Monday, November 14, 2011

Amanuensis Monday: Marriage License for Melvin Newmark and Belle Feinstein - May 1936

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others. If you participate, feel free to leave a link to your post in the comments.
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This week I am transcribing the marriage license of my grandparents, Melvin Newmark and Belle Feinstein on May 9-10, 1936.

No. 25040
Marriage License
ADULT
Mr. Melvin L. Newmark
with
Miss Belle Feinstein
Issued May 9, 1936

FILED May 12, 1936
(signature) County Clerk
Registered May 12, 1936
Marriage Register 27
Page 61
State Board of Health Register 8
Page 150
Illinois State Board of Health
Return of a Marriage to County Clerk
1. Full Name of GROOM Melvin Newmark
2. Place of Residence St. Louis Mo
3. Occupation Student
4. Age next Birthday 24 yrs, Color W, Race W
5. Place of Birth St. Louis Mo
6. Father’s Name Barney Newmark
7. Mother’s Maiden Name Bertha Cruvant
8. Number of Groom’s Marriage 1st
9. Full Name of BRIDE Belle Feinstein
10. Place of Residence St. Louis, Mo
11. Age next Birthday 22 yrs, Color W, Race W
12. Place of Birth St. Louis, Mo
13. Father’s Name Herman Feinstein
14. Mother’s Maiden Name Anna Blatt
15. Number of Bride’s Marriage 1st
16. Married at Waterloo in the County of Monroe and State of Illinois, the 10 day of May 1936
17. Witness to Marriage Leora Reitz

N.B. At Nos. 8 and 15 state whether 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Etc., marriage of each. At 17 give names of subscribing witnesses to the Marriage Certificate. If no subscribing witness, give names of two person who witnessed the ceremony.

May 10th 1936
We hereby certify that the information above given is correct, to the best of our knowledge and belief
Melvin L Newmark (Groom)
Belle Feinstein (Bride)

I hereby certify that the above is a correct return of a Marriage solemnized by me
Fred M. Reitz
Justice of the Peace
Dated at Waterloo this 10 day of May 1936

Notes:

1) The story goes they sneaked across the river at night, and woke up the Justice of the Peace,  They were already engaged to be married in January, but they were unable to wait eight months. (Belle's older brother, Benny, was married in November of 1936, which might explain why the parents were expecting them to wait until January.)  They told no one that they had done this, and went through with the second wedding in January.


May 9th, 1936 - when the application was signed, was a Saturday.  May 10th, when the certificate was signed, was Sunday.  This seems to support the story. 


2) It's nice to have the names of all four parents on the marriage license application.  That's missing on many I've seen.

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