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 1879 - 1974 (94 years)
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| Name |
Anna Mae Burdge [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] |
| Birth |
29 Nov 1879 |
Chanute, Wilson, Kansas, USA  [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9] |
| Gender |
Female |
| Residence |
1880 |
Colfax, Wilson, Kansas, USA [9] |
| Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Daughter |
| Residence |
1892 |
Thurston, Washington [6] |
| Marital Status: Single |
| Residence |
1910 |
Oakland Ward 7, Alameda, California, USA [3] |
| Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Wife |
| Residence |
1920 |
Oakland, Alameda, California, USA [1] |
| Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Wife |
| Residence |
1930 |
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA [2] |
| Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Wife |
| Residence |
1935 |
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California [4] |
| Residence |
1 Apr 1940 |
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA [4] |
| Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Wife |
| Death |
4 Sep 1974 |
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA [8] |
| Death |
15 Sep 1974 |
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA [7] |
| Person ID |
I11649 |
Bob Juch's Tree 2 |
| Last Modified |
16 Feb 2025 |
| Father |
Henry Burdge, b. 29 Sep 1844, Compton Bishop, Somerset, England d. 23 Aug 1927, Chanute, Neosho, Kansas, USA (Age 82 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Mother |
Emma Susanna Henry, b. 7 Dec 1859, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA d. 21 Sep 1887, Phillipsburg, Deer Lodge County, Montana (Age 27 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Marriage |
7 Jan 1878 |
Kansas, USA |
| Divorce |
15 May 1885 |
Wilson County, KS [10] |
| Family ID |
F4224 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Bernard Pacheco Miller, b. 21 Mar 1874, San Francisco, California d. 26 Jun 1945, Sawtelle, Los Angeles County, CA (Age 71 years) |
| Marriage |
4 Apr 1904 |
Oakland, Alameda, California [5] |
| Children |
|
| Family ID |
F4545 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
16 Feb 2025 |
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| Notes |
- Born on farm in Fredonia KS. About 1893 she and her sister were taken in by the Frank "Borax" Smith family as companions for their daughter. Mary Ann died of TB in January 1894 after making sure the two girls were safely with the Smiths.
She was born Annie Burdge but the Smiths felt that Anna Mae sounded better for a young lady of society. The Smiths were made legal guardians of both girls in 1893.
She was born in Wilson County, Kansas in Fredonia, about 6 miles from Chanute. Her mother was very ill and quite weak. Her husband Henry was upset thinking she was lazy. He was very dedicated in building up the amount of property he had so that he could give his family security, but was too busy to spend much time with them. It was discovered later that she had TB. Her father had died after returning home from the civil war, probably from TB he contracted in the army. Emma Suzanna's mother, Mary Ann Henry had a friend in Montana, she talked Henry letting them go there for Emma's health. Once in Montana Mary Ann got a job helping a doctor as she had a lot of experience doing a doctor and nurse's job during the Civil War when most medical people were with the military. They lived at a boarding house in town where she worked. They decided not to return to Kansas, Emma sent Henry a letter telling him that she was not returning, and he could divorce her. He was furious and got the divorce, but it was very acrimonious.
