Featured in the book "The African-American Connection: How Humboldt, Kansas Conquered the Prairie" 2014. Book can be ordered. Contact memorial owner.
Buried in Los Angeles, California
African-American singer and pianist, musical comedy act, "Martha Davis & Spouse", was popular in the late 1940's and 1950's. Born and raised, Marthesta Faye Robertson in Wichita, Kansas. She used her real married name of Martha Davis as her stage name. She was 1st married in Chicago 4 Jan 1937 to Paul Wilson Davis, divorced, and married 2nd, Calvin Ponder, a bass player, in Los Angeles, California 14 Sept 1948. She was influenced by Fats Waller, whose best-known compositions were "Ain't Misbehavin" and "Honeysuckle Rose," and performed regularly as a singer and pianist in Chicago Clubs. She moved to California and her recording career was on Jewel Records in Hollywood. The pop hit "Little White Lies" reached no. 11 on the R&B charts, followed by a duet with Louis Jordan, "Daddy-O" from the movie "A Song is Born," which reached the R&B top ten. She was already well known prior to her marriage to Calvin Ponder and after their marriage in 1948 they teamed up as a couple and they played at the Blue Angel in New York and broke all records playing for over 30 weeks. They also appeared in movies together including "Smart Politics" in the mid 1950's, "Rhythm & Blues Revue, Rock n Roll Revue, and Basin Street Revue." They appeared on the TV shows of Garry Moore and Perry Como in 1956 and Steve Allen in 1957. She died of cancer 6 April 1960 in Mount Vernon, New York. Some claim she was a high school classmate of Nat King Cole, but she was not. Other erroneous information on the web states she was raised in Chicago and married Calvin Ponder in 1939, which is incorrect.
**
1930 Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas
Head Morgan Robertson M 43 Alabama
Wife Pearle Robertson F 45 Kansas
Daughter Marthesta Robertson F 12 Kansas
Name: Paul Wilson Davis
Marriage Date: 4 Jan 1937
Spouse: Marthesta Faye Robertson
Marriage Location: Cook County, IL
Marriage license: {AB7A5787-C572-49B4-B95B-BDC7DFA272C2}
File Number: 1520087
Archive Collection Name: Cook County Genealogy Records (Marriages)
Archive repository location: Chicago, IL
Archive repository name: Cook County Clerk
1940 Chicago, Cook Co Illinois
Harold Golden negro 46 Louisiana
Iretta wife 41 LA
Paul Davis lodger negro 24 Washington clerk attorneys office
Martha lodger negro 22 Kansas
Date: Friday, January 18, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 38
Issue: 37
Page: 1
Marthesta Robertson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson who is now known to the music world as Matha Davis, has been filling an engagement in Hollywood since Sept 16, 1945. Mrs. Davis who has been living in Chicago since leaving Wichita in 1936, is the mother of one son, Paul Wilson Davis, Jr., 3 1/2 years old. She has played return engagements in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit and Chicago. The Playgoer, the magazine in the Theatre Florentine Gardena, Hollywood writes: "Martha Davis blends charm, personality and showmanship in her piano pleasantries, that gives her style the maximum of appeal. She adds some husky vocal harmonies to her jive ditties but her piano magic and ingratiating personality are outstanding and go far in putting her entertainment on the plus side.
**
Filming in Hollywood for some Time is Marthesta Robertson, Known as "Martha Davis," Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson
Date: Friday, July 5, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 39
Issue: 9
Page: 1
Filming in Hollywood for some time is Mathesta Robertson, known as "Martha Davis," daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson of 1006 Ohio, visiting her parents during her vacation period. She is accompanied by her junior son who is to get acquainted with his grandparents. As a child Marthesta was a music genius from a very early beginning. Marthesta has mounted some of the highest heights in the music world. Her friends here are delighted and are congratulating her for success attained.
Date: Friday, July 5, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 39
Issue: 9
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson, of 1061 Ohio, are delighted to have their daughter, Mathesta, and little grandson from the west coast, here for a visit. Going from California to Michigan by plane, there she picked up her Cadillac and motored to Wichita for her vacation.
