Louise Lyson Bulgheroni

Louise Lyson Bulgheroni

Louise Lyson bulgheroni Forster, 1896-1985

• Father: Francesco Bulgheroni b. 2 February 1869, d. circa 1939

• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni was born on 18 January 1896 in Monaco.
• She married Otto Marquard Forster, son of Conrad August Forster and Minnie Lorey, on 26 April 1919 in Marie de Monaco, Monaco, Principality of Monaco.
• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni Forster applied for a special one-month passport on 18 Oct 1919 at the United States Consulate at Brest, France, for the purpose of traveling to the United States as the wife of Cmdr. Otto Marquard Forster, US Navy, residing in St. Louis, Missouri, at 4933 McPherson Avenue.
• The following appeared on 31 October 1919 in The Rockford Republic: (New York, Oct. 31) The former princess, Lyson Bulgheroni, whose ancestral estate is in southern France, not fa from Monte Carlo, arrived here today aboard the American transport Pocahontas, the bride of Lieut. Commander O. M. Forster, U. S. N., of St. Louis.
       "I don't want to be known as a princess any more," she said.
       The couple met in 1913 hwen the officers of the battleship Utah were being entertained in France. They were married nine weeks ago.
• The following appeared on 3 November 1919 in The Washington Times: (New York, Nov. 3) Along with fifty-four other war brides, there arrived here on board the transport Pochahontas an erstwhile Princess who has forever renounced her title, to become the wife of Lieutenant Commander Forster, U. S. N., of St. Louis, whom social Europe knew up to a few months ago as the Princess Lyson Bulgheroni, daughter of prince Bulgheroni of Monte Chrristo, but from now on she will be just plain American," because titles have gone out of fashion, you know, and, besides, as she said, "I'd rather be the wife of an American naval officer than a princes, or even a queen, for that matter."
       The wedding, which took place at the home of the bride's father, a wealthy inventor and engineer, followed a romance dating back for five and a half years, to a midsummer evening in 1913, when young forster, then an ensign on the Utah, called at Villafrance, along with his fellow officers, to attend a reception given in their honor by the father of the princess.
       The couple had already been introduced when the young officer asked the princess, then only seventeen years old, to dance with him. She accepted. Fifteen minutes later they adjourned to the conservatory. There the young ensign proposed and was accepted. Before the wedding could be arranged the war came on and Ensign Forster was assigned to duty in other parts of the world. It was five and a half years before he could get back to the enchanting isle for the wedding.
       "And isn't that a terrible, terrible long time for a girl to have to wait to kiss her big, big boy again?" submitted for former princess in telling of it. "But it was worth it." Incidentally, the young officer started for the island twice before making a successful trip, the warship upon which he was traveling breaking down in midocean both times.
• The following appeared on 9 November 1919 in the Denver Post: Lieutenant Commander and Mrs. Otto M. Fo[r]ster of St. Louis arrived in New York on the S. S. Pocohontas from France, coming to America after an interesting war romance. Mrs. Fo[r]ster was Miss Lyson Bulgheroni of Monte Carlo, and in days of yore her ancestors were royalty of the principality. Her husband met her at a ball given by the Prince of Monaco at Monte Carlo while the U. S. S. Utah was in port there. His was in 1913 and the war kept them apart until seven months ago, when Lieutenant Commander Fo[r]ster visited his fiancee at her home in Monte Carlo. They were married and spent their honeymoon abroad. Commander Fo[r]ster and his bride will make their home in St. Louis.
• Lyson Forster applied for a passport in New York, New York, on 27 May 1921, to be accompanied by her minor daughter Elynor, for the purpose of visiting relatives in France, Switzerland, Italy & Gibralter, leaving New York on 4 June 1921 aboard the SS Mongolia. Passport was issued 1 June 1921.
• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni and Elynor Forster arrived in the Port of New York on 17 October 1921, aboard the SS Berengaria, having depared Cherbourg, France on the 11th, address in St. Louis, Missouri, 4935 McPherson Avenue.
• The following appeared on 1 October 1922 in The St. Louis Star: Mrs. Minnie Forster of 4933 McPherson avenue has as her guest her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Otto M. Forster, and her baby daughter. Mrs. Otto Forster was formerly Mlle. Lyson Boulgheroni of Monte Carlo. She met Lieut. Commander Forster during his service overseas in the late war. The visitors will remain two months.
• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni arrived in the Port of New York on 26 April 1926, accompanied by Elynor Forster and Lyson Muriel Forster aboard the SS Leviathan, having departed Cherbourg, France, on the 20th. Washington, DC, address 3812 Warren Street.
• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni arrived in the Port of New York on 8 July 1927, accompanied by Elynor Forster and Lyson Muriel Forster aboard the SS George Washington, having departed Cherbourg, France, on 30 June. Washington, DC, address 3812 Warren Street.
• Lyane Bulgheroni arrived on 12 April 1929 in the Port of New York aboard the SS De Grasse, having departed Le Havre, France, on the 3rd, intending to spend about four months with her sister Mrs. Forster at 612 Argyle Road, Brooklyn, New York.
• The following appeared on 27 March 1934 in The Seattle Daily Times: To join her husband, Commander Otto M. Forster, in New York City, Mrs. Forster, daughter of Commandeur Franz Bulgheroni and the Marquise Elynor Blank de la Salette, sailed from Seattle Saturday on the Ruth Alexander for Los Angeles, to board the S. S. President Hoover for the voyage through the Panama Canal.
