The Black Family Tree

As far back as is currently known of our family history is only to the late 1800s, and the parents of Joseph F. Black and Ivy R. Cook. Peter John Black, Joseph Francisco Black's father, was born around 1869 in Portsmouth, England. It is unknown when, but he immigrated to Canada where he married Miss Agatha Margaret Brooks of Lindsey, Ontario, Canada. Agatha, also known as Agnes, was born around 1883 and bore six children, Joseph being the youngest. Family stories say that he had three brothers and two sisters: John, Eddie, Lawrence, Jacqueline, and another of unknown name.

In the early 1900s, trains were being robbed and there was no established policing for them. History says that a man named Alan Pinkerton took it upon himself to start an agency that provided such security in the form of guards. These men, more correctly identified as "thugs", were paid to keep trains from being robbed through certain areas or jurisdictions. Family story goes that Peter Black worked for the railroads as one of these, "Pinkertons", or "Special Agents" (the FBI got their title from this). In 1910, Peter was supposedly assigned to escort Francisco Madero, the first elected Mexican President, back to Mexico from hiding in El Paso, Texas. He did so, apparently with family in tow, and followed that by becoming Madero's personal bodyguard.

Also according to family story is their return to the United States. Peter was supposedly awakened one night while in the employment of Francisco Madero. He was told to leave Mexico for his own safety because there were people coming to kill Madero. Granted, it makes no sense for your bodyguard to flee in a time of need for one, Peter packed up his family and boarded the first train back to the U.S., and his youngest son was born somwhere between Mexico and Illinois. When they finally arrived in Chicago, Peter and Agatha took their newborn to the registrar and reported him as being born at home.

• However, I have found questions in my research that:
  • there are no records of there ever being such an address as 129 Washtenaw...
  • Also, on Joseph's birth certificate here, it states that the doctor or midwife lived in Toronto..... perhaps he was truly born in Canada.
  • One last thing to note is Peter's occupational listing as "Railway Switchman". During the late 1800s and early 1900s, it is recorded that there was not much of a background check done on the men hired as Pinkerton Agents. This was very appealing to many, "thugs and undesirable types", as numerous sources politely phrase. Thus, the Pinkertons did not have a very good reputation. So was he trying to hide his true occupation? Or are Grandpa's stories just stories??
  
  
  
  
  To the right is a photo of the current house at 67 Ravina Crescent in 2004, Courtesy of Mr. Frank Rooks at http://www.raogk.com/
  
  
  
  

  For the next several years, from about 1911 to 1919, the Black family lived in Chicago. As Peter travelled extensively with the railroads, it was a shock when his wife Agatha died on 19 March 1918. It is presumed she died of a flu epidemic. Peter did not feel he was able to raise his three youngest children still at home on his own, and took them to live with his in-laws. Agatha's only sibling, her sister May Brooks, married a man named James Kelly, of Ontario, Canada. The two did not have children of their own and took Jacqueline, Lawrence, and Joseph in.

  
  
  
  

  James and May Kelly raised the three children like their own. It is believed that Lawrence eventually became a Jesuit Priest and resided in the United States, more specifically Illinois or Indiana, and rumored to have taken his own life.

  Jackie married a man from Canada named George Dezeng and the two had at least one known child, a daughter. Georgina Joy Dezeng was born on 9 July 1925 in Canada. George was a bootlegger and ended up going to prison for it. Jacqueline took her young daughter and moved to Los Angeles, California.
  It is still unknown what happend to Eddie, and family story says that the daughter without a name died as a toddler from drinking lye.
  
  

  Joseph however, stayed in Ontario, getting himself a small apartment at 684 Danforth Avenue, Toronto around 1930 or so. It was quiteconvenient, as at the time he also owned his own mortuary, "J. F. Black Funeral Homes" right down the road at 689 Danforth. Below are current photos of the two locations. The apartment is above the "Depot Plus", and the mortuary is the entire single story building.

