Biography

 

Letters and Photos sent to Miss Louise Maahs

Contributed to the Vaughn Monroe Appreciation Society by Mr. Steve Richter

Front of note card

My mother, Judy Oldenburg, who grew up in Northampton, Ohio, was a long-time neighbor of a Miss Louise Maas who apparently was a sister to Mr. Vaughn Monroe’s mother. Miss Maas passed away in the mid-seventies without any children of her own or relatives nearby, so she bequeathed her possessions to my family.

Amongst the possessions are personal letters from Mr. Monroe’s mother to her sister Miss Maas detailing events in Mr. Monroe’s life as well as personal family photos taken of him.

Also a nice side note, I was telling this story to my mother-in-law who then told me she had seen Mr. Monroe perform at the Pennsylvania Hotel in NYC in the forties!

Anyway thank you so much for your help in all this.
Wishing you and the society all the best!

Steve Richter


Note: According to Diane Fiske-Foy's genealogy research, Mabel's (and Louise's) last name was spelled Maahs.

Taken Oct 3d-- 1948-- Vaughn was playing at Hartford and came down and stayed all nite and we went up to Hartford with him on Sunday.

Vaughn Monroe, October 3, 1948, Concord, NH

Vaughn is standing across from his Mom & Dad's house.

Nov. 3--48

Dear Bud and Howard--

So glad to get your letter Bud and sorry you are not feeling well--I wish you could come up and stay with me this winter and we could take care of each other---The pictures of Jinny Lou are lovely--she is a beautiful girl and a lovely bride--and I'm glad she received the gift---

Well, wasn't this election an upset--We both voted for Truman even tho' we did not think he had a chance--the way every one talked that they were so sure Dewey would win--We are so glad Truman won--at last he had courage even when he knew the southern Democratic States were against him--A neighbor lady took these pictures and we live where the X is marked on the picture where Vaughn is alone. The three of us are standing in front of the house we live in---

 

The letter continues on the back of the card...

 

Thanks for the pictures of Jinny Lou--Bud--we were so glad to get them---and to read of the lovely wedding. We hope she will be very happy.

Vaughn is at the Strand in New York for three weeks. He insisted we come down last Sunday to see his show--it is grand, a small musical review, really. I was so surprised--it only takes a little over an hour to get to New York--but I was dead tired when I got home--

 

 

Ira C. Monroe (Vaughn's Dad), Vaughn, Mabel L. Monroe (Vaughn's Mom), October 3, 1948, Concord, NH

Photo was taken by a neighbor lady in front of Vaughn's parent's house.

INCONSISTENCIES...

Since the letter is addressed to "Bud and Howard," and not Louise, it doesn't appear that Mabel sent it directly to her sister ??

 

This appears to be an earlier photograph of Vaughn Monroe taken at an amusement park.

The above article is from the Roane County (WV) Reporter dated Thursday, July 23, 1964. Since it appears from the interview that Mrs. Mabel L. Monroe (Vaughn's mother) passed away in 1961, this newspaper may have been clipped by her sister Louise Maahs, or sent to her in Ohio by relatives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The information typed on the back of this photo reads:

Great Grand Pa Ira C Monroe Showing four Generations

Vaufgn. (sic) Candy.Jerry.

From 8 1/2 Months to 79 years.

Vaughn

ASSUMPTIONS...

I would surmise that Miss Louise Maahs was sent this by Vaughn ?? It was also used as a Christmas card, so the photograph is likely from 1964, since according to Diane Fiske-Foy's genealogy research, Ira C. Monroe was born December 27, 1884 (which would have made him not quite 80 in July of 1964 as the Roane County Reporter implied.)