Dorothy R Hecht 1911-1982

Known as Dotsy

1911. Dorothy R Hecht was born to Joel K Hecht & May Lucie Seller in Germany on 31/12/1911( date from her d.c) . It is thought she had a stillborn twin

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1920 U S Census . Dorothy Hecht, 8, was living Van Ness Avenue, 32 San Francisco. Her birthplace Germany. Her father an Investment Dealer, his birthplace California & his father's Germany, his mother'sVirginia . Her mother's birthplace Germany: her father born California, her mother Oregon

Joel H Hecht Self Married Male 42 1878 California
May F Hecht Wife Married Female 29 1891 Germany
Dorothy Hecht Daughter Single Female 8 1912 Germany
Fredrick Hecht Son - Male 4 1916 California

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Dorothy, brother Fred Hecht & their mother, May, on the way to the Roseg Glacier 1928/9 . ( Fred still alive in 1982 )

Carolyn thinks Dorothy went to finishing school - possibly in Lausanne?m BUTm she seems to have been at school in Neuilly, Paris 1928 & 1929. Her engagement to Gerald Baer was announced on 11/6/1929 in the Times. Anyway, by 1930 she was in London - look for shipping records1928/9

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Dorothy in 1928 in San Francisco . . . . . . Dorothy & her mother

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Dorothy, her mother, May, and likely/maybe grandmother, Rachel, 1928 - in San Francisco or Switzerland?

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Dorothy & Gerald & her parents, 1929 , Le Bourget?

1930.Dorothy R Hecht, 18, married Gerald O Baer , 26/7, fancy goods merchant, on the 15/1/1930 , at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, St Johns Wood Road, St. Marylebone His address 13 Maresfield Gardens, Hampstead; hers Mayfair Hotel, W1. His father Samuel Baer, of Independent means; hers Joel Haufman Hecht, of independent means. Witnesses were Leonard Baer, Sam Baer & Joel H Hecht.Marylebone Mar 1930 .

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wedding

1931. Gerald Otto Baer was registered in Fore Street, in the Polling district of Cripplegate without, his address 67 Eton Avenue, NW3 - FMP Electoral registers . I think this was his work address

1931. Patricia Baer was born to Gerald & Dorothy on , Hampstead Sep 1931

1933. Gerald Otto Baer & Dorothy R H Baer were living 67 Eton Avenue , Hampstead .- Ancestry London Electoral Registers , he an SJ, a special juror, eligble to serve as such

1935. Jean Marion Baer was born to Gerald & Dorothy Hampstead Dec 1935

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Dorothy with her 2 daughters, 1938/9

1939 Register. Dorothy H Baer was living Eridor Manor Road, Torquay with her 2 daughters

Jean (M) Standen (Baer,Levy) 28 Oct 1935 Female - Single 46 7
Patricia (A) Armitage (Baer) 10 Jul 1931 Female At School Single 46 6
Anne Jones 06 May 1907 Female Nurse (Children's) Single 46 1
Dorothy Imper 02 Aug 1894 Female Nurse (Children's) Single 46 2
Annie F Inskip 19 Oct 1910 Female Domestic Servant Single 46 3
Doris L Baer 05 May 1904 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 46 4
Dorothy H Baer 31 Dec 1911 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 46 5

Doris L Baer would be her sister in law- wife of Leonard S Baer

1939 Register. Gerald O Baer, ~ 36, manager of Shippers & brokers, was living at 165 Bricken Hall Mansion, St Marylebone . He was a Deputy Post Warden, St Marylebone

Gerald O Baer 03 Mar 1903 Male Manager Of Shippers & Brokers Married 107 1
Elizabeth Newby (Baldwin) 08 Sep 1906 Female Domestic Service Single 107 2
Ellen Mary (Ann) Overall (Elliott) 27 Jul 1899 Female Domestic Service Married 107 3
Carelick J Bamtick 08 Apr 1886 Male Local Government Officer Controller A R P Married 107 4

1940. Dorothy Baer, 27, travelled from Liverpool on 29/6/1940 to New York, aboard the Sumaria with her 2 daughters. Her address in England had been 165 Bickenhall Mansions, W1 - Ancestry travel records

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1944. Dorothy Ray Hecht Baer, 32, arrived in Liverpool with Patricia, 12, & Jean Marion 8, from N.Y. on 27/6/1944 - Ancestry shipping records

1945. Gerald Otto Baer travelled to Brazil- refind doc,

1946. Dorothy Ray Baer, 34, & Jean Baer 10, left London on 30/1/1946 for N.Y. on the American Marchant. She given as U.S.C. (through American parents). Intended address in the US was 1896 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco California . Would seem to have been naturalised? Patricia likely left in boarding school in England

1952. Dorothy Baer 41, housewife, arrived in London on the Queen Mary from N.Y on 22/6/1952. Her address 9 Eastbury Court W 14 . Country of last permanent residence England, a USA citizen

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1950, 1951, 1953, 1954. Gerald Baer, Dorothy R H Baer & Patricia Baer were living 9 Eastbury Court , Kensington, W 14 .- Ancestry London Electoral Registers

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Dorothy, dt in law Patsy & grandson Nick

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Dorothy & Gerald with grandson, Nick Armitage, ~1957

 

 

~1960-1970. Gerald Baer lived at Flat 8, 24 Lowndes Street, London SW1 ( for much of Carolyn's childhood – remembers visiting & loving the area!}

1980. Gerald Baer, born 3/3/1903, of 8 Canford Crescent, Canford Cliffs, Poole hdied 5/12/1980 . Probate of £25393

1982. Dorothy Ray Hecht Baer, 69, born 31/12/1911, died Red Gables, 8 Canford Crescent, Canford Cliffs, Poole ( this the address given in probate, but d.c. states Sandringham House, Sandringham Road, Poole!) on 8/4/1982 : Red Gables is now a Care Home, but no picture exists for it! - Poole Jun 1982. probate of £88,484 -this considerably more than her husband had left 2 years earlier- implying that she had her own money inherited from her parents . Cause of death: bronchopneumonia & carcinoma of bronchus.

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Sandringham House in 2015: this also became a Care home but was closed in 2015

 

probate

There is an obituary for her in the San Francisco Examiner(subscription) & a death notice for her in the Times on 16/4/1982

The solicitor Denis Moffat - of Ellis Piers & Young Jackson of 104 Great Russell Street- saw Dotsy the day before she died, and her sister in law, Doris L Baer, widow of Gerald's brother Leaonard, was also there and he then drove her back to her home in Horsham - from the1988 solicitor's letter( to be found at end of Gerald Baer's page)

I was told that Dorothy Ray  Hecht had a stillborn twin brother and I know she was deaf in one ear.  Had an American accent always.  She was kind but hopeless practically – very spoiled and couldn’t cook or anything so their change of circumstances in  later life must have been difficult for her.  I always loved my visits to Knightsbridge – mum would take one of us at a time.  We loved to visit Harrods and the gated square off Lowndes Street which seemed to be a bit of a secret garden.  My grandmother would buy me violet creams from (sic) Harrods. They had a live in housekeeper called Elsie who was German and she and my grandmother used to go to Bingo sometimes – so I was told.  I remember their flat very well – I was staying there when JFK was assassinated, 1963, – I remember the shock and not understanding it very well.  My grandfather was kind but a bit scary and they were both chain smokers (Dotsy died of lung cancer).-Carolyn

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