Notes
Note N8 Index
[Broderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 1 A-K, Ed. 7, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Date of Import: Jun 7, 2001, Internal Ref. #1.111.7.9508.189]
Individual: Armstron, John
Social Security #: 261-28-3406
Issued in: Florida
Birth date: Aug 21, 1884
Death date: Jun 1967
Residence code: Florida
ZIP Code of last known residence: 33801
Primary location associated with this ZIP Code:
Lakeland, Florida
Notes
Note N9 Index
'Aurelia' means golden. There was a St. Aurelia in the Middle Ages in Austria. She was a princess who joined a Benedictine abbey in Salzburg and remained a recluse there until her death in 1027.
In my life there was also an Aurelia--my mother, whose last years are shrouded in mystery.
Aurelia Naomi Tompkins was born August 5, 1911, in Bradenton, Manatee, Florida. She was the daughter of Nancy Elizabeth Joyner and Earl Tompkins. She grew up in Bradenton, Manatee, Florida. In 1930, Aurelia married John Melton Armstrong, son of John and Frances (Melton) Armstrong. John Melton Armstrong was born August 21, 1884 in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, MO.
Aurelia and John Armstrong had one child. I am that child, their daughter, Elizabeth Anne "Liz" Armstrong. I was born August 10, 1931, in Quincy, Gadsden County, FL.
Aurelia and John were divorced in 1934. I do know that my father, John Melton Armstrong, died June 19, 1967, in Lakeland, Polk County, FL.
Aurelia traveled much in her life and married several times. I have obtained information from the Social Security Office that provide the outline of her life from 1937 to her death. Earlier information comes from me as I lived it. After her divorce in 1934 from my father, Aurelia married James White who was born in Scotland about 1903. "Jimmy" White was a wonderful person who cared for me as though I were his daughter. I loved him dearly.
For reasons I do not know, Aurelia and "Jimmy" White were divorced. Shortly afterward, in 1937, Aurelia changed her name to Aurelia Joyner and had a new Social Security card issued showing that name.
After a while, Aurelia and "Jimmy" White remarried. I know that I was in Atlanta, GA, between 1936 and 1938 and I assume they remarried during that time..
In 1943, Aurelia and "Jimmy" White were again divorced. I was sent back to Bradenton, FL, to live with my maternal grandmother, Nancy (Joyner) Kempson. My next contact with "Jimmy" was 1950 when I come home on leave from the Air Force. I did meet his bride, Judy from England, who he had met during the war, about 1944. Judy was an ambulance driver. If I could have picked my father it would have been Jimmy, he was a very kind and wonderful person to me and everyone he met.
In 1945, Aurelia contacted the Social Security Administration and officially changed her name to Aurelia White.
In 1947, she again contacted the Social Security Administration and had her name changed to Aurelia Warren. This marriage was annulled as he did not bother to mention he was already married.
There is indication that Aurelia married an Aarseth in 1948 in Seattle, WA. In any event, in 1948 she contacted the Social Security Administration and had them change her name to Aurelia Aarseth. After their divorce, Aurelia moved to Reno, Nevada and then to New Orleans, Louisiana when -- suddenly -- she dropped from sight in April 1952. All contact ceased and attempts to establish contact failed.
Once it became obvious that something was terribly amiss, an intense search began through all possible avenues available to the family. We contacted Missing Persons and the Red Cross. I was in the United States Air Force at the time and contacted the FBI. J. Edgar Hoover wrote directly to me and, under his signature, informed me that the FBI had no information about Aurelia.
How could that be true? She had a top secret clearance in the Civil Service during World War II and was assigned to a Hickam Field, Hawaii after completing "blue print" school in Nevada. How could the FBI not know such facts that should be easily obtainable by them? Which leads to the most intriguing question of all: Why would the FBI deny knowledge of Aurelia?
(Just this moment, May 5, 2002, it occurred to me if they changed her name to Evelyn Young then they would not or could not tell me about Aurelia?)
Only one clue emerged from our frantic efforts to find Aurelia. In 1952, a former landlady in Reno, Nevada, sent us a return address for Aurelia. That address was for the Mississippi Atom Bomb Research site.
In 1954, Aurelia changed her name again with the Social Security Administration, only this time both her first and last names were changed. She became Evelyn M. Young.
There is an Evelyn Merritt Young in our family, and we strongly suspect Aurelia drew upon her family history for her new name. From subsequent research we have learned that the federal government did help employees involved in highly sensitive work change their complete identities in order to protect them and their family members from blackmail and threats.
Is this what happened to Aurelia? Aurelia had a photographic memory and should have been quite valuable in the super-spy-charged atmosphere of the Cold War period. Was she being protected? Did she perhaps know things or learn things that put her life in danger? Who, if anyone, was after her? And why?
In 1963, Evelyn/Aurelia married William G. Brose. William G. Brose was born November 24, 1910 and died in September, 1984 in Los Angeles.
Aurelia herself died January 2, 1983 in the hospital in Twenty-Nine Palms, California. The name on her death certificate is Evelyn M. Brose, Social Security number 253-18-4409. Her birth date (August 5, 1911) was correctly given. She was, however, listed as a widow whose birthplace was unknown. Her father's name was recorded as William H. Young and Nancy Turner was listed as her mother. Sylvester M. Byrd was recorded as Executor with the address Route 2, POB 100A, Twenty-Nine Palms, CA 92277.
If you know, or even think you might know, anything about Aurelia or any of the people involved in her, please contact me. I only want to solve the mysteries surrounding my Aurelia.
Information on Death Certificate , Dist #3600, Cert. # 00023, 1/2/1983:
Evelyn M. Brose, SS# 253-18-4409
Born 8/5/1911 Widow Birthplace unknown
Father: William H. Young Mother: Nancy Turner
Name and address of informant at the hospital in Twenty-Nine Palms, CA
Sylvester M. Byrd, Executor
St. Rt. 2, P.O. Box 100A
Twenty-Nine Palms, CA 92277
This is a "time-line" of confirmed information:
(Remember women change their names after marriage when they work.)
1930 married John Melton Armstrong, divorced 1934
1934 married James White, divorced
1937 Aurelia Joyner (changed name SS)
19?? married James White second time, divorced 1943
1945 Aurelia White (changed name SS)
1947 Aurelia Warren (changed name SS) marriage annulled, he was already married.
1948 Aurelia Aarseth (changed name SS) married Aarseth 1948
1952 dropped from sight
1954 Evelyn M. Young (changed name SS)
1963 married William G. Brose who died 1984 in CA.
1983 died in CA
One added fact, Aurelia never collected any money from Social Security, no record of any payments anywhere.