MILLARD FAMILY

Morris MILLARD’s father was Abraham MILLER (MELAMED).  See the Abraham MILLER Family page for family details.  Below is an extract of the MILLARD family branch.

MILLARD Family Tree

 

From 1919 to 1928 Morris filed Naturalization Petitions.  These reveal a variety of given and surnames used.  In 1928 Morris officially became Morris MILLARD, and an American citizen.

 These are extracts of his various petitions:

In 1919 Morris filed a Naturalization Petition.  His Declaration of Intention stated his name as Morris MILLARD, born May 1, 1882 in Mozir, Russia.  He arrived August 1, 1910 on the ship named Russia.  His wife Dora resided with him.

In 1922 Morris filed another Naturalization Petition.  This Petition for Naturalization states his name as Sroll Mausha MELLAMED.  A Certificate of Arrival – For naturalization Purposes listed his ship manifest name as Srul MELAMED.

Also in 1922 Morris petitioned to dismiss this Naturalization Petition.  The petition notice lists his name  as Sroil Moisha MELLAMED.  Morris signed the motion Srol Misha MELLAMED, and the Naturalization Petition was signed by Morris as Sroll Mousha MELLAMED. The petition was granted December 20, 1922.

 

In May, 1926, Morris submitted another Naturalization Declaration of Intention under the name Sroil Misha MELLAMED – – Morris MILLARD.  Thus sometime between 1922 and 1926 Morris adopted the surname MILLARD.  He signed this Declaration Sroil Moisha MELLAMED.

 

In June, 1928, Morris filed what was to be his last Naturalization Petition.  He petitioned as Srol Misha MELLAMED. He also petitioned for his name to be changed to Morris MILLARD.  He signed as Srol Moisha MELLAMED;  The form listed his middle name as Moishe.  The name change was granted and Certificate of naturalization 2830973 was issued November 22, 1928.

Census forms: The 1920 census list the family name as MILLER.  Based on his Naturalization in 1928, the 1930 and 1940 census’ listed MILLARD.

Morris MILLARD – Arrived 1911 age 25 per 1930 census; occupation: Silversmith Shop. He married Dora GOODMAN who arrived 1912 age 25 per 1930 census. They had three children: Max, Irwin (Isadore), and Harold.  But as revealed by Morris’ Naturalization Petitions, he arrived in 1910 about age 28.  Census forms are notorious for incorrect information because memories fade, or information is provided to the census taker on behalf of individuals who are not available to provide accurate data.  However, even source documents often contain different and sometimes incorrect data.  The challenge for genealogists is discovering all the information for future generations.

Max MILLARD. Max married Annette GOLDBERG and they had one child. Max worked with Louis TUROW at the Alt-Silver Plate Mft, 417 State St, Chicago during WWII era. In the 1960′s Max was in California where as ‘Mambo Maxi’, as he was called during this era, he owned a Jazz night club in South Central LA located across the street from the LA Memorial Coliseum called the California Club that was known as a Latin music venue.  ”Mambo Maxi” was mentioned in the AZTLAN journal VOL 30, Number Two, Fall 2005, page 72, in an article about Latin Music in South Central LA

.Article mentioning Max Millard AKA Mambo Maxi

Max was mentioned in the book, The Jewish Role in Reshaping the Racial Landscape of Southern California.  (bolding added):  In 1963 Boyle Heights trumpeter Paul Lopez formed a Latin big band, which debuted at the Californian Club, located just west of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Western Avenue and Santa Barbara Boulevard. Owned and run by Max Millard, a Jewish-American businessman nicknamed “Mambo Maxi,” the Californian Club offered Latin music on Wednesday nights to an audience composed primarily of African-Americans, with a sprinkling of Mexican-Americans and other Latinos (Lopez June 18, 1999; Saito Dec 29, 1999). After getting his first performance opportunity from mambo Maxi . . . . Lopez remembered mambo contests . . . with Mambo Maxi as master of ceremonies, which drew ten to twenty couples competing for albums or cash prizes. In addition, regular patrons usually include “the Arthur Murray crowd,” those affluent Latin music fans – many of them Jewish – who learned the new steps by taking lessons at expensive dance studios.
Source: Beyond Alliances: The Jewish Role in Reshaping the Racial Landscape of Southern California
Book collections on Project MUSE
Volume 9 of Jewish Role in American Life Series, ISSN 1934-7529
Page 54

Image

‘Mambo Maxi’ standing at head of table. California Club, Los Angeles. (Photo date unknown)