  
  
  Both of these photos are also thanks to Mr. Frank Rooks at http://www.raogk.com/
  
  
  

  Come 1934, Joseph would meet his future bride through business as many still do today. Yet again based on family story, Joseph met a man named A.E. Cook who also operated a mortuary. Joseph soon met A.E.'s neice, Miss Ivy Rose Helen Cook. The two were married on 28 April, 1934 at St. Peter's Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  
  
  
  

  Page 24 of that evening's edition of The Toronto Star read:
  
  
  
  "St. Peter's Cathedral was the scene of an attractive wedding today when Ivy Rose Helen Cook, daughter of Mrs. George T. Read and the Late Mr. Charles Cook, became the bride of Joseph Francis Black, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. P. Black. Rev. Father Overend officiated. The bride, given away by Mr. George T. Read, wore a gown of ivory satin on princess lines, and fashioned together with a train. Her veil of tulle was caught to the head with orange blossoms, and she carried calla lillies. Miss Gertrude Broun and Miss Francis Cook attended the bride, the latter in pink organza with matching picture hat and the former in blue organza, also with matching picture hat. They carried spring boquets. Little Miss Dolly Cook, in blue organdle, was a quaint flower girl, carrying a basket of flowers. Mr. Harold Dowdell was best man and the usher was Mr. A.E. Cook. A reception followed at the bride's home, 4 Melville Avenue, Mrs. Read, mother of the bride wearing a gray georgette ensemble with matching hat and corsage of roses. After a trip to New York, the bridal couple will reside on Danforth Avenue. For travelling the bride wore a smart navy blue ensemble with white accessories."

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  Joe and Ivy lived on Danforth for less than one year, as they soon needed another room for their first child, James Charles Black. Young Jimmy, on the left here at about age 10, was born on 12 February, 1935.
  
  
  
  

  About a year and a half later, on 25 July, 1936, Joe and Ivy welcomed another son, Joseph Robert Lincoln Black (right).
  
  No one ever called him by his name though.
  When he was a baby, Joe and Ivy nicknamed him "Buddy", and it stuck for life.
  
  
  The family of four lived in a duplex/house at 466 Lansdowne Avenue, Toronto (photo below).
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  The brothers were soon joined by a sister, Beverly May Black, on 30 October, 1937. Here, they are with "Uncle" James Kelly in Richmond Hills, Ontario, Canada.
  
  James Kelly was a caretaker for wealthy people's summer homes and cabins.
  Often, Joe and Ivy would take the children to visit and vacation at the cabins when they were vacant. James Kelly had a love of guns that he passed onto Joseph thoroughly, and tried to get the children involved in as well.

  Photo from left: Beverly, Jimmy, Buddy, and James Kelly in the back.

  
  
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  By 1940 World War II was in full swing among the european countries, and the United States was preparing itself: All American men were required to register for the dreaded Draft. The attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December, 1941 prompted Joe to return to the US and do his civic duty. He and Ivy left their children with Nana (Grandma Helen Cook) and set off to find a home in America. Within ten days, both goals had been accomplished.
  Below is Joe's Draft Card with the new address.

  
  They returned to Toronto and began to move their belongings (presumably after the holidays ?).
  By February of 1942, Ivy returned one last time to Toronto to fetch her little Canucks.
  On 2 March, 1942, Ivy, Jimmy, Buddy, and Beverly began their long immigration process to the United States by car from Windsor, Ontario to Detroit, Michigan. It took them ten more years to become citizens.
  Here they are on the day of departure with Ivy and her mother Helen.
  
  
  
  
  Joe and Ivy adored their children and they received the collective nickname, "The Doodles". Just three short years later, Joe and Ivy welcomed their fourth Doodle into the family.
  
  Linda Jo Black was born on 12 December, 1945. Ivy stayed in the hospital for about a week when Linda was born. Nana came to visit and the three elder Doodles stayed with her during the day while Joe worked.
  
  
  They were so distraught for their mother's return that they wrote her a letter of sorts:
  
  
  
  It was more of a petition actually, signed by all and even witnessed.
  
  Ivy and Linda Jo returned home the next day.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  By this time, Joe was no longer specifically in the mortuary business. He worked as a machinist for a company that usually made tools, but was currently under orders from the government to make whatever the army needed at the time. This mostly consisted of nuts and bolts, weapons casings, and whatever else they wanted. Joe had liked being his own boss at the funeral home and also opened his own shop, "J.F. Black Salvage".
  
  
  
  
  Apparently, Joe had found it a very lucrative business. There were many men going to war that did not need some of their stuff, but could sure use some cash. He bought many things from outbound soldiers- including their cars.
  
  He parked them in the empty lot next to his house on Howard Street, took the tires off, and put them inside the car so no one would steal them. When the war was over, the returning soldiers had little money, but needed a car....
  
  Apparently he made a good amount of money this way. Joe resold everything he thought would be of value to someone later. This included anything from railway salvage, furniture, tools, bottles...
  
  Even if it meant storing it in his sons' room for a year. Jimmy recalled sleeping amongst cases of paint.
  

  To Be Continued....

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