Josephine Marguerite Morlas

1905 - 1983  (78 years)

• Name	Josephine Marguerite Morlas  [1]
  Born	13 Apr 1905	New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Died	6 Sep 1983	McAlester, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma   [1]
  Buried	Camargo (Westside) Cemetery, Camargo, Dewey County, Oklahoma
  Notes	In his biography of his mother, Keith McGuire wrote that she was born in her parents home at 6333 South Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans. She was baptized at the Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, and later attended school at Holy Name, less than 20 blocks from her home. She attended High School at the Holy Name of Jesus, graduating in June 1923. She received credits for both four years of Latin and four years of French After she completed High School, she enrolled with her cousin, Hazel Roquevert, at the Charity Hospital in New Orleans to study nursing. They soon decided that this was not their vocation, and jointly terminated their enrollment. Most summers were spent visiting Lucine and Grady Quinn in Sturgis, Mississippi and vactioning with their family on the Gulf Coast at Biloxi. In the summer of 1929, however, Josephine went to Europe with her Mother, younger sisters Vivian and Eleanor, and cousin Stella O'Brien. They travelled by Ocean Liner on a tour "especially prepared for a Party of Five Ladies" by the American Express World Service Travel Department. The group left for Europe on June 3, 1929, the ocean voyage itself taking several weeks. While in Europe, they toured France, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and then returned to France. On their return voyage, they stopped in both Santender, Spain and Havana, Cuba. They arrived home again on September 10, 1929. Pat Strong writes that it was the following summer, while vacationing on the Gulf Coast, that Josephine met, fell in love and eloped with her husband Keith McGuire. Shortly afterwards they were married in a Catholic church in New Orleans. Vivian was a witness at both weddings. Josephine left her family in New Orleans to be with her husband in Oklahoma, which was where they raised their children, Keith and Pat. Josephine always kept in close touch with her family, being an excellent and reliable correspondent. She also saw her family occasionally over the years. Pat remembers her mother as being a social force in Camargo. She was very outgoing and loved to entertain and give parties, something not many other mothers did. She also wrote the "Camargo News" column for the Vici Beacon. She later worked for this newspaper after her husband died. When Josephine was suddenly left widowed at age 42, she had only a small inheritance from her mother (some $1,400) and the proceeds from the sale of Keith's welding shop to help support her family. Even though she had never worked outside the home before, after her husbands death it became necessary for her to work. She had several different jobs over the years as a U.S. Census enumerator, as a clerk in a newspaper office, as a saleslady in department stores, and mainly as a waitress in restaurants and coffee shops. In her later years, she and her second husband, Kenneth, did custodian work for a number of offices as well. After her youngest child Pat graduated from high school, Josephine moved to Weatherford, Oklahoma and worked while Pat attended Southwestern State College. After Pat graduated, they moved to Mooreland where Pat taught school for two years. When Pat moved to Stillwater to work on her master's degree at Oklahoma State University, Josephine moved to Woodward and continued working. Josephine married Kenneth Carpenter, who had been a friend of her late husband, shortly before Pat married Charles Strong, a fellow student at Oklahoma State University. Even though it was not easy for Josephine after her first husband died and in her later years, she seemed to get a lot of pleasure out of everything she did in life. Carpenter, 77 Funeral services for Mrs. Kenneth (Josephine) Carpenter, 77, 923 1/2 Cherry, Woodward, will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Stecher Mortuary Chapel. The Rev. Michael Wheelahan of St. Peter's Catholic Church will officiate and burial will be in Camargo Cemetery. She was born in New Orleans, La., April 13, 1906 (sic) and died in a McAlester Hospital late Tuesday following a lengthy illness. She attended school at Holy Name Academy in New Orleans. She later taught school at the Academy and St. Rita's school in New Orleans. On July 30 (sic), 1930 she was married to Keith David McGuire at Biloxi, Mississippi, and they moved to Camargo, where he was killed in an airplane accident on January 4, 1948. She moved to Woodward where on September 1, 1956 she was married to Kenneth Carpenter, and he preceded her in death on December 30, 1981. She was a member of the Catholic Church. She is survived by a son Keith McGuire, McAlester; a daughter, Mrs. Patricia Marion Strong, Edenburg (sic), Tex.,; three sisters Mrs. (sic) Juliet Morlas, Mrs. Vivian Schoenfeld, and Mrs. Eleanor Rohli, New Orleans; 10 grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. (Published in The Woodward Daily Press, Wednesday, September 7, 1983; copy courtesy of Keith McGuire) Josephine's date of birth was April 13, 1905. This meant she was not quite a month older than her husband, Keith. The thought of being even slightly older than her husband was so upsetting that Josephine immediately began to report her date of birth as one year later than in actually was, reporting it as April 13, 1906. Even her death certificate and obituary reflected this incorrect year. (Medical):Chronic and acute pancreatitis, micronodular cirrhosis, with no evidence of any cancer of malignancy.
  Person ID	I174	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	30 Nov 2020

