Arlene Elizabeth Christensen (1907-1978)

Arlene Elizabeth Christensen was born on May 21, 1907 in Loleta, California, to Peter Hansen Christensen and Emma Sofia Smith. She grew up in Ferndale, California (260 miles north of San Francisco), and graduated from Ferndale High School in 1925. 

Sometime during the 1930's, Arlene moved to San Francisco and became a court reporter. Although not found in the 1940 Census, Arlene is found in both the San Francisco Directory and the voter registration for that year. She married Clarence Keith Newitt in November of 1944 in San Francisco. 

They lived in San Francisco until the mid 1960's, when Keith retired from his job with Pacific Gas and Electric Company and moved to Florence, Oregon. Following Keith's death in 1974, Arlene returned to California and lived in Fresno until her death in 1978. She is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Eureka, with her husband and parents.

1910 Census - Pacific, California

1920 Census - Ferndale, California 

1925 Senior High School yearbook picture - Ferndale, California

 1930 Census - Pacific, California

1930 Voter Registration - Ferndale, California

1933 Voter Registration - Ferndale, California 

 1940 San Francisco Directory

1940 Voter Registration, San Francisco, California

SSN Application - February 1952

Gravestone

Death Certificate

Marina Ermachenko - aka Mary Newitt (1896-1944)

***NOTE - This Post Was Edited September 2019***

Mary Newitt, also known as Marina Ermachenko, was form in Russia in July of 1896. On December 20, 1919, Mary was wedded to Michael Losacco in Vladivostok, Russia. Michael was part of the A.E.F. in Russia. They returned to the United States in 1920, arriving in San Francisco on August 18th aboard the Army Transport Ship Sheridan. At this time, Mary became a naturalized citizen. Following an abusive marriage, she divorced her husband on December 28, 1922 in San Francisco. She married Clarence Keith Newitt 20 February 1925 in Redwood City, California. At the time of their marriage, they were both living in San Francisco. Mary was working as a maid at the time of their marriage. They lived in San Francisco. They are first found together in the San Francisco directories in 1927. They lived in San Francisco until her death in 1944.

Mary passed away on May 20, 1944 at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco. According to the Coroner's Register, she was brought to the hospital on May 16th and placed under observation. She was admitted for surgery on the morning of the 20th and placed under anesthesia, but passed away just prior to the surgery. She was buried at the Cypress Lawn Cemetery in Colma, just south of San Francisco.

Below are the available records that track Mary Newitt's life in San Francisco, California, including her marriage record to Keith Newitt and newspaper articles chronicling her divorce from her first husband.

Troopship Manifest for USAT Sheridan

 San Francisco Chronicle: December 29, 1922

 San Francisco Examiner: December 29, 1922

Oakland Tribune: December 28, 1922

Marriage record: Clarence Keith Newitt & Maria Lasacco

1930 Census - San Francisco, California

1940 Census, San Francisco, California

 SSN Application - 1942

Death Certificate

 

Coroner's Inquest

Gravestone

Mortuary Record

***Update November 22, 2020***

I just found another newspaper article for Mary's divorce. This article is from The San Francisco Call from December 28, 1922. In addition to adding another source for her divorce, this newspaper article also provides a photograph of Mary (any time you can find a photo of an ancestor, you have found a gem).