Imagine a top, spinning, spinning furiously. It’s a man, and as he spins he throws off ideas, letters, self-published magazines, new societies, institutions, plans for the future of humankind. Spinning, spinning: constant motion. But at the center there is stillness: the eye does not move. And that is how I imagine this Fortean, an active Fortean, ever so active, and—in a nice coincidence—also one whose life is well documented. Even so, there was so much activity, so many things put out in such obscure places, that I haven’t found even some of the most important pieces yet—at least important in the sense of trying to reconstruct his Forteanism.
Arthur Louis Joquel II was born 9 February 1919, fatherless.
His mother was Evelynn Seay (Woodruff) Joquel, a Daughter of the American Revolution who had been born in Steelville, Missouri on 30 March 1893. That was where Joquel the Second was born. And Joquel the First. She had moved around a bit, although the census always caught her in Missouri. As her son would be, she was fatherless from a young age, her own dad passing before she was 7. By the time she was 17 she had left home. At some point, she met Arthur Louis Joquel, another Steelville native, and the two were married on 2 June 1917, when they were both 24. (Arthur was just shy of a month younger than Evelynn.) He was a draftsman. Three days later, he registered for the draft.
Apparently he went to officer school, because he was not appointed until September 1918, when, as a lieutenant, he was sent to Barron Field in Texas. A few months before—calculations suggest it was May—he and Evelynn had conceived. Joquel the First was a pilot, and on 4 November 1918 he was killed in an accident at Baron Field. Evelynn, back home in Steelville, was three months from giving birth. Soon, she fled the state.
Evelynn appears in the 1919 Long Beach (California) city directory. Why Long Beach? Why California? Not sure. And I cannot find the Joquels in the 1920 or 1930 census at all. But wherever they were during that time, Art the Second attended high school in the area. He went to Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, graduating—it seems—in 1936. He was active with the yearbook, newspaper, and the graphic arts club. The Los Angeles city directory has Evelynn living at 1946 W. 38th Place in 1938 and Arthur at 1646 on the same street; this may have been a mis-print, or he may have moved down the street. On 17 June of that year, he married Marie Louise Burnett. Two years later, according to the census, Evelynn and Arthur were living together at 1426 W. 38th place, a little more than a mile from Evelynn’s 1938 home. There was no mention of Marie. Evelynn had worked for 17 weeks that year, and made $300. At some point, Arthur had worked for a rubber company for eight weeks (and made $200) but had been out of work for more than a year, and was actively looking for a job.
Arthur Louis Joquel II was born 9 February 1919, fatherless.
His mother was Evelynn Seay (Woodruff) Joquel, a Daughter of the American Revolution who had been born in Steelville, Missouri on 30 March 1893. That was where Joquel the Second was born. And Joquel the First. She had moved around a bit, although the census always caught her in Missouri. As her son would be, she was fatherless from a young age, her own dad passing before she was 7. By the time she was 17 she had left home. At some point, she met Arthur Louis Joquel, another Steelville native, and the two were married on 2 June 1917, when they were both 24. (Arthur was just shy of a month younger than Evelynn.) He was a draftsman. Three days later, he registered for the draft.
Apparently he went to officer school, because he was not appointed until September 1918, when, as a lieutenant, he was sent to Barron Field in Texas. A few months before—calculations suggest it was May—he and Evelynn had conceived. Joquel the First was a pilot, and on 4 November 1918 he was killed in an accident at Baron Field. Evelynn, back home in Steelville, was three months from giving birth. Soon, she fled the state.
Evelynn appears in the 1919 Long Beach (California) city directory. Why Long Beach? Why California? Not sure. And I cannot find the Joquels in the 1920 or 1930 census at all. But wherever they were during that time, Art the Second attended high school in the area. He went to Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, graduating—it seems—in 1936. He was active with the yearbook, newspaper, and the graphic arts club. The Los Angeles city directory has Evelynn living at 1946 W. 38th Place in 1938 and Arthur at 1646 on the same street; this may have been a mis-print, or he may have moved down the street. On 17 June of that year, he married Marie Louise Burnett. Two years later, according to the census, Evelynn and Arthur were living together at 1426 W. 38th place, a little more than a mile from Evelynn’s 1938 home. There was no mention of Marie. Evelynn had worked for 17 weeks that year, and made $300. At some point, Arthur had worked for a rubber company for eight weeks (and made $200) but had been out of work for more than a year, and was actively looking for a job.