  
  

  Father	John Dominic Morlas,   b. 25 Aug 1865, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana ,   d. 14 Feb 1923, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana  (Age 57 years)
  Mother	Lucine Roquevert,   b. 28 Jan 1869, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana ,   d. 16 Feb 1946, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana  (Age 77 years)
  Married	28 May 1888	St. Stephen's Church, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana   [1]
  Photos		Morlas Family Reunion, New Orleans, 1987 Over 120 family members were present for this reunion, most of them descended from John Dominic Morlas and Lucine Roquevert of New Orleans
  Albums		Morlas Siblings & Cousins Reunions (9) Held in New Orleans starting in 1927
  Family ID	F176	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Keith David McGuire, Sr.,   b. 7 May 1905, Red Creek Farm, Dewey County, Oklahoma ,   d. 4 Jan 1948, Camargo, Dewey County, Oklahoma  (Age 42 years)
  Married	16 Jul 1930	Biloxi, Harrison County, Mississippi
  	Eloped after meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi. Keith was working for the phone company. Josephine was on vacation with her family. On July 26, 1930, they repeated their vows in the Catholic Church.
  Children	1. Keith David McGuire, Jr,   b. 30 Jan 1932, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana ,   d. 27 Nov 2020, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas  (Age 88 years)   2. Patricia Marion McGuire,   b. 30 Oct 1933, Camargo, Dewey County, Oklahoma ,   d. 16 Mar 2018, Edinburg, Hidalgo County, Texas  (Age 84 years)
  Photos		McGuire, Keith David ca 1938 and family Keith McGuire with his wife, the former Josephine Morlas, and their children, Keith Jr. and Patsy, ca 1938, Camargo, Oklahoma
  Documents » Slide Show		Morlas, Josephine Civil marriage to Keith D. McGuire, 16 July 1930 Jo and Keith were married after meeting at a dance in Mississippi
  		Morlas, Josephine Sacramental Marriage to Keith D. McGuire Josephine and Keith solemnized their wedding vows at St. Rita Church in New Orleans exactly one week after their elopement in Mississippi
  		McGuire Home, Camargo, Oklahoma Home of Keith, Josephine, Keith Jr. and Pat McGuire, Camargo Oklahoma during the 1940's
  Last Modified	7 Jun 2011
  Family ID	F10	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	John Kenneth Carpenter,   b. 10 Jun 1899, Iowa ,   d. 30 Dec 1981, Woodward, Woodward County, Oklahoma  (Age 82 years)
  Married	1 Sep 1956	Woodward, Woodward County, Oklahoma
  Last Modified	9 Dec 2006
  Family ID	F175	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 13 Apr 1905 - New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana Married - 16 Jul 1930 - Biloxi, Harrison County, Mississippi Married - 1 Sep 1956 - Woodward, Woodward County, Oklahoma Died - 6 Sep 1983 - McAlester, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma Buried - - Camargo (Westside) Cemetery, Camargo, Dewey County, Oklahoma  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Morlas, Josephine ca 1916 Josephine was the ninth of thirteen children born to John Dominic Morlas and Lucine Roquevert
  		Morlas, Lucine and daughters This formal portrait of Mms. Morlas and her daughters was taken around 1918 in New Orleans. Her husband and her four sons were not pictured. Back Row (l to r): Eugenia, Juliet, Leontine, Clothilde Front Row (l to r): Estelle, Josephine, Eleanor, Mme. Lucine Roquevert Morlas, Vivian, Lucille
  		Morlas, Eugenia and Josephine Sisters Jenny and Josephine Morlas before 1920
  		Morlas, Josephine ca 1929 Josephine prior to her European Cruise in the Summer of 1929. This scan was made from a xerox of the original photo owned by Keith McGuire, accounting for its poor quality.
  		Morlas, Josephine ca 1930's This was probably after her marriage to Keith McGuire in 1930
  		McGuire, Josephine (Morlas) with her daughter, Pat, ca 1934 Josephine with her only daughter, Patsy McGuire.
  		McGuire, Keith David Jr ca 1934 with his sister and mother Keith, Pat and Josephine
  		McGuire, Keith David Jr ca 1936 with his mother and sister, Patricia Josephine (Morlas) McGuire with her children, Keith and Patsy, playing in the snow, ca 1936, Oklahoma
  		Morlas, Josephine ca 1940 The wife of Keith David McGuire B. 1905 Louisiana D. 1983 Oklahoma
  		Morlas Siblings Children of John Morlas and Lucine Roquevert Back Row: Leon Morlas, Juliet Morlas, Paul Morlas, Jennie (Morlas) Bishop, John Morlas, Leontine (Morlas) Zahn, Eleanor (Morlas) Rohli, Louis Morlas. Front Stella (Morlas) Trapani, Vivian (Morlas) Schoenfeld, Josephine (Morlas) McGuire, and Lucille (Morlas) Quinn. Only their sister Clothilde (Morlas) Bordes was missing. Since Clothilde had died in 1938, the photo was presumably taken after this date. It could very well have been taken at their 1951 reunion.
  		Morlas Sister Reunion, likely 1951 Josephine visiting with her sisters on a trip to New Orleans
  		McGuire, Patricia ca 1957 marriage to Charles Richard Strong, Stillwater, Oklahoma 5 of 10 The bride and groom with their parents, l to r, Keith McGuire, Jr, Kenneth Carpenter, Josephine Morlas McGuire Carpenter, the newly wed Pat and Charles Strong, Anna Laura Payne Strong, and Homer Strong
  		McGuire, Patricia ca 1957 marriage to Charles Richard Strong, Stillwater, Oklahoma 6 of 10 Pat and Charles with her mother and a few of her Aunts from New Orleans l to r: Eleanor Morlas Rohli, Josephine Morlas McGuire Carpenter, Charles Strong, Pat McGuire Strong, Jenny Morlas Bishop and Vivian Morlas Schoenfeld PLEASE HELP US VERIFY THAT PAT'S AUNTS ARE ALL CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED
  		Strong, Patricia McGuire, ca 1957, with her mother and step-father, at her Brother's wedding Pat with her step-father, Kenneth Carpenter and her mother, Josephine, attending the wedding of her brother, Keith David McGuire, Jr to Daisy Newnam. Keith's wedding was just a few months after Pat's wedding to Charles Strong.
  		Josephine McGuire (Morlas) ca 1957 McGuire at the wedding of her Son, Keith McGuire Jr Josephine, seated on the left, at the wedding of her son, Keith, to Daisy Newnam. Daisy's father is walking her down the aisle.
  		Morlas, Josephine ca 1965 After her children were grown, the widowed Josephine Morlas McGuire moved to Woodward Oklahoma, where she married Kenneth Carpenter and worked as a waitress at several small cafes.
  		McGuire, Patricia ca 1975 with her mother, Josephine Mother and daughter during a visit, circa 1975
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		Morlas, Eleanor, Vivian and Josephine The three youngest of the Morlas sisters, Eleanor Rohli, Vivian Schoenfeld, and Josephine Carpenter. This was taken around 1980, on Josephine's last trip to New Orleans.
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