Name: Calvin Ponder divorced 2nd marriage
Event Type: Marriage
marriage Date: 14 Sep 1948
Event Place: Los Angeles, California, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 30
Father's Name: Allen Ponder
Mother's Name: Nigg Bush
Spouse's Name: Marthesta Faye Davis divorced 2nd marriage
Spouse's Age: 30
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Father's Name: Morgan Robertson
Spouse's Mother's Name: Pearle Groomer
Page: 62
GS Film number: 2116804
Digital Folder Number: 005698874
Image Number: 01095
California births
Calvina Evelyn Ponder 13 Jul 1949 Female mother's maiden name Robertson Los Angeles County
Mrs. Marthesta Ponder
Date: August 19, 1949
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 42
Issue: 17
Page: 1
Mrs Marthesta Robertson, known in the music world as "Mathesta Davis."
Mr and Mrs Calvin Ponder are the proud parents of a daughter, born July 13, 1949, to whom they have given the name Calvina Evelyn. They have recently purchased a lovely home in Los Angeles, California, and are expecting Master Paul Wilson Davis to arrive soon from Chicago, Illinois, where he has been living with an aunt, Mrs. Evelyn Sweatt. Mrs Ponder is the daughter of Mr and Mrs Morgan Robertson of 1061 Ohio Avenue.
Date: Friday, September 16, 1949
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 42
Issue: 21
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson of 1061 Ohio, left for the west coast in time to see some of the National Baptist convention in Los Angeles, while visiting their daughter, Marthesta and family and especially their new grand baby.
Passing Through
Date: March 30, 1951
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 43
Issue: 48
Page: 4
Martha Davis (Marthesta Robertson) to all Wichitans, her husband Calvin Ponder and daughter, Calvina arrived at 1061 Ohio Avenue, to spend a few hours with her mother. They were enroute to New York City, where they open a return engagement at the Blue Angel on March 26th. They left their home in Los Angeles, Tuesday morning at 4:00, and arrived in Wichita at 6:30 p.m. and that was Cadillac time. They were accompanied by Mrs India Miller, former Wichita resident, who visited relatives and friends while here.
Date: Friday, June 22, 1951
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 44
Issue: 8
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Calvan Ponder and baby returning from a nine week show engagement in New York City, at the Blue Angel theater, (who on stage is known as Martha Davis), stopped over seeing her mother, Mrs. Pearl Robertson. They were enroute to their home in Los Angeles.
Date: Friday, May 7, 1954
Paper: Boston Herald (Boston, MA)
Page: 59
Martha Davis, the Blue Angel pianist, says that if she diets she can't play well. Her husband and partner, Calvin Ponder, said: "She can only play a piano if she outweighs it."
Jive-Jots of the Week
Date: Friday, July 18, 1958
Paper: Plaindealer (Kansas City, KS)
Volume: 59
Issue: 32
Page: 6
Martha Davis and Spouse have appeared extensively on TV--including the Perry Como, Steve Allen, and Garry Moore shows--and have played the top nightclubs across the country. Last year, while playing the Blue Angel in New York, they broke all existing records, and were held over for some 30 weeks! Miss Davis and Spouse are also recording artists for the ABC-Paramount label. They are but one of the top musical attractions who opened the 11th of July.
Date: Thursday, April 30, 1959
Paper: Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH)
Page: 15
Advertisement - Theatrical Grill, 715 Vincent, Cleveland, Ohio
Opening Tonight...for a limited engagement - First Time in Cleveland
Martha Davis and Spouse - Direct from the Blue Angel in New York. A smash hit on all the top television shows!