There was a rancher outside of town that needed a housekeeper and he had a detached cabin they could live in. The doctor she was working with did not want to lose her but suggested she should take the job as they would have a larger and better place to live. After they moved to Durffee's ranch he and Emma fell in love. They were married but told that Emma should not have more children due to her illness. Later she died in child birth, twin boys. Durffee was devastated and wanted for Mary Ann to stay so that he could raise the girls. She explained that he would remarry someday and his new wife might not appreciate children that weren't hers. It was about two years after her move that she passed away leaving Annie and Sarah Winifred in the care of their grandmother. Although the children missed their father very much, their grandmother, Mary Ann Henry, then took the girls to Tumwater, Washington, near Olympia. She owned some property there with a building on it. The front of the building was leased to a druggist while they could live in the attached apartment behind it. Once again Mary Ann went to work for a doctor in town. Mary Ann's nephew in medical school and she talked to the doctor she was working for about him meeting her nephew. She thought that may be he could work for her doctor and then take over his practice when he retired. They met, got along well and Dr. Mowell moved to Tumwater, eventually taking over the practice. He also became quite prominent and rose to head the Washington State Medical Society. Dr. John Wilson Mowell. was the son of Elizabeth Schmidt Mowell, whose husband was a judge in Sedalia, Missouri. She was the youngest sister of Mary Ann Schmidt Henry. Dr. Mowell specialized in the study and treatment of cancer. He had a very high standing in his profession in the State of Washington. They spent three years enjoying the beautiful country around Puget Sound. Although the girls enjoyed living there, Mary Ann's health began to fail and she was worried about her granddaughters. Her minister at church had met a colleague on a trip to the Oakland Bay area in CA and knew of a couple that fostered homeless young girls. Her minister gave her a letter of introduction and she headed south with the girls. She went to a rooming house he had recommended, but was so sick and weak that she could not take the girls to church Sunday morning to meet the minister and find out about the couple she needed to see. She got the girls all dressed up and sent them of with a note to the new minister. Annie was 14 and scared half to death, but off she went with little sister, "Freddie", in tow. Once she arrived she stood in the corner of the lobby close to tears. A very well dressed lady came over and asked gently if she could help. Annie broke into tears giving the lady the note, and blurting out her story. The lady immediately told her that the person she was to see was Mrs. Smith, but she was Mrs. Smiths doctor. She took the girls out to her carriage and had Annie guide her to the rooming house where her mother was. After talking with Mary Ann she told her that Mrs. Smith was looking for a companion for her daughter, but when Mary Ann said the girls could not be separated, the doctor said that was no problem, she would take both or neither. The girls spent several weeks getting checked out medically, then joined the Smith family as wards and companions for their daughter Marion. The Smiths had Annie change her name to Anna Mae as Annie was not quite as acceptable in society. The doctor and the Smiths found a place for Mary Ann to stay and she was well cared for the rest of her life. She did eventually die from TB.
F. M. Smith was a very wealthy man. He discovered borax in both Nevada and Death Valley, California. They had a beautiful estate on 33 acres in East Oakland called Arbor Villa. It was beautifully landscaped with conservatories filled with tropical plants. The girls were overwhelmed with all the beauty and immenseness of their new home - they considered it a Fairyland. One of the facilities at Arbor Villa was a group of small cottages a short distance from the main house. They were reached by a rustic path through a pine grove. There were six cottages each with a house mother and a group of young homeless girls. The girls were supported, cared for and schooled.
They also had a summer home on Shelter Island (On the eastern tip of Long Island) called Presdeleau. It was an old Colonial house which at that time (1890's) was 150 years old. They learned to swim in the harbor. Frank Smith was fond of sailing so he bought a couple of sailboats and large steam yacht so all could have fun on and in the water. In September of 1895 Mr. Smith took the whole family to Europe while he was there on business. They took a Cunard Liner, the Campania to Liverpool. They spent a month in London, six weeks in Paris, and 5 months in Nice on the French Riviera. While there, they had a French governess who couldn't speak a word of English, so they had all their lessons in French. According to Mae, "The view was wonderful looking out over the Mediterranean. There were orange trees and beautiful flowers in our garden. In the afternoon the governess and we girls used to walk the mountainsides through the olive trees and here and there come to an old olive mill. "There was an old Franciscan Monastery that we used to like to see and watch the monks bring out a tremendous iron pot of soup and some dark bread and dish it out to the tramps that would hold up tin cans. "Another place that intrigued us was the Hotel Cimies, which was leased by Queen Victoria for the winter. Many times when we were walking, we'd see a man in uniform on a white horse and shortly after a Victoria carriage with the Queen and her daughter. Princess Beatrice. We would curtsey and she would smile. I feel sure she thought we were English. "In April we left Nice for Milan, stopping on the way to see Genoa.
We stayed two nights in Milan, enjoying that wonderful cathedral and seeing a palace of the King of Italy. Then through the Alps, such glorious, breath-taking scenery. We stayed one night in Strasbourg and saw the wonderful clock there in the cathedral. At noon we saw all the apostles pass in front of Christ and the crow the third time when Peter passed. "There was a pontoon bridge across the Rhine that we found interesting, as we had never seen one before. We went on to Brussels, Belgium, where we lived in a hotel for a month before joining Uncle Frank in London." In June 1896 they went to South Hampton and boarding the St. Louis, an American liner, for New York.
