Earnest,
Thank you for you contributions. You keep us on-topic and add stuff that is valuable in the search for facts.
Your participation here is much appreciated. Keep it up, guy!
Farkel
Rutherford Exposed: The Story of Berta and Bonnie
by Farkel 747 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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Farkel
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Athanasius
Hi Outoftheborg,
Thank you so much for sharing the information from your childhood. Every little bit helps. Perhaps someone here will see a clue and pick up on it.
Leolaia, it is possible that the Balkos may have lived in Cooper County, Missouri at one time. Balko doesn't seem to be a common name. In fact I looked it up in my local phone book and there were no Balkos listed in my county which has a population of almost 700,000. Rutherford lived in Cooper County from 1891 to 1908. If there are any Balkos listed in the 1890-1910 census there might be a connection. I liked your suggestion about checking Watch Tower sources. Perhaps someone who has an extensive library could check the Watch Tower Publications index for references to the Balkos.
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Farkel
Leolaia,
: am curious to see whether she had any connections with the Balkos, as they named their daughter Bonnie a few months before moving to Beth Sarim, suggesting that they already knew Bonnie -- either through the Society and Rutherford, or through a familial connection.
This brings up the very curious subject of "princess Bonnie" Balko. See the 1931 "Messenger" the WTS put out. That pamphlet never really revealed who little Bonnie (not to be confused with Bonnie Boyd) actually belonged to.
There is speculation that "little" Bonnie "the princess" was Rutherford's love child with Bonnie Heath, albeit unproven.
Why would the WTS newsletter "The Messenger" feature "little Bonnie" and show her picture and call her "Princess"? It is a fact that the Balkos lived at Beth Sarim. What is not known (to me) is what they actually DID there.
Did old Joe and Bonnie Heath produce little Bonnie and then let the Balkos taker her as their own?
Why does "little Princesss Bonnie" who lived at Beth Sarim and who was paraded in "The Messenger" as living there have the same first name as Bonnie Heath, when there are a zillion different names for girls other than "Bonnie?"
Farkel -
Lady Lee
Earnest
Haslet left in 1930, or shortly after, and Bonnie was then appointed to the post of secretary. She would have now been in her early thirties and have worked with Rutherford on a daily basis for the previous seven or eight years so I do not consider this appointment, or her acting as signatory for the deed to Beth-Sarim at about the same time, as suggestive that she "had something" on Rutherford. I do think he showed her favoritism and was fond of her, but my impression is that she was more of a daughter to him than a mistress. She described herself as his "adopted daughter" after his death, and even while alive addressed him as "Pappy". When Haslet left he was replaced by Ed Keller who continued to work with Bonnie until Rutherford's death.
Farkel asks:
That?s what Knorr was also called at Bethel. Are you sure she called Rutherford the same thing?
Earnest responds
Under cross-examination by Mr. Bruchhausen she is recounting Moyle's behaviour in the courtroom at the time of the Madison Square Garden trial :
Q. Did you ever tell Mr. Rutherford about that ? A. Yes.
Q. When ? A. After the trial.
Q. But you reported to him as to what transpired in the courtroom to some extent, when you called up at noontime ? A. I called up and I said, "Pappy, there is something wrong. They put Bill on the stand first." And he asked me why that was and I said, "I don't know, but that is what happened."
Matthew Howlett also testifies that he addressed Rutherford as 'Pap', and spells it out for an incredulous attorney (p.1174).
Leolaia posts
in the 1930 census. Here is who it lists as the residents of 4440 Braeburn Road:
- August H. Balko. Servant. He was 40 years old, of German ancestry and born in Texas. He was 32 years old when he was first married. His occupation was listed as "Caretaker" and his employer was listed as "Watchtower".
- Blanch P. Balko. Servant. She was the wife of August H. Balko, was 25 years old, and was born in Missouri. She was 16 years old when she was first married. Her occupaion was listed as "Cook" and her employer was "Private family".
- Bonnie C. Balko. Daughter. She was 4 months old and born in Texas. This suggests that the Balkos had been in Texas just months earlier.