Date: Sunday, May 3, 1959
Paper: Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH)
Page: 186
Martha Davis "& Spouse", the piano-bassist team, are making lively music for the Theatrical Grill after long engagements as the Las Vegas New Frontier Hotel and New York's Blue Angel
Name: Martha D Ponder
Event Type: Death
death Date: 06 Apr 1960
Event Place: Mount Vernon, Westchester, New York
Gender: Female
Age: 42
Birth Year (Estimated): 1918
Death Year: 1960
File Number: 31054
**
her father's obit
Date: May 30, 1952
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita,KS)
Volume: 45
Issue: 7
Page: 1
Morgan Robertson obituary
Mr. Morgan Robertson, age 65, of 1061 Ohio, died in a local hospital Wednesday morning. A residence of Wichita, 44 years and a member of New Hope Baptist Church. He had been in poor health the past few years; but his passing came as a shock to his friends who had talked with him recently and had not thought the end was as near. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Pearl Robertson of the home; one daughter, Mrs. Marthesta Ponder of Los Angeles, California and two grandchildren. Funeral services Saturday at Jackson Mortuary Chapel -- 2:30 pm
Buried in Los Angeles, California
African-American singer and pianist, musical comedy act, "Martha Davis & Spouse", was popular in the late 1940's and 1950's. Born and raised, Marthesta Faye Robertson in Wichita, Kansas. She used her real married name of Martha Davis as her stage name. She was 1st married in Chicago 4 Jan 1937 to Paul Wilson Davis, divorced, and married 2nd, Calvin Ponder, a bass player, in Los Angeles, California 14 Sept 1948. She was influenced by Fats Waller, whose best-known compositions were "Ain't Misbehavin" and "Honeysuckle Rose," and performed regularly as a singer and pianist in Chicago Clubs. She moved to California and her recording career was on Jewel Records in Hollywood. The pop hit "Little White Lies" reached no. 11 on the R&B charts, followed by a duet with Louis Jordan, "Daddy-O" from the movie "A Song is Born," which reached the R&B top ten. She was already well known prior to her marriage to Calvin Ponder and after their marriage in 1948 they teamed up as a couple and they played at the Blue Angel in New York and broke all records playing for over 30 weeks. They also appeared in movies together including "Smart Politics" in the mid 1950's, "Rhythm & Blues Revue, Rock n Roll Revue, and Basin Street Revue." They appeared on the TV shows of Garry Moore and Perry Como in 1956 and Steve Allen in 1957. She died of cancer 6 April 1960 in Mount Vernon, New York. Some claim she was a high school classmate of Nat King Cole, but she was not. Other erroneous information on the web states she was raised in Chicago and married Calvin Ponder in 1939, which is incorrect.
**
1930 Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas
Head Morgan Robertson M 43 Alabama
Wife Pearle Robertson F 45 Kansas
Daughter Marthesta Robertson F 12 Kansas
Name: Paul Wilson Davis
Marriage Date: 4 Jan 1937
Spouse: Marthesta Faye Robertson
Marriage Location: Cook County, IL
Marriage license: {AB7A5787-C572-49B4-B95B-BDC7DFA272C2}
File Number: 1520087
Archive Collection Name: Cook County Genealogy Records (Marriages)
Archive repository location: Chicago, IL
Archive repository name: Cook County Clerk
1940 Chicago, Cook Co Illinois
Harold Golden negro 46 Louisiana
Iretta wife 41 LA
Paul Davis lodger negro 24 Washington clerk attorneys office
Martha lodger negro 22 Kansas
Date: Friday, January 18, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 38
Issue: 37
Page: 1
Marthesta Robertson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson who is now known to the music world as Matha Davis, has been filling an engagement in Hollywood since Sept 16, 1945. Mrs. Davis who has been living in Chicago since leaving Wichita in 1936, is the mother of one son, Paul Wilson Davis, Jr., 3 1/2 years old. She has played return engagements in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit and Chicago. The Playgoer, the magazine in the Theatre Florentine Gardena, Hollywood writes: "Martha Davis blends charm, personality and showmanship in her piano pleasantries, that gives her style the maximum of appeal. She adds some husky vocal harmonies to her jive ditties but her piano magic and ingratiating personality are outstanding and go far in putting her entertainment on the plus side.
**
Filming in Hollywood for some Time is Marthesta Robertson, Known as "Martha Davis," Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson
Date: Friday, July 5, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 39
Issue: 9
Page: 1
Filming in Hollywood for some time is Mathesta Robertson, known as "Martha Davis," daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson of 1006 Ohio, visiting her parents during her vacation period. She is accompanied by her junior son who is to get acquainted with his grandparents. As a child Marthesta was a music genius from a very early beginning. Marthesta has mounted some of the highest heights in the music world. Her friends here are delighted and are congratulating her for success attained.
Date: Friday, July 5, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 39
Issue: 9
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson, of 1061 Ohio, are delighted to have their daughter, Mathesta, and little grandson from the west coast, here for a visit. Going from California to Michigan by plane, there she picked up her Cadillac and motored to Wichita for her vacation.
