Briefly, Dr. Gurst (also seen as Gurst, Gerst, or Girst, Gust or even Guss), arrived in America at the age of 27 aboard the ship "Humphrey, leaving Bremen, Germany and arriving in Baltimore, According to his obituary, he maintained a medical practice in Charleston, SC for several years before arriving in Stanly County, NC. He applied for citizenship in Stanly County in 1845, having married a Stanly County girl named Anna Burleson around 1843. He had set up practice in Southern Davidson County by 1850, but soon returned to Stanly County, where he practiced in the medical field and also farmed, buying and selling land, until at least 1879, when was noted on a deed as being in Cabarrus County, where he appears near Mount Pleasant in 1880. His final land transaction was in 1882. His misery was so, that tragically, at the age of 69, he chose to end his own life. He had "seen enough of the world and was tired of it".
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| Beautiful Bavaria |
He and Anna Burleson had several children: William, Mary Bell, Jennette, Laura and Frances.
He married another Stanly County girl, Lucy Coley Holt, the Civil War widow of Solomon Holt. They appear to have had at least one son, Manuel A. Gurst and possibly also a daughter. This last marriage obviously did not work out as Lucy is seen living apart from Dr. Gurst and next to her father while Dr. Gurst was still alive, having moved to Mt. Pleasant. There was probably a divorce, and I hope to find it in the court records and will later notate it in these posts if I do, as Lucy went back to her former married name of 'Holt'.When she had married Dr. Gurst, his two young daughters, Jenette and Francis had been pushed out to go live with neighbors. The older two children disappear and Laura may not have survived infancy. More research has shown that the oldest son, William, may have lived long enough to serve in the Civil War, and again, was a victim of the misspelling of his last name as "Guist".
The Wilmington Morning Star
(Wilmington, North Carolina)23 Apr 1882, Sun • Page 4
The only two children of Dr. C. M. Gurst I could find to survive childhood and produce descendants were Frances and Jenette.
- Jas A R White
- Frances Gust
Frances was born around 1862. She was married in 1880 to James Alexander Robinson White in Cabarrus County. She lived until at least 1901, when her older daughter Ella was married. She had passed away before her younger daughter, Margaret was married in 1924. She and James supposedly had 5 children: Ella, Margaret, Dora, Belle and Buren. I can not find this family in 1900 or 1910. I can not find any trace of Belle or Dora.
Ella Josephine White married James Glenn and settled in Monroe.
Margaret Elizabeth White, 12 years younger than her sister, went to nursing school and developed a very sucessful nursing career in Charlotte, NC. WWI saw her procured into the service of her country. After the war, she would return to the nursing field in Charlotte. There she would meet a young doctor from a very well respected South Carolina family. This is where I had left off on Part I.
 |
| Lucius Gaston Gage Sr. |
Dr. Lucius Gaston Gage was born and raised in Chester County, South Carolina. He had been called into the service of his country in the late teens and returned to Charleston afterward. His parents were Judge George William Gage and Janie Hemphill Gaston Gage. His father served on the Superior Court of South Carolina. Lucius was dashing, priveledged and handsome. When he arrived in the growing metropolis of Charlotte, NC in the early 1920's, he probably turned more than a few heads of young flappers and being a college boy from South Carolina, there is no doubt he could do the Charleston.
Marageret White must have been a pretty girl to gain his attention. She had a sucessful career of her own as a nurse, but was, by this time, an orphan.
The Charlotte News
(Charlotte, North Carolina)29 Nov 1920, Mon • Page 15
After the War, Lucius had became associated with the Nalle Clinic in Charlotte. This is in no doubt what brought him in contact with Margaret.
| Name: | Lucius G Gage |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Race: | White |
| Age: | 33 |
| Birth Year: | abt 1891 |
| Marriage Date: | 16 Aug 1924 |
| Marriage Place: | Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USA |
| Father: | G W Gage |
| Mother: | Janie G Gage |
| Spouse: | Margaret E White |
| Spouse Gender: | Female |
| Spouse Race: | White |
| Spouse Age: | 29 |
| Spouse Father: | James A R White |
| Spouse Mother: | Frances H White |
| Event Type: | Marriage |
Lucius and Margaret were married on Augurst 16th, 1924. There is no known way to find out if Judge and Mrw. Gage approved of the wedding, but there was no great fanfare in the papers as there was for events covering the lives of the rest of their family, so I am imagining not. In this document, we learn that both James and Frances are now deceased.
 |
| Janie Hemphill Gaston Gage |
The young couple made their home in Charlotte and began their family immediately. Their first son, Lucius Gaston Gage Jr. was born the next year on June, 7 1925. For all of the happiness this must have brought, even the families of medical professionals were not immune from tragedy.
