The Jordan Story

Herbert and Elizabeth Jordan Chapters

The Herbert and Elizabeth Jordan Family

by Dave Jordan

Herbert Jordan

Herbert Arthur Jordan was born at 1453 Fillmore Street, Chicago, Illinois on July 24, 1898. His father was James Oscar Jordan and his mother was Margaret Jane Knowles. James and Margaret were married December 30, 1896 in Chicago. Herbert's father was raised in Poplar England and came to Chicago in the mid-1880s. His mother was born in Montreal and immigrated with her family in the late 1880s. Herbert had three brothers and one sister. They were Florence (circa 1900), Edward (circa 1902), Charles (1903) and Arthur (circa 1904). When Herbert was young, the family lived in the same neighborhood he was born, which is now near the Chicago Circle Campus. Herbert's Grandma Jordan and Great-Grandma Steward and Uncle James Jordan lived nearby.

As the years went by, the marriage became strained and James Oscar was said to have left the family a couple of times. One his father went to stay with his half-brother James in Madison, Wisconsin. Things became worse and in November 1911, Herbert's mother took the children and left to be on her own. Herbert was 13 at the time and his youngest brother was 7.

This change of events had a significant affect on Herbert's life. He was unable to attend high school, as he had to go to work to bring in money for his mom and the younger children. He learned to play the drums and accompanied his mother who played the piano at the Nickelodeons and Silent Movies of the times. Herbert had an interest in formal boxing as a youth and of note is that in 1915 he boxed with Terrible Terry McGovern, the Lightweight Champ.

In 1916 Herbert became a clerk at Morris and Company. The company was later called Armour Co. and was a huge meat company in the Chicago Stockyards. Many of our Jordan, Page, Ulrich, and Gainowski relatives worked there. In 1917, Herbert was a cashier there. It was while he was at Morris and Company that he met his future wife, Elizabeth also a cashier.

Elizabeth Pajewski

Elizabeth Marie Pajewski was born 8 December 1895 in Chicago Illinois and she was baptized at St. Augustine on December 15th. Her parents John Pajewski and Anna Gainowski were married just a few years before in April 1893 and Elizabeth was their second child. Her older brother George was born in July 1894. Both her parents were German immigrants with Polish sounding names but in fact they were of German origin. They spoke German and had German culture and ways. Her father arrived in this country about 1885 and her mother had arrived the following year with her family. Her father was about 20 when he arrived and her mother was 15 when she arrived.

Elizabeth's brothers and sisters were George (1894), Wilhelm (1897), Anna Rosalia (1900), Edward (1902), Frederick (1904), Anna (1905), and John (1907). Unfortunately in 1908, baby John Jr. died at 8 months.

Initially Elizabeth lived with her parents in the same building with her Gainowski grandparents at 1540 W. 49th Place. Her family lived here quite a while but with the growing family it was time to move and in 1906 they moved to larger quarters at 6037 S. Hermitage. The family moved again in 1913 to 5950 Laflin, probably for more space.

It is thought that Elizabeth only finished grade school, which was typical for girls of the times. Assuming she was 13 when she graduated, the year would have been 1909. After that she went to work. From conversations with her, we learned that she worked in a sweater factory in downtown Chicago at age 14. This may have been her first job. She then worked in an ice cream factory in Chicago and then as a cashier in department store, possibly Carson's in the Chicago Loop where she sat in a big cage to collect the money. Later she was a cashier at Morris and Company (later called Armour Meat Company) and in 1917 a waitress. It was at Morris that she met her future husband Herbert who also worked there. The estimated year is about 1916. Perhaps he saw her each day while going for lunch and struck up a conversation and one thing led to another.

Herbert and Elizabeth Jordan

Herbert and Elizabeth were married on 21 August 1918 at St. Raphael in Chicago. Elizabeth's witness was her sister Rose and Herbert's witness was Charles Pettele, probably a friend. On their marriage application, Herbert made himself 21 instead of 20 and Elizabeth made herself 20 instead of 22. They continued this ruse of him being older throughout their lives as he would regularly say he was born in 1897 instead of 1898 and she would say she was born in 1898 instead of 1895.

Herbert was a WW I private from November 7, 1918 (the day of the false Armistice) to January 1919, possibly before. He was sent to Lookout Mountain near Georgia and trained as a cook. In the fall of 1918, he became sick with influenza (my grandmother called it "Swine Flu") just before he was to go overseas to be part of the Army of Occupation. This particular influenza was major and worldwide in scope and killed millions of people. Ed Jordan said that his father was flat on his back for six weeks and nearly died. Herbert, of course, survived and as a result never went overseas and he returned home to Chicago in January 1919. The heirs of Harold Jordan have the discharge papers with all the dates and locations.

