Emile Jake Dath >> Born 1888 >>Profile

What do we know about Emile Jake Dath? The information below was pulled from a variety of records. There are plenty of gaps to fill, but a picture is beginning to emerge. If you think you can add to the story (or correct it!), please post a comment and cite any sources or e-mail dathfamily2@verizon.net. Thank you!

EMILE JAKE DATH
Also known as Emile Jack Dath
DOB: 7/20/1888
Place of Birth: Brussels, Belgium is listed in various citizenship documents. Oral history says that he was was from Anderlecht, which is one of the 17 municipalities that comprise the city(state) of Brussels. However, his WWI Draft Registration Card lists Mulhausen, Alsace, which is part of France. It is unclear why the discrepency exists. His draft card also lists a conflicting birthday.

DOD: 1/1968
Place of Death: Fort Pierce, FL
Place of Burial: TBD
Father: Emmanuel (B: 10/10/1866)
Mother: Louise (B: About 1871)
Siblings: Gerard Henry Dath , August, Marie, Jeanne

PHYSICAL DETAILS
Gender: Male
Complexion: Medium
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 167

IMMEDIATE FAMILY
Spouse #1: Helene Vendermeeren (Born in France in about 1899. Daughter of Pierre Vendermeeren and Amelie Loquet. She worked in mill (Note: Emile worked in a mill at that same time).

Marriage #1: September 21, 1911 in Haverhill, MA. Married by E.M. Lake (Minister). Emile was 25 and Helene was 22. The marriage was registered in Lawrence, MA. At the time of the marriage he lived on 385 Essex (Newton?, MA) and she lived at 15 Chestnut.

Spouse#2: Zoe Poublon (B: 5/25/1895, Wevleghem, Belgium > D: 12/1980, Caldwell, NJ)

Marriage #2: About 1915; Age @ Marriage: About 27 (Spouse was 21)

Children:
#1 Louise (Dath) Gormley (B: 7/11/1915, NE)
#2 Robert Jake (B: 9/10/1917, MT > D: 9/11/2002, Grandview, Missouri)
#3 Edward Emile (B: 8/22/1920, MA > D: 10/9/1991, Unknown)
#4 Russell George (B: 5/7/22, PA > D: 2/1/1982, Drexel Hill, PA)
#5 Roy Alfred (B: 7/12/1923, PA > D: 5/1982, Barnstable, MA)
#6 Emile Jake Jr. (B: 10/18/1924, PA > D: 5/18/1988, Pompton Lakes, NJ)
#7 Muriel Zoe (Dath) Martin (B: About 1925, PA) (Note: Possibly Muriel Funk at one point?)
#8 Zoe Sarah (Dath) Wells (B: 6/21/1927, PA > D: 10/16/2002, FL)
#9 Irene Jane (Dath) Post (B: About 1927, PA)

IMMIGRATION DETAILS
Nationality: Belgium (Race: Flemish)
Last place of residence: Brussels
Port of departure: Antwerp
Date of departure: 3/27/1907
Age at arrival: 19
Date of Arrival: 4/4/1907
Port of Arrival: TBD
Ship: Kroonland
Manifest # : TBD
Arrived with the following: TBD
Marital status upon arrival: Single
Date of Citizenship/Admission: Jan. 5th 1920 (Certificate # 1260217; Petition # 44027)

RESIDENCES
Known residences:
#1) 6 Silver Lake Ave., Newton, MA;
#2) Nebraska (1915);
#3) Laurel, Montana (1917)
#4) 3946 Dennison Ave., Drexel Hill, PA (Likely moved here between 1920-1922). (Note: The building, which is substantial in size, still stands and is known as ABC Land Pre School and Day Care).

OCCUPATIONS & EMPLOYERS
#1 Mill Hand (Immigration papers)
#2 Northern Pacific Railway Co. appears to be the company listed on his WWI draft card. The railway did run through Laurel, MT where he resided when he registerd. His occupation appears to say, "mechanic."
#3 Kent Mfg. Company, Clifton Heights, PA. Job unclear. Possibly superindent. (Note: Captured in WWII Registration Card. Likely started between 1920 & 1922.) See a history of Upper Darby which profiles Kent mills and the area. Several Kent Mills structures still stand on E. Broadway and on New Street. Family history indicates that he "ran the mill" for a period. He was apparently well compensated for his period at the mill.

US MILITARY SERVICE
Served: Yes.
Years: WWI 3/28/1918 - 5/20/1919. His WWI draft registration card is available.
Branch: Unknown
Also registered for WWII draft

MISCELLANEOUS
Witnesses for Petition for Naturalization - Alexander Fox (Druggist) and Emmanuel Dath (Father but listed as "Overseer" in reference to his occupation).

Emile was a charter member of the Green Pond Yacht Club, in Green Pond, NJ. Several members of his family (Mrs. Emile Dath, Emile Dath Jr., Roy Dath, Eddie Dath, Russell Dath) are also listed as charter members. Murriel "Dulh" might be a reference to his daughter Murriel.

There is ample reason to suggest Emile was financially well off. Family stories indicate that he bought a new 12 passenger Buick every year and that the Green Pond, NJ house was a summer home for sailing, tennis, etc. He also spent money on owning horses.

Oral family tradition suggests that he was a Mason.

Zoe Poublon, his wife, was also born in Wevleghem, Belgium. She arrived onboard the Finland on 10/8/1912 (age 20 and 5 months)(See ship documents pt1 and pt 2. She intended to visit her sister, last name Gryspeerdl and actually traveled with her sister's daughter. Her sister lived in Passaic, New Jersey. Her father was Isidore Poublon. Oral family history suggests that she was among the youngest of a large Catholic family of 11 or more children. At least one brother, Emile, is known to have moved to the US. She spoke Flemish and French, and English. She might have learned English in the US. She is thought to have been a housekeeper in NYC for a time. How she came to meet Emile is not known.

Like most immigrants Emile and Zoe did not encourage their children to learn the language from their homeland. The story is they spoke Flemish (and some say French) to each other and only in front of the kids, if they didn’t want them to understand. It is believed that Emile spoke several languages including Flemish, French, German, English and at least one other.


SELECT SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
Petition for Naturalization for Emile Dath
Oath of Allegiance for Emile Dath
WWI draft card
WWII Draft Card
1910 Census (Rows 37-44)
1920 Census (Rows 44-47)
1930 Census (Rows 54-64)

Zoe (Dath) Wells, daughter of Emile Dath and Zoe (Poublon) Dath provided this detail in a 1996 letter: "I'll start with my mom. She was born in Flanders, Belgium. And she spoke Flemish. She went to school until she was 13 then she had to work as a house maid. My mom came to the states when she was 18, where she went to work in a woolen mill in Paterson, N.J. Mom met Dad while she was working there and they married two years later. There were 14 children in her family. Many came to the states. One of my Mom's sisters married a man (naturally) who owned a leather factory.

I'm not sure how old my Dad was when he came to the States. Dad was born in Brussels, Belgium. Dad had two brothers and two sisters. Dad spoke both Flemish and French. My Dad and his brothers served in World War I. His younger brother also served in World War II."