Name: Calvin Ponder divorced 2nd marriage
Event Type: Marriage
marriage Date: 14 Sep 1948
Event Place: Los Angeles, California, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 30
Father's Name: Allen Ponder
Mother's Name: Nigg Bush
Spouse's Name: Marthesta Faye Davis divorced 2nd marriage
Spouse's Age: 30
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Father's Name: Morgan Robertson
Spouse's Mother's Name: Pearle Groomer
Page: 62
GS Film number: 2116804
Digital Folder Number: 005698874
Image Number: 01095
California births
Calvina Evelyn Ponder 13 Jul 1949 Female mother's maiden name Robertson Los Angeles County
Mrs. Marthesta Ponder
Date: August 19, 1949
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 42
Issue: 17
Page: 1
Mrs Marthesta Robertson, known in the music world as "Mathesta Davis."
Mr and Mrs Calvin Ponder are the proud parents of a daughter, born July 13, 1949, to whom they have given the name Calvina Evelyn. They have recently purchased a lovely home in Los Angeles, California, and are expecting Master Paul Wilson Davis to arrive soon from Chicago, Illinois, where he has been living with an aunt, Mrs. Evelyn Sweatt. Mrs Ponder is the daughter of Mr and Mrs Morgan Robertson of 1061 Ohio Avenue.
Date: Friday, September 16, 1949
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 42
Issue: 21
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson of 1061 Ohio, left for the west coast in time to see some of the National Baptist convention in Los Angeles, while visiting their daughter, Marthesta and family and especially their new grand baby.
Passing Through
Date: March 30, 1951
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 43
Issue: 48
Page: 4
Martha Davis (Marthesta Robertson) to all Wichitans, her husband Calvin Ponder and daughter, Calvina arrived at 1061 Ohio Avenue, to spend a few hours with her mother. They were enroute to New York City, where they open a return engagement at the Blue Angel on March 26th. They left their home in Los Angeles, Tuesday morning at 4:00, and arrived in Wichita at 6:30 p.m. and that was Cadillac time. They were accompanied by Mrs India Miller, former Wichita resident, who visited relatives and friends while here.
Date: Friday, June 22, 1951
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 44
Issue: 8
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Calvan Ponder and baby returning from a nine week show engagement in New York City, at the Blue Angel theater, (who on stage is known as Martha Davis), stopped over seeing her mother, Mrs. Pearl Robertson. They were enroute to their home in Los Angeles.
Date: Friday, May 7, 1954
Paper: Boston Herald (Boston, MA)
Page: 59
Martha Davis, the Blue Angel pianist, says that if she diets she can't play well. Her husband and partner, Calvin Ponder, said: "She can only play a piano if she outweighs it."
Jive-Jots of the Week
Date: Friday, July 18, 1958
Paper: Plaindealer (Kansas City, KS)
Volume: 59
Issue: 32
Page: 6
Martha Davis and Spouse have appeared extensively on TV--including the Perry Como, Steve Allen, and Garry Moore shows--and have played the top nightclubs across the country. Last year, while playing the Blue Angel in New York, they broke all existing records, and were held over for some 30 weeks! Miss Davis and Spouse are also recording artists for the ABC-Paramount label. They are but one of the top musical attractions who opened the 11th of July.
Date: Thursday, April 30, 1959
Paper: Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH)
Page: 15
Advertisement - Theatrical Grill, 715 Vincent, Cleveland, Ohio
Opening Tonight...for a limited engagement - First Time in Cleveland
Martha Davis and Spouse - Direct from the Blue Angel in New York. A smash hit on all the top television shows!
Date: Sunday, May 3, 1959
Paper: Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH)
Page: 186
Martha Davis "& Spouse", the piano-bassist team, are making lively music for the Theatrical Grill after long engagements as the Las Vegas New Frontier Hotel and New York's Blue Angel
Name: Martha D Ponder
Event Type: Death
death Date: 06 Apr 1960
Event Place: Mount Vernon, Westchester, New York
Gender: Female
Age: 42
Birth Year (Estimated): 1918
Death Year: 1960
File Number: 31054
**
her father's obit
Date: May 30, 1952
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita,KS)
Volume: 45
Issue: 7
Page: 1
Morgan Robertson obituary
Mr. Morgan Robertson, age 65, of 1061 Ohio, died in a local hospital Wednesday morning. A residence of Wichita, 44 years and a member of New Hope Baptist Church. He had been in poor health the past few years; but his passing came as a shock to his friends who had talked with him recently and had not thought the end was as near. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Pearl Robertson of the home; one daughter, Mrs. Marthesta Ponder of Los Angeles, California and two grandchildren. Funeral services Saturday at Jackson Mortuary Chapel -- 2:30 pm
Featured in the book "The African-American Connection: How Humboldt, Kansas Conquered the Prairie" 2014. Book can be ordered. Contact memorial owner.
