Freeda Grace Rowley

1909 - 1979  (69 years)

• Name	Freeda Grace Rowley
  Birth	25 May 1909	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Census	3 May 1910	Beaumont (Precinct 1), Jefferson Co, Texas
  	Year: 1910; Census Place: Justice Precinct 1, Jefferson, Texas; Roll: T624_1568; Page: 22A; Enumeration District: 68; Image: 85. residence 448 Rowley, George A. head 29 M1 2 yrs Nebraska, England/Eng England/Eng teamster Mary wife 20 M1 2 yrs. 1 birth 1 living Texas Texas Texas Freeda daughter 11/12 Texas Texas Texas
  Other-Begin	1918	Family Reunion, Palestine, Anderson Co, Texas
  	summer
  		1918 Jones Family Reunion - Palestine, Anderson County Texas Undated article in a Palestine newspaper; however it was subjequently learned the reunion was held in the summer of that year. (assuming July) (d)
  Residence	1918	2050 Magnolia St, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  		2050 Magnolia, Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas The house has long since been gone. The bustling activity of the town has long since moved on to newer parts of town. But this house knew its share of sadness and tragedy for this family. It was in this house that my great grandmother died, being cared for during her fatal bout with the pandemic flu of 1918, as did George Rowley, her son in law only days earlier. And it was this house the following year that another son in law, Rad Gallier had left to run an errand for Mary and was killed in a fatal car accident. (See Radford Gallier death notes)
  Organizations	May 1924	Miss Beaumont, Galveston, Galveston Co, Texas
  	winner
  	Freeda had entered the beauty pageant at the behest of a girlfriend who wanted to enter and didn't want to do it by herself. So, Freeda agreed. She was 15 and already married. Don't know if there was an age limit, but she did have to lie about being married. It was stricky a bathing beauty contest, no talent competition. Amazingly, she won Miss Beaumont and earned the right to go on to Miss America in New Jersey. My aunt Tack (Runie Esther) went with her as sort of a chaperone; and they went by boat from Galveston to Atlantic City. Ralph (Freeda's son) told that two of the judges were Norman Rockwell and Jack Dempsey. Freeda and Tack wanted to see NY, while they were there, and after it was pretty clear that Miss Philadelphia was going to win, they kind of snuck off and went to see the Ziegfeld Follies. She told that they were in the balcony and that she felt a tap on her shoulder and a voice said, "What are you doing here?" When she turned to look, it was Norman Rockwell. She replied, "And what are YOU doing here?" And he laughed and said something like, well, there was just so much that he could handle. She did not win, or place in that Miss America competition. That was the 4th Miss America Pageant.
  		Galveston Daily News Second Day of Revue Brigs Record Crowd Page 1 (d)
  		Galveston Daily News page 5 Second day of Revue Brings Record Crowd (continued from Page 1) (d)
  		Port Arthur News Miss Beaumont is Prize Beauty Freda Rowley Awarded Trip to Atlantic Revue (d)
  		San Antonio Express Miss Beaumont Wins Big Prize at Galveston "Miss Freeda Rowley of Beaumont, "Miss Beaumont" was awarded grand prize of the Galveston fifth annual bathing girl revue. Miss Rowley will receive a cash prize of $500 and a trip to Atlantic City." (d)
  		Galveston Daily News Sunday, May 25, 1924 "Four Prize Winning Beauties Rode in Nash Automobiles" "Grand Prize Winner of Fifth Annual Bathing Girls' Revue Chooses Nash Roadster" (d)
  Organizations	6 Sep 1924	Miss America, Atlantic City, New Jersey
  	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_America_1924 Miss America 1924, the 4th Miss America pageant, was held at the Million Dollar Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1924. Miss America 1924 Date September 6, 1924 Presenters King Neptune Venue Million Dollar Pier Ballroom, Atlantic City, New Jersey Entrants 83 Placements 6 Winner Ruth Malcomson Philadelphia, PA ------------------- http://www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/1920/review.aspx 1924 The Newspaper Publishers Association issued a bulletin advising its members to disassociate themselves with the pageant as it has supplied Atlantic City with "the most flagrant use of free publicity." Not one paper backed out. In fact, even more newspapers sent representatives and the new Pageant Director General Armand T. Nichols and his Board of Directors, extended the event to five days. Informal judge's interviews continued as a part of judging in those early years to asses personality and intelligence. Judge's Chairman and famed artist Howard Chandler Christy returned for his fourth straight year to serve in this capacity. Other notable 1924 judges included Norman Rockwell and Earl Carroll. Miss Boston was revealed to be married and placed in the professional division. She sued, but the pageant finally remembered to include a rule barring married women from competing for the Miss America crown. Ruth Malcomson, Miss Philadelphia (PA), would win the honor in a close race with Mary Katherine Campbell, while Miss San Diego, Fay Lanphier, finished third.
  		Miss America Pageant - Atlantic City, New Jersey 1924 4th Miss America Pageant Contestants (left) (d)
  		Miss America Pageant Alantic City, New Jersey 1924 contestants (center) (d) Freeda is in this group, wearing the banner "Miss Beaumont." She is on second row, first on the left. (d)
  		Miss America Pageant - Atlantic City, New Jersey 1924 contestants (right) (d)
  		Silver Sea Shell Bathers Revue 1923 - winner Ruth Malcomson Miss America 1924 Winner: Ruth Malcomson (Miss Philadelphia) (Previous winner of Silver Sea Shell in 1923) (d) At seventeen, after being coaxed into the competition, Ruth Malcomson won a Silver Sea Shell as the winner of the amateur division in the 1923 Bather's Revue. A year later she returned as "Miss Philadelphia" in the Inter-City contest for the Miss America title and to face-off against the largest field in Miss America History -- 84 representatives. She narrowly defeated returning champion Mary Katherine Campbell after hours of deliberation. Ruth spent most of her year around the Philadelphia area visiting schools, hospitals, and senior centers. Ruth decided not to defend her title due to her belief that professionals were entering the Inter-City competition as a Hollywood film was to be shot around the 1925 pageant. Her decision drew controversy in the press, and began false speculation that the pageant wasn't on the up and up. The pageant committee quickly instituted a new rule that no Miss America could return to competition. Several years later Ruth married Carl Schaubel, and enjoyed a quiet life in her native Philadelphia. "The simple life for me," she once said. Ruth's niece became Miss Pennsylvania 1956, and her grandniece became Miss Delaware 1981. Ruth remained a firm supporter of the pageant until her passing in 1988.
