Edythe Radis

Mary often attended the movies, sometimes went to Vaudeville shows and other times socialized at home or at other people's homes.  One name that repeatedly comes up throughout the diary as someone with whom Mary participated in all the above activities was Edythe Radis, rarely referred to as Edith Radis, other times simply as Miss Radis.  Some of the individuals mentioned by Mary can be identified in more detail.  Edythe Radis is one of those.

Edythe appears in the 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 census.  She was born on September 7, 1896 in Massachusetts to Russian born Jewish parents.  In 1900 she was living in Fall River, Massachusetts with her parents Samuel and Rosie and her 5 siblings, the oldest three of whom had been born in Russia.  The family apparently emigrated from Russia around 1891, possibly as early as 1888 based on the 1910 Census.  In 1910 they were in Philadelphia and by 1920, still living in Philadelphia, although her father had likely died because she was living with her mother as head of household and a younger sister.  In 1930 she was still single, employed as a nurse and living with her now married younger sister and her family.  She traveled some according to ship manifests, in 1927 returning from Southampton, England and in 1931 returning from Havana, Cuba.

Edythe married James M. Dallas in New York City on October 22, 1934.  She was 38 years old.  She continued to travel, sailing with her husband from NYC to California in 1836 and to Bermuda in 1956 without her husband, and declaring a Carmel, California address in 1962.  Subsequent addresses in city directories indicated she then lived through the 1960s and into at least the early 1970s in Monterey, California.  She died June 15, 1989 and was buried in Biloxi National Cemetery in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Edythe actual served in the United States Naval Reserve Force, enrolling 7/20/1918, and serving in active duty from 9/20/1918 to 8/8/1919, serving in the Distributing Barracks in Philadelphia from 9/20/1918 to 11/11/1918 and being honorably discharged on 7/25/1920.  Mary does not acknowledge Edythe's military service in her diary although they attended shows together on July 20 and 21 and August 28 and unsuccessfully sought out a possible movie venue on August 22.