B. 10 Apr 1901 in Los Angeles, California1
M. (1) 11 Feb 1921 in Los Angeles, California2Husband: Thomas Michael Mitchell
M. (2) 19 Aug 1943 in Lordsburg, New Mexico3
Husband: Juan Marte
D. 11 Jul 1964 in Encino, California4
There was something about Hazel Laura Elwood that is to be admired — despite growing up with very little, she lived life to the fullest. Perhaps it was the fact that early on, she had to do without, and she felt that she needed to make up for that later on. Hazel carried on through her adult years with little inhibition, and nothing held her back from doing whatever she wanted.
Hazel’s childhood could be described as non-traditional, at least for her time. She was born near downtown Los Angeles on April 10, 1901 to Jim Elwood and Eleanor Hewes,1 the middle of their five children (younger brother Eddie died as a toddler). Hazel’s mother Eleanor was the daughter of a self-proclaimed socialist preacher named George Hewes. Her father Jim was a drifter who showed up at Reverend Hewes’ storefront church, and caught the eye of 17-year-old Eleanor.5 Before long, she was pregnant, prompting a quickly arranged wedding.6 Their marriage ultimately didn’t last: Eleanor and Jim separated when Hazel was 5-years-old.5 What she never knew was that her father was actually a fugitive named John Edeline, who murdered a man in Indiana and never got caught. (This was learned after an Ancestry DNA test in 2017 unravelled his true identity.)7
From photos of Hazel as a child, we can get a glimpse of the environment she grew up in. In one portrait, she sat on the dirty steps of one of the rented houses where her family lived. As she gazed into the camera alongside brother George and sister Maudie, no one seemed to be aware that there was trash under their feet. This was around the time their father left, and conditions were about to get much worse. Eleanor took the kids to live in what was little more than a shack in the L.A. community of Edendale (present-day Silver Lake). Although their father came around periodically with money or food, they still never had enough to eat, and were forced to pick through garbage bins in the neighborhood looking for anything edible.8
George, Hazel and Maudie in 1906.
Left to right: Eleanor, Maudie, George, Winnie (Hazel's friend), May and Hazel.
In spite of such hardship, the Elwood siblings managed to find ways to have fun. They each showed signs of artistic talent: George drew and painted, and Maudie played violin, but Hazel loved to sing. Probably the desire to perform came from her banjo-playing father; even into her old age, Hazel was known to belt out a song whenever she could.8
When the Elwoods were living in Edendale, Hazel became best friends with a neighbor girl named Winnie Stunt.5,8 The Stunt family were recent immigrants from England, and had money. The Elwoods maintained strong relationships with the Stunts for many years, and sometimes spent time at their ranches in Chatsworth and the Santa Monica Mountains (the latter is still called Stunt Ranch and is a well-known nature preserve9).
By the late 1910s, Hazel and her siblings were finding their own way. While younger sister Maudie still lived at home, George went off to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War I.5 The oldest in the family, May, found a different adventure in life. As a student at Berkeley, she met a young man studying to be a minister who would become her husband,10 and they ended up spending almost 50 years as missionaries in Calcutta, India.5 Meanwhile, Hazel attended Hollywood High School (it isn’t known if she graduated),8 then at age 18, she took a job selling flowers in a cafeteria.11
By 1921, she was working as a cook at the YMCA in downtown Los Angeles. There she met another cook named Tom Mitchell, who one day talked her into coming up to his boarding house room on their lunch hour. He wanted to sleep with her, but she said no “unless we got married.” And so within a short time, they went to a justice of the peace and became husband and wife.12
Hazel and Tom’s marriage ceremony took place on February 11, 1921.2 There are no photos of the bride and groom that day; it likely wasn’t much of an event besides getting the necessary documents (their marriage license listed only one witness instead of the customary two, and it wasn’t a family member or any known close friend). Hazel was soon pregnant and gave birth to their first child in July 1922, a boy they named Tom.13 This was followed by a girl, Patsy, born in February 1924.14
Around this time, it was becoming evident that maybe Hazel and Tom weren’t meant for each other. Their personalities were polar opposite. Hazel was free with her emotions and craved being around people, while Tom wasn’t demonstrative at all with his feelings. Their son Tom later speculated that they may not have ever been in love, and got together purely because of a physical attraction.8
When the Elwoods were living in Edendale, Hazel became best friends with a neighbor girl named Winnie Stunt.5,8 The Stunt family were recent immigrants from England, and had money. The Elwoods maintained strong relationships with the Stunts for many years, and sometimes spent time at their ranches in Chatsworth and the Santa Monica Mountains (the latter is still called Stunt Ranch and is a well-known nature preserve9).
