Vancouver / Names / O / Oben

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Obens

In the city directories 1940 · 13 people at eight addresses

The directories print 13 people named Oben at eight addresses in 1940 in five of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: three Obens at 731 East 15th in 1940.

Reserve this family's book, freeThe name in every directory we hold from 1901 to 1945, at every address, each line with its page, to read here or save as a PDF. About $29 when orders open.

Where the Obens lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    731 East 15th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • G J Oben 1940
    • Jeanette M Oben, a saleswoman for G J Oben 1940
    • Mildred P Oben, a saleswoman for G J Oben 1940

    Next door in 1940: J A Ryan at 737. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1725 East 1st Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • E Oben 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E K Telford at 1735. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2406 East Hastings Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • G J Oben, a baker 1940

    Next door in 1940: Cunningham Drug at 2404 and Central Prod at 2408. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2439 Venables Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • F E Oben, proprietor of Ross Home Bakery 1940

    Next door in 1940: N H Ayers at 2427 and G Johnson at 2441. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    306 Vernon Drive

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Mrs M Oben, widow of J 1940
    • John Oben, a baker at Ross Home Bakery 1940
    • Ralph R Oben, a baker 1940

    Next door in 1940: 8 listings at 308. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    2242 West 4th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • J F Oben, a baker 1940

    Next door in 1940: Kitsilano Elec at 2232 and Kitsilano Cafe at 2246. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2304 West 6th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Howard J Oben 1940
    • John A Oben, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs S M M Anderson at 2316. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2485 West 8th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • J F Oben 1940

    Next door in 1940: F D Jeffs at 2475 and Mrs M G Lambert at 2495. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the 13: a baker (2), a saleswoman (2) and a proprietor. Two of them worked for G J Oben. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (3), Hastings-Sunrise (2), Grandview-Woodland, Mount Pleasant and Strathcona. Each neighbourhood's page shows its trades, its people and every street in it, the way the directory printed them.

The story, address by address

In 1940 the directory lists G J Oben at 731 East 15th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark). The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Jeanette M Oben there, a saleswoman for G J Oben, with Mildred P Oben, a saleswoman for G J Oben. In 1940 the directory lists E Oben at 1725 East 1st Avenue. G J Oben, a baker, is listed at 2406 East Hastings Street in 1940.

In 1940 the directory lists F E Oben at 2439 Venables Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Frank E Oben there as the householder, proprietor of Ross Home Bakery. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs M Oben at 306 Vernon Drive. The 1940 name section lists Margaret Oben there as the householder, widow of J, with John Oben, a baker at Ross Home Bakery, and Ralph R Oben, a baker.

In 1940 the directory lists J F Oben, a baker, at 2242 West 4th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Howard J Oben at 2304 West 6th Avenue, with John A Oben, a student. In 1940 the directory lists J F Oben at 2485 West 8th Avenue.

Today

731 East 15th, 1725 East 1st, 2242 West 4th and 2304 West 6th still have their buildings from before 1946; 2439 Venables (1986) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2406 East Hastings, 306 Vernon Drive and 2485 West 8th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 15 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section

The book of the Obens

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Oben name in each Vancouver directory we hold from 1901 to 1945: everyone printed under it at every address, their work from the name sections, who lived next door, and the page behind every line, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give.

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Sources

Henderson's and successor city directories for Vancouver, read by us line by line: the street sections for 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1940 and 1945, and the name section for 1930 and 1940 where we've read it (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories). Names are shown through 1945, as printed. Close spellings are grouped, as on the house pages, since a family's name was often spelled differently from one year to the next; one name can still be several families, and we join lines only where the first names or initials agree. Many Chinese, Japanese and other residents weren't named by the canvassers, so they can't be listed by name: their houses' pages say where. More family names under O. Want a name removed? Tell us.