Buried in Los Angeles, California
African-American singer and pianist, musical comedy act, "Martha Davis & Spouse", was popular in the late 1940's and 1950's. Born and raised, Marthesta Faye Robertson in Wichita, Kansas. She used her real married name of Martha Davis as her stage name. She was 1st married in Chicago 4 Jan 1937 to Paul Wilson Davis, divorced, and married 2nd, Calvin Ponder, a bass player, in Los Angeles, California 14 Sept 1948. She was influenced by Fats Waller, whose best-known compositions were "Ain't Misbehavin" and "Honeysuckle Rose," and performed regularly as a singer and pianist in Chicago Clubs. She moved to California and her recording career was on Jewel Records in Hollywood. The pop hit "Little White Lies" reached no. 11 on the R&B charts, followed by a duet with Louis Jordan, "Daddy-O" from the movie "A Song is Born," which reached the R&B top ten. She was already well known prior to her marriage to Calvin Ponder and after their marriage in 1948 they teamed up as a couple and they played at the Blue Angel in New York and broke all records playing for over 30 weeks. They also appeared in movies together including "Smart Politics" in the mid 1950's, "Rhythm & Blues Revue, Rock n Roll Revue, and Basin Street Revue." They appeared on the TV shows of Garry Moore and Perry Como in 1956 and Steve Allen in 1957. She died of cancer 6 April 1960 in Mount Vernon, New York. Some claim she was a high school classmate of Nat King Cole, but she was not. Other erroneous information on the web states she was raised in Chicago and married Calvin Ponder in 1939, which is incorrect.
**
1930 Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas
Head Morgan Robertson M 43 Alabama
Wife Pearle Robertson F 45 Kansas
Daughter Marthesta Robertson F 12 Kansas
Name: Paul Wilson Davis
Marriage Date: 4 Jan 1937
Spouse: Marthesta Faye Robertson
Marriage Location: Cook County, IL
Marriage license: {AB7A5787-C572-49B4-B95B-BDC7DFA272C2}
File Number: 1520087
Archive Collection Name: Cook County Genealogy Records (Marriages)
Archive repository location: Chicago, IL
Archive repository name: Cook County Clerk
1940 Chicago, Cook Co Illinois
Harold Golden negro 46 Louisiana
Iretta wife 41 LA
Paul Davis lodger negro 24 Washington clerk attorneys office
Martha lodger negro 22 Kansas
Date: Friday, January 18, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 38
Issue: 37
Page: 1
Marthesta Robertson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson who is now known to the music world as Matha Davis, has been filling an engagement in Hollywood since Sept 16, 1945. Mrs. Davis who has been living in Chicago since leaving Wichita in 1936, is the mother of one son, Paul Wilson Davis, Jr., 3 1/2 years old. She has played return engagements in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit and Chicago. The Playgoer, the magazine in the Theatre Florentine Gardena, Hollywood writes: "Martha Davis blends charm, personality and showmanship in her piano pleasantries, that gives her style the maximum of appeal. She adds some husky vocal harmonies to her jive ditties but her piano magic and ingratiating personality are outstanding and go far in putting her entertainment on the plus side.
**
Filming in Hollywood for some Time is Marthesta Robertson, Known as "Martha Davis," Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson
Date: Friday, July 5, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 39
Issue: 9
Page: 1
Filming in Hollywood for some time is Mathesta Robertson, known as "Martha Davis," daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson of 1006 Ohio, visiting her parents during her vacation period. She is accompanied by her junior son who is to get acquainted with his grandparents. As a child Marthesta was a music genius from a very early beginning. Marthesta has mounted some of the highest heights in the music world. Her friends here are delighted and are congratulating her for success attained.
Date: Friday, July 5, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 39
Issue: 9
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson, of 1061 Ohio, are delighted to have their daughter, Mathesta, and little grandson from the west coast, here for a visit. Going from California to Michigan by plane, there she picked up her Cadillac and motored to Wichita for her vacation.
