Terry & Nancy's Ancestors

Family History Section

Person Page 2,298

Myrtle Agnes Harden1,2,3

ID# 22977, (1892 - 1945)
Family Chart

Parents:

FatherJohn W. Harden (4 Jul 1865 - 3 Aug 1909)
MotherElizabeth Baughn ( - bef 1899)
Chart MembershipDescendants of Hermann Hinrich Fennker
Family IndexesThe Fenker Family

Key Events:

Birth: 3 Jul 1892, Schoptia, Kansas,4,5,6
Marriage: 28 Dec 1927, Stockton, San Joaquin Co., California, Harry William Fenker (b. 10 Dec 1892, d. 22 Aug 1967)7,8,9
Death: 28 Jul 1945, Jackson Co., Oregon,10
Burial: Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles Co., California,11
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Narrative:

Myrtle Agnes Harden was born on 3 Jul 1892 in Schoptia, KansasG.4,5,6
     Her mother died before 1899, when Myrtle was under seven years old.12
     Myrtle appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Sarcoxie Twp., Jasper Co., Missouri, G in the household of her father, John W. Harden, and stepmother, Elizabeth J. Fishe.13
     Her father died on 3 Aug 1909, when Myrtle was 17 years old.14,15,16
     Myrtle appeared on the 1910 Federal Census of Mineral Twp., Jasper Co., Missouri, G in the household of her step-mother.17
     Myrtle has not been found in the 1920 census. She was not with her step-mother, who had remarried and was living in Arizona. Myrtle said when she married she was a resident of Los Angeles, but when she moved to California is unknown.18,19
     Myrtle married Harry William Fenker, son of Friedrich August Fenker and Friederike Luise Wilhelmine Schlüter, on 28 Dec 1927 in Stockton, San Joaquin Co., CaliforniaG, with Albert C. Parker, justice of the peace, officiating.7,8,9
     Myrtle and Harry lived briefly in Pittsburg, Contra Costa Co., CaliforniaG, after their marriage, before returning to Los Angeles.20 They appeared on the 1930 Federal Census of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., California, at 181 West 36 Place G, enumerated 3 Apr 1930, reporting they rented their home, for $40 per month, and did not own a radio.21
     Myrtle and Harry appeared on the 1940 Federal Census of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., California, at 147 1/2 W 38 St. G, enumerated 2 Apr 1940, reporting they rented their home, for $25.00 per month, and that they had lived in the same city in 1935.22
     Myrtle died on 28 Jul 1945 in Jackson Co., OregonG, at age 53.10 She was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles Co., CaliforniaG.11
Research Note, 12 Sep 2021:
The identity of Myrtle's mother is unclear. In the 1910 census, Elizabeth J. Fishe shows Myrtle as her daughter, along with 5-year-old Lorane. In her Social Security records Myrtle said her mother was Elizabeth. Elizabeth's obituary lists her as "loving mother" of both Myrtle and Lorane. However, Elizabeth married Myrtle's father in May 1899, when Myrtle was almost seven years old. Elizabeth was only 14 when Myrtle was born, so very unlikely to have been her birth mother. It seems very likely that she was Myrtle's father's second wife.

In the application for her marriage license Myrtle listed her mother as Elizabeth Baughn. No record of a woman of that name has been found, including any record of her marriage to Myrtle's father or her death. It seems likely the spelling of her surname is incorrect, and perhaps her given name was confused with the name of Myrtle's step-mother. But it seems clear that Myrtle's birth mother was someone other than Elizabeth Fishe.23,24,25,12,26

Children:
     There were no children with Harry William Fenker

Citations

  1. [S10732] Jno W. Harden household, 1900 U.S. Census, Jasper Co., Missouri, shows name as Myrtle Harden.
  2. [S10734] Elizabeth J. Harden household, 1910 U.S. Census, Jasper Co., Missouri, shows name as Myrtle A. Harden.
  3. [S1500] "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007," Ancestry.com, record for Myrtle Agnes Fenker, Soc. Sec. No. 568-24-5894, shows father's surname as Harden.
  4. [S1500] "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007," Ancestry.com, shows month, year, as 1894, age 5, and state.
  5. [S10734] Elizabeth J. Harden household, 1910 U.S. Census, Jasper Co., Missouri, shows age 17 and state.
  6. [S1500] "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007," Ancestry.com, record for Myrtle Agnes Fenker, Soc. Sec. No. 568-24-5894, shows date, with year as 1892, city, and state.
  7. [S1309] Marriage Licenses, San Joaquin Co., California, 52:113, no, 20257, Harry W Fenker and Myrtle Harden, shows date, town, and officiant.
  8. [S10736] Harry Finker household, 1930 U.S. Census, Los Angeles Co., California, shows married, with his age at first marriage as 35, and hers as 35.
  9. [S10735] Harry Fenker household, 1940 U.S. Census, Los Angeles Co., California, shows married.
  10. [S4085] "Oregon Death Index, 1898-2008," Ancestry.com, record for Myrtle A. Fenker, citing cert. no. 4418, shows date and county.
  11. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 118132131, Myrtle Agnes Fenker. Cemetery website confrims year and grave location.
  12. [S3837] Record of Marriages, Lawrence Co., Missouri, unknown vol, pg 291, John W. Hardin and Lizzie Fishe, shows date as 13 May 1899.
  13. [S10732] Jno W. Harden household, 1900 U.S. Census, Jasper Co., Missouri.
  14. [S10733] "Jasper County, Missouri Deaths 1878-1905," Ancestry.com, record for J. W. Harden, shows date.
  15. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 103643350, J. W. Harden, shows date and includes tombstone photo showing same.
  16. [S10734] Elizabeth J. Harden household, 1910 U.S. Census, Jasper Co., Missouri, shows his wife as a widow.
  17. [S10734] Elizabeth J. Harden household, 1910 U.S. Census, Jasper Co., Missouri.
  18. [S10605] Thos B. O.'Hara household, 1920 U.S. Census, Pima Co., Arizona, shows Elizabeth and her daughter Lorane Harden, but not Myrtle, in the household.
  19. [S1309] Marriage Licenses, San Joaquin Co., California, 52:113, no, 20257, Harry W Fenker and Myrtle Harden, shows her as a resident of Los Angeles, California.
  20. [S6249] Great Register, California, 1928, Contra Costa Co., Pittsburg precinct no. 10, Fenker, Harry W. and Mrs. Myrtle A., shows both at box 623, Pittsburg.
  21. [S10736] Harry Finker household, 1930 U.S. Census, Los Angeles Co., California.
  22. [S10735] Harry Fenker household, 1940 U.S. Census, Los Angeles Co., California.
  23. [S9961] Elizabeth J. O'Hara obituary, The Los Angeles Times, shows Elizabeth as loving mother of Mrs. Myrtle Fenker and Mrs. Lorane Flowers.
  24. [S1500] "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007," Ancestry.com, record for Myrtle Agnes Fenker, Soc. Sec. No. 568-24-5894, shows her mother as Elizabeth J Fish.
  25. [S10734] Elizabeth J. Harden household, 1910 U.S. Census, Jasper Co., Missouri, shows Myrtle and Lorane as her daughters.
  26. [S1309] Marriage Licenses, San Joaquin Co., California, 52:113, no, 20257, Harry W Fenker and Myrtle Harden, shows her mother as Elizabeth Baughn.

 

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Compiler: Terry Reigel
Site updated on 13 Oct 2025; 2,134 people
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