  
  

  Documents » Slide Show		Morlas, Josephine Marguerite, Parish of Orleans Birth Registration Receipt, from the Parish of Orleans--Office of the Board of Health and Recorder of Births, Marriages and Deaths, for the registration of the birth on Josephine Marguerite Morlas on April 13, 1905
  		McGuire, Patricia Marion Pat and her mother shared this duplex in Mooreland, Oklahoma during Pat's first year working as a teacher
  		Morlas, Josephine (Mrs. Kenneth Carpenter) Pittsburgh County, Oklahoma Death certificate, note that the date of birth is in error, her actual date of birth being April 13, 1905
  		Morlas, Josephine (Mrs. Kenneth Carpenter) Funeral Memorium
  		Mitochodrial DNA (mtDNA), Haplogroup K Sample from Tom Strong, representing mtDNA he inherited from his mother, Patricia McGuire, going back through her mother, Josephine Morlas, Josephine's mother, Lucine Roquevert, and Lucine's mother, Blazine Pene. Based the research of Bennie Zahn of New Orleans, Blazine's maternal line can be traced back another four generations, to Marie Longanere born sometime before1730, presumably in the Hautes-Pyr?n?es region of France, where Blazine was born.
  		Morlas, Josephine, First Holy Communion The Most Holy Name of Jesus, New Orleans, Louisiana
  		Morlas, Josephine High School Diploma Diploma from the Holy Name of Jesus High School, New Orleans, Louisiana
  		Morlas, Josephine, Palmer Method Student Award Presented to Josephine in July 1918, the summer before she entered High School

  
  

  Headstones

  Carpenter, Josephine (Morlas) McGuire

  
  

• Sources

  [S479] Zahn, Bennie Jay--The Families Pene Roquevert Morlas (Privately Published; New Orleans, LA 1992) , updates and corrections issued periodically.