Duane ZITTA ( - )

1 Duane ZITTA , Jr.¹ ( - ) [9914].

6 Roy BETTELEY^3,4 (1911-1973) [1551]. Born 22 Sep 1911, Stoke-on-Trent, England.^3,4,5,6 Marr Dorothy Marie PARENT 4 Apr 1933, Ferndale, MI.^5,7 Died 10 Sep 1973, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI.^3,4,6 Buried Oakview Cemetery, Royal Oak, MI.⁶

Witnesses to the marriage of Roy Betteley and Dorothy Marie Parent were Dorothy's sister Margaret and Elizabeth James, daughter of North Granger James and Bessie Carew.⁵

7 Dorothy Marie PARENT^2,5,7,8 (1912-1996) [1548]. Born 19 Feb 1912, Pleasant Ridge, MI.^5,7,8 Died 22 Jun 1996, Lake Orion, MI.^3,7

As reported by her niece, Diane Chambeau, Dorothy Parent was at one time "Miss Royal Oak" as well as a model for the Detroit Free Press.

14 Harrison Virgil Benjamin PARENT^2,8,9,10 (1888-1948) [1541]. Born 6 Jul 1888, Royal Oak Township, MI.² Marr Jane Thomas MILLAR 24 Dec 1908, Detroit, MI.¹⁰ Marr Yvonne Isabel STEPHEN 11 Jun 1927, Detroit, MI.¹¹ Div 11 Jun 1927, Oakland County, MI.¹² Marr Hazel Belle STEWART 29 Mar 1947, Royal Oak, MI.¹³ Died 17 Oct 1948, Ferndale, MI.² Buried 20 Oct 1948, Woodlawn Cemetery.^2,14

From the Birmingham Eccentric, July 5, 1907.

"Harry, son of Mr. and Mrs. F.A. Parent, was operated on at Grace Hospital, Detroit, last Saturday morning. Three or four years ago he fell down an elevator shaft in an apartment house in Ohio, three stories, and broke his leg. He recovered from his injuries as was supposed, but a short time ago began to complain of a severe pain in his side which gradually became worse until the physicians decided that an operation was necessary to save his life. The doctors discovered that the muscles in his side had become as hard as stone and that some growths had formed around them which was necessary to remove. The patient is now doing nicely and if no complications develope he will be all right again in a short time."

From the Royal Oak Tribune, July 9, 1915 - "Harry Parent's barn on Woodward ave caught fire and burned Monday evening."

The following is a very strange item, for which we have not yet found an explanation. Harrison died in 1948, so clearly he did not drown in in this incident which was reported in the September 9, 1921 issue of the Royal Oak Tribune.

"H. PARENT DROWNS AT SUGAR ISLAND. Clothes in bath house only evidence of Labor Day tragedy. The body of Harrison B. Parent, Pleasant Ridge man, believed drowned Labor day in Lake Erie, off Sugar Island has not been recovered, according to the Detroit police and members of the harbormaster's crew who have been searching with dynamite and grappling irons in the waters in the vicinity of the Lake Erie Resort. If Parent were drowned, the police have learned of no one witnessing the tragedy. The only evidence the police have that the man disappeared is the facts that his clothes were found in the island bath house by the island caretaker the night of Labor day and also that he had failed to since put in an appearance at his home, Woodward and Maplewood avenues, Pleasant Ridge. Parent had gone to the island alone and it is believed he went immediately to the bathing beach and ventured too far into the lake. In the man's clothing were scraps of memoranda containing the name of "Parent, Pleasant Ridge," $5 in cash and a gold watch. Parent who was 33 years of age, was a graduate of the University of Detroit and was a member of the varsity football team of that institution for two years. Several years ago he played with the Royal Oak Independants and was known as one of the speediest backfield men in middle west. He was a stock and bond salesman and had offices in Detroit. This young man was a member of the 125th Machine Gun company, National Guard. He had tried repeatedly to get into the regular army during world the world war but on each occasion, he was unable to pass the physical examination due to hernia. Parent had been married, but the couple became separated some time ago. He made his home with his parents in Pleasant Ridge. He was born in Detroit, July 6, 1888."

And, here is his obituary in the October 18, 1949 Royal Oak Tribune.

"A long time resident of southern Oakland county, Virgil B. Parent, age 60, died Sunday at his home, 272 West Drayton avenue, Ferndale. Mr. Parent was born July 6, 1888 in Royal Oak township. He leaves his wife, Hazel B.; two daughters, Mrs. Dorothy M. Betteley, 1079 Lochmore boulevard, Berkley, and Mrs. Margaret J. Chambeau, 1007 East Sixth street; his mother, Mrs. Dolly B. Parent and five grandchildren, Gerald, Robert and Sally Jo Betteley and Graham, Kempe and Diane Chambeau. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, at the Sawyer funeral home, 2125 Twelve-Mile road, Berkley. The Rev. Wallace Winchell of the first Congregational church will officiate. Burial will be in Woodlawn cemetery."

Another mystery is the fact that Harrison Parent's individual records (Jr. and Sr.) cannot be found at Woodlawn Cemetery, only a notation on the plot layout that they are, in fact, buried there. Furthermore, Harrison Sr.'s obit says that services were handled by Sawyer Funeral Home in Berkley but these records, too, are missing.

15 Jane Thomas MILLAR^8,10 (c. 1890- ) [1543]. Born c. 1890, Hamilton, Ontario.^10,15

Sources

1	"Information provided by Duane Zitta, Jr.".

2	"Obituary of Harrison V.B. Parent in the Royal Oak Tribune, October 18, 1948".

3	"Social Security Death Index".

4	"Newspaper obituary".

5	"Certificate of Marriage of Roy Betteley and Dorothy Marie Parent".

6	"Find-A-Grave Memorial Record of Roy Betteley".

7	"Find-A-Grave Memorial Record of Dorothy Marie Parent Betteley-Jeffries".

8	"SS Application for Dorothy Parent Betteley".

9	"Information provided by David Gustner".

10	"Michigan Marriage Records".

11	"Oakland County Mi Marriage License of Harrison V. Parent andYvonne Isabel Stephen".

12	"Michigan Divorce Records, 1897-1952 of Yvonne Parent and Harrison V.B. Parent".

13	"Michigan Marriage Records, 1867-1952 for Harrison Virgil Benjamin Parent and Hazel Belle Stewart".

14	"Woodlawn Cemetery records, Detroit, MI".

15	"Statee of Michigan Death Certificate of Margee Belle Parent".