Name: Calvin Ponder divorced 2nd marriage
Event Type: Marriage
marriage Date: 14 Sep 1948
Event Place: Los Angeles, California, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 30
Father's Name: Allen Ponder
Mother's Name: Nigg Bush
Spouse's Name: Marthesta Faye Davis divorced 2nd marriage
Spouse's Age: 30
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Father's Name: Morgan Robertson
Spouse's Mother's Name: Pearle Groomer
Page: 62
GS Film number: 2116804
Digital Folder Number: 005698874
Image Number: 01095
California births
Calvina Evelyn Ponder 13 Jul 1949 Female mother's maiden name Robertson Los Angeles County
Mrs. Marthesta Ponder
Date: August 19, 1949
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 42
Issue: 17
Page: 1
Mrs Marthesta Robertson, known in the music world as "Mathesta Davis."
Mr and Mrs Calvin Ponder are the proud parents of a daughter, born July 13, 1949, to whom they have given the name Calvina Evelyn. They have recently purchased a lovely home in Los Angeles, California, and are expecting Master Paul Wilson Davis to arrive soon from Chicago, Illinois, where he has been living with an aunt, Mrs. Evelyn Sweatt. Mrs Ponder is the daughter of Mr and Mrs Morgan Robertson of 1061 Ohio Avenue.
Date: Friday, September 16, 1949
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 42
Issue: 21
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson of 1061 Ohio, left for the west coast in time to see some of the National Baptist convention in Los Angeles, while visiting their daughter, Marthesta and family and especially their new grand baby.
Passing Through
Date: March 30, 1951
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 43
Issue: 48
Page: 4
Martha Davis (Marthesta Robertson) to all Wichitans, her husband Calvin Ponder and daughter, Calvina arrived at 1061 Ohio Avenue, to spend a few hours with her mother. They were enroute to New York City, where they open a return engagement at the Blue Angel on March 26th. They left their home in Los Angeles, Tuesday morning at 4:00, and arrived in Wichita at 6:30 p.m. and that was Cadillac time. They were accompanied by Mrs India Miller, former Wichita resident, who visited relatives and friends while here.
Date: Friday, June 22, 1951
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 44
Issue: 8
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Calvan Ponder and baby returning from a nine week show engagement in New York City, at the Blue Angel theater, (who on stage is known as Martha Davis), stopped over seeing her mother, Mrs. Pearl Robertson. They were enroute to their home in Los Angeles.
Date: Friday, May 7, 1954
Paper: Boston Herald (Boston, MA)
Page: 59
Martha Davis, the Blue Angel pianist, says that if she diets she can't play well. Her husband and partner, Calvin Ponder, said: "She can only play a piano if she outweighs it."
Jive-Jots of the Week
Date: Friday, July 18, 1958
Paper: Plaindealer (Kansas City, KS)
Volume: 59
Issue: 32
Page: 6
Martha Davis and Spouse have appeared extensively on TV--including the Perry Como, Steve Allen, and Garry Moore shows--and have played the top nightclubs across the country. Last year, while playing the Blue Angel in New York, they broke all existing records, and were held over for some 30 weeks! Miss Davis and Spouse are also recording artists for the ABC-Paramount label. They are but one of the top musical attractions who opened the 11th of July.
Date: Thursday, April 30, 1959
Paper: Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH)
Page: 15
Advertisement - Theatrical Grill, 715 Vincent, Cleveland, Ohio
Opening Tonight...for a limited engagement - First Time in Cleveland
Martha Davis and Spouse - Direct from the Blue Angel in New York. A smash hit on all the top television shows!
