Clara Lillian GATZKE

(b. 24 May 1907 , Dudley, Massachusetts, USA d. 29 May 1997 , Oxford, Massachusetts, USA )
Age: 90

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Clara Lillian GATZKE was born 24 May 1907 in Dudley, Massachusetts, USA

Clara Lillian GATZKE was the child of August John GATZKE and Hulda Rosilda BLUMKE

Spouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):

Clara Lillian married Harold BILLINGS 25 May 1935 in Manhattan, New York, USA . Harold BILLINGS was born 29 December 1906 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA (East, North, South) (Allston) (Readville) (Roslindale). Harold died May 1969 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. Harold was the child of Clifford Wilder BILLINGS and Mary Eliza BOYDEN.

Clara Lillian GATZKE died 29 May 1997 in Oxford, Massachusetts, USA.
Details of the family tree of Clara appear below.

Everyday Chronicles: Life of the Average American Woman in the Mid-1900s

Family and Children of Clara Lillian GATZKE

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Clara Lillian GATZKE married

Harold BILLINGS-- Date: 25 May 1935 Place: Manhattan, New York, USA

See marriage record for Clara Lillian GATZKE and Harold BILLINGS
Harold BILLINGS was the child of Clifford Wilder BILLINGS and Mary Eliza BOYDEN

Name: Harold N. Billings
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 25 May 1935
Event Place: Manhattan, New York, New York, United States
Event Place (Original): Manhattan, New York
Registration Date:
Registration Year:
Registration Place:
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Marital Status: Single
Previous Wife's Name:
Race: White
Birth Date:
Birth Year (Estimated): 1907
Birthplace: Boston, Mass.
Father's Name: Clifford
Father's Titles and Terms:
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Mary Boyden
Mother's Titles and Terms:
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Paternal Grandfather's Name:
Paternal Grandmother's Name:
Maternal Grandfather's Name:
Maternal Grandmother's Name:
Spouse's Name: Clara L. Gatzke
Spouse's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Age: 28
Spouse's Marital Status: Single
Spouse's Previous Husband's Name:
Spouse's Race: White
Spouse's Birth Date:
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1907
Spouse's Birthplace: Dudley, Mass.
Spouse's Father's Name: August
Spouse's Father's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Mother's Name: Hulda Bl...Ke
Spouse's Mother's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Paternal Grandfather's Name:
Spouse's Paternal Grandmother's Name:
Spouse's Maternal Grandfather's Name:
Spouse's Maternal Grandmother's Name:
Note:
Reference ID: cn 12804
GS Film Number: 1685178
Frame Number:

"New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch.org : 10 February 2018), Harold N. Billings and Clara L. Gatzke, 25 May 1935; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,685,178.

Children of Harold BILLINGS and Clara Lillian GATZKE:

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Discovering the Ancestry of Clara Lillian GATZKE: Events, Photos & Historical Records

1907 Birth
24 May 1907
Dudley, Massachusetts, USA

1908 - First Model-T car is produced by Henry Ford (United States)

1909 - William Howard Taft becomes President of the United States

1910 Dudley, Worcester, Massachusetts
name: Clara Gatzke
birthplace: Massachusetts
relationship to head of household: Daughter
residence: Dudley, Worcester, Massachusetts
marital status: Single
race : White
gender: Female
immigration year:
father's birthplace: Germany
mother's birthplace: Germany
family number: 395
page number: 23
Household Gender Age
parent August Gatzke M 49y
parent Hadie Gatzke F 44y
Alma Gatzke F 19y
Arthur Gatzke M 18y
Emily Gatzke F 15y
Elsie Gatzke F 13y
Carl Gatzke M 11y
Edward Gatzke M 9y
Mildred Gatzke F 7y
Laura Gatzke F 3y
Clara Gatzke F 3y

1910 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1912 - April 15 - Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic

1913 - The assembly line is invented (Henry Ford, United States)

The bra is invented (Mary Phelps Jacob, United States)

1913 - Woodrow Wilson becomes President of the United States

1913 - October 31 – The Lincoln Highway, the first automobile road across the United States, is dedicated

1915 - January 25 - First United States coast-to-coast long-distance telephone call

1917 - March 2 – The enactment of the Jones Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.

