Julia's Last Years

It is unclear what became of the marriage of James Shiland and Julia Achard.   They were married  9 March 1901, but in the 1902 city directory for San Francisco there is no listing for James Shiland, only a listing for “Achard J.A. Mrs., widow, midwife, 415A, 3d.”[1]  As I mentioned earlier, even while she was married to Edward Matthews she appears in public records under the name Achard which she appears to have uses in her midwifery practice.   James Shiland died 24 August 1905 in the City and County Almshouse in San Francisco.  There is no mention of Julia in his obituary.[2]

Julia lived in San Francisco for a few more years, moving to Oakland perhaps after the 1906 earthquake.  In August 1904 her son, Louis passed away in Oakland at the home of his brother, David Monroe.[3]  In 1907 she hosted an anniversary dinner party for the first anniversary of David and his wife, Henriette.[4]

Julia returned to Lodi where she was married to husband number six, Allen Denison, on 30 May 1908.  Her son, Fred Wermuth, was one of the witnesses at the wedding.[5]  In the 1909 city directory Julia is listed under the name Julia Denison with both a residence listing and a business listing under MIDWIVES.  She is living at 853 Center and Allen is listed at 865 Center in 1909.[6]  By 1910, Julia is living as Julia A. Achard again at 865 Center and Allen does not appear in the directory.[7]  For the 1910 census, Julia goes by Julia A. Achard and is listed as head of household with no mention of Allen Denison.[8]

For the next two years Julia appears in the directories as a midwife in Oakland, widow of Milton.  From 1913 to 1916 she resides in Lodi, and appears to live near David and Henriette Monroe.  By late 1917 Julia has moved back to Oakland, where she is listed as a physician in the 1918 Oakland city directory.  She passed away at Oakland Central Hospital 26 January 1918.  As much as was printed about the events in the lives of Julia and her family in the newspapers, her death went entirely unnoticed.  I have found no obituary in Oakland, San Francisco or Stockton. 
 
 


[1] Fold3.com, City Directories for San Francisco, California, 1902, H S Crocker Company, page 164, accessed 5 March 2013

[2] San Francisco Chronicle, 26 August 1905, page 13, col 7 “Deaths”

[3] Oakland Tribune 2 August 1904, page 3, “Death of Louis Monroe”; Husted's Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley Directory, 1904, page 328, listing for Monroe, David H.

[4] Oakland Tribune 23 May 1907, page 7, “Society Gossip”

[5] Familysearch.org, California, County Marriages, 1850-1952, 005686492, Image of 699 event date: 30 May 1908, event place:  San Joaquin, California, United States, film number: 1411586, digital folder number:  005698097, image number:  01653

[6] Husted's Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley Directory, 1909, page 301, listing for Denison, Mrs Julia, and page 1498

[7] Husted's Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley Directory, 1910, page 55

[8] US Census, 1910, Year: 1910; Census Place: Oakland Ward 4, Alameda, California; Roll: T624_70; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0112; FHL microfilm: 1374083, line 87. Author’s note – I question this census as far as Julia Achard’s marital status is concerned.  It says she has been married 6 years in the current marriage (an identical number to the man and woman immediately below her on the census page) but the person above her, a 1-year-old girl is listed as W(idowed).  I suspect the W(idowed) designation should refer to Julia Achard.