| Notes |
- In 1930, according to census, 60 year old widowed Millard is living with his son Harold on East 240th street in the Bronx. Owns real estate valued at $30,000, but is renting his home. Edith Olsen a second generation Irish gal is the servant. She and her daughter sibyl age 13 years live with them. Millard is retired and his son harold is a broker.
In 1920 he owns and operates a publishing company.
http://www.libertynet.org/fdipmm/wogr/31wogr09.html ---
Affidavit of Captain Millard Bloomer, Commissioned to Investigate Father's Activities in Sayville.
I am retired, and reside at Independence Avenue and West 254th Street, Bronx, N.Y., where I preside over the Bloomer Estates Inc. As a former resident of Harlem, a newspaper publisher for many years, and a member of Woodrow Wilson's press delegation accompanying him to France at the close of the World War, I was commissioned in the year 1931 to make an investigation of the Activities of FATHER DIVINE in Sayville, L.I., for the purpose of getting facts for an expose of His Activities.
In the Spring of 1931 1 went to His home in Sayville, L. I., together with a woman investigator, and remained there for a number of days. As a result of my observations during that time I was, convinced that the activities there were honest, clean and above-board, and that there were no grounds for criticism, and I wired my Client to that effect.
I found a number of people living there at 72 Macon Street as guests Of FATHER DIVINE, who stated that they had been homeless or destitute, and were being supported by Him. These and the many visitors who came daily from New York City and elsewhere were entertained at large Banquets that were served several times daily I heard them testify at these feasts that FATHER DIVINE had healed them of many different diseases and afflictions, had clothed them and fed them, and would accept nothing in return for His Services. I heard FATHER DIVINE speak and give lectures along spiritual, scientific and Scriptural lines, in which He said that He had never taken up a collection, never accepted gifts or donations, and never taken anyone's money' as His services were a free gift to mankind and He was unobligated to anyone.
Since that time I have been in frequent touch with the Activities of FATHER DIVINE, and I have had many opportunities to test the truth of His statements. I myself, and many others in my presence have offered Him sums of money to pay for hospitality and other benefits enjoyed, but ITe refused to accept a penny. I have been in private conferences at Sayville and elsewhere many times, and I have never heard Him ask anybody for -a dollar nor seen Him take one from anybody in my life.
I do know that in the political campaign of four years ago I was asked if it would be possible to get the endorsement of FATHER DIVINE for the head of the ticket, President Hoover. I told them I did not know, that it was a pretty big contract, but I would try.
I mentioned it to FATHER, and in His quiet way I got no reply, but about two weeks after that I received a c o p y of an address that FATHER had made, and some clippings from a Brooklyn newspaper in which He had very good reason to say some very nice things about Mr. Hoover.
I knew Mr. Hoover personally, so I went down to the Campaign Committee and I told them "You have lots of money here, and money is tight; I think it would be a nice thing to send a check for a thousand or two thousand dollars to FATHER DIVINE, because it can be put to very good use." That night I wrote a letter to FATHER DIVINE and told Him what I had said, and thought I was throwing a little bouquet at myself, because I thought a thousand dollars might be worth while, but I got a special delivery letter from FATHER next morning and He o4id - "Perhaps you do not know it, but I could not accept any money under any circumstances . . . If any check does come I will have to return it . . . As far as you are concerned you are privileged to do what you please with it." I immediately went down and showed that letter to the Committee, and said, "Don't put it on the books, because it is hard to get it off, and do not send any money."
Therefore no money was sent, and I received none.Sworn to before me, MILLARD J. BLOOMER,
this 25th day of May, 1937 Bloomer Estates, Incorporated, and John W. Walker, Notary Public Editor, Cooperative Newspaper New York County Syndicate Service, New York City
During the afternoon of Thursday the children amused themselves with baseball, tennis, cricket and swimming in the pool near the hotel, also in other ways. In the early evening a banquet was served with many guests present. At the end FATHER again poured forth one of HIS wonderful Messages and afterward asked the guests to speak.
The first to respond was Captain Millard Bloomer, whose enthusiastic support of FATHER and HIS Work is well known to the Followers. He thanked FATHER for the great privilege of being present on this occasion as HIS guest and bringing an old friend, Mr. Winthrop Booz, retired from active business. Captain Bloomer also spoke with great joy of the progress of the Righteous Government work as it is spreading all over the world. Later on, in a private conversation, he told how FATHER had fulfilled his life-long desire for a being who was worthy of his whole heart's love and devotion.
http://www.libertynet.org/fdipmm//excerpts/37071318.html
God, Harlem USA: the Father Divine Story pp 80 207 n28
page 207: Millard J Bloomer was a retired newspaper publisher who owned Bloomer Estates Incoprated in Harlem. Bloomer reportedly was a member of the press corp that accompanied President Woodrow Wilson to Paris at the end of World War I. In the spring of 1931, he conducted a private investigaiton into Father Divine's acitivies. After residing at Father Divine's home for several days, Bloomer became convinced that father Divine was a legitimate religious leader. A strong support of Father Divine, Bloomer solicted funds for his ministry from the Hoover campagin only to find that the clergymahn refused Hoover's donation.
Bloomer, Millard J., editor and author of 219 West One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Street, was born Feb. 6, 1870, in New York City. He is editor of the Harlem Local; the Bermuda-American; and other publications. He is also president of the Harlem Patriotic society; president of the American Civic Alliance; president of the Patriotic Society of Van Cortlandt Park; and vice-president of the International Society of the Orient and the Occident. In 1906 he originated and organized the Safe and Sane Fourth of July Movement. He is a recruiting officer with the rank of captain in the present war, and acted as such in the Spanish-American war.
Herringhshaw's City Blue Book of Biography: New Yorkers of 1917
Jacob Bloomer
Theophilus Bloomer (b-1812) m Julia Smith
Theophilus Jr (b-1836) raised by grandma Smith m-Melvina Wakeman, became stockbroker
Millard Julius Bloomer (b-1870) became publisher and invested in real estate: Bloomer Estate, Inc
Harold Bloomer (b-1902) Columbia University, stock broker, fencing champion (1924 Olympics)
Kent Cress Bloomer (b-1935)
Mark Bloomer? (b-1963)
203/453-4073
Millard Sr. began with family wealth and essentially squandered it. According to Kent, at the end of his life, Millard was living with Father Divine and Divine was receiving funding from Millard jr and Harold to do so.
The "Captain" title was honorary.
Among Millard Bloomer's publications was the news paper the New Amsterdam News" which is not related to the current publication by that name.
|
1870 - 1949 (78 years)
Theophilus J Bloomer, b. 15 Nov 1836, NY 
1846 - 