Marcus DeCastro Villarosa^[1]

1893 - 1968  (75 years)

• Name	Marcus DeCastro Villarosa  [2]
  Birth	8 Oct 1893	Imus, Cavite Province, Philippines   [2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Death	6 Nov 1968	Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co, California   [2, 4, 5]
  Person ID	I1096	Cooley Miller Sears Barnhouse
  Last Modified	20 May 2021

  
  

  Father	Venancio Villarosa,   b. Est 1872, Cavite Province, Philippines d. 9 Jun 1942, Imus, Cavite Province, Philippines (Age ~ 70 years)
  Mother	Bebiana De Castro,   b. Abt 1864, Kawit, Cavite Province, Philippines d. 20 Sep 1938, Bacoor, Cavite Province, Philippines (Age ~ 74 years)
  Family ID	F702	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Gertrude Egbert Cressler,   b. 22 May 1904, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. 27 Sep 1974, Santa Monica, Los Angeles Co, California (Age 70 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1918	Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania   [2]
  Children	1. Twin A Villarosa,   b. 20 Mar 1919, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. 20 Mar 1919, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania (Age 0 years)   2. Twin B Villarosa,   b. 20 Mar 1919, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. 20 Mar 1919, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania (Age 0 years)   3. Gertrude Arabella Villarosa,   b. 7 Jun 1924, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. 10 Jan 1969, Ridgewood, Bergen Co, New Jersey (Age 44 years)   4. Gladys Rachel Villarosa,   b. 2 Nov 1925, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. 5 May 2021, Hanover Twp, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania (Age 95 years)   5. John Marcus Villarosa,   b. 8 Mar 1927, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. 21 Dec 2012, Riverside, Riverside Co, California (Age 85 years)   6. Paul Herman Villarosa,   b. 7 Sep 1928, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. 4 Jan 1968, South Vietnam (Age 39 years)   7. Ruth Esther Villarosa,   b. 14 May 1930, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. 28 Jul 2013, Blue Bell, Whitpain Twp, Montgomery Co, Pennsylvania (Age 83 years)   8. George Daniel Villarosa,   b. 19 Jan 1932, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. 23 Jan 2021, Warwick, Orange Co, New York (Age 89 years)   9. Arthur James Villarosa,   b. 21 Feb 1933, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. 14 May 2022, Kirkland, King Co, Washington (Age 89 years)   10. Joseph Emanuel Villarosa,   b. 17 Jun 1934, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. Abt Jun 1951, Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey (Age 16 years)   11. David Thomas Villarosa,   b. 14 Jan 1937, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. 28 Mar 2004, Summerville, Dorchester Co, South Carolina (Age 67 years)   12. Living   13. Living   14. Living   15. Janice Mary Villarosa,   b. 21 Aug 1943, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania d. Abt Jul 1970, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co, California (Age 26 years)   16. Living   17. William Robert Villarosa,   b. 30 Jan 1947, Suffern, Rockland Co, New York d. 21 Jan 2020, Haworth, Bergen Co, New Jersey (Age 72 years)
  Family ID	F228	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	2 Jan 2006

  
  