  		Silver Sea Shell Bathers Revue 1923 Miss American Winner 1924 - Ruth Malcomson (Miss Philadelphia) (d) winner of the Silver Sea Shell from the year before. This turned out to be controversial and rules were changed after this year that once held title would not be eligible for Miss America.
  		Galveston Daily News, August 29, 1924 "Hotel Pennsylvania to Welcome Texas Beauties on Arrival in New York" "Hotel Pennsylvania, New York, which will be the domicile of the Texas beauties during their sojourn in the metropolis." (Miss America Pageant, Atlantic City) (d)
  		Miss America Pageant - Atlantic City, New Jersey Miss America 1824 - Ruth Malcomson, Miss Philadelphia (d)
  		Miss America Pageant 1924 - Atlantic City, New Jersey 2nd runner-up Fay Lanphier - She won the title of "Miss Santa Cruz 1924" and finished third for the 1924 Miss America title. The following year, she arrived as a favorite in Atlantic City as "Miss California" and became the first Miss America to have represented an entire state at the national finals. (d)
  		Miss America Pageant 1924 - Atlantic City, New Jersey Mary Katherine Campbell 1st Runner-up (photo from one of her previous wins in either 1922 or 1923) (d) (December 18, 1905–June 7, 1990) was the only person to win the Miss America pageant twice. Campbell was Miss America 1922 and Miss America 1923, and she was also First Runner Up at the 1924 Miss America Pageant. Competing as "Miss Columbus" (interchangeable with Miss Ohio) in all three pageants, Campbell was only sixteen years old at the time of her first crowning in 1922. After the 1924 pageant, in which the judge's scores revealed that Campbell had almost won the title a third time, the Miss America Organization changed the rules so that "a contestant may only win the Miss America title once."
  Census	5 Apr 1930	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	871 Pennsylvania Avenue Wilburn H Fisher 44 1st married 16 Michigan Canada/Eng Canada/Eng barber barber shop Mary E Fisher 39 first married 18 Texas Texas Texas Shirley Fisher 7 daughter TX Janice Fisher 3 6/12 daughter Texas Freeda G Ritter 20 stepdaughter married age 14 Jeanne Ritter 2 10/12 granddaughter Texas Ralph Ritter 1 8/12 grandson Texas Cody A Ritter 34 son-in-law 34 28 Louisiana Iowa Iowa
  		1930 Texas, Jefferson County, Beaumont Census 871 Pennsylvania Avenue Fisher, William, Mary Etta Jones Rowley Fisher, Shirley and Janice Fisher, Freeda Rowley Ritter; Cody Ritter and Marilyn Jean and Ralph Ritter
  Census	1940	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	1940 Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas 1495 Avenue A. Cody A. Ritter, 1896, Texas, drag-line operator same place in 1935, rented house, highest school: elementary, 7th grade worked 44 weeks prior to census, wage or salary worker weeks worked in 1939: 50 income 1500 Cody A Ritter 44 Fredda Ritter 30 1910 Texas, high school 3rd yr. Jeanne Ritter 12 Ralph Ritter 11 Gary Ritter 9/12
  Residence	1941	1495 Ave A, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	Ritter, Cody A (Freeda; 3) lab h1495 Avenue A
  Residence	1943	1495 Ave A, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	City Directory Ritter, Cody A (Freeda; 3) crane opr h 1495 Av A also: Heckford, Esther, Mrs. Nurse, Bmt Municipal Hosp r 1495 Av A (Freeda's aunt lives with them)
  Residence	1943	1495 Ave A, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	Ritter, Cody A (Freeda; 3) crane opr h 1495 Av A also: Heckford, Esther G (wid Rod G) grand nurse Bmt Medical Dispensary r 1495 Av A (living with her niece Freeda Rowley Ritter)
  Residence	1947	1495 Ave A, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	City directory Ritter, Cody A (Freeda) dragline opr Am Canal Co h 1495 AV A
  		1947 city directory, Texas, Jefferson Co, Beaumont Cody A and Freeda Rowley Ritter, also son Ralph G Ritter (At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.)
  Death	14 Jan 1979	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas   [2]
  	Obit: Mon Jan 15, 1979 Beaumont Journal, p 9B "Funeral for Freeda Grace Ritter 69 of 1713 Franklin will be at 2:00 p.m. Tues at Kelly Hixon Funeral Home, burial in Forest Lawn. She died at 11:35 a.m. Sun in Baptist Hospital. A native of Rosedale, she lived in Beaumont most of her life.rvivers include her husband Cody A. Ritter of Beaumont, daughter Jean Selman of Beaumont, two sisters Janice Boswell of Beaumont and Shirley Milam of Roswell, New Mexico, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren." Name: Freeda Ritter SSN: 467-72-9983 Last Residence: 77701 Beaumont, Jefferson, Texas, United States of America Born: 29 May 1909 Died: Jan 1979 State (Year) SSN issued: Texas (1961) Texas Death Index Name: Fredda Ritter Death Date: 14 Jan 1979 Death County: Jefferson Gender: Female
  		Rowley, Freeda Ritter Death Certificate
  Burial	16 Jan 1979	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	Freeda was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery next to her aunt Esther Heckford, known as "Tack," who, in turn, is buried next to her brother and my grandfather, Ogden Kyle Jones, Sr. Freeda has no headstone. Cody, her husband, died Mar 11, 1992 at the age of 96 and was buried next to Freeda. His headstone reads: PVT US Army World War I, Jan 21 1896 - Mar 11, 1992. Their son Gary died in 1996, and he was laid to rest next to his parents but he also has no marker.
  		Forest Lawn Memorial Park Garden of Mediation; grave about center with vase up is Runie "Tack" Jones. From that point next to her going toward the street is Ogden Kyle Jones and then next to him is Lillian Courts Jones. From Tack's grave, with the vase up, on the other side, the next two unmarked are the gravesites of Freeda Grace Rowley Ritter and husband Gary Rad Ritter; then next to Gary Rad with a headstone is Cody Allen Ritter.
  		Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Lucas at Pine Street Entrance
  Notes	There are a few source references to "Freeda's work" in the Jones and Sherman lines. This is the Freeda referred to. She did the family history probably around the 1950s and only outlines remain that are known of. I'm sure the work is somewhere, but it has remained ellusive.
  Person ID	I2259	Roots
  Last Modified	24 Apr 2016

