William Barker Engle's Death Certificate

Yesterday I introduced you to William Barker Engle. He and his brother, Charles, were bachelors all of their lives. And they lived in the same house together for about 20 years at 1308 Marengo Avenue in South Pasadena, California. Charles passed away in their home in 1946. William passed away four years later in 1950. But, he did not pass away at his home. How do I know this? Because of the valuable document I'm sharing with you today. It's William's death certificate.



But, before I share the information contained in this document, I want to make the point that the information contained in this document is only as accurate as the person providing the information for it. For instance, who was the informant? Were they a close family member? Or was it someone unfamiliar with William's family history?

With that in mind, let's see what information we can glean from William's death certificate.

1. Full Name: William Barker Engle
2. Date of Death: June 1, 1950 at 4:30 AM
3. Sex: Male
4. Color or Race: Caucasian
5. Married, Never Married, Widowed, Divorced: Never Married
6. Date of Birth: September 23, 1867
7. Age: 82
8. Usual Occupation: Agent, Life Ins
9. Kind of Business or Industry: Life Insurance
10. Birthplace: (Unknown) Ohio
11. Citizen of What Country: USA
12. Name of Father & Birthplace: Richard Engle, Plymouth, Ohio
13. Maiden Name of Mother & Birthplace: Sarah Amanda Watreman (should be Waterman, probably a typo), Coolville, Ohio
14. Name of Spouse: None
15. Was Deceased Ever in U.S. Armed Forces: No
16. Social Security Number: None
17. Informant: Mrs. Ella Gray (Sister)
18. Place of Death
1. City or Town: Rural Puente
2. Length of Stay (In This Place): 4 Months
3. County: Los Angeles
4. Full Name and Address of Hospital Or Institution: El Encanto Rest Home, 15400 East Valley Blvd.
19. Usual Residence
1. Street Address: 1308 Marengo Ave.
2. City or Town: South Pasadena
3. County: Los Angeles
4. State: Calif.
20. Cause of Death
1. Disease or Condition Directly Leading to Death: Cerebral Arteriosclerosis prior to 11/28/49
2. Other Significant Conditions: General Arteriosclerosis prior to 11/28/? (Having a difficult time deciphering the year.)
21. Autopsy: NO
22. Burial Date: June 6, 1950
23. Cemetery: Mountain View Cemetery, Altadena

The informant for William's death was his sister, Ella Eliza (Engle) Gray.

It's interesting that only four years after Charles Engle's death, the California death certificate form had changed. William's death certificate was different from his brother Charles' death certificate.

Also interesting to note is that William's occupation was listed as a life insurance agent at the time of his death. In the 1940 census, he was listed as a real estate salesman. But, he had been a life insurance agent for many years before that.

William passed away at El Encanto Rest Home in Puente, California. And he was there for four months before he died. In the 1940 census, William and his brother Charles had two lodgers living with them. I wonder if William had lodgers living with him after his brother Charles passed away in 1946. And if he did, I wonder if these lodgers stayed at his home after William went to live at the rest home. Also, what happened to this home after his death? Did it stay in the family or was it sold?

I checked on Zillow.com and according to this website, the Engle's home at 1308 Marengo Avenue in South Pasadena was built in 1910 and was last remodeled in 1912. The last time it was sold was in 1979. Unfortunately, it didn't show sales data prior to 1979. It would have been very interesting to see when William's mother, Sarah, bought the house. I know she and her sons, Charles and William, were living there by 1920, because 1308 Marengo Avenue was their address in the 1920 census.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

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