When did Marie Montbriand move to Milwaukee?

From my recent trip to Milwaukee, I still don't know where Marie Montbriand was in 1930, but I do know that she most likely wasn't in Milwaukee yet. The earliest listing of Marie Montbriand I found from the City Directories is in 1932. There is a slight possibility that she was living with someone else, like her uncle Richard Montbriand, whom I found living in Milwaukee in 1928 & 1929. But no Montbriand is listed in the City Directories in 1930 or 1931.

In 1932, Marie was living over a grocer on West Forest Home avenue between South 43rd and West Oklahoma avenue. While living here, Marie was working at the Herman Reel Company on Wisconsin Avenue as a stenographer. The Faustmann family, including George Kland, were rooming on West Scott between South Third and Fourth. Richard Montbriand and his wife were living in a home on North 19th, which is on the other side of the river.

By 1933, George Kland and Marie Montbriand were listed as living together on South 34th Street, but they were listed separately. As we know from their marriage certificate, they were married in 1933, but not until the 20th of Dec. Interestingly, by the end of the year they lived at different addresses, as reported on their marriage certificate. This fits in with the storyline from Grandpa quite well, since he listed in his autobiography that they met while living together at a boarding house after his mother kicked him out:

"I went to a rooming house, that’s where I met your mother, of course it wasn’t love at first sight, I was still going with this Italien girl, after about 2 months, I began to realize we were in the same place. That was in spring. We went together for 9 months. The landlady married a farmer up north, I guess, we split up, not our friendship, but living under the same roof. I went to a rooming house near my shop, while ma moved in with a family on the west side."

This would account for them to appear as living together in 1933, but then have different addresses by the end of the year when they were married. So it is quite probable that 737 S 34th was the boarding house that Grandma and Grandpa met at, which was owned by Mrs Margaret Graf (see below). When she sold it and moved up north, they both had to move. The address that Marie lists on her marriage certificate is on W St Paul Avenue. This address is listed as the location of Standard Brass Works (see below), so it may have been a residence over the business. Also, this location is on the other side of the river, not too far from where Marquette University is located. As Grandpa indicates, their relationship continued after being forced to move which eventually led to their marriage in December of that same year.

Finally in 1934, they are listed as husband and wife living together on the north side of town.


Milwaukee City Directory
1928 Montbriand Richd carp r305 ½ 19th
1929 Montbriand Richd carp r422 ½ 18th
1930 (No Montbriand’s listed)
1930 Kland Geo appr r521 3d av
1931 (No Montbriand’s listed)
1931 Kland Geo appr r1203 S 5th [same home as his parents]
1932 Montbriand Marie sten Herman Reel Co r4322 W F Home av
1932 Kland Geo appr r324 W Scott [same home as his parents]
1932 Montbriand Richd (Eda) carp h923 N 19th
1933 Montbriand Marie clk r737 S 34th
1933 Kland Geo fctywkr r737 S 34th
1933 Montbriand Richd (Ada) h923 N 19th
1934 Kland Geo F (Marie) litho r 207 N 30th

clk=clerk
W=West
F Home av = Forest Home av
gro=grocer
appr=apprentice
h=householder
r=resides or rooms


1932 address listings:
Reel Herman Co Herman Reel pres-treas Adolph F Reel v-pres Robt W Reel sec women’s furngs 201-203 W Wisconsin Ave

4322 W Forest Home av – from 1300 W Mitchell southwest to city limits
S 43rd intersects
4322 Tutaj Alois J gro and meats
W Oklahoma av intersects

1933 address listings:
737 S 34th (formerly 29th ave) from W Pierce south to W Dakota
737 Graf Margt Mrs
W National av intersects

1820 W St Paul av = Standard Brass Works