  
  

  Father	George Arthur Rowley,   b. 28 Feb 1881, Nebraska d. 9 Dec 1918, 2050 Magnolia St, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 37 years)
  Mother	Mary Etta Jones,   b. 22 Jul 1890, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas d. 13 Jul 1958, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 67 years)
  Marriage	14 Jun 1908	Jefferson Co, Texas   [3]
  Family ID	F742	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Cody Allen Ritter,   b. 21 Jan 1896, Jennings, Jefferson-Davis Parish, Louisiana d. 11 Mar 1992, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 96 years)
  Marriage	12 Feb 1924	Jefferson Co, Texas   [3]
  Children	+ 1. Marilyn Jeanne Ritter,   b. 22 May 1927, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas d. 29 Jul 2001, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 74 years) + 2. Ralph Gerald Ritter   3. Gary Rad Ritter,   b. 5 Jul 1939, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas d. 6 Feb 1996, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 56 years)
  Family ID	F1093	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	10 Feb 2011

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 25 May 1909 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Census - 3 May 1910 - Beaumont (Precinct 1), Jefferson Co, Texas Residence - 1918 - 2050 Magnolia St, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Marriage - 12 Feb 1924 - Jefferson Co, Texas Organizations - 6 Sep 1924 - Miss America, Atlantic City, New Jersey Census - 5 Apr 1930 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Census - 1940 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Death - 14 Jan 1979 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Burial - 16 Jan 1979 - Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Documents » Slide Show		Freeda's Research, Page 1 Genealogy of the Sherman Family produced by Freeda Rowley Ritter (d)
  		Freeda's Research, Page 2 Genealogy of the Sherman Family (pg 2) research by Freeda Rowley Ritter (d)
  		Ritter, Ralph Memoirs of Ralph Ritter, son of Freeda Rowley Ritter and grandson of Mary Jones Fisher Rowley, who was sister to this researcher's grandfather, Kyle Jones, Sr. Unknown when Ralph wrote his memorirs but he gave me a copy of them 2011 by regular mail. This is a scanned OCR copy and has a few basic bookmarks in the pdf. Ralph recounted many memories of his life growing up with many of the Jones family members as well as his paternal Ritter family members who have also been added to this genealogical file.

  
  

• Sources

  [S243] Freeda's work. [S432] Rootsweb Texas Vital Statistics. [S292] Jefferson Co Court Records.