Their second son, born just a year after the first, came prematurely, in July of 1926.
| Name: | Lucius T Gage | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth Year: | abt 1891 | ||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||
| Race: | White | ||||||||
| Birthplace: | South Carolina | ||||||||
| Marital Status: | Married | ||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Head | ||||||||
| Home in 1930: | Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||
| Map of Home: | View Map | ||||||||
| Street address: | Lextingon Ave | ||||||||
| Ward of City: | 8 pt | ||||||||
| House Number: | 1122 | ||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 209 | ||||||||
| Family Number: | 231 | ||||||||
| Home Owned or Rented: | Owned | ||||||||
| Home Value: | 15, 000 | ||||||||
| Radio Set: | Yes | ||||||||
| Lives on Farm: | No | ||||||||
| Age at First Marriage: | 33 | ||||||||
| Attended School: | No | ||||||||
| Able to Read and Write: | Yes | ||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | South Carolina | ||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | South Carolina | ||||||||
| Able to Speak English: | Yes | ||||||||
| Occupation: | Specialist | ||||||||
| Industry: | Diay Steam | ||||||||
| Class of Worker: | Wage or salary worker | ||||||||
| Employment: | Yes | ||||||||
| Veteran: | Yes | ||||||||
| War: | W.W | ||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
The 1930 census found them living on Lexington Avenue, in Charlotte and son Lucius now 4 years old. Margaret was expecting.
 |
| Judge George William Gage |
Another son, Gaston Hemphill Gage, arrived in 1930, after the census.
| Name: | L G Gall | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respondent: | Yes | ||||||||||
| Age: | 48 | ||||||||||
| Estimated Birth Year: | abt 1892 | ||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||
| Race: | White | ||||||||||
| Birthplace: | South Carolina | ||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Married | ||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Head | ||||||||||
| Home in 1940: | Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Map of Home in 1940: | View Map | ||||||||||
| Street: | Lexington Avenue | ||||||||||
| House Number: | 1220 | ||||||||||
| Farm: | No | ||||||||||
| Inferred Residence in 1935: | Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Residence in 1935: | Same House | ||||||||||
| Sheet Number: | 6B | ||||||||||
| Number of Household in Order of Visitation: | 139 | ||||||||||
| Occupation: | Medical Doctor | ||||||||||
| Industry: | Private Practice | ||||||||||
| House Owned or Rented: | Owned | ||||||||||
| Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented: | 1000 | ||||||||||
| Attended School or College: | No | ||||||||||
| Highest Grade Completed: | College, 4th year | ||||||||||
| Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: | 62 | ||||||||||
| Class of Worker: | Employer | ||||||||||
| Weeks Worked in 1939: | 52 | ||||||||||
| Income: | 0 | ||||||||||
| Income Other Sources: | Yes | ||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
1940 found the family still on Lexington Avenue in Charlotte, the boys now 14 and 9. Lucius Jr. would follow in his father's footsteps and become a Physcian while Gaston would follow in his Grandfather's footsteps and become an attorney.
| Name: | L G Gall | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respondent: | Yes | ||||||||||
| Age: | 48 | ||||||||||
| Estimated Birth Year: | abt 1892 | ||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||
| Race: | White | ||||||||||
| Birthplace: | South Carolina | ||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Married | ||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Head | ||||||||||
| Home in 1940: | Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Map of Home in 1940: | View Map | ||||||||||
| Street: | Lexington Avenue | ||||||||||
| House Number: | 1220 | ||||||||||
| Farm: | No | ||||||||||
| Inferred Residence in 1935: | Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Residence in 1935: | Same House | ||||||||||
| Sheet Number: | 6B | ||||||||||
| Number of Household in Order of Visitation: | 139 | ||||||||||
| Occupation: | Medical Doctor | ||||||||||
| Industry: | Private Practice | ||||||||||
| House Owned or Rented: | Owned | ||||||||||
| Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented: | 1000 | ||||||||||
| Attended School or College: | No | ||||||||||
| Highest Grade Completed: | College, 4th year | ||||||||||
| Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: | 62 | ||||||||||
| Class of Worker: | Employer | ||||||||||
| Weeks Worked in 1939: | 52 | ||||||||||
| Income: | 0 | ||||||||||
| Income Other Sources: | Yes | ||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
 |
| The Gaston-Gage House in Cheraw, SC where Lucius grew up. |
Both known daughters of James A. R. White and Frances Gurst White married well and raised sucessful families. Why their parents graves can not be found, their ends not be known and two other siblings disappear in the eons of time. It's an extreme mystery why the marriage of Dr. Lucius Gage and Margaret White would not even be mentioned in the newspapers. Margaret's career was well chronicled in the papers before her marriage. The silence speaks volumes
| 1220 Lexington Ave. Charlotte. The L. G. Gage home. |
The Gages remained in Charlotte until the end of their days.