- Joseph F. Rutherford. Head of household. The value of the residence is listed at $25,000 (the value of neighboring homes varied between $6,000 to $17,500). He was 60 years old, married, and his occupation was listed as "Writer -- Editor".
- Bonnie Boyd. Servant. She was 31 years old, single, born in Iowa, and her occupation was "Secretary" for "Bible and Tract Society".
- Donald Haslett. Servant. He was 34 years old, married, born in New York, and his occupation was "Secretary" for "Bible and Tract Society".
Mary Rutherford was not listed as a resident of Beth Sarim; she was instead counted as a resident of Monrovia in the same censes. But Bonnie Boyd was a resident of Beth Sarim. And interestingly, the daughter of August and Blanch Balko was named Bonnie. Was she named after Bonnie Boyd? If Earnest is right that the son born later was named Joseph, then indeed their children were named after Bonnie Boyd and Joseph Rutherford. The Balkos and Bonnie Boyd must have known each other quite well.
Earnest responds
Now, this is interesting. Bonnie Balko was 4 months old at the time of the 1930 census, and "nearly two" at the end of July 1931. So she must have been born about September/October 1929. Now, Beth Sarim was only built at the end of 1929 and Rutherford first moved in on January 13, 1930. This means the Balko's must have known Bonnie "quite well" before they moved to Beth Sarim. There are two possibilities that occur to me. First, that Rutherford had spent the winters in San Diego under the care of "Dr." Alta Eckols since 1926 and as Bonnie had doubtless accompanied him she and the Balko's may have become friends then if they were residents of San Diego. The other possibility is that August Balko may have known, or even be related to Bonnie, who also apparently came from Texas. It would not surprise me if Bonnie had a hand in them being caretakers at Beth Sarim.
If our Joseph Balko was the one born on March 21, 1932, then he died in 1996. A different Joseph Balko, resident of San Diego, CA, died in December 2003, but I don't think this is our Joseph Balko.
I can confirm that their son was called Joseph Barak Balko, and must have been born in late 1930 or early 1931 as he is mentioned in The Messenger of July 30, 1931, published for the Columbus, Ohio convention of July, 1931. So it seems he is still alive, in his mid-seventies and probably the last living link with Beth Sarim.and
The 1930 census here includes Bonnie Balko as resident of Beth Sarim. Hence, my suggestion above that Bonnie Boyd knew them from previous visits to San Diego is ruled out. According to the census there is nine years separating August Balko and Bonnie Boyd, both from Texas. I would not be surprised if they are brother and sister. No proof as yet, but why would they name their daughter after Bonnie before ever coming to Beth Sarim ?
Leo
I just found August Balko in the 1920 census. He was the resident of a boarding house on Colorado Street, La Grange, Fayette, Texas. His age was listed at 31 (cf. in the 1930 census, his age was given as 40), he was unmarried, and he was employed as an agent of a railroad. Note also that, according to the 1930 census, August and Blanch were married 8-9 years earlier, or in 1921/1922. I'll look for more info in the 1910 census on him, to see where he grew up. But do we know if Bonnie Boyd, if she lived in Texas, lived in Fayette as well?
Leo
Here is what I know about August Henry Balko, Jr., the caretaker of Beth Sarim. His father, August H. Balko, Sr. was born in Germany around 1850 and arrived on October 16, 1873 to New York, and subsequently moved to La Grange, Fayette, Texas where, on December 21, 1887, his son August, Jr. was born. August Jr. also had a sister named Patty. By 1910, August Sr. had moved to Longworth, Fisher County, Texas, whereas August Jr. (now 22) lived at 3150 Beauchamp Street in Houston, Harris County, Texas, and worked as a clerk for Producers Oil Company. He was already a Bible Student by 1917, for in this year he submitted his draft card for the World War with the following exemption: "Millenium Dawnist". I have a copy of his draft card if anyone is interested. Then, by 1920, August, Jr. had moved back to La Grange, Fayette, Texas, where he lived in a boarding house and worked as an agent for a railroad company. The following year he married the future Blanch P. Balko, and they lived together in Texas before giving birth to their first child, Bonnie Balko around December 1929. Then by April 1930, they had moved to San Diego, California, to live at Beth Sarim where August, Jr. worked as general caretaker and Blanch worked as a cook for her family and Rutherford and his entourage. Within a year, the Balkos had a second child, named Joseph Balko. After living at Beth Sarim for an undetermined time, August Balko Jr. moved back to Harris County, Texas, and died on April 15, 1973. I'm not very sure about Blanch P. Balko's background. One possibility is that she was born Blanch Post, born around 1904-1905, and who lived on a farm in Central, Jefferson County, Missouri. But I have no corroborating evidence that she is the same person as Blanch P. Balko.