By the late 1910s, Hazel and her siblings were finding their own way. While younger sister Maudie still lived at home, George went off to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War I.5 The oldest in the family, May, found a different adventure in life. As a student at Berkeley, she met a young man studying to be a minister who would become her husband,10 and they ended up spending almost 50 years as missionaries in Calcutta, India.5 Meanwhile, Hazel attended Hollywood High School (it isn’t known if she graduated),8 then at age 18, she took a job selling flowers in a cafeteria.11
By 1921, she was working as a cook at the YMCA in downtown Los Angeles. There she met another cook named Tom Mitchell, who one day talked her into coming up to his boarding house room on their lunch hour. He wanted to sleep with her, but she said no “unless we got married.” And so within a short time, they went to a justice of the peace and became husband and wife.12
Hazel and Tom’s marriage ceremony took place on February 11, 1921.2 There are no photos of the bride and groom that day; it likely wasn’t much of an event besides getting the necessary documents (their marriage license listed only one witness instead of the customary two, and it wasn’t a family member or any known close friend). Hazel was soon pregnant and gave birth to their first child in July 1922, a boy they named Tom.13 This was followed by a girl, Patsy, born in February 1924.14
Around this time, it was becoming evident that maybe Hazel and Tom weren’t meant for each other. Their personalities were polar opposite. Hazel was free with her emotions and craved being around people, while Tom wasn’t demonstrative at all with his feelings. Their son Tom later speculated that they may not have ever been in love, and got together purely because of a physical attraction.8
Their relationship ultimately played out in the form of adultery, but instead of the man being unfaithful, which is what usually happens, the one who cheated was Hazel. About 1925, Tom made it be known that he wanted to move back near his family in Tacoma, Washington. Hazel didn’t like the idea, and they compromised by going to Oakland.8 While living there, Tom’s half-brother Forrest visited them, and Hazel took a liking to him, so much so that she became pregnant.8 Her baby was born in October 1926, a boy who was named for his real father: Forrest.15
Forrest Sheridan with Hazel and Tom in Oakland.
It isn’t known how Hazel met Sam Goslee — it may have been at a party, or perhaps as he was working as a streetcar conductor. Sam was handsome and charming, and a notorious womanizer. The relationship seems to have been brief, and he probably never knew that Hazel ended up pregnant.17 Her condition caused her to return home to Tom and the kids, and she gave birth in early 1934. The baby was left with Tom to raise, and Hazel returned to her other life. As son Tom later remembered, his mother was never around the kids during those years.8
By the early 1940s, it was obvious that Hazel wasn’t going to return to her husband. She now took up with a cook she met working in the kitchen of Carolina Pines, a popular restaurant on Melrose Avenue. He was an immigrant from the Philippines named Juan Marte (everyone called him Johnny), and after getting a divorce from Tom in 1943,18 Hazel and Johnny tied the knot on August 19th. In an era when interracial relationships were taboo, marriage between people of different races was illegal in California, so Hazel and Johnny travelled all the way to Lordsburg, New Mexico.3 As with her first wedding there are no photos of the event, and two unfamiliar women served as witnesses. Within a couple of years, they bought a house in the Silver Lake district, near where Hazel grew up.
In 1946, Hazel decided to go into business with Maudie, opening up a restaurant where she cooked and her sister served as waitress. It’s interesting that the place was located on ex-husband Tom’s property (he had a piece of land in the San Gabriel Valley which included two houses and some storefront units).8 Hazel kept a friendly relationship with Tom, so she and Maudie felt very comfortable renting a space from him. What didn’t work so well was that the two sisters couldn’t get along. In one argument it was said that Hazel chased Maudie down the street with a meat cleaver in her hand.8 Their restaurant was closed within a couple of years when Maudie moved to Alaska.