Date: Sunday, May 3, 1959
Paper: Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH)
Page: 186
Martha Davis "& Spouse", the piano-bassist team, are making lively music for the Theatrical Grill after long engagements as the Las Vegas New Frontier Hotel and New York's Blue Angel
Name: Martha D Ponder
Event Type: Death
death Date: 06 Apr 1960
Event Place: Mount Vernon, Westchester, New York
Gender: Female
Age: 42
Birth Year (Estimated): 1918
Death Year: 1960
File Number: 31054
**
her father's obit
Date: May 30, 1952
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita,KS)
Volume: 45
Issue: 7
Page: 1
Morgan Robertson obituary
Mr. Morgan Robertson, age 65, of 1061 Ohio, died in a local hospital Wednesday morning. A residence of Wichita, 44 years and a member of New Hope Baptist Church. He had been in poor health the past few years; but his passing came as a shock to his friends who had talked with him recently and had not thought the end was as near. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Pearl Robertson of the home; one daughter, Mrs. Marthesta Ponder of Los Angeles, California and two grandchildren. Funeral services Saturday at Jackson Mortuary Chapel -- 2:30 pm
Buried in Los Angeles, California
African-American singer and pianist, musical comedy act, "Martha Davis & Spouse", was popular in the late 1940's and 1950's. Born and raised, Marthesta Faye Robertson in Wichita, Kansas. She used her real married name of Martha Davis as her stage name. She was 1st married in Chicago 4 Jan 1937 to Paul Wilson Davis, divorced, and married 2nd, Calvin Ponder, a bass player, in Los Angeles, California 14 Sept 1948. She was influenced by Fats Waller, whose best-known compositions were "Ain't Misbehavin" and "Honeysuckle Rose," and performed regularly as a singer and pianist in Chicago Clubs. She moved to California and her recording career was on Jewel Records in Hollywood. The pop hit "Little White Lies" reached no. 11 on the R&B charts, followed by a duet with Louis Jordan, "Daddy-O" from the movie "A Song is Born," which reached the R&B top ten. She was already well known prior to her marriage to Calvin Ponder and after their marriage in 1948 they teamed up as a couple and they played at the Blue Angel in New York and broke all records playing for over 30 weeks. They also appeared in movies together including "Smart Politics" in the mid 1950's, "Rhythm & Blues Revue, Rock n Roll Revue, and Basin Street Revue." They appeared on the TV shows of Garry Moore and Perry Como in 1956 and Steve Allen in 1957. She died of cancer 6 April 1960 in Mount Vernon, New York. Some claim she was a high school classmate of Nat King Cole, but she was not. Other erroneous information on the web states she was raised in Chicago and married Calvin Ponder in 1939, which is incorrect.
**
1930 Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas
Head Morgan Robertson M 43 Alabama
Wife Pearle Robertson F 45 Kansas
Daughter Marthesta Robertson F 12 Kansas
Name: Paul Wilson Davis
Marriage Date: 4 Jan 1937
Spouse: Marthesta Faye Robertson
Marriage Location: Cook County, IL
Marriage license: {AB7A5787-C572-49B4-B95B-BDC7DFA272C2}
File Number: 1520087
Archive Collection Name: Cook County Genealogy Records (Marriages)
Archive repository location: Chicago, IL
Archive repository name: Cook County Clerk
1940 Chicago, Cook Co Illinois
Harold Golden negro 46 Louisiana
Iretta wife 41 LA
Paul Davis lodger negro 24 Washington clerk attorneys office
Martha lodger negro 22 Kansas
Date: Friday, January 18, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 38
Issue: 37
Page: 1
Marthesta Robertson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson who is now known to the music world as Matha Davis, has been filling an engagement in Hollywood since Sept 16, 1945. Mrs. Davis who has been living in Chicago since leaving Wichita in 1936, is the mother of one son, Paul Wilson Davis, Jr., 3 1/2 years old. She has played return engagements in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit and Chicago. The Playgoer, the magazine in the Theatre Florentine Gardena, Hollywood writes: "Martha Davis blends charm, personality and showmanship in her piano pleasantries, that gives her style the maximum of appeal. She adds some husky vocal harmonies to her jive ditties but her piano magic and ingratiating personality are outstanding and go far in putting her entertainment on the plus side.
**
Filming in Hollywood for some Time is Marthesta Robertson, Known as "Martha Davis," Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson
Date: Friday, July 5, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 39
Issue: 9
Page: 1
Filming in Hollywood for some time is Mathesta Robertson, known as "Martha Davis," daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson of 1006 Ohio, visiting her parents during her vacation period. She is accompanied by her junior son who is to get acquainted with his grandparents. As a child Marthesta was a music genius from a very early beginning. Marthesta has mounted some of the highest heights in the music world. Her friends here are delighted and are congratulating her for success attained.
Date: Friday, July 5, 1946
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 39
Issue: 9
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson, of 1061 Ohio, are delighted to have their daughter, Mathesta, and little grandson from the west coast, here for a visit. Going from California to Michigan by plane, there she picked up her Cadillac and motored to Wichita for her vacation.
Name: Calvin Ponder divorced 2nd marriage
Event Type: Marriage
marriage Date: 14 Sep 1948
Event Place: Los Angeles, California, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 30
Father's Name: Allen Ponder
Mother's Name: Nigg Bush
Spouse's Name: Marthesta Faye Davis divorced 2nd marriage
Spouse's Age: 30
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Father's Name: Morgan Robertson
Spouse's Mother's Name: Pearle Groomer
Page: 62
GS Film number: 2116804
Digital Folder Number: 005698874
Image Number: 01095
California births
Calvina Evelyn Ponder 13 Jul 1949 Female mother's maiden name Robertson Los Angeles County
Mrs. Marthesta Ponder
Date: August 19, 1949
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 42
Issue: 17
Page: 1
Mrs Marthesta Robertson, known in the music world as "Mathesta Davis."
