Hans Henry Jurgens

Hans Jurgens was my grandfather and the son of Johann Jurgens from his second marriage.

Early Years

Here are two photos of Hans in his school classrooms in Brooklyn, New York. In the first photo, Hans is seated in the third row from the left, the sixth student from the front. On the blackboard in the back of the classroom "class 1a" is written. This is his first grade class photo.

Hans is in the third row from the left, the sixth student from the front.

In the second photo, Hans is in the far right row, the fourth student from the front. I'm guessing this is his second grade class photo.

Hans is in the far right row, the fourth student from the front.

Other photos of Hans as a child appear in the earlier blog, Family Photographs.

Places Lived

Hans was born on July 20, 1900, in Hoboken, New Jersey. His registered name at birth was Heinrich Hans Luthjens. The mystery behind his birth was explained in an earlier blog. See Family Records of Johann Jurgens. Throughout his life Hans used the name Hans Henry Jurgens.

In 1900, the family lived in Hoboken, New Jersey. Then they appeared in the 1905 New York census in Brooklyn, New York. In the 1910 census, the family lived in Chicago, Illinois, but reappeared in Queens, New York in the 1915 New York census.

On September 12, 1918, Hans registered with the U.S. draft board. He was living in Queens, New York and worked as a chauffeur for a cab company.

WW1 draft registration card, 1918, page 1.

WW1 draft registration card, 1918, page 2.

The first photo of Hans as a young man was taken when he lived in Clinton, South Carolina, just after Johann traveled several times to work in Havana, Cuba during the years 1918-1920. Perhaps Hans went with him, but I was unable to find a passport application for Hans (available through 1925) or locate him on ship passenger records. Family lore is that Hans had gone to Cuba at some point. Then, records revealed that in January of 1958, one year before the end of the Cuban revolution and the overthrow of Bautista, Hans was a Pan Am Airways passenger in a flight from Havana to Miami. Perhaps that was his first trip to Cuba. He also traveled to Lima, Peru, in 1952.

The photo was taken in August, 1920, and Clinton, South Carolina was written on the back of the photo.

Hans at age 20 in Clinton, South Carolina.

Tracking Hans's location further, Hans appears in the January 13, 1920 census living in Queens and working as a driver for an express company. His mother may have reported him as living in Queens even if he was temporarily living in Cuba or South Carolina. Sometime in the 1920's Hans moved to Chicago.

Hans in 1924

Gymnastics

During his twenties, Hans Jurgens was a member of the Chicago Turn-Gemeinde, a German American social club founded in 1852 for the intellectual, cultural and physical well-being of its members, who were primarily middle-class and professional men. Over one dozen turner societies existed in the greater Chicago area. They came together on weekends at the Turner Camp located at the Fox River, which began in 1919 with tent accommodations and was gradually enlarged and improved with cottages and other facilities. It still exists today on 102 acres.

Hans's specialty was gymnastics. He may have started gymnastics instruction at a younger age than his twenties. Family lore is that Hans once asked his father if he could join the Barnum and Bailey Circus. It wasn't permitted.

Hans on the vault

Hans on the parallel bars

Hans at Turner Camp. He is second from left. The first person on the left is

Wally Baker, the brother of Hans's first wife, Mildred.

First Marriage

Hans Jurgens and Mildred Baker were married on June 28, 1928. Mildred Baker was a member of a different Turner Camp social club, Turn-Verein Vorwaerts, where a wedding reception was held on June 30, 1928. Mildred's extended family owned a house on the Fox River near the Turner Camp where the social clubs vacationed and where her family gathered on weekends and during the summers. Mildred, who was age 22 at the time of the marriage, worked as a bookkeeper for an engineering company. Hans was age 27 when they married.

Hans and Mildred on their honeymoon

Marriage license of Hans and Mildred Baker

Marriage announcement in the Turn-Verein Vorwaerts newsletter is on page 2, third item.

Hans and Mildred had one child, a son named Kenneth Walter Jurgens, who was born on June 26, 1929. Unfortunately, the marriage didn't last. They divorced on April 8, 1931. Hans moved to St. Louis after the divorce and then to New York.

Visits with His Son

Hans kept in contact with his son, Ken. They played golf together when Ken was older.

Hans with son, Ken

Ken and Hans

Death of Parents

Hans's mother, Elly Mueller Jurgens, died in April 1932 in Brooklyn, New York at the age of 53. Elly and her husband, Johann Jurgens, were separated. Hans was always close with his mother.