During this time, Hazel took custody of her youngest child, but continued to work long hours. She also cared for another child, a girl named Barbara Jean, whom she and Johnny informally adopted. Barbara Jean was born to a woman married to son Tom, although she wasn’t his biological daughter. When Tom had the marriage annulled, Barbara Jean’s mother left the child with Hazel. The mother reclaimed the girl when she was about 14, so Hazel raised her for quite a length of time.8
In 1953, Hazel and Johnny bought a house in the San Fernando Valley community of Tarzana,19 a place that would be her home for the rest of her life. It was a half-acre of land, so Hazel had plenty of room to indulge her interests. She built a chicken coop and a duck pond in the backyard, and planted so many bushes and flowers in the front, they obliterated the house. Besides the chickens and ducks, she had a couple of dogs, and a feral cat to kill any mice; there was also a custom-built cage just behind the house that held dozens of parakeets. Inside she filled her place with odd knick-knacks she couldn’t resist buying at a local import store (today she would be called a hoarder). A book-of-the-month club membership added to the clutter with piles of cheap novels she likely never read.20
Hazel’s Tarzana house became a place for family gatherings, especially on Thanksgiving. Those in attendance included her children and their families, plus brother George and his family. But Hazel also invited her ex-husband Tom with his new wife and mother-in-law, showing off her friendly, inclusive nature. She was said to be an outstanding cook, and in preparing a meal such as Thanksgiving dinner, she “used every pot and pan” that she owned. One year, she famously bought a live turkey, then didn’t have the heart to slaughter it, keeping it as a pet instead. This was typical Hazel behavior.8
Hazel during the 1950s.
During the 1950s, Hazel (who never had an interest in religion) converted to being a Jehovah’s Witness.8 Being so friendly with everyone she met, she was most likely persuaded by someone who knocked on her door. From then on, she embraced that religion, and this would ultimately contribute to her death. On July 11, 1964, a day when it was over 100 degrees, Hazel went door-to-door peddling Jehovah's Witness pamphlets, perhaps something an overweight 63-year-old woman shouldn't do. After she returned home, she was stricken with a massive heart attack. Johnny had her rushed to the hospital, but Hazel passed away soon after.4
After Hazel died, the family wanted to have her interred at Forest Lawn in Glendale, where her mother was, but the cemetery wouldn’t allow Johnny to be buried with her because he wasn’t white.8 So instead her burial was at Oakwood Cemetery in Chatsworth.21 Johnny later moved back to the Philippines where he passed away in 1973.5
Children by Thomas Michael Mitchell:
1. Thomas Milton Mitchell — B. 1 Jul 1922, Los Angeles, California;13 D. 10 Nov 2007, Winnetka, California;22 M. Margaret Elizabeth Bolheres (1922-2016), 2 Jul 1949, Pasadena, California23
2. Patsy Eleanor Mitchell — B. 23 Feb 1924, Los Angeles, California;14 D. 27 Apr 2002, Sitka, Alaska;24 M. James Lawrence Sarvela (1914-1995), 27 Dec 1947, Glendale, California25
Child by Forrest Milton Sheridan:
1. Forrest Leroy Mitchell — B. 21 Sep 1926, Oakland, California;15 D. 30 Jun 2016, Desert Hot Springs, California;26 M. Patricia Ann McKenzie
(1930-2010), 21 May 19485
Child by Samuel Edward Goslee:
1. LIVING
Sources:
1 Birth record of Hazel Laura Elwood, Los Angeles, California County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994, FamilySearch.org
2 Marriage record of Thomas Michael Mitchell and Hazel Laura Elwood, California County Marriages, 1850-1945, FamilySearch.org
