(Living)

Family/Spouse: (Living). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. (Living)

Other Events and Attributes:

• Also Known As: Donald Stiles Herndon
• Residence: Apr 1940, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Census: 13 Apr 1940, Divisions 183 - 190, El Paso City, El Paso County, Texas, United States

Notes:

Robert Frank Herndon was officially renamed ‘Donald Stiles Herndon’ by his maternal grandmother, Lois Miranda (Stiles) Masten, upon his adoption by her in 1941, but she was using this name as early as 1940 as indicated by [US-1940-1b]. Family members continued to refer to Robert by the name ‘Don’, but he used his birth name professionally throughout most of his life.

Residence:
3231 Memphis Steet

Buried:
Section M1, Space 385

Robert + (Living). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• US SSN: 463-09-9887
• Occupation: Salesman/Accountant
• Cause of Death: Pneumonia/Emphysema
• Census: 12 May 1910, Ward 4, Hugo Township, Choctaw County, Oklahoma, United States
• Residence: Aug 1932, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Residence: 26 Apr 1937, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, United States
• Residence: Nov 1941, San Quentin State Prison, Marin County, California, United States
• Residence: Mar 1942, California Institution for Men (“Chino”), San Bernardino County, California, United States

Notes:

Robert Paul Herndon abandoned his first wife and sons late in 1936 or early in 1937. Family rumors indicate that he attended Elizabeth Marina Masten’s funeral, but since he was incarcerated in Ft. Worth, Tarrant County, Texas in 1937, this seems unlikely. From late in 1941 through 1956, he was incarcerated in California, and [Cobb-1992] indicates that he was a resident of West Memphis from 1986 through his death in 1992.

Robert Paul Herndon’s Social Security Application has a birth date of 19 Oct 1909, but this conflicts with his birth certificate and his marriage application.

Robert Paul Herndon was convicted on 5 counts of forgery in Modesto, Stanislaus County, California on, or just before, 7 November 1941. He was sentenced from 1 to 14 years and incarcerated at the California State Prison at San Quentin as prisoner 67459 on 10 November of that year. In March 1942, he was transferred to the California Institution for Men, a minimum security prison at Chino, San Bernardino County, California. Information gathered to date suggests that he served the remainder of his sentence, 14 full years, at “Chino” and was paroled on 24 February 1956.

[SanQuentin-1941b] and [SanQuentin-1941c1] note that Robert Paul Herndon also served 7 months for forgery in Fort Worth, Texas in 1937.

Residence:
3522 Lebanon Street

Residence:
Star Arms Hotel

Buried:
Block 7, Lot 98

Robert married Elizabeth Marina Masten on 13 Apr 1932 in Las Cruces, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. Elizabeth (daughter of Merlin Douglas Masten and Lois Miranda Stiles) was born on 5 Feb 1915 in Mimbres, Grant County, New Mexico, United States; died on 20 Sep 1937 in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States; was buried on 21 Sep 1937 in Restlawn Memorial Park, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Cause of Death: “Infantile paralysis” (Polio)
• Residence: Jan 1920, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Census: 16 Jan 1920, Voting Precinct 24, El Paso City, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Census: 15 Apr 1930, Precinct No. 1, El Paso City, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Residence: Aug 1932, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Residence: Sep 1937, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States

Notes:

[DonaAna-1932] has Elizabeth Masten claiming her birth date is 5 February 1914 which would have made her 18 at the time of the wedding. But, since it appears that the marriage was conducting without the permission of her mother, Lois Miranda (Stiles) Masten, Elizabeth probably lied on the certificate.

The cause of death, as listed on the Elizabeth Marina Masten’s death certificate, is “infantile paralysis,” a common term for polio.

On her grave marker Elizabeth Marina Masten is listed as, “Elizabeth Masten Herndon”.