1917 - April 6 – WWI: The United States declares war on Germany

1918 - March 19 – The United States Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time

1919 - June 4 – Women's rights: The United States Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which would guarantee suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification

1920 - January 17 - Prohibition goes into effect on January 17, 1920, under the provisions of the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution

1921 - Warren G. Harding becomes President of the United States

1921 - Charles Strite of Minnesota patents the pop-up toaster.

1923 to 1927 - Television is invented (Vladimir Kosma Zworykin (Russia), Philo Taylor Farnsworth (United States))

1923 - Calvin Coolidge becomes President of the United States

1927 - The aerosol can is invented (Erik Rotheim, Norway)

1927 - April 7 – Bell Telephone Co. transmits an image of Herbert Hoover (then the Secretary of Commerce), which becomes the first successful long distance demonstration of television

1928 - Sliced bread (bread slicing machine) is invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder (United States)

1929 - Herbert Hoover becomes President of the United States

1929 - October 29 - Black Tuesday - Stock market crash - The Great Depression Begins - It lasted until 1941 (WW2)

1930 - Scotch tape is invented (Richard Drew (3M), United States)

1930 Webster, Worcester, Massachusetts
Name: Clara Gatzke
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1930
Event Place: Webster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
District: 0291
Gender: Female
Age: 22
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Daughter
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Daughter
Birth Year (Estimated): 1908
Birthplace: Massachusetts
Immigration Year:
Father's Birthplace: Germany
Mother's Birthplace: Germany
Sheet Number and Letter: 10B
Household ID: 203
Line Number: 77
Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number: T626
Affiliate Film Number: 966
GS Film number: 2340701
Digital Folder Number: 004607702
Image Number: 00719
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Hulda Gatzke F 60 Germany
Daughter Clara Gatzke F 22 Massachusetts
1930 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

In 1930, on February 18, Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, marking a significant milestone in the study of our solar system.

1931 - The paper towel is invented (Arthur Scott, United States)

1931 - March 3 – The Star-Spangled Banner is adopted as the United States National anthem.

1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes President of the United States

1933 - December 5 – The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution is passed, repealing Prohibition

1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)

1935 - The snowmobile was invented by Joseph Bombardier (Quebec, Canada)

1935 Marriage / Partner
Clara Lillian GATZKE and Harold BILLINGS 25 May 1935, Manhattan, New York, USA (New York City) (New Amsterdam) (Washington Heights)

She was 28 years old.

1935 - August 14 – United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law

1938 - The ballpoint pen is invented (Lazlo Biro, Hungary)

1938-1944 - Sunscreen is invented (Franz Greiter, Switzerland and Benjamin Green, United States)

1938 - October 27 - Du Pont announces a name for its new synthetic yarn: nylon.

1940 Webster, Worcester, Massachusetts
Name: Clara L Billings
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1940
Event Place: Webster Town, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Marital Status: Married
Race (Original): White
Race: White
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Wife
Relationship to Head of Household: Wife
Birthplace: Massachusetts
Birth Year (Estimated): 1908
Last Place of Residence: Same Place
District: 14-296
Family Number: 111
Sheet Number and Letter: 6B
Line Number: 72
Affiliate Publication Number: T627
Affiliate Film Number: 1655
Digital Folder Number: 005460927
Image Number: 00785
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Harold U Billings M 33 Massachusetts
Wife Clara L Billings F 32 Massachusetts
1940 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1941 - December 8 - (the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor) United States declares war on Japan (WW2)

1944 - D-Day, which occurred on June 6, 1944, was a pivotal World War II operation where Allied forces launched a massive invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France. Known as Operation Overlord, it involved over 156,000 troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations. The operation aimed to liberate Western Europe from Nazi German control. The landings marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, leading to the eventual Allied victory in Europe.

1945 - The atomic bomb is invented (J. Robert Oppenheimer, et al., United States)

The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.

1945 - Harry S. Truman becomes President of the United States

1945 - On September 2, 1945, World War II officially ended with the formal surrender of Japan. The surrender ceremony took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, where Japanese officials signed the Instrument of Surrender in the presence of Allied representatives, including General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz.

1948 - Velcro is invented (George de Mestral, Switzerland)

1950 - June 25 - Korean War begins when North Korean forces invade South Korea.

