Romain Camille DeBoom was Emma’s father. I believe he came to San Francisco at the invitation of his uncle, Cornelius, and became a successful broker of real estate. “RC” had four children while living in Napa in the 1880’s, collected stamps and bought many oil paintings of San Francisco ocean scenes by Nels Hagerup (for more information, click on Hagerup info) as gifts for his family.  He inherited the 14 acre “DeBoom Tract” in San Francisco and his will went up to the California Supreme Court to determine what properties should be included in his estate.

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RC in 1890 (courtesy of de Laurencel archives). and around 1907.

Birth: In 1880 RC obtained a certificate notarized by the US Consul in Belgium to prove his birth in Denderleeuw on May 19, 1839. Note that the birth certificate RC Birth Certificate (front) and RC birth certificate (back) is duplicated in French and Flemish. The US Consul wrote in English.

Marriage:   Emma’s parents were married in London on September 7, 1880. Family lore has it that they were married in London because RC came from a Catholic family and Caroline from an Anglican. Their grandson, Frederick De Boom Witzel, researched the marriage records on a trip to London one hundred years later. See these ‘zoomable’ pdf files for details: 6_DEBOOM_MARSILY_MARRIAGE_1880_a  (handwritten copy of the certificate), 7_GUILDHALL_PARISH_REGISTERS_a , (cover of the London Guildhall Library handbook of parish registers), 8_ST_DUNSTANS_a (page 53 from the Handbook listing St. Dunstan’s in the West where the marriage took place, and a church notice which Frederick saved as a souvenir of his visit),  9_ST_DUNSTANS_b, (pages 54 – 55 from the handbook).

Death Notice: “DE BOOM—In this city, March 23. 1912, Romain C. A dearly beloved husband of Caroline R. de Boom, and loving father of Mrs. C. W. Haseltine and Mrs. C. F. Witzel and William J. and Camilla R. de Boom, a native of Denderleeuw, Belgium, aged 72 years 10 months and 8 days. Friends are respectfully invited to attend the funeral services today (Saturday), March 23 at 1:30 p.m. at Gray’s chapel, Geary and Divisadero streets. Interment private. Please omit flowers.” (From the San Francisco Call archives.)