hilfstein) as well, further cementing the relationship.
