(Living)

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

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.