3 Marriage certificate of Juan Marte and Hazel Laura Mitchell, Lordsburg, New Mexico, 19 Aug 1943
4 Death record of Hazel Marte, California Death Index, 1940-1997, FamilySearch.org
5 Interviews with Nancy Grace Elwood, 1976-2004
6 Marriage record of James W. Elwood and Eleanor M. Hewes, C.C.M.
7 This fact was proven by combining many clues with DNA results of several James Elwood descendants
8 Interviews with Thomas Milton Mitchell, 1997-1999
9 UCLA Stunt Ranch History (website)
10 Marriage certificate of Walter Geraldson Griffiths and Sophia Mabelle Elwood, U.S. Consular Reports of Marriages, 1910-1949, Ancestry.com
11 1920 U.S. Census, Los Angeles, California
12 Interviews with Thomas Michael Mitchell, 1976-1980
13 Birth record of Thomas Milton Mitchell, California Birth Index, 1905-1995, FamilySearch.org
14 Birth record of Patsy Eleanor Mitchell, C.B.I.
15 Birth record of Forrest Leroy Mitchell, C.B.I.
16 City directories for Los Angeles, 1901-1942
17 The identity of the child’s father was made with autosomal DNA matches in 2020. The family had no idea that their close relative had fathered an out-of-wedlock child.
18 Divorce record of Thomas Michael Mitchell and Hazel Laura Mitchell, Los Angeles, 5 Jan 1943
19 Joint Tenancy Grant Deed to Juan M. Marte and Hazel L. Marte, 24 Mar 1953
20 Description of Hazel’s Tarzana house and lifestyle is my own firsthand knowledge.
21 Find-a-Grave listing of Hazel Laura (Elwood) Marte
22 Death record of Thomas Milton Mitchell, Social Security Death Index, FamilySearch.org
23 Marriage record of Thomas M. Mitchell and Margaret E. Bolheres, California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1949-1950, Ancestry.com
24 Death record of Patsy E. Sarvela, S.S.D.I.
25 Marriage record of James L. Sarvela and Patsy E. Mitchell, California, U.S., County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1849-1980, Ancestry.com
26 Death record of Forrest L. Mitchell, S.S.D.I.
Sources:
1 Birth record of Hazel Laura Elwood, Los Angeles, California County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994, FamilySearch.org
2 Marriage record of Thomas Michael Mitchell and Hazel Laura Elwood, California County Marriages, 1850-1945, FamilySearch.org
3 Marriage certificate of Juan Marte and Hazel Laura Mitchell, Lordsburg, New Mexico, 19 Aug 1943
4 Death record of Hazel Marte, California Death Index, 1940-1997, FamilySearch.org
5 Interviews with Nancy Grace Elwood, 1976-2004
6 Marriage record of James W. Elwood and Eleanor M. Hewes, C.C.M.
7 This fact was proven by combining many clues with DNA results of several James Elwood descendants
8 Interviews with Thomas Milton Mitchell, 1997-1999
9 UCLA Stunt Ranch History (website)
10 Marriage certificate of Walter Geraldson Griffiths and Sophia Mabelle Elwood, U.S. Consular Reports of Marriages, 1910-1949, Ancestry.com
11 1920 U.S. Census, Los Angeles, California
12 Interviews with Thomas Michael Mitchell, 1976-1980
13 Birth record of Thomas Milton Mitchell, California Birth Index, 1905-1995, FamilySearch.org
14 Birth record of Patsy Eleanor Mitchell, C.B.I.
15 Birth record of Forrest Leroy Mitchell, C.B.I.
16 City directories for Los Angeles, 1901-1942
17 The identity of the child’s father was made with autosomal DNA matches in 2020. The family had no idea that their close relative had fathered an out-of-wedlock child.
18 Divorce record of Thomas Michael Mitchell and Hazel Laura Mitchell, Los Angeles, 5 Jan 1943
19 Joint Tenancy Grant Deed to Juan M. Marte and Hazel L. Marte, 24 Mar 1953
20 Description of Hazel’s Tarzana house and lifestyle is my own firsthand knowledge.
21 Find-a-Grave listing of Hazel Laura (Elwood) Marte
22 Death record of Thomas Milton Mitchell, Social Security Death Index, FamilySearch.org
23 Marriage record of Thomas M. Mitchell and Margaret E. Bolheres, California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1949-1950, Ancestry.com
24 Death record of Patsy E. Sarvela, S.S.D.I.
25 Marriage record of James L. Sarvela and Patsy E. Mitchell, California, U.S., County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1849-1980, Ancestry.com
26 Death record of Forrest L. Mitchell, S.S.D.I.
