And this post on old Joe R's son Malcolm:
Malcom aged 18
Six years later at age 24.
Looks better than Joe R huh?
The post gives a lot of information about Malcom and the family, note that they are all dead. Poor old Joe's prophesy, that, Millions Now Living Will Never Die, failed, as did Jesus own prophesy about his return.
Malcom Cameron Rutherford was born on November 16, 1892, the only child of Joseph F Rutherford and Mary Fetzer. His photograph at age 18 is found in the 1911 convention report as “Pastor Russell’s stenographer” on the Transcontinental Tour. Around this time the whole family were part of the Bethel family in Brooklyn. The main census of Bethel in Kings, Brooklyn, was taken on April 29-30, 1910, and lists CTR and a collection of familiar names, but the Rutherford family is missing. However, there is a census page dated May 14, 1910 by a different enumerator, with the word “supplemental” at the top, which gives a few extra names for 122 and 124 Columbia Heights and People’s Pulpit Association. And there we find Jos(eph) F Rutherford, Mary Rutherford and Malcom C Rutherford all living together with a few other well-known Bible Student names, including Charles W Hek, nominal editor of the Bible Students Monthly. For the Rutherford entries, Joseph is an Attorney and Malcom a Mail Clerk; and under “Industry” is “Bible and Tract Society”. Joseph and Mary are down as assistants, and Malcolm (aged 17) is down as a boarder. Ships’ passenger lists show that Malcom, now aged 22, accompanied his parents for at least part of a trip to Europe in 1914. According to “Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Divine Purpose” Rutherford Snr. had been giving lectures in Germany, and then was on board a boat from Hamburg to Britain when war was declared. He remained in Britain until September, and then the whole family (including Malcom) arrived back in New York from Liverpool, England, on the Mauretania in late September 1914. In the June 1, 1915, New York census Malcom is not in Bethel, but neither are his parents. Less than six weeks before the census, Rutherford Snr. was the other side of the country involved in a well publicized and published debate with Baptist John H Troy in Los Angeles. Malcom was with him. The report of the debate in the May 1, 1915 WT, has Rutherford Snr. describing his son rendering assistance by his side. Malcom next surfaces around 1917 with his draft registration card. This provides his birth date of November 16, 1892, and states that he was currently 24 years old. He was now living in Los Angeles, employed as a book-keeper and clerk. It is interesting to note that he claimed exemption from the draft on the grounds of being a member of the International Bible Students Association. The genealogical website Ancestry.com also has what is called his “soldier photograph” from this time which is at the head of this article. However, the records of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs note that Malcom subsequently enlisted on September 10, 1918 and was discharged on December 24, 1918. His father was in prison by this time. By the 1920 census, Malcom is married to Pauline Short (getting married at age 25) and living in Los Angeles, California. On this occasion he puts down his occupation as attorney. You can then trace his subsequent movements over decades via census returns and city directories. One entry of interest is from the 1944 Monrovia City, California, Directory. This has Malcom C Rutherford (clerk) and Pauline S Rutherford living at 159 Stedman Place. At the same address is Mary Rutherford, widow of J F Rutherford. This is Mary’s home, so Malcom and Pauline have obviously moved in with her. Pauline Short Rutherford died on August 29, 1948, and was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale. There is no gravestone with that name, but there is one with the name Bobby Rutherford, “beloved wife,” with the exact years for Pauline (1896-1948), so we might safely assume this was a pet name for her. Malcom remarried in 1950 to a widow Eleanor F Nedell (c.1904-1980). She too was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, although the headstone for Eleanor F Rutherford reads 1914-1979. Following her death, Malcom lived on until 1989 (aged 96) and was also buried in the same cemetery. You can see his grave marker below, reproduced by kind permission of “Claire” from the Find a Grave website.
