Ruby Tipton Pattillo 1893 - 1969 My Grandaunt on My Father's Side

One of only a few photos I have of Ruby

Ruby and her twin sister Maude were born March 25, 1893, in Los Angeles, California when the family was living at 142 East 81^st Street. Our family lore suggests that their mother Carrie Brooks Stover Pattillo gave birth to three sets of twins. Only Ruby and Maude lived to adulthood. I have found no records for the other sets of twins. It is also believed that it was a difficult birth and that Ruby was deprived of oxygen for a time. As a result, she suffered some sort of mental deficiency. Possibly because of this and for other reasons Ruby was estranged from the family during much of her life. As a result, not a lot is known about Ruby or the life she lived.

Ruby was listed on the 1900 and 1910 censuses living with her family. In 1900, Ruby was seven and the family home was at 212 Jefferson Street in Los Angeles. They were still in Los Angeles in 1910 when Ruby was seventeen. I found Ruby in the 1914 directory living at 1309 W. 51st Street and in the 1917 book living at 1329 W. 53^rd Street. 

Harper Dell Royce's headstone found on the FindAGrave site

Ruby and Royce's marriage certificate 

On April 4^th in 1927, Ruby married Harper Dell Royce. It was a second marriage for Harper who first married Daisy Jane Kurtz in 1892. Harper was born in Murray, Iowa on July 14, 1871. He was the son of Dorvil Arthur Royce and Frances Bell. Harper was listed as a widow on the 1910 census. That same year he moved to Los Angeles. Harper was more than twenty years older than Ruby. Sometime after 1934, Harper married for a third time to Lillian Hester Kurtz. I have not found any record of the dissolution of Ruby’s marriage but presumably, they were divorced. Harper was killed in a car accident on May 8, 1947, and is buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Los Angeles.

I found several voter registrations for Ruby between 1930 and 1958. Interestingly, from 1930 to 1936 she registered as a Republican but in 1946 she switched to the Democratic party and continued to register as a Democrat until 1958. She was living in Los Angeles during this time at various addresses. On her 1930 registration form she was listed as a typist – so she was employed whereas when she was married to Harper she was listed as a Housewife in 1934. At that time, they were living at 111 Melrose in Los Angeles. 

336 N. Kilkea Drive where Ruby lived in 1939

In 1939, Ruby resided at 336 N. Kilkea Drive, Los Angeles. In 1946, she registered at 663 ½ S. Kenmore Avenue, and in 1956 and 58 she was at 443 S. Catalina Street. No other details were provided on those registration records.

 

443 S. Catalina Street where Ruby was living in 1956 and '58

At various times Ruby’s father James, her brother Elmer and his wife Winifred, and her sister Mary each lived with Ruby’s twin Maude and Maude’s husband Otto. I also have records of their cousins Ada and James Nelson Pattillo living with family members. But, at no time after reaching adulthood did Ruby live with her sister Maude or any other member of the family – at least not that I’ve found a record for or heard about. So, she was an independent woman.

Ruby died on May 14, 1969, and is buried in Los Angeles but I don’t know where specifically.

Maude and Ruby as toddlers

Ruby's mother Carrie left and Ruby holding her cat

1914 Los Angeles Directory lists Ruby at 1309 51st Place

306 W. Palm where Ruby lived in 1932

Marriage record for Ruby and Royce

Grainy headshot of Ruby

Sources for the Post: US census, City of Los Angeles Directories, Voter Registration records, Ruby's marriage certificate, Google search and Google Earth, my second cousins Laine and Joyce