• Notes

  Marcus DeCastro Villarosa was b 8 Oct 1893 in Imus, Cavite Provence, Philippines to Vinancio Villarosa (b. est 1872 in Cavite Provence; d. 9 Jun 1942 in Imus) and Bibiana DeCastro (b. est 1862 in Kawit, Cavite Province; d. 20 Sep 1938 in Bacoor, Cavite Provence). After the Spanish American War and the subsequent Philippines-American War in which the United States acquired Philippines as its first imperialist act, Marcus joined the United States Navy in 1909 using the pseudonym Tommy or Thomas or Timoteo for a given name and Legaspi or Legassky for a surname. In the 1920 US census there is a Thomas Legassky or Thomas Legasphy, aged 25, who was born in Philippines and whom resided on Westminster Street, Wilkes-Barre, Ward 15, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Thomas was a boarder in the household of Willard and Edna Williams. His marital status was "divorced" and he was a laborer in a machine shop earning wages. He was able to read and write. In the 1930 census, Thomas had abandoned his Navy name but it turned out as Marke Villa Rosa in the census. Similar information from the 1920 census for Thomas Legassky is found for Marcus in the 1930 census. He resided on McLeon Street, Wilkes-Barre, owned his own house valued at $6000, and had no radio set. His age at first marriage (Gertrude Thomas) was 29, his father and mother were born in Philippine Islands and they spoke Spanish. From the 1930 census we learn Marke's immigration year was 1918. He was a naturalized US citizen and spoke English, his occupation was foreman in a carpet mill, and he earned wages or salary. In 1930, the Villa Rosas household members were: Marke, aged 35; Gertrude (Sr) aged 25; Gertrude (Jr) aged 5; Gladys aged 4; Marcus (Jr) aged 3; Paul aged 1; and a Mary Mailander aged 46. Marcus D Villarosa and his wife Gertrude are found in the 1933 Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania City Directory living at 200 Barney. His WWII draft registration card says he was working at American Cart Foundry Co, Willkes-Barre PA. In a Veterans Administration application for a headstone filed by Marcus' wife, Gertrude dated 18 Feb 1969 shows an enlistment date of 7 Aug 1909, a discharge date of 6 Aug 1913, and a rank of "Matt 1st Class" (Mess Attendant)* Marcus' burial place and the location of the headstone is George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus, New Jersey. At the time of the application, Gertrude E. Villarosa was living at 92 Turner Rd, Pearl River, New York. Since the dates of WWI were 28 Jul 1914 to 11 Nov 1918 and the US entered the war 6 Apr 1917 apparently Marcus was not involved in WWI. **The Messman Branch, responsible for feeding and serving officers, was a racially segregated part of the U.S. Navy. White sailors could not serve in the Messman Branch, which was composed almost exclusively of African-Americans recruited in the U.S. and Filipino, Chinese and other foreign nationals who had been recruited overseas into the U.S. Asiatic Fleet. The "Matt" designation continued through to WWII when it attracted criticism from civil rights leaders. The Roosevelt administration was under some pressure to address this inequality and some steps were taken throughout the war, but the Navy's leadership proved resistant to major change. In February 1943 the name of the branch was changed to Steward Branch, the word "officer's" was dropped from rate titles, and "mess attendant" became "steward's mate". The new rating of "cook" should not be confused with "ship's cook," which was part of the Commissary Branch. In June 1944 cooks and stewards were authorized to wear petty officer-style rating badges. Despite the change in insignia, however, stewards and cooks were not petty officers and ranked below the most junior petty officer grade. Petty officer status was not extended to stewards until 1950. https://uniform-reference.net/insignia/usn/usn_ww2_enl_steward.html Obituary for Marcus D. Villarosa The Record Hackensack, New Jersey 10 Nov 1968 p79PATERSON - Services for Marcus D. Villarosa, 75, of 147 E. 25th St [in Los Angeles] will be Monday at 2 p.m. at the Pentecostal Lighthouse Church, with Mr. Arthur Dreistadt officiating. Mr. Villarosa died Wednesday at the Wardsworth Veterans Hospital, West Los Angeles, Calif. Born in the Philippine Islands, he lived in Waldwick [New Jersey] for many years before moving here a year ago. He was a machinist for the Marlow Pump Co. in Midland Park before retiring eight years ago. He was a Navy veteran of World War I. He is survived by his widow, the former Gertrude Cressler; seven sons, John and William both of Paterson [NJ], Daniel of Waldwick [NJ], Arthur of Holmdel [NJ], David of Park Ridge [NJ], and Alan of Seattle, Wash; six daughters, Mrs. John (Gertrude) LaNane of Upper Saddle River [NJ], Mrs. William (Gladys) Strey of Wilkes Barre, Pa., Mrs. William (Ruth) Littles of Pearl River, NY, Mrs Edward (Dolores) Bigby of Sacramento, Calif, Mrs. William (Janice) McDonald of Beverly Hills, Calif, and Mrs. Leslie (Dorothy) Gilmore of Los Angeles; 24 grandchildren and a great-grandchild. A son, Paul, was killed in Vietnam last January. Burial will be in George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus [NJ]. Friends may visit at the J.H. Olthuis Funeral Home, 159 Godwin Ave, Midland Park [NJ].

  
  

• Sources

  [S355] United States Government, Census - main, (Censuses conducted 1790-1930), 1930-PA-Luzerne-Wilkes-Barre (Reliability: 3). [S347] Eddie J. Bigby, Bigby, (Database compiled and copyrighted by Eddie J. Bigby for the Villarosa Grand Reunion, July 10, 1999, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina ). [S644] United States Govenment, wwii draft reg, Date of Registration: 4/27/42: Marcus DeCastro Villarosa, 29 Essex Lane, Wilkes-Barre, Luz. Pa; aged 48, date of birth 10 8 1893; Imus Cavite Philippine Islands. (Reliability: 3). [S303] Social Security Administration, U.S. Government, SSDI - master, Death date: Nov 1968; Birth date 6 Oct 1893; SSN 177-12-3357 (Reliability: 3). [S321] State of California, California State Library, Sacramento, Calif , Calif Death Index, Death Date 6 Nov 1968 (Reliability: 3).