During their courtship, Elizabeth insisted that Herbert become Catholic or she would not marry him. Herbert agreed and completed his Catholic religious instruction in Westover, Pennsylvania about 1917. It is not clear why this was in Westover or if he was baptized there. I thought he might have received his catholic instruction while posted with the army in Westover but other information indicates that he went into the army after his marriage. Possibly he did some early training there before went to Lookout Mountain near Georgia. It is hoped that the discharge papers might clear some of this up.

Herbert and Elizabeth had three children, all boys. Harold was born in May 1919, Herbert in June 1920, and Edward in September 1922. The family moved many times throughout their lives and the boys once said that they moved 17 times. A listing of all known addresses can be found on the Herbert and Elizabeth Jordan Address Page.

Herbert had a variety of jobs throughout his life. Although they were relatively on the poor side and always moving one step ahead of the bill collector, my dad always said that Herbert always had a job. Unfortunately he would spend his money buying drinks for everyone at the bar or starting businesses that went bankrupt.

As follows is a partial list of Herbert's jobs. He was a bookkeeper at Morris and Company and also the Rock Island Railroad. This appears to be just after the war. In 1923 he was a machinist. And in 1923 he started a long run as a streetcar motorman from 1923-1935. Herbert also put basements under houses with John Page his father-in-law and Eddie Page, his wife's brother in the 1920s. Later Herbert started a couple of hamburger restaurants/stands in either the late 1920s or early 1930s. About 1935 he became a mailman until about 1942. In 1942 he temporarily moved to California and worked for a short time in a defense plant. He liked it there and came back to Chicago to get Elizabeth and they permanently moved there from Chicago. Shortly thereafter he became a self-employed home construction contractor in California. He continued in home construction for the rest of his life. As part of the contracting he would manage the job, hire subcontractors and do much of the carpentry himself. In the mid-1950s, he again got in trouble financially as many builders do and he went bankrupt again.

Restaurant Businesses

The hamburger restaurant businesses were at 69th Halsted and 63rd and Ashland. Herbert had his wife, Elizabeth cook the hamburgers. The business at 63rd and Ashland was a partnership with his brother Eddie. Herbert had trouble running his own businesses and he declared bankruptcy on one of these restaurant businesses in 1931. The other may have gone bankrupt also, although no record has been found. There was also a falling out with his brother Eddie over the business and Herbert felt that Eddie wasn't being careful with his share of the business.

The records for the 1931 bankruptcy have been obtained. They do not state the business but there are sheets of paper listing creditors and do imply that a business was involved. The bankruptcy was filed on February 24, 1931 and Herbert stated that he was a motorman in Chicago and that he lived at 7218 S. Hoyne. After that there were a long series of meetings with the bankruptcy referee and the creditors. There was money due for store fixtures, soda fountain fixtures and service, chinaware, a cash register, linen supply, ice cream equipment, gas, painting signs in the windows, dairy products, the building lease, and workers. These claims totaled $8839.51. Some of these assets almost imply that it was an ice cream store or a soda fountain. Herbert listed his assets as two pieces of front room set, upright piano, two beds, dining room and six chairs, overcoat and two suits of clothes all of which is subject to a Chattel Mortgage of an unpaid balance of $260. He shows a net of $100 in assets. On the 15th day of March 1932, the bankruptcy referee signed the final papers on the history of this case and it appears that Herbert was declared bankrupt. It is unknown if he had to sell his possessions.

The Move to California

Through conversations and old records a little more is known about the move to California. Sometime around 1942 Herbert appears to have quit his job as a mailman. It is not known why. Shortly thereafter he applied for his social security number and in October 1942 he stated that he was unemployed. Shortly thereafter he traveled to California and worked in a Defense plant, leaving Elizabeth in Chicago with the three boys who were mostly on there own by now. Over the winter of 1942-1943, Elizabeth slipped and fell on the Chicago ice near her home and broke her leg. With the boys working or off to war, Herbert needed to return to help care for her. Herbert must have liked California as they then both moved there in the summer or late fall of 1943. Sons Herbert and Edward were in the Army Air Force and Harold remained in Chicago to be with his fiancée. Within a few years Harold also moved to California.

Herbert lived in California for almost 25 years until his death on 26 April 1967 at age 69. Herbert Jordan died of a myocardial infarction (heart attack). He had generalized arteriosclerosis for 20 years and diabetes mellitus for about 40 years. He is buried at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Section C, Block 261 and Grave 9. Elizabeth lived another 20 years mostly on her own in California. However, two of her sons and many of her grandchildren lived nearby. She died on 9 July 1987 at age 91. She was the sweetest old lady.

Notes

1. Initial Web Publication Date: 7/6/2002
2. Modified: 8/24/2002
3. Desktop Master file: Stories_Jordan