Margaret Elizabeth White Gage passed away on December 16, 1976. She was 84.
Dr. Lucius Gage passed away a few months later on April 2, 1977. He was 86.
They are buried together at Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte.
Buren Herman White
Buren Herman White was the only son of James Alexander Robingson White and wife, Julia Frances Gurst White. Like the rest of the family, I can not locate him in the 1900 and 1910 census records.
He was a baker and had a long military career. Indications point to him being raised in Mecklenburg County after being born in Cabarrus County, but chosing Monroe in Union County as his permanent residence, near his oldest sister Ella, who seems to have taken over a leadership role in the family after the loss of their parents.
One of the first records of Buren was his marriage in 1913 in Texas. As this was before his enlistment in the military, I wonder where he recieved his baker's training and what took him to Texas.
Vicksburg Evening Post
(Vicksburg, Mississippi)17 Dec 1913, Wed • Page 12
On December 13, 1913, Buren Herman White married Emmie Lucille Schottman. Emmie was the daugther of John B. Schlottman and Katherine K O' Connell Schlottman.
Four months after her marriage, 17 year old Emma returned to Vicksburg to see her family. She was already pregnant by this time. There is no indication of how the Mississppi teen met the Carolina boy, Buren White, or what they were doing in Texas.
Vicksburg Evening Post
(Vicksburg, Mississippi)15 Apr 1914, Wed • Page 2
Anne Elizabeth White was born
The marriage did not last long. Perhaps the visit to her parents caused the very young bride to become homesick and unhappy, and she decided to stay with her parents. I can't find record of a divorce, but one obviously took place. It's unlikey that the marriage was annuled, due to the fact that a child was born.
| Name: | Emma Schlottman |
|---|---|
| Residence Year: | 1914 |
| Residence Place: | Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA |
| Publication Title: | Vicksburg, Mississippi, City Directory, 1914 |
The 1914 City Directory of Vicksburg, Mississippi list "MISS" Emma Schlottman living with her parents "boarding", at 3314 Washington Street in Vicksburg. Vicksburg, Mississippi lies in Warren County along the Mississippi River. An historic town probably most known for an horrific Civil War battle and then later for riots due to racial unrest, by and large, it's main life's blood has been that of a port city on the great and muddy river.
 |
| Vicksburg in 1910, when Emma was growing up. |
Vicksburg Evening Post
(Vicksburg, Mississippi)23 Mar 1916, Thu • Page 1
 |
| This current older home at 3018 Washington St. in Vicksburg may be representative of the home in which the Schlottmans lived in the 19-teens. |
The next mention of Buren H. White finds him in Louisville, Kentucky, pursueing his chose trade as a Baker, and working for a Mr. Thompson.
| Name: | Buren H White-Continued |
|---|---|
| Residence Year: | 1917 |
| Street address: | 233 E Walnut |
| Residence Place: | Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
| Occupation: | Baker |
| Publication Title: | Louisville, Kentucky, City Directory, 1917 |
1917 finds Emma enjoying the life of a single woman and attending a Bridal Shower for her friend, Renie Longmeyer. Also at the shower and ice cream social was a young man named Felix Bell.
Vicksburg Evening Post
(Vicksburg, Mississippi)17 Oct 1917, Wed • Page 5
A little over a year later, "Mrs. Emma Schlottman White" becomes the bride of US Navy Sailor, Felix Bell. The below clipping is the only one I have seen after her marriage to Buren H. White referring to her by her married name of Emma White. Most of them, newspaper social listing and the City Directories, all referred to her as "Miss" Schlottman, until her marriage to Felix Bell.
Vicksburg Evening Post
(Vicksburg, Mississippi)28 Dec 1918, Sat • Page 8
Buren H. White is at this point swept up into the military, which in addition to his becoming a Baker, also becomes his career.
