Ervin Ephraim Rollins

Ervin Ephraim Rollins was born October 30, 1887, in Provo, Utah, to Ephraim and Ida (Patten) Rollins. Ervin's father, Ephraim Edward Rollins, had come to Snowflake, Arizona, in about 1879 or 1880, with his parents, John Henry Rollins, Sr., and Nancy Malinda West Rollins, who were the children of early converts to the Mormon church. John Henry was the son of James Henry Rollins and Eveline Walker Rollins, and Nancy was the daughter of Samuel Walker West and Margaret Cooper West. Both the Rollins and the West families joined the LDS church in the 1830's, and migrated west with other church members. After spending several years in Utah, Margaret Cooper West's brother-in-law, Jesse Nathaniel Smith (1st cousin to the LDS Prophet, Joseph Smith), was sent by the church to Arizona to find a suitable area for members of the church from Utah to settle in order to improve their growing season.

However, in 1887 both John Henry Rollins, Sr., and Ephraim Edward Rollins passed away, John at the age of about 46 and Ephraim Edward at the age of 25 years old while living in Arizona. How Ervin Ephraim came to be born in Provo, Utah, is unknown, unless after Ephraim and Ida were married they were living in Utah for a time. They had two other children, Ida Mae and Edward Clifton, and then after Ephraim Edward Rollins passed away, his widow Ida married his younger brother, William Samuel Rollins, and they went on to have five more children.

By the 1900 U.S. Federal Census for Graham County, Arizona Territory, William and Ida were living with children Ida May, 15, Edward Clifton, 13, and Ervin Edward, 12, (Ephraim and Ida's children) and their own children, Ella, 10, Wilmirth, 6, Delila, 4, Louyre, 2, and Guy William, 6 months old. William was working as a dry goods dealer, and they owned their own home, free from a mortgage.

In the 1910 U.S. Federal Census, the family was living in Douglas City, Cochise, Arizona, and were listed as follows: William, 43, Ida, 48, Edward, 23, Ervin, 21, Ella, 19, Wilmirth, 17, Lyle, (Delila) 15, Louyre, 13, and Guy William, 11. In this census, William was working as a house building contractor on his own account. They owned their home but had a mortgage.

A 1910 U.S. City Directory listing for Los Angeles, California, showed that Ervin Edward. Rollins was working for Brown & Company and was living at 523 West Washington. His uncle, Guy Washington Rollins, (brother of his father, Ephraim Edward) was living at 523-1/2 West Washington Boulevard at the time, and was operating a grocery store. Also listed in the same directory was E.H. Rollins and Sons who were affiliated with Silsby M. Spalding, a manager of investment bonds, located in suite # 204 of the Security Building located at 508 S. Spring Street, but I don't know if they were related to Ervin in any way.

Ervin Edward Rollins married Lillian Mae Earhuff on July 12, 1913, in Los Angeles County, California. Lillian was the daughter of W.C. Earhuff and Clara P. Chaffee. At the time of their marriage, Ervin was 24 and Lillian was 20 years old. According to the Family Search.org listing for their marriage, Ervin's middle name was shown as Earl. Lillian was born in about 1894 in Minnesota.

A 1914 Los Angeles U.S. City Directory showed Ervin E. was working as an instrument man at the Harbor Department and living at 622 18th Street in San Pedro or Wilmington, California, and another listing for him in 1915 showing that he was a surveyor at the Harbor Department, and was living at 351 W. 18th Street. A Robert Rollins was working as a longshoreman and living at rear 350 10th Street. But I don't know if they were related.

Ervin E. and Lillian's son, Ervin William, was born May 4, 1914, in Los Angeles County, California. Sometime between 1914 and October of 1916, Ervin and Lillian and son Ervin William moved back to Arizona. Their second son, Robert Lund Rollins, was born October 18, 1916, in Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona. At the time they were living on B Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets. Ervin was 28 years old and Lillian was 23 years old at the time of Robert's birth and Ervin was working as a Civil Engineer.

When Ervin completed his World War I Draft Registration Card on June 5, 1917, he was 29 years old, had a wife and had two children which were 3 and 1 year old, and he described himself as being tall, slender, with blue/grey eyes and light colored hair. He was working as a civil engineer for the LD Corp., Copper Queen Branch, Reduction Works. He was living at 937 19th Street in Douglas, Arizona.

Ervin seemed to move back and forth between Los Angeles, California, and Douglas, Arizona, between 1910 and 1915. There is also a 1917 U.S. City Directory for Los Angeles showing that Ervin E. was working as a surveyor and living at 1042 Cary Street. As evidence of the fact that the family moved back and forth between Arizona and Calfornia, a later census shows that Ervin and Lillian's children, Ervin W., was born in California, Robert and John Theron, in Arizona, and Jewel Clara, in California. Ervin was born in Utah and Lillian M., in Minnesota.