When they returned to Oakland, they attended Oakland High School for 2 years. They were then sent to Miss Dana's finishing school in Morristown, New Jersey. In 1901 Mae met Bernard Miller. They were cast as lovers in a play together. They decided they wanted to get married. While Aunt Mollie (Mrs. Smith) thought Bernard was a fine young man, she suggested that Mae take a trip to Europe. When she returned, if she still wanted to marry him, she could do so. He could write to her all he wanted, but she could not answer any of her letters. She sailed to Europe on the Augusta Victoria, chaperoned by a Mr. and Mrs. Taft and their daughter Chris, Mae was to go to Paris to join Florence Nightingale. Soon after arriving in Paris, Florence and Mae left for London. They established themselves in the St. Ermius Mansions in 1902, the year Edward VII was to be crowned, so there were many things going on. They attended the Coronation Ball at the Crystal Palace and danced until daylight ."Our hotel was the headquarters for the potentates from India. The morning of the coronation, we were up early and saw all the Maharajahs with the scabbards of their swords covered with jewels, diamond egrets on their turbans, diamond garter buckles and shoe buckles. There was an Englishman there to assign them to their carriages. The High Priest, in white robes, went in a carriage by himself, then two or three carriages with Maharajahs, and in the last two carriages their wives and attendants in veils and flowing garments. The Englishman, dressed in short black trousers and silk stockings, and his wife and daughter, dressed in long white satin gowns with trains and white plumes in their hair, left. "After they were gone we went around the block into St. James Park where we saw the procession on its way to Westminster Abbey. The King had been ill so Queen Alexandra did the bowing and smiling. Their coachmen and footmen wore the red uniforms and the Dukes, Earls, etc. each had their own colors. Therefore the procession was very colorful. We were thrilled at being able to see this historical event. "They continued through the Shakespeare Country (Stratford) and on through the English Lake District to Glasgow, Scotland, and then through the Scottish lakes to Edinburgh. They stayed two weekends and then went to Melrose where they saw the ruins the Melrose Abbey and Sir Walter Scott's home on the River Tweed. The returned to London in September, and then went on to Belgium, Holland, Berlin, and then Dresden where they stayed for six weeks in a Pension. They traveled through Cologne to Paris. They stayed at the Hotel Tremoville, on Avenue Trocadero across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. They visited Versailles, Fontainebleau, The Louvre, Notre Dame, the Madeleine, and Napoleon's Tomb.
They left Paris at the end of May and sailed from LeHavre on a French liner for New York. They then traveled to Shelter Island and met up with their family for a summer holiday. After her return she married Bernard in a big wedding at Arbor Villa.
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| Sources |
- [S10] Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 on roll 323 (Chicago City.Original data - United States;), Year: 1920; Census Place: Oakland, Alameda, California; Roll: T625_90; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 116; Image: 750.
- [S28] 1930 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.;), Year: 1930; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 157; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 0614; Image: 1031.0; FHL microfilm: 2339892.
- [S11] Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Thirteenth Census of the Unit;), Year: 1910; Census Place: Oakland Ward 7, Alameda, California; Roll: T624_71; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0138; FHL microfilm: 1374084.
- [S29] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;), Year: 1940; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T627_407; Page: 61A; Enumeration District: 60-221H.
- [S231] Ancestry.com, California, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1850-1941, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2014;).
- [S746] Ancestry.com, Washington State and Territorial Censuses, 1857-1892, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data - Washington. Washington Territorial Census Rolls, 1857-1892. Olympia, Washington: Washington State Archives. M1, 20 rolls.Original data: Washington. Washington Territoria;).
- [S127] Ancestry.com, Social Security Death Index, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.Original data - Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security;), Number: 565-68-2499; Issue State: California; Issue Date: 1963.
- [S9] Ancestry.com, California Death Index, 1940-1997, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000.Original data - State of California. California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics.Original d;), Date: 1974-09-04.
- [S13] Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1880 United States Federal Census, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limite;), Year: 1880; Census Place: Colfax, Wilson, Kansas; Roll: 399; Family History Film: 1254399; Page: 22B; Enumeration District: 178; Image: 0525.
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