Dorothy Mary Frees

Facts

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Name: Dorothy Mary Frees

Birth: 15 Apr 1907 • St Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota

Birth Registration

Parents

• Father: Andrew William Frees (b: 29 August 1882  Brooklyn, Kings County (Brooklyn), New York • d: 16 Nov 1945 (63 years old) • Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota)
• Mother: Elizabeth Grace (b: 30 April 1881 Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales • d: 8 Oct 1961  Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota)

Listed on the 1920 Census with her Aunt and Uncle, Anna M and Warner Hagstrom. Listed as Dorothy Hagstrom on the 1920 census in White River, Ashland, Wisconsin, USA. I spoke with a descendant of Warner Hagstrom who was able to confirm, from excerpts of a diary of Warner’s sister, that Anna (Annie) and Warner adopted Dorothy. Unfortunately Annie died on 5 April 1920 (right after the census was taken) and Dorothy went back to live with Andrew sometime between 1920 and 1924.

Spouses:

David Emanuel Forsberg (1906–1950)

• Marriage: 09 Apr 1929 • Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota
• Divorce: date unknown (David is remarried 27 Aug 1930 so their divorce is prior to that)
  Upon further review it looks like Dorothy and David didn’t actually get married. The form that they filled out is a marriage license and I’m not finding an actual marriage certificate. Combine this with the fact that I cannot find any divorce records (which alone wouldn’t concern me because not all records are easily found) and her marriage certificate to Dennis McCoy states she is a maiden (not widowed or divorced) (which again alone wouldn’t be conclusive because she could claim to not have ever been married and actually had been) but all three combined definitely point to her and David not actually marrying. I am not ruling out either option yet. But I am leaning towards David was a Fiancé not a spouse.

Children:

Daughter Baby Girl Frees (Stillborn) 26 May 1931 • Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota
According to her death certificate this baby was born at 6 months. She was still born and a contributing cause of death was syphilis (secondary stage). No father is listed on the death certificate. The baby was born at what was previously the Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers. At the time of her birth it had been named the Harriet Walker Hospital. (The same hospital that Dorothy’s brother Donald was a foundling and died at) An autopsy was performed at the University of Minnesota and her place of burial is listed as University Minnesota #6500

Dennis Daily McCoy (1889–1961)

• Marriage: 27 Nov 1933 • Grant, South Dakota
• Divorce: 21 Aug 1936 • Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota

Henry Hudson Faust (1906–1978)

• Marriage: 16 Sept 1936 • Los Angeles County, California
• Divorce: 12 Apr 1937 • Los Angeles County, California

Thomas J Stewart

• Marriage: Prior to June 5 1938 (Dorothy filled out an application for a Social Security number on June 5, 1938 with the last name of Stewart and an address of 340 S. Fremont Ave, Los Angeles, Ca. In the City directory Thomas Stewart is listed at that same address. No other marriage information is known)
• Divorced: Prior to April 1940 Exact date unknown. Dorothy is listed on the 1940 census as divorced

(First Name Unknown) Martin

• Marriage: Prior 1945 (Dorothy is listed in her Aunt Catherine Grace’s obituary as Dorothy Martin of San Diego. Spouse information is unknown)
• Divorce: Prior to 1960 (exact date unknown)

(First Name Unknown) Gibson

• Marriage: prior 1961(Dorothy is listed in her Mother’s obituary as Dorothy Gibson of San Diego)
• Divorce: exact date unknown

Nathaniel Sven Johnson (1892 – 1979)

• Marriage: Believed to be around 1966 in Desert Hot Springs, California (Exact date and location are still unknown) According to her obituary she lived in Desert Hot Springs during the last eight years of her life. According to his obituary he lived in Desert Hot Springs for the last 15 years. If they married when she moved to Desert Hot Springs that puts their marriage sometime around 1966.

Death: 19 Dec 1974 • Colton, San Bernardino, California

According to her death certificate she died of 1. CVA Cerebrovascular Accident 2. Hypertension, Previous CVA. Other significant conditions: Long standing Coma & Bedrest

Burial: 23 December 1974 Loma Vista Memorial Park, Fullerton. California
Dorothy was buried with Nathaniel but they currently do not have a headstone. Eventually I plan to give her a proper headstone.

Obituary Nathaniel is the only family listed in her obituary.