and
Do we have any other biographical info on Bonnie Boyd? Like....
- What was the name of her mother that accompanied her a lot?
- Where was she born in Iowa?
- Any names of other family members?
and then we have Farkel's questions in the previous post
This brings up the very curious subject of "princess Bonnie" Balko. See the 1931 "Messenger" the WTS put out. That pamphlet never really revealed who little Bonnie (not to be confused with Bonnie Boyd) actually belonged to.
There is speculation that "little" Bonnie "the princess" was Rutherford's love child with Bonnie Heath, albeit unproven.
Why would the WTS newsletter "The Messenger" feature "little Bonnie" and show her picture and call her "Princess"? It is a fact that the Balkos lived at Beth Sarim. What is not known (to me) is what they actually DID there.
Did old Joe and Bonnie Heath produce little Bonnie and then let the Balkos taker her as their own?
Why does "little Princesss Bonnie" who lived at Beth Sarim and who was paraded in "The Messenger" as living there have the same first name as Bonnie Heath, when there are a zillion different names for girls other than "Bonnie?"After going through the thread to find these pieces I wonder: (thanks for your question Farkel)
- When did "Da Judge" start being called "Pappy" or "Pap"?
- Rutherford had a son with his sife Mary but they were not present - at least we have found no presence for him at Beth Sarim.
- In some families it becomes quite trditional to refer to the father of the house with some form of "Daddy". But this only happens after children are born. What reasoning would there be to refer to "Da Judge" as "Pappy"?
- Could the term "Pappy" have come into use only after baby Bonnie was introduced into the household?
- If baby Bonnie already had a father wouldn't it have been confusing to have her calling them both some form of parental nickname?
- And if Da Judge was as sick and demanding a person as we are led to believe, why would he tolerate a child or even two (once Joseph was born) in the house?
I have more questions about all of this but right now my head hurts
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VM44
Earnest wrote:
"I can confirm that their son was called Joseph Barak Balko, and must have been born in late 1930 or early 1931 as he is mentioned in The Messenger of July 30, 1931, published for the Columbus, Ohio convention of July, 1931. "
So this is one instance where Balko was mentioned in the publications.
It is indeed strange that a birth annoucement was made in a publication. Was it a for good publicity? or, as was asked, did the Balko's have some special relationship with the organization at that time?
Can anyone here provide the actual text about the Balko's as published in The Messenger?
--VM44
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belbab
Why would the WTS newsletter "The Messenger" feature "little Bonnie" and show her picture and call her "Princess"? It is a fact that the Balkos lived at Beth Sarim. What is not known (to me) is what they actually DID there
I have been following somewhat this long thread.
Just want to enter my 2 cents or less.
Has anyone considered that "little Bonnie" was called "Princess"?
I feel that this is more significant than being named Bonnie, (bonnie, from the French for "good"
We know that Beth Sarim was the designated place for the "Princes" to show up.
How did Rutherford et al expect them to come back? Did they think like much of the world's population that ancestors of old would show up by being reborn as children?
The second child was named "Joseph" (after Joe or Joseph of Egypt?)
Is there any indication of that in the wt literature of that time as to how the ancestors were to be brought back.