Residence:
1308 Montana Street

Residence:
3522 Lebanon Street

Residence:
3231 Memphis Street

Buried:
Section D-3, Lot 4, Space 11

Notes:

A ‘Mrs. H. Mabry’ (Tennie (Calhoun-Herndon) Mabry) witnessed the marriage of Robert Paul Herndon to Elizabeth Marina Masten in New Mexico in 1932.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Hotel Clerk
• Occupation: Railroad Conductor (Frisco Railway)
• Cause of Death: Heart Attack
• Census: 13 Jun 1900, Justice Precinct 1, Lamar County, Texas, United States
• Census: Mar 1910, Ward 4, Hugo Township, Choctaw County, Oklahoma, United States
• Residence: Jun 1917, Allen, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States
• Census: 26 Jan 1920, Justice Precinct #1, Wichita Falls City, Wichita County, Texas, United States
• Residence: Apr 1930, Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States
• Census: 5 Apr 1930, Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States

Notes:

Sometime between 1917 and 1920, Robert Boyd Herndon and Tennie May Calhoun separated, as he is living alone in Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas in 1920. By 1930, he is living in Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma. [US-1930-1i] has two entries for Robert. In the first he lists himself as “single”. In the second his is listed as “widowed”. The location of Tennie and of Robert Boyd’s sons, Robert Paul Herndon and William Pryor Herndon, in 1920 has not yet been established. Although it is known that the boys were not living with any of their immediate Herndon relatives in 1920.

[US-SS, 1917a], as well as [Anderson-1964], lists Robert Boyd Herndon’s birth place as Chicota, Lamar County, Texas, but this conflicts with other sources including information from the birth certificates of his two sons which list Paris, Lamar County, Texas. This database uses the former as Robert Boyd’s draft registration was actually filled out by him.

Robert Boyd Herndon’s headstone and [Anderson-1964] incorrectly list his death year as 1933.

[Anderson-1964] incorrectly lists the date of Robert Boyd Herndon’s marriage to Tennie May Calhoun as 20 Apr 1910.

In the 1930 US Federal Census, Robert Boyd Herndon was enumerated at the residence hotel where he worked as a clerk. Whether or not this was his actual residence is not known.

Residence:
225 East Third Street

Buried:
Block 2U, Lot 15, Space 3

Robert married Tennie May Calhoun on 12 Dec 1908 in Durant, Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. Tennie (daughter of James Marion Calhoun and Sarah Elizabeth Turpin) was born on 1 May 1891 in Sherman, Grayson County, Texas, United States; died on 7 Nov 1977 in Port Hueneme, Ventura County, California, United States; was buried after 7 Nov 1977 in (unknown). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• US SSN: 570-24-3970
• Census: Mar 1910, Ward 4, Hugo Township, Choctaw County, Oklahoma, United States
• Residence: May 1923, Galveston, Galveston County, Texas, United States
• Residence: 1924, Galveston, Galveston County, Texas, United States
• Residence: 1932, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Residence: 1944, Precinct No. 1, El Monte City, Los Angeles County, California
• Residence: 1953, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California, United States

Notes:

A ‘Mrs. H. Mabry’ witnessed the marriage of Robert Paul Herndon to Elizabeth Marina Masten in New Mexico in 1932.

Death location is based on a single matching SSDI record for a ‘Tennie Mabry’, born 1 May 1891. Death date is based on a single matching CDoHS record for a ‘Tennie M Mabry’ born 1 May 1891.

The disposition of Tennie (Calhoun-Herndon) Mabry’s marriage to Robert Boyd Herndon in 1923 is not known. There is no evidence thus far that they obtained a divorce.

[Anderson-1964] incorrectly lists Tennie’s name as “Tinnie Calhoun”.

Residence:
1925 26th Street

Residence:
212 1/2 Mills Street (hotel)

Residence:
113 El Monte Avenue

Residence:
313 Cedar

Notes:

Tennie’s parents, James Marion Calhoun and Sarah Elizabeth (Turpin) Calhoun, served as witnesses for the marriage license application and marriage certificate.

Other Events and Attributes:

• US SSN: 460-24-6404
• Occupation: Mining Engineer/Rancher
• Census: 15 Jun 1900, Ward 4, Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States
• Residence: Jun 1917, Teel, Grant County, New Mexico, United States
• Residence: Mar 1918, Teel, Grant County, New Mexico, United States
• Residence: Jan 1920, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Census: 16 Jan 1920, Voting Precinct 24, El Paso City, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Census: 21 Apr 1930, Ward 25, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
• Residence: Apr 1935, Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas, United States
• Census: 8 Apr 1940, Tulsa City, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States
• Residence: Apr 1942, San Diego, San Diego County, California, United States

Notes:

Source [US-SSS-1917b] has Merlin Douglas Masten’s birthdate as 21 Dec 1887. [Whatcom-1962], Merlin’s death certificate, has his age correct but lists a birthdate off by exactly one decade, 21 Dec 1877. [US-1900-1e] and [Masten-1900] also support the date in 1887, listing Merlin as having been born in 1888. Only [US-SSA-1941a], Merlin’s original Social Security application, lists his birthdate as 21 Dec 1886.

