R M Biele - the "French Hairdresser"

R M Biele, Rudolf M Biele, Rudolph M Biele and Ralph Max Biele 

R M Biele first appears in the public record in 1885 when he applies for US citizenship in St. Louis, Missouri.

Of note, this lists him as a native of Switzerland whereas all future records list him as French. There are no immigration records that I could find or any prior records, including from Europe.

The next record, this time as Rudolf M Biele, is for his marriage (first of three?) to Mary Streeb. Both are listed as residing in St. Louis County, with Rudolf in Clayton and Mary in St. Louis City. The license was issued on June 16th, 1886 and the marriage was performed by a Justice of the Peace on June 22, 1886.

In 1888, there is a listing in a Kansas City directory for a R M Biele - hairdresser, and then Rudolf and Mary moved to Salt Lake City. Tragedy struck in June of 1890, when Mary and a new born child died. The records state the child was born and died on June 26th and then Mary died a few days later on June 30, 1890. They were buried together in Salt Lake City.

Later in 1890, there is an advertisement in the Salt Lake Times for R M Biele, French Hairdresser. A listing in a 1892 Slat Lake directory lists him as a French Hair Dresser and Perfumer. He is listed as Rudolph M Biele in a 1892 lists of Salt Lake City residents.

It is then in 1901, that R M lands in Butte, Montana, first in more ads for a French Hairdresser and then for his December marriage (second of three?) to Zelia Labuette.

Of note, are the age (39), parents (George and Anna Biele), birthplace (Comar, France) and that he is widowed. His wife is also from France.

Things get really interesting according to a series of gossipy stories in the local Butte newspapers from January to April 1902. The first story tells how Mr. and Mrs. R M Biele are assaulted by Gustave La Grande upon their return from their honeymoon in Salt Lake City. La Grande was reportedly "abusive and used vile language" and assumed a "menacing attitude", claiming that Mrs. Biele was brought to the US from France by him and that he had supported her for many years. Mr. Biele went to the police and Mr. La Grande was arrested. That article and one the next day state that the couple were secretly married since that were afraid of La Grande. 

An article a few days later tells how all three were in court and stated that "All parties are French and none could speak English with the exception of Mrs. Biele, and her vocabulary appeared in court to be limited to a few profane words and risqué expressions". Through an interpreter, La Grande claimed that he did not threaten them but only wanted the return of items that Mrs. Biele had taken when she left him.

The next month, The Bieles were back in the papers when R. M. had his wife arrested for leaving him to live at a "house of ill repute." It was further stated he had known about his wife's prior life but seeked to "keep her on the straight and narrow". Things took a twist the next day when R M was arrested because his wife claimed he "forced her to earn a living for him". Another states the Bieles were "given a write up on account for their peculiar ways of living" while in Salt Lake City and that upon their return "the life the woman was living before she married Biele resumed and the husband was a nightly visitor". All charges on both parties were later dropped.

In March, Mrs. Biele was arrested again, this time when a man was charged with assault and battery on her. He was released and she was arrest when an "investigation showed the young man to be less at fault than the woman who accused him". The incident occurred at the home earlier mentioned as the "house of ill repute". In April, R M Biele appeared in court with a lawyer to file for divorce because his wife "voluntarily entered upon a life of shame". There are no further articles and no other records of R M Biele in Butte.

R M Biele next appears as Ralph Max Biele on the marriage certificate of his son Walter J. Biele in Los Angeles in 1911 . This is Walter's second marriage and the record lists Walter's father as Ralph Max Biele and his mother as Mary Straub. The father is said to be born in Germany and the mother and Walter are listed as being born in New York. (While there are contradictions to other facts, I believe this is the same R M Biele. Ralph Biele is recorded in the 1920 and 1930 census as living with Walter and born in France as does his death certificate. The area in France where R M Biele is said to be born was occupied by Germany from around 1880 to 1920. Walter's mother "Mary Straub" is very close to R M's first wife "Mary Streeb" and Walter's birth year in 1888 is after R M and Mary were married and before she died. Walter's first marriage was in Salt Lake City which is where they lived before Mary's death.) 

R M Biele's third marriage was on April 24, 1915 in Great Falls Montana to Mary Fisher. They are both listed as from France. 

 

A year later in 1916, the Canadian census listed a prisoner named R M Biele who was born in France. His place of imprisonment is Saskatchewan, which is the Canadian providence across the border from Montana.

In 1917, Walter also has a third marriage (like father, like son?) and his father is listed as R M Biele.

A 1923 listing in a business directory for Key West Florida, lists a chiropodist named R M Biele. (Not sure if this is the same R M Biele, but maybe he needed some sun and warmth after serving his sentence in Canada.)

As previously mentioned, Ralph Max Biele appears in the 1930 and 1940 census as living in Los Angeles with Water Biele.  Ralph Max Biele died on April 22, 1947 and was buried in Los Angeles.

His son, Walter, died in 1976 and a daughter of Walter, Sally Jean Biele, died in 2001 which looks to be the last Biele in this branch.

I do not know of any connection between R M / Rudolf / Ralph Biele and my family and other Biele families I have researched. There are a few Bieles, in the French records, sometimes spelled Bielé or Bièle.

I will update this post as new facts emerge.