As a side note, are any of you out there familiar with the report (from dissidents) that L. Ron Hubbard , founder of Scientology, in his old age, tried to impregnate a young woman to produce an heir for him so that his a line of successors would be on hand to continue his work?
Did "Ole Joe" try to do the same?
Hope some of you can catch the drift of my points.
Belbab
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VM44
hi belbab,
you make an important observation
Has anyone considered that "little Bonnie" was called "Princess"?
It is obvious now that it was known, or made known in The Messenger, that the Balko's resided at the "House of Princes", Beth Sarim.
Perhaps the Balko's were merely the designated caretakers for Beth Sarim?
Again, getting a copy of The Messenger of July 30, 1931 might answer who the Balko's were and where they stood within the Watchtower organization.
Might be hard to find it though, anyone here have a copy of it?
--VM44
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Farkel
In the WTS pamphlet called ?The Messenger? dated July 25, 1931 on page 2 the headline reads:
?The Innocent Cause of Many Phone Calls to the ?messenger? Office?
Below that is a picture of ?Princess Bonnie? and the text reads:
So many people have called up The Messenger office and wanted to know the identity of the little girl who had the privilege of interviewing Brother Rutherford, and how she came to have such a privilege, that we give just a little explanation:?
(It was ?such a privilege? for a little girl to speak with Old Joe? Anyone can talk to God, but it is ?such a privilege? to talk to Old Joe.)
?How could we know, when we published a picture of Judge Rutherford talking to a little girl that it was going to start a small-sized revolution in the Nursery? And how could we know that a whole battalion of mothers would lie in wait for the Judge and try to ambush him into talking to their kiddies, too? It is something he likes to do, but he doesn?t get much time for it.
There is a particular reason why Brother Rutherford was talking to that particular little girls. Here are the facts:
(Oh, oh. ?Facts.? Here we go again!)
?Brother and Sister Balko are in charge of Beth-Sarim. They spend all their spare time in the service work in and about San Diego, both being fully devoted to the Lord, and therefore are Jehovah?s witnesses. They have two children, a little girl now nearly two years old, and a little boy about six months. Beth-Sarim being ?the house of the princes,? and, as we confidently expect, to be occupied and used by some of the princes in the earth, it seemed quite appropriate that these children who are growing up there should be named in harmony with these scriptures. Hence the little girl is named Princess Bonnie Balko, and the little boy Prince Joseph Barak Balko. (Note: ?Joseph and Bonnie? and all living in Beth-Sarim with Joseph Rutherford and Bonnie Boyd. Coincidence?) We know from the scriptures that both Joseph and Barak will be among the princes, and since there are some women also mentioned amongst these faithful ones it is hoped that these two little ones may grow up at Beth-Sarim to be with the rulers of the earth and live forever to the glory of Jehovah?s name. They have been told, in so far as they can understand, that they may expect these noble men and, when they do appear, to meet them and put themselves completely under their direction. It might be that this little prince and princess would be stenographers or office children or clerks about the place, or perform some other duty that will be necessary in the Kingdom. Everything will then be done in order and there will be plenty for every one to do. Little Princess Bonnie was listening to some kind words of good cheer when the front-page picture of our issued of July 29 was taken.?
What was that about Bonnie Heath ?sleeping around with half the men in Bethel in the 1950?s, again?
Farkel -
VM44
Hi Farkel,
Wow! That was fast! Where did you find the text from The Messenger? I had expected that there would be some trouble finding it, and here you posted it minutes after I made my posting!
Note this:
both being fully devoted to the Lord, and therefore are Jehovah?s witnesses.
Really, they were "both devoted to Rutherfod and the Watchtower Organization." I say that literally and not in jest.
Also, "and therefore are Jehovah's witnesses." was added to promote the new name "Jehovah's Witnesses" Rutherford had introduced that year, 1931.
--VM44
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VM44
Regarding people close to Rutherford calling him "Pappy".
I wonder if his son, Malcolm, ever called him by that name?
More and more it is apparent that Rutherford considered himself some sort of Patriarch over the Watchtower Organization.
--VM44