       Mrs. Forster's father built the famous Casino at Monte Carlo, the hotels and villas of the principality and for several years was president of the colony there. Mrs. Forster, who speaks seven languages and pilots an airplane, was a schoolmate in the convent she attended in Munich, of the Empress Zita of Bourbon Parma, sister-in-law of the assassinated Archduke Ferdinand, when the empress was still a princess. Two years of her life Mrs. Forster spent in the royal castle of Nymphenburg, Munich, Bavaria.
       Commander and Mrs. Forster met and were married in France, and have two daughters, Elynor and Muriel, who spent three years with their mother in the Orient and now are visiting their grandmother in St. Louis, Mo. Commander Forster has been ordered to the War College at Newport, R. I.
• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni arrived in the Port of New York on 19 May 1934, aboard the SS President Taft, having departed Havana, Cuba, on the 16th. Address c/o Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.
• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni arrived in the Port of New York on 18 April 1935, aboard the SS Roma, having departed Naples, Italy, on the 8th. Newport, Rhode Island, address 4 Hunter Avenue.
• Francesco Bulgheroni arrived in the Port of New York on 8 October 1936, accompanied by Louise Lyson Bulgheroni aboard the SS Conte Di Savoia, having departed Genoa on 30 Sept., his visa issued at Nice on the 2nd, to visit his daughter Mrs. O. M. Forster at Quantico Marine Barracks.
• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni arrived in the Port of New York on 20 April 1939, aboard the SS Rex, having departed Cannes, France, on the 13th. Address in Long Beach, California, 34 First Place.
• Otto Marquard Forster and Louise Lyson Bulgheroni appeared in the US federal census of 1 April 1940 in Seattle, King County, Washington, at 4505 East 33rd Street. Other members of the household included Elynor Forster and Lyson Muriel Forster. Also in the household were a maid and a houseboy. In 1935, the family was living in Newport, Rhode Island.
• Lyane Marina Bulgheroni arrived on 12 April 1929 in the Port of New York aboard the SS Champlain, having departed St. Naziare, France, on 30t March, intending to spend about six months with her sister Mrs. O. M. Forster at 4505 33rd Street, Seattle, Washington.
• The following appeared on 11 April 1940 in The Seattle Daily Times: The two daughters of the man who designed and built the world-famous Casino at Monte Carlo--Mrs. Otto M. Forster, wife of Comdr. Otto M. Forster, U. S. Navy, of Seattle, and her sister, Mlle. Lyane Blanc de la Salette Bulgheroni if Monte Carlo and Paris--were gay in a reunion today at the Laurelhurst home of the Forsters.
       Mlle. Bulgheroni, an authoress, was here after a 7,000-mile journey across war-infested waters and the peaceful United States, just because she wanted "to see my sister, my brother-in-law, my two beautiful nieces."
       The two sisters last were together eight months ago in Monte Carlo after the death of their famous father, Sir Franz Bulgheroni, who not only built the Casino, but also the hotels and villas of the principality, and who for several years was president of the Monte Carlo colony.
       "That was a sad occasion and there was no enjoyment, but this is a gay time," said Mlle. bulgheroni. "Now there is only the war to cloud our gaiety, and I have promised myself I would not think about the war all during my journey."
       But, fresh from the darkened street of Paris, and fresh from the gray-painted nameless steamer Champlain, she could not forget the war entirely.
       "Paris is a different Paris today from that we wish to remember," Mlle. Bulgheroni explained, "and the usual pleasant voyage here is just a means of transportation now.
       "the vessel carried no flags nor name. She was gray. Her windows were painted blue. There was no light at night. One could not even smoke. We could not tell our position. We zig-zagged. We took nine days to cross. It was not pleasant and I have no horror of the war.
       "But many have. There were only sixteen other first-class passengers, and the Champlain normally carries 300.
       "In Paris, too, there are no lights. Each pedestrian carries his small electric lamp, and when he crosses the street, he waves it, hopes he will not be struck. Vehicles carry only a small light."
       A peculiar effect of the war is the regulation regarding sounding automobile horns.
       "Before the war, we could not klaxon after 9 at night," the visitor explained. "Now we must klaxon at night, but must not expose lights."
       Mlle. Bulgheroni flew via United Air Lines across the nation. This was astonishing to her.
       "All commercial and private flying is banned in France," she pointed out. She is a member of the Women's Air Club of France, which is dormant because of the war.
       Authoress of learned works on feminine psychology, Mlle. Bulgheroni will remain at least a month in Seattle, perhaps longer. She is at the home of the Forsters, 4505 E. 33rd St.
       Commdr. Forster is head of the Seattle Bureau of Hydrographics. He and Mrs. Forster, who met and married in France, have two daughters, Elynor, 19 years old, and Muriel, 17, students at the University of Washington and Roosevelt High School, respectively.
• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni arrived in San Pedro, California, on 23 October 1941, aboard the "Honolulu Clipper," having departed Honolulu on the 22nd.
• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni arrived in New York City on 18 December 1949, aboard Pan American Airways Flight 143 from Nice, France. Residence in California.
• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni became a widow at the 31 December 1961 death of her husband Otto Marquard Forster.
• Louise Lyson Bulgheroni died on 28 May 1985 at age 89 in San Diego County, California.

• Last Edited: 1 Sep 2016