In [US-SSS-1917b] and [US-SSA-1941a], Merlin Douglas Masten listed his birthplace as “Aversberg (Lauderdale County), Mississippi”. No such location exists in Lauderdale County or even in Mississippi more generally. However, Merlin’s half-brother, Matthew LeRoy Masten, recorded that many of Merlin’s younger siblings were born in “Orvisburg”, Pearl River County, Mississippi, and the family of Horace Greely Masten and Alice Frances (Stone) Masten were known to be living in Poplarville (close by Orvisburg) in the early 1890s. On the other hand, [Masten-1900] records Matthew traveling from New Orleans, Louisiana to Jackson, Mississippi with his father’s, “...new wife and baby” (Alice (Stone) Masten and Merlin) in1889. He also records that the family was only in Orvisburg/Poplarville from 1892 on, 5 years after Merlin’s birth. However, in the late 1880’s Horace Greely Masten was known to be working near Boque Chitto, Lincoln County, Mississippi south of Jackson, and Merlin lists Boque Chitto as his birthplace in [US-SSS-1942a1] and [US-SSA-1953a]. Given the timeline of Horace’s movements in Mississippi, it seems more likely that Merlin was born in Boque Chitto than in Orvisburg.

Merlin Douglas Masten had been a resident of Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington for 10 years at the time of his death in 1962.

Merlin Masten’s obituary has his name spelled “Mastin”.

There is no modern town called “Teel” in New Mexico. This probably refers to the area at the north end of the Mimbres Valley where there was a US Post Office.

Residence:
1308 Montana Street

Residence:
229 Ivy Street

Merlin married Lois Miranda Stiles on 27 Dec 1911 in _______, Williamson County, Texas, United States, and was divorced after 17 Aug 1927 in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States. Lois (daughter of Francis Newton Stiles and Marina Floyd Thomas) was born on 4 Mar 1885 in Thrall, Williamson County, Texas, United States; died on 19 May 1975 in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States; was buried on 22 May 1975 in Restlawn Memorial Park, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• US SSN: 463-70-9364
• Occupation: School Teacher/Homesteader
• Cause of Death: Arteriosclerosis
• Census: 2 Jun 1900, Precinct 6, Williamson County, Texas, United States
• Census: 5 May 1910, Precinct #6, Williamson County, Texas, United States
• Residence: Jan 1920, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Census: 16 Jan 1920, Voting Precinct 24, El Paso City, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Census: 15 Apr 1930, Precinct No. 1, El Paso City, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Residence: Apr 1940, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Census: 13 Apr 1940, Divisions 183 - 190, El Paso City, El Paso County, Texas, United States
• Residence: May 1975, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States

Notes:

Lois Miranda Stiles adopted her grandsons, William Cecil Herndon and Robert Frank Herndon, in 1941, about four years after the death of her daughter Elizabeth Marina in 1937. She officially changed Robert’s name to “Donald Stiles Herndon” but did not change William’s name.

In the 1930 US Federal Census, Lois Miranda (Stiles) Masten, listed herself as “widowed,” despite the fact that her husband, Merlin Douglas Masten, was still alive and living in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1940, Lois lists herself as “divorced”.

On her grave marker, Lois Miranda Stiles is listed as, “Lois Stiles Masten”.

In the 1930 US Federal Census, Lois Miranda (Stiles) Masten is listed as “Lois T. Mastin”.

Residence:
1308 Montana Street

Residence:
3231 Memphis Street

Residence:
3231 Memphis Street

Buried:
Section D-3, Lot 4, Space 12

Notes:

17 Aug 1927 is the date that the divorce petition was recorded in the El Paso Herald. Presumably Lois Miranda (Stiles) Masten’s divorce from Merlin was granted sometime afterwards.

The marriage license contained in source [Williamson-1911] does not list the actual location where Merlin Douglas Masten and Lois Miranda Stiles were married. It does, however, list Lois’ middle name as “Marina” rather than “Miranda”. This fact has significant implications since almost all contemporary genealogical sources and accounts of family members agree that her middle name was Miranda. The name Miranda, though, is not yet supported by any vital records. An additional primary source is required to substantiate the family’s belief.