1953 - Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President of the United States

1953 - On July 27, 1953, the Korean War ended with the signing of an armistice agreement at Panmunjom. This ceasefire halted the conflict between North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, backed by United Nations forces primarily from the United States. The agreement established the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the 38th parallel, effectively maintaining the pre-war boundary and creating a buffer zone between the two Koreas.

1961 - John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States

1961 - Vietnam War officially begins with 900 military advisors landing in Saigon.

1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense 13-day standoff in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. The crisis is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. It began when American spy planes discovered the missiles, leading to a U.S. naval blockade of Cuba and intense negotiations. The crisis ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba and secretly agreeing to remove American missiles from Turkey.

1963 - I Have a Dream Speech - Martin Luther King's Address at March on Washington August 28, 1963.

In 1963, on November 22, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza. The assassination shocked the nation and the world, leading to widespread mourning and a period of intense national introspection. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States shortly after Kennedy's death. The assassination sparked numerous conspiracy theories and investigations, with the Warren Commission ultimately concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination. Kennedy's death had a profound impact on American politics and society, marking the end of an era often referred to as 'Camelot.'

1968 - The ATM is invented (Don Wetzel, United States)

1969 - Richard M. Nixon becomes President of the United States

1969 Death of Spouse/Partner
Harold BILLINGS died May 1969, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

1969 - July 20 - Apollo 11 - Man lands on the moon

June 17, 1972 – August 9, 1974 - Watergate Scandal began with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., in 1972. Members of President Richard Nixon's administration attempted to cover up their involvement. The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, and the indictment of several administration officials.

1973 - January 22 - Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179: The U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S.

1973 - March 29 - The last United States soldier leaves Vietnam

The cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper of Motorola. On April 3, 1973, he made the first handheld mobile phone call with the Motorola DynaTAC. This device weighed 2.5 pounds and was 10 inches long, offering 30 minutes of talk time and requiring 10 hours to charge. The first commercial cell phone was released in 1983, revolutionizing communication and leading to the modern smartphones we use today.

1974 - Gerald R. Ford becomes President of the United States after the resignation of Richard Nixon.

1977 - Jimmy Carter becomes President of the United States

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington State occurred on May 18, triggered by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake. It caused the largest landslide in recorded history, followed by a massive lateral blast. The eruption killed 57 people, destroyed 250 homes, and spread ash across the U.S.

1981 - Ronald Reagan becomes President of the United States

1981 - June 5 - First reported case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

1982 - The camcorder is invented (Sony Corp., Japan)

1983 - The laptop computer is invented (Radio Shack Corp., United States)

1986 - January 28 - Space Shuttle Challenger accident - The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members.

1989 - The World Wide Web is invented at CERN (Tim Berners-Lee, UK)

1989 - George H. W. Bush becomes President of the United States

1993 - William J. Clinton becomes President of the United States

1997 Death
Massachusetts, Death Index, 1970-2003
name: Clara L Billings
event: Death
event date: 29 May 1997
event place: Oxford, Massachusetts
death certificate number: 029340
birth date: 24 May 1907
birthplace: Massachusetts
spouse:
spouse's death date:
spouse's death place:
spouse's death certificate number:
spouse's birth date:
spouse's birth place:
familysearch.org (Mormon Genealogy Records)
Unofficial Guide to FamilySearch.org: How to Find Your Family History on the World's Largest Free Genealogy Website

Obituary
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) - May 30, 1997
Deceased Name: CLARA BILLINGS, 90

WEBSTER - Clara (Gatzke) Billings, 90, of 19 Nelson St. died yesterday in Sandalwood Nursing Home, Oxford.

Her husband, Harold U. Billings, died in 1969. She leaves many nephews and nieces. She was born in Dudley, daughter of August and Hulda (Blumke) Gatzke, and lived here most of her life.

Mrs. Billings was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Oxford.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow in Zion Lutheran Church, 70 South Main St., Oxford. Burial will be in Mount Zion Cemetery. There are no calling hours. Please omit flowers. Memorial contributions may be made to Zion Lutheran Church, 70 South Main St., Oxford 01540. Scanlon Funeral Home, East Main Street, is directing arrangements.

Clara is buried at: Mount Zion Cemetery
Old Worcester Rd.
Rte 12
Webster, Massachusetts, USA

Added: 5/16/2008 12:00:00 AM - Updated: 7/8/2025 12:21:20 PM