Hans with his mother, Elly Mueller Jurgens

Hans's father, Johann Jurgens, died in January, 1935. Hans and Johann had been estranged but were reconciled shortly before Johann's death. See the blog post Johann Jurgens's Death.

Second Marriage

While living in St. Louis, Hans met Guy Martin, a New York City nightclub dancer who was performing in St. Louis for a period of time. Before 1935, Hans moved to New York City where Guy introduced Hans to his sister, Margaret Elizan Martin, aka Margaret Gary (may have been a stage name), who was also a nightclub dancer. In the 1940 census, Guy and Hans lived next door to each other in the Embassy Hotel in New York City. Their occupations were dancer for stage and hotels and lithographer in the printing business. Also living there between them was Ann Martin, age 22, occupation dancer. That is the correct age for Margaret; no other sibling is near her age. While "Ann" was listed as single; Hans was shown as married. Hans and Margaret supposedly married, but the date and place of the marriage, and subsequent divorce, are unknown. Margaret was always referred to as his wife by the family. Sometime around 1957, Hans moved to Miami, Florida.

Hans and Margaret, 1957

Margaret was born in 1917 in Van Alystane, Grayson County, Texas. She was the youngest of seven children. An older brother, Guy Maston Martin born in 1905, was a popular nightclub dancer in St. Louis and New York City. Before 1940, Margaret followed him to New York. Margaret's dance partner was named Ginger.

During the 1950's, Margaret traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1951 and to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1952.

Ginger and Margaret

Margaret, Hans and Ginger

Margaret with her brother, Guy Martin

Newspaper clippings about Guy Martin reveal some of his performances. In 1929, two articles appeared. "Guy Martin in musical comedy 'Take it Easy' at the Majestic Theatre in Brooklyn" and later in Manhattan. "Guy Martin in variety show 'Something New Under the Sun" at the E. F. Albee Theatre. In 1936, "Guy Martin, dancer at the Cocoanut Grove of the Park Central, has a big following from Brooklyn." Guy gets top billing in 1936, "A new revue, wistfully labeled 'Tropicana,' was presented in the Cocoanut Grove at the Park Central with Guy Martin... performing." In 1939, Guy Martin directs a vaudeville show at the World's Fair Globe Theatre. In 1941, "Guy Martin Girls held over by popular demand at the Moulin Rouge." Then in 1947, "A talented Guy Martin chorus line has joined the Iceland's lively revue." Guy Martin died in New Jersey in 2003. Margaret died in 1989 in New York.

Guy Martin

Lithographer and Photographer

Hans earned his living as a lithographer and a portrait photographer. His business in 1965 was American Color Offset, 505 N.W. 103rd Street, Miami, FL.

Hans with portrait studio camera, 1938

Hans's trick photography

Sports Activities

Besides Hans's gymnastics interest, he was also an excellent golfer. In an article published in the New York Times on August 5, 1953, Hans finished fifth in a Metropolitan Golf Association one-day 18-hole golf tournament in New Jersey. Hans had a score of 84, a 12 handicap, and 72 par.

Hans while golfing

While living in Florida, Hans was a member of a dancing group. According to family lore, he was a regular dancer at a dancing club where women paid to dance with the men. He was very popular as a dance partner.

Hans always looked young for his age. When Hans's nephew was visiting him around the time of his 70th birthday, Hans told him to go easy on his age as employees at his business had just celebrated his 50th birthday.

Hans's dancing group, 1976. Hans is fourth from the left.

Hans was also an excellent springboard diver, even in his later years. In Miami, he lived in an oceanfront apartment with a swimming pool, where he often displayed his diving skills.

Third Marriage

In September, 1961, Hans married Gertrude "Trudi" M. Wilkinson in Dade County, Florida. They divorced in December, 1965.

Hans and Trudi

Trudi

Hans's Death

Hans died of cardiac arrest in March, 1978. He also had prostate cancer at the time. His son, Ken Jurgens, was with him in his final days.

Death certificate of Hans Jurgens

References

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 7 Feb 1936. (Guy Martin reference)*

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 17 Apr 1947. (Guy Martin reference)*

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 28 Oct 1941. (Guy Martin reference)*

Brooklyn Life, 18 May 1929. (Guy Martin reference)*

Brooklyn Life, 19 Oct 1929. (Guy Martin reference)*

New York Times, 8 Feb 1936, Night Club Notes. (Guy Martin reference)*

New York Times, 22 July 1939. (Guy Martin reference)*

New York Times, 5 Aug 1953, "Attas Tallies 74 for 2-shot Margin," p. 30, (golf tournament reference).

*Sorry, I do not have the complete reference.

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