We saw at the end of the last blog post that in 1940 Julius Adler and his wife Minnie were living almost 300 miles apart—-Julius on a farm in Leavenworth, Kansas, and Minnie in St. Louis with their three children. Two of Julius’ children from his first marriage—Roland and Irene—were married and living with their spouses, also in St. Louis. I could not locate Chrystal, the third child from Julius’ first marriage on the 1940 census or anywhere else between 1930 and 1940.

So why was Julius living so far apart from his wife Minnie and his children in 1940? Was it just economics, or was there a problem with the marriage?

When Julius registered for the World War II draft in 1942, he was back in St. Louis, working at a bakery, but interestingly he listed his son Roland as his contact person, not his wife Minnie. Notice also that Julius listed his birth date as July 27, 1887, which lines up with the birth record I found for Joseph Adler, son of Sara Rothschild and Moses Adler. But notice also that this document lists his birthplace as St. Louis, Missouri, not Germany.

Julius J Adler World War II draft registration, National Archives at St. Louis; St Louis, MO, USA; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) For the State of Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Box or Roll Number: 754, Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942

Minnie and Julius were still not living at the same address in 1942, as Julius was living in Sappington, Missouri, and Minnie, according to their son Milton’s draft registration, was living 2857 Pestalozzi Street in St. Louis, or about 14 miles apart.

Milton Adler World War II draft registration, National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Missouri, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 2, Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947

Milton enlisted in the US Army on March 11, 1943, and served until January 21, 1946. He identified himself as single on the enlistment record. He served in Central Europe and the Rhineland and was awarded Bronze Stars for his service in those campaigns.¹

Milton T. Adler, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation, Honorable Discharge, found at Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14579954/milton_theadore-adler: accessed December 26, 2025), memorial page for Milton Theadore Adler (15 Apr 1921–4 Oct 1984), Find a Grave Memorial ID 14579954, citing Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay Township, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA; Maintained by Mark Utley (contributor 47178748).

Sometime after 1940, Milton married Mary Virginia Piper, who was born on March 31, 1924, in Missouri, to Daniel W. Piper and Norien Klepper.² I could not locate a marriage record for Milton and Mary Virginia (she seemed to use both names). In 1950 he and his wife and their two children were living in St. Louis, and Milton was working as a real estate salesman.”³ Milton and Mary Virginia would have two more children in the 1950s.

Julius and Minnie’s daughter Marjorie Alice (or Alice Marjorie) also married in the 1940s. She married Adrian Pettus Williamson on July 14, 1946, in St. Louis. Adrian, then serving as a gunner’s mate in the US Navy, was born on April 9, 1924, in Eagletown, Oklahoma, to Harry Claret Williamson and Swayne Pettus.⁴ I found it interesting that the article about the wedding gave one address for Julius and Minnie and described the reception for the wedding as taking place at the home of the “bride’s parents.” So perhaps Julius and Minnie were back living under one roof at the time?

“Alice Marjorie Adler Is Married At Church,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 4, 1946, p. 60.

The article also stated that the bridegroom would be returning to Brooklyn where he was stationed after the honeymoon, but that the bride would be returning to St. Louis.

Adrian and Alice seem to have had a second marriage ceremony a year later on September 11, 1947, in Coconino, Arizona:

Marriage record of Alice Marjorie Adler and Adrian Williamson in Arizona, Description: Marriage Certificates/Licenses – Books 11, 12, 13, 1941-1948, Ancestry.com. Arizona, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1865-1972

I have no idea why—perhaps to have a second celebration in Arizona where Adrian’s family lived?

Adrian and Alice did not have any children together. In fact, the marriage did not last very long, and on September 10, 1951, Alice married Eugene Ocamb in Pinal, Arizona. Eugene was the son of Joseph Wesley Ocamb and Irene Emma Van Bach; he was born on September 20, 1908, in Kansas City, Kansas.⁵ On the 1950 census, they had already listed themselves as married, living in Phoenix, Arizona, where Eugene was the owner of a retail auto parts store and Alice was a cashier in a jewelry store.⁶

Alice Marjorie Adler Williamson marriage to Eugene Ocamb, Licenses – Marriage, 1949 – 1954
Ancestry.com. Arizona, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1865-1972

Alice and Eugene would have two children together.

Thus, by 1950 four of Julius Adler’s six children were married: Roland, Irene, Milton, and Alice. I could not locate Roland on the 1950 census, but Irene was living in St. Louis with her husband John, who was an inspector and auditor for the National Guard.⁷ Milton was in St. Louis and Alice was in Phoenix with their respective spouses, as noted above.

Julius Adler was living with his oldest daughter Chrystal in St. Louis. Julius was working as a baker, and Chrystal was working as a clerical worker for a petroleum pipeline company. Julius listed his marital status as a widower, and Chrystal was single.⁸

Despite Julius claiming to be a widower, Minnie was not dead; she was living in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1950 with a ten-year-old boy she identified as her son; his name was Ronald Adler, and he was born on August 8, 1939, in St. Louis.⁹ According to his obituary, he was adopted by Minnie shortly after he was born.¹⁰ Minnie continued to list her marital status as married on the census. I assume that Minnie moved to Phoenix to be closer to her daughter Alice Marjorie.

Minnie Adler 1950 US census, National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona; Roll: 577; Page: 8; Enumeration District: 15-75, Ancestry.com. 1950 United States Federal Census

The sixth child of Julius Adler, his son Warren, had enlisted in the US Army on March 3, 1943, and was discharged on February 16, 1946.¹¹ In 1950 he was living as a lodger with a family in St. Louis, working as an office clerk in the accounting department of a railroad company. He was single and 26 years old.¹² As far as I’ve been able to determine, Warren never married.

My next post will wind up the story of the family of Julius Adler before I move on to the remaining children of Sara Rothschild and Moses Adler, the three who did not come to the US before the rise of Hitler in Germany.

My next post will be in 2026. Happy New Year, everyone!