Herbert Collie was born in Brawley, California. According to his Death Certificate, his father was Frank Collie, born in Camarillo, Texas. From researching the family, I've found his father's formal name was Gilbert Francis Collie, but he seemed to use "Frank" as his given name as an adult. Herbert's mother was Ruby May Keene. I first surmised she was Herbert's mother in 2014 as she was the informant on his Death Certificate. I finally found Ruby on March 19, 2024 after tracing her thru two more marriages.
From his Death Certificate, it appears the family moved to Los Angeles when Herbert was approximately one year of age. The 1920 US Census is the only one I found him in when I originally researched his life in 2014. In it, he is age 7 and living with a Collie brother, age 9. His mother, Ruby, has remarried to Gilbert Jara and they appear 4 pages earlier in the 1920 Census with a daughter using the Jara surname (they all have the same street address). Finding his mother in the 1920 Census occurred in March 2024, 10 years after I had originally found Herbert and his brother in their home by themselves, i.e. without adults!
Herbert's Later Life and Death
I have not found Herbert in the 1930 Census. However, I did find his 1934 marriage record. On 23 April 1934, Herbert married Martha Elizabeth Edwards, in Yuma, Arizona (record found Mar 2024). They had a daughter, Doris, in early 1935.
Tragically, in 1936 Herbert was severely burned while working on his car at home. Related to me by my mother, Herbert's Death Certificate validates he died of severe burns over most of his body due to "spilled gasoline on his clothing". Herbert died in the Los Angeles County General Hospital the day following the accident.
Finding Herbert at Paradise Memorial Park
Herbert was buried by his family in Paradise Memorial Park. This cemetery was closed by the State of California in 1995 for a time after it was discovered many plots had been sold "multiple times" and bodies moved. A class action was brought against the owners whom it appears were convicted of various felonies and incarcerated. The cemetery has since been re-opened and I obtained Herbert's burial location by a phone call to the cemetery's office.
I visited the cemetery in late January 2014. The records manager placed a flag to assist me in locating Herbert's grave. I l found the flag and was not too surprised to find no marker. The caretaker showed me the cemetery's plot plan and it appeared the location he had marked with the small flag matched the plan. It is in the large main section, a bit more than halfway back from the main entrance and toward the west side, perhaps 3 rows in from the road.
Herbert was an uncle I never knew as he was married to my paternal aunt and died before I was born.
29 Jan - March 2014: Draft
11 Mar 2024: Corrected marriage date and place per record found online
22 March 2024: Updated re 1920 Census and finding Ruby Keene, Herbert's mother
Vicki Edwards
Los Angeles
Niece of Herbert W Collie
Herbert Collie was born in Brawley, California. According to his Death Certificate, his father was Frank Collie, born in Camarillo, Texas. From researching the family, I've found his father's formal name was Gilbert Francis Collie, but he seemed to use "Frank" as his given name as an adult. Herbert's mother was Ruby May Keene. I first surmised she was Herbert's mother in 2014 as she was the informant on his Death Certificate. I finally found Ruby on March 19, 2024 after tracing her thru two more marriages.
From his Death Certificate, it appears the family moved to Los Angeles when Herbert was approximately one year of age. The 1920 US Census is the only one I found him in when I originally researched his life in 2014. In it, he is age 7 and living with a Collie brother, age 9. His mother, Ruby, has remarried to Gilbert Jara and they appear 4 pages earlier in the 1920 Census with a daughter using the Jara surname (they all have the same street address). Finding his mother in the 1920 Census occurred in March 2024, 10 years after I had originally found Herbert and his brother in their home by themselves, i.e. without adults!
Herbert's Later Life and Death
I have not found Herbert in the 1930 Census. However, I did find his 1934 marriage record. On 23 April 1934, Herbert married Martha Elizabeth Edwards, in Yuma, Arizona (record found Mar 2024). They had a daughter, Doris, in early 1935.
Tragically, in 1936 Herbert was severely burned while working on his car at home. Related to me by my mother, Herbert's Death Certificate validates he died of severe burns over most of his body due to "spilled gasoline on his clothing". Herbert died in the Los Angeles County General Hospital the day following the accident.
Finding Herbert at Paradise Memorial Park
Herbert was buried by his family in Paradise Memorial Park. This cemetery was closed by the State of California in 1995 for a time after it was discovered many plots had been sold "multiple times" and bodies moved. A class action was brought against the owners whom it appears were convicted of various felonies and incarcerated. The cemetery has since been re-opened and I obtained Herbert's burial location by a phone call to the cemetery's office.
I visited the cemetery in late January 2014. The records manager placed a flag to assist me in locating Herbert's grave. I l found the flag and was not too surprised to find no marker. The caretaker showed me the cemetery's plot plan and it appeared the location he had marked with the small flag matched the plan. It is in the large main section, a bit more than halfway back from the main entrance and toward the west side, perhaps 3 rows in from the road.
Herbert was an uncle I never knew as he was married to my paternal aunt and died before I was born.
29 Jan - March 2014: Draft
11 Mar 2024: Corrected marriage date and place per record found online
22 March 2024: Updated re 1920 Census and finding Ruby Keene, Herbert's mother
Vicki Edwards
Los Angeles
Niece of Herbert W Collie
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