On June 13, 1918, Ervin registered to vote in Cochise County, Arizona. He listed himself as a Republican working as an engineer, born in Utah, and was living at 822 16th Street. He was 6' tall and a slender 120 pounds. His uncle, Isles Merion Rollins, a clerk registered as a Democrat, was listed on the same page with Ervin. Isles was 5'-6" tall and weighed 160 pounds. He was living at 536 16th Street. Ervin's mother, Ida, was also listed on the same voter registration record, and was living at the same address as Ervin. She was described as being 5'-5" tall and weighed 125 pounds.

In 1920 when Ervin registered to vote that year on May 7th, he was listed as a civil engineer, was 5'-11-1/2" tall and weighed 140 pounds and had brown hair. He was still a Republican. In the census record that year, Ervin, 32, was living at 1530 21st Street, Douglas, Arizona, with Lillian, 26, and their two sons, Ervin, 5 and a half years old and Robert, 3. His occupation was as a surveyor at a smelter. Living next door was his half-sister, Lyle, 23, and her husband, Lester, 25, and their two sons, Jay, 6, and Thomas, 4. Lester was working as a shift boss at a smelter.

In a 1921 city directory listing, Ervin and Lillian were still living at the 1530 21st Street address and Ervin was working as a master mechanic. But by 1930, they had moved back to California and were living at 440 N. Washington Avenue in Whittier, Los Angeles County. They were listed in the 1930 census as follows: Ervin E., 42, Lillian M., 36, Ervin W., 15, Theron J., 10, and Jewell C., 6. They were renting their home for $50 per month, and they owned a radio, which was a question census takers asked that year. Ervin was working as a mechanical engineer in the gasoline industry. Their son Robert must have passed away, since he would have been only 13 years old, based on his age in the 1920 census.

In 1934 Ervin went back Arizona for a time since he was listed as the informant on the death certificate of William Samuel Rollins, his uncle and step-father who died on June 27, 1934, due to a crushing injury of his chest with six broken ribs. William was in an automobile accident in Benson, Arizona, which resulted in these injuries. He passed away while in the St. Mary's Hospital in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona. Ervin provided his address on the death certificate as Box 413, Pico, California. William Samuel Rollins was buried on July 1, 1934, in the Safford City Cemetery.

A 1937 city directory listing showed that Ervin and Lillian were still living at the Washington Street address in Whittier and he was still working as an engineer. In 1940, they were still living in Whittier, but at a different home located at 317 Court Street, which they owned valued at $3,300. They were listed in the census record as: Ervin E., 52, Lillian M., 47, and Ervin W., 25, who had 2 years of college, Theron, 20, and Jewel C., 16. Ervin Sr., was working as a plant operator in the gas production industry, Lillian M. was working as a nurse in a sanitarium, and Ervin Jr., as an aircraft repairman. For the year 1939, Ervin Sr., earned income of $1,800 and Ervin Jr., $1,200., but no income was shown for Lillian.

In 1942 when Ervin Ephraim Rollins completed his U.S. World War II Draft Registration Card, he and Lillian were living at 317 Pico Court in Los Angeles, California, and he was working for Standard Oil Company of California. He showed his birthdate as October 30, 1887, in Utah, and he was 54 years old at the time. That year their son, Ervin William Rollins, married Mary Louise Young when he was 28 years old.

In 1951 city directory listing for Whittier, California, Ervin E. and Lillian were living at 512 Rose Drive, and Ervin was working as an oil worker. Their daughter, Jewel C. was working as a nurse. In 1952 Ervin was listed as a plant operator for Standard Oil in Santa Fe Springs, and they were still living on Rose Drive. Living with them was son John Theron, and he was working as an architect for Banico Gardens.

In 1952, son Ervin William and his wife, Mary Louise, were living at 290 Covina Avenue in Long Beach, and he was working as an inspector for North American Aviation. In 1955 they were at the same address, and he was working as an assistant supervisor at North American Aviation. By 1957 he was a superintendent of North American Aviation, and in 1962, they were still at the same address and Ervin W. was still a superintendent of North American Aviation.

In directories for 1955 and 1956, Ervin E. and Lillian were living at 512 Rose Dr. There was also a Charles W. Rollins with his wife, Betty, living at 102 N. Painter Ave., Apt. 7, but I'm not sure if they were related.

Ervin E, passed away October, 18, 1962, in Los Angeles County, California. I could find no death records for Lillian, or Jewel, but Ervin William, who was born May 5,1914, passed away at the age of 90 years old on November 18, 2004, while living in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California. Previously in 1993 he was still living at 290 Covina Avenue in Long Beach. John Theron Rollins passed away in 1997 while living in Orange County, California.

Ervin was my 1st cousin twice removed, but sadly, I never met him even though I also grew up in Southern California.