Mr and Mrs Calvin Ponder are the proud parents of a daughter, born July 13, 1949, to whom they have given the name Calvina Evelyn. They have recently purchased a lovely home in Los Angeles, California, and are expecting Master Paul Wilson Davis to arrive soon from Chicago, Illinois, where he has been living with an aunt, Mrs. Evelyn Sweatt. Mrs Ponder is the daughter of Mr and Mrs Morgan Robertson of 1061 Ohio Avenue.
Date: Friday, September 16, 1949
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 42
Issue: 21
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Robertson of 1061 Ohio, left for the west coast in time to see some of the National Baptist convention in Los Angeles, while visiting their daughter, Marthesta and family and especially their new grand baby.
Passing Through
Date: March 30, 1951
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 43
Issue: 48
Page: 4
Martha Davis (Marthesta Robertson) to all Wichitans, her husband Calvin Ponder and daughter, Calvina arrived at 1061 Ohio Avenue, to spend a few hours with her mother. They were enroute to New York City, where they open a return engagement at the Blue Angel on March 26th. They left their home in Los Angeles, Tuesday morning at 4:00, and arrived in Wichita at 6:30 p.m. and that was Cadillac time. They were accompanied by Mrs India Miller, former Wichita resident, who visited relatives and friends while here.
Date: Friday, June 22, 1951
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita, KS)
Volume: 44
Issue: 8
Page: 4
Mr. and Mrs. Calvan Ponder and baby returning from a nine week show engagement in New York City, at the Blue Angel theater, (who on stage is known as Martha Davis), stopped over seeing her mother, Mrs. Pearl Robertson. They were enroute to their home in Los Angeles.
Date: Friday, May 7, 1954
Paper: Boston Herald (Boston, MA)
Page: 59
Martha Davis, the Blue Angel pianist, says that if she diets she can't play well. Her husband and partner, Calvin Ponder, said: "She can only play a piano if she outweighs it."
Jive-Jots of the Week
Date: Friday, July 18, 1958
Paper: Plaindealer (Kansas City, KS)
Volume: 59
Issue: 32
Page: 6
Martha Davis and Spouse have appeared extensively on TV--including the Perry Como, Steve Allen, and Garry Moore shows--and have played the top nightclubs across the country. Last year, while playing the Blue Angel in New York, they broke all existing records, and were held over for some 30 weeks! Miss Davis and Spouse are also recording artists for the ABC-Paramount label. They are but one of the top musical attractions who opened the 11th of July.
Date: Thursday, April 30, 1959
Paper: Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH)
Page: 15
Advertisement - Theatrical Grill, 715 Vincent, Cleveland, Ohio
Opening Tonight...for a limited engagement - First Time in Cleveland
Martha Davis and Spouse - Direct from the Blue Angel in New York. A smash hit on all the top television shows!
Date: Sunday, May 3, 1959
Paper: Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH)
Page: 186
Martha Davis "& Spouse", the piano-bassist team, are making lively music for the Theatrical Grill after long engagements as the Las Vegas New Frontier Hotel and New York's Blue Angel
Name: Martha D Ponder
Event Type: Death
death Date: 06 Apr 1960
Event Place: Mount Vernon, Westchester, New York
Gender: Female
Age: 42
Birth Year (Estimated): 1918
Death Year: 1960
File Number: 31054
**
her father's obit
Date: May 30, 1952
Paper: Negro Star (Wichita,KS)
Volume: 45
Issue: 7
Page: 1
Morgan Robertson obituary
Mr. Morgan Robertson, age 65, of 1061 Ohio, died in a local hospital Wednesday morning. A residence of Wichita, 44 years and a member of New Hope Baptist Church. He had been in poor health the past few years; but his passing came as a shock to his friends who had talked with him recently and had not thought the end was as near. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Pearl Robertson of the home; one daughter, Mrs. Marthesta Ponder of Los Angeles, California and two grandchildren. Funeral services Saturday at Jackson Mortuary Chapel -- 2:30 pm
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