Teresa McRae

I found while researching yet once again, a 1940 census that I had put aside for later viewing. As I perused this census, the proverbial light bulb went off in my head. “Eureka!”, I said,” I’ve found it.” No, not really but I was excited. Here’s why.Miami 1930

On this census, it lists a number of things that I had been wondering about.

1. The name on the census is Mary Luthe. Remember Marie Luthy, who Harry Jr. went to live with in 1940, after his father, Harry Sr. supposedly killed his mother. Well, this Mary Luthe was first of all, not Marie Luthy, who was in Wisconsin in 1940.

2. And this really held some weight with me, Mary is living on NW 4th Street in Miami. She has lived there since 1935, listed as her residence on census.  Harry and Mary Hill live on NW 4th Street in 1935. Since I am from this area, I know exactly where they lived and it was easy to put the Directory info from Harry and Mary in 1930 to the 1940 census info from Mary Luthe.

3. This is a bit tricky. On the 1940 census, Mary Luthe lists her birth date as 1913. Mary Hill in the 1930 census lists her birthdate as1908. Five years difference. Here is what I think happened with this. Mary Hill lied about her age. Why, she was only 17 in 1930 if born in 1913. Maybe she would have needed parental consent? I’m not sure but I do know that Harry Sr. also lied on the 1930 census about his age, adding 5 years also!

I’m almost 100% sure that Mary Luthe is Mary Hill. Why she used the last name Hill is because it is either a previous married name, she states on the 1930 census that she had a first marriage at 15. Or, it may be made up. Or, Luthe could be an earlier married name, but I don’t think so.

I think Mary Luthe, for whatever reason, listed herself as Mary Hill. Then when she and Harry Sr. divorced in 1935, he left, she stayed where they had lived. Harry next married a woman in Broward County, not too far away but too far for him to be living in MIami. So, I think he left, she stayed and at some point, Mary gave Harry Jr. to her relative Marie Luthy. This is consistent with Harry Jr. saying he went to live up north with an Aunt, which is what he told me in the short time I knew him Why she did this, I don’t know but it is consistent with the giving up on children on both sides of my family. It was just after the Depression, so maybe Mary could no longer care for Harry.

Mary Luthe also lists herself as a lodger on the 1940 census. There is also a young man living there as a lodger. Hmmm….

Well, if not solving the murder mystery, ay least I have gotten closer than I ever was. I’m sure I now know who Mary Hill was.