Despite his most current residence of Louisville, Kentucky, Cabarrus County, NC still claims him as a Native Son. He is listed in the book, "A History of Cabarrus County in the Wars", under WWI. It reads:
"White, Buren H., Sgt. Bkry, Co. 355, enlisted 3 August 17 and served 9 months overseas. He was discharge 27 June 19."
His WWI Draft Card lists his home address as Monroe, North Carolina, (his sister's address), his birthplace as Concord, NC, his age as 29, his profession as a Baker, his marital status as Single, his dependants to support as "Child". He was of medium height and medium weight, with brown eyes, sandy hair and balding and no other distinguishing charactoristics.
Over the next few years, the baker, Buren White, traveled quite a bit. He left from Hoboken, New Jersey in September of 1918 upon the Mercury and arrived in Brest, France. He departed France on June 9, 1919 and arrived back in Hoboken, NJ on June 19, 1919 upon the 'New Amsterdam". He had attained the rank of Sgt upon departure and remained with Bakery Company 355 Q. M. C.
Bakery companies baked bread for the troops in the field and in garrison. During the war, Bakery companies were established at one per Army Division. Buren was able to serve in country, not on the battlefield, but at the oven, in his chosen profession.
Buren H. White was actually counted twice in the 1920 census, two months apart, once in New Orleans and the other time in San Francisco. Both times counted with a group of seamen with his occupation as a cook.
| Name: | Baren H White |
|---|---|
| Age: | 31 |
| Birth Year: | abt 1889 |
| Birthplace: | North Carolina |
| Home in 1920: | New Orleans Ward 3, Orleans, Louisiana |
| Residence Date: | 1920 |
| Race: | White |
| Gender: | Male |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Father's Birthplace: | USA |
| Mother's Birthplace: | USA |
| Able to Speak English: | Yes |
| Occupation: | Cook |
| Industry: | Steam Ship |
| Employment Field: | Wage or Salary |
| Able to Read: | Yes |
| Able to Write: | Yes |
He had seen the world in the last few years before 1920, an experience he must have relished and desired to continue. He may have been tempted to enlist by a poster similar to the one below.
 |
| 1917 Recruitment Poster for Bakers |
In contrast, his ex-wife Emma had spent the latter years of the 19teens battling illness. She made the papers of her hometown of Vicksburg three times with the community distressed by her illness. It was first reported that she was staying at the home of her parents, with her mother, Katie, nursing her back to health. Then it was reported that she had taken a turn for the worse and her family was vexed. Lastly, hope shown as it appeared that she was pulling through.
Vicksburg Evening Post
(Vicksburg, Mississippi)03 Dec 1919, Wed • Page 1
Emma and her second husband, Felix Bell were not enumerated in the 1920 census. They could have been in Vicksburg, and missed, or he could have still been in the Navy and Emma had joined him elsewhere, but Anne White, daughter of Emma and Buren, was 5 years old and being raised by her maternal grandparents and younger aunts and uncles.
- John B Schlottman
- Katie Schlottman
- John B Schlottman Jr
- Elliott Schlottman
- Loretta Schlottman
- Catharine Schlottman
- Annie E White
Ann would not remain an only child, however, the next year, in January of 1921, Felix and Emma would welcome a daughter of their own, Ann's half-sister.
Vicksburg Evening Post
(Vicksburg, Mississippi)08 Jan 1921, Sat • Page 5
Margaret Lucille Bell was born January 7, 1921. She would marry a Gordon and raise a sizeable family in Vicksburg.
Buren H. White remained a Seaman, a Baker and a traveler. He seems to have kept in touch with his daughter Ann, however. He never remarried or had any other children.
The 1920's were a decade of travel for Buren. His name is listed on no less than 14 passengers lists that I've found.
| Name: | Buren H White |
|---|---|
| Age: | 41 |
| Estimated Birth Year: | abt 1889 |
| Birthplace: | North Carolina |
| Race: | White |
| Port in 1930: | Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware |
| Page: | 39B |
| Ship Name: | Princeton |
The 1930 census of Merchant Seaman found him in New Castle, Delaware. Merchant Seaman worked upon ships that carrying cargo or involved in trading goods. The pay was good and it seemed Buren had found his niche. He was obviously not one to stay in a nest.
He seems to have settled into a boarding house in San Francisco during the 1930's with a number of other Merchant Seaman. This was obviously where they stayed when land bound. He was there in 1935 and shows up in several City Directories.
- Buren H White
- To be Continued: Buren H. White, The 1940's onward.
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