This is a long shot but in the town she got married try checking with the Catholic church. Maybe she received her sacraments there: baptism, communion, confirmation, marriage, and burial. Do you have where she was buried? Check with the cemetery to see who handled the services then check with the funeral director to get a copy of his notes. Who was the contact person for the director? There might not be a birth certificate because babies were delivered at home. Their baptism records served as birth certificates. Some times they are listed in the Portuguese newspapers. Have you searched the newspapers for Velma or Mr. and Mrs. Lopes? St. Brigid Catholic Church, and Whitehurst Funeral Home is in the same neighborhood as the house. Sacred Heart Hospital was also there but now it is a county hospital. Check the census records to see if she was living with Mr. and Mrs. Lopes in 1930 and 1940's. If this does not work check Mr. and Mrs. Lopes burial records to see if Velma is mentioned. Their obituary might mention her (Hanford Sentinel is the local newspaper). She may have been a relative of theirs. She may have been the contact person for the funeral director. It may have her location and accurate name. I have seen the name Velma a lot in this area. I had an aunt named Belma and that was her legal name. Did she have a Social Security Number? Get those records. Was there a place where actors had to register for work? Maybe a labor union? Back then there was a local social club for the Portuguese. The men joined the Eagle's and the women joined a different club. My grandparents and aunts were members. The Eagle's is still operating. They have records too. Maybe Mr. and Mrs. Lopes were members. If so they may have purchased a membership for Velma too. The Eagle's help family and people who need help. They also had life insurance policies so they may have paid for their funerals. Good luck with your search.
On Wed, Sep 30, 2015 at 10:38 AM, Dave Worman <[email protected]> wrote: > Marilyn, > > Thank you for your interest. > > The marriage certificate shows her name as Velma Cotta when she married > Joe Hughes in 1933. Her age was 24 and she lived at 230 Ivy St., Hanford, > CA. She had been previously married and was divorced in 1928 - no > indication of her married name. > > Research shows that Herculano & Belle Lopes built the house at 230 Ivy St, > Hanford, CA and lived in it during the 1930's and beyond. > > On my original birth certificate her maiden name is given as Velma Cotta. > It also indicates that she was born in California, no city or area was > specified. If Joe Hughes furnished this information it may be unreliable. > > She and Joe Hughes were trying to become Hollywood actors. I cannot find > a divorce but they separated sometime around 1937-38 or so. > > That sums up most of what I know about her. > > Dave > > > > > On Wed, Sep 30, 2015 at 11:11 AM, Marilyn Thompson <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Do you have any additional information? Born Northern, Central, Southern >> California? Married names? >> >> On Wed, Sep 30, 2015 at 9:03 AM, Dave Worman <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> First, Thank You!! to each one of you who have spent so much time trying >>> to help me with this search. >>> >>> >>> >>> I am still searching for information on Velma Cotta, born about 1910 >>> probably in California. Divorce 1928 - married again 1933. In 1933 >>> lived at 230 Ivy St., Hanford, CA with Belle and Hercules Lopes. Have >>> hit a brick wall here and am still wondering about her. >>> >>> >>> >>> And to those of you who have not yet done the DNA testing, please test >>> because you may be able to help people with brick walls like me. Who >>> knows, we might be cousins. >>> >>> >>> >>> Dave >>> >>> -- >>> For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail >>> (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the >>> right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my >>> membership." >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/azores. >>> >> >> -- >> For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail >> (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the >> right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my >> membership." >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Azores Genealogy" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/azores. >> > > -- > For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail > (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the > right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my > membership." > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Azores Genealogy" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/azores. > -- For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/azores.
