Other People's Ancestors: George Wickham Metcalfe

Is this your great-grandad?

[Update, 25 April 2017 : Success! G.W. Metcalfe's granddaughter contacted me after seeing the tree I put up for him on Ancestry.com. George will be travelling across the country to be reunited with his family. It gives me great pleasure to have helped this orphaned photo find it's way home!]

G. W. Metcalfe, July 1893.
Carr photography studio, Athens, TN.
Held by E. Ackemann, 2017.
(click to enlarge)

I purchased this photo (1) in an antique shop in Virginia. I was drawn to it for several reasons. First, I like the looks of this fellow. Second, it not only had the photographers info, but a name and dates written on the back. I thought it would be easy to track this man down and maybe find his descendants so I could return the photo to them. If you are descendant of George Wickham Metcalfe, please get in touch!

The Photograph

The photograph was taken at the Carr studio in Athens, Tennessee. The following is inscribed on the back in pencil:

G. W. Metcalfe / July, 1893.  Feby 13/15-1894

The man appears to be in his early 20's, and is dressed in clothes that suggest an outdoor activity. The gaiters that he wears over his trousers are what make me think that, as well as the broad-brimmed hat.

I could find very little information on Carr photographers on the internet. City directories for Athens at that time period are not on-line, or are perhaps non-existent. The 1890 U.S. Census records for Tennessee were destroyed by fire in 1921.

The 1894 Knoxville Tennessee directory does have a listing for a G.W. Metcalfe, Civil Engineer/Surveyor. This was my starting point, and based on the evidence I have collected I do believe that this is "my" G. W. Metcalfe.

Timeline

Since I've found quite a bit of information for G.W. It seemed easier and more concise to put it in a timeline, rather than recreate my research process. I've created a tree for G.W. Metcalfe on Ancestry.com (G. W. Metcalfe Family Tree) to help collect information and to hopefully find some living family connections. You can view it there. If you want to see it, but can't access it, drop me a note and I'll send you an invite.

1872 or 1873 :  George Wickham Metcalfe born in New York, United States. (2,3,4)

1888 - 1891 : Student at Columbia College, New York, New York, Class of 1891. Member of Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity. George was active in athletics, participating in rowing and football. He was also a member of the Barnard Library Club and the Columbia College Shakespeare Club. (2,5,11)

1891 - 1899 : "George Washington Wickham Metcalfe. Knoxville, Tenn. Civil engineer; Resident Engineer of Wetmore, Polk Co., and of Embreville Iron Furnace, Washington Co., since 1891." (5)

The Brownlow family:
George, Edith, Mabel, Mary Louise
and Adele (seated). c. 1894.
Photo Ancestry.com, S. Kear.
Permission pending.
(click to enlarge)

July 1893 : Photograph taken at Carr Studio in Athens, Tennessee. (1)

1894 - 1901 : G. W. Metcalfe, Civil Engineer, has a business address at 610 Gay S, 2d floor, Knoxville, Tennessee. (5,6)

1894 : Residence in Wetmore, Polk County, Tennessee (office in Knoxville) (6)

1895 : Boards at Hotel Imperial, Knoxville, Tennessee (6)

1896 : Marries Edith Brownlow in Knox County, Tennesee (7)

abt 1897 : George B. Metcalfe, son of G.W. and Edith, born in Tennesee. (8)

George B. Metcalfe
in his Junior year.
Member of Zeta Psi Fraternity
from the Blue and Gold 1919
Yearbook of the
University of California, Berkeley
(13)

abt 1901 : Stephen B. Metcalfe, son of G.W. and Edith, born in Tennessee. (8)

1900 - 1901 :  "Boards" at 608 Asylum Ave., Knoxville, Tennessee. (6) Residence is occupied by  Mrs. Adele Brownlow and her daughters, Mabel and Mary. (9)  I have not yet located G.W. in the 1900 census.

 1902 : No longer listed in Knoxville city directory.

4 May 1905 : John Brownlow Metcalfe, son of G.W. and Edith, born in Salt Lake County, Utah. (8, 10). G.W. is supervisor of a smelting operation.

1909 :  Living in West Jordan, Salt Lake County, Utah.

1910 : George W. and Edith Brownlow, and their three sons are living in Delta Township, Shasta County, California. George is now manager of a smelting operation. (8)

Stephen B. Metcalfe
in his Sophomore year.
Member of Zeta Psi Fraternity
from the Blue and Gold 1919
Yearbook of the
University of California, Berkeley
(13)

1918 : George W. Metcalfe registers for the WWI Draft, 12 September 1918. The family is living in Tennett, Shasta County, California. George is "Manager, U.S.S. & M. Co." (14)

1920 : The Metcalfe family is living in Oakland Township, Alameda County, California. His two oldest sons are "university students."  The U.S. census from that year records George W. Metcalfe's occupation as mining engineer. His two oldest sons, George B. and Stephen B., ages 23 and 19 respectively, are university students.  John B., the youngest, is a high school student. (12)

If I happen upon any more information to add to this page I will. But for now I think I've devoted enough time and effort to Other People's Ancestors.

If you are descended from or related to George W. Metcalfe or his sons, please, please get in touch! I'd love to get that photo back to his family. If you are researching this family, feel free to use my research. I would be happy to send you a gedcom file or anything else that I have that might be of use to you.

And now, back to my own family tree!


Sources

(1) Photograph of G.W. Metcalfe

(2) The Columbiad '90, Twenty-sixth volume (The Junior Class of Columbia College, 1890), p. 57, img.73; p. 59, img. 75; p. 74, img 90; p. 75, img. 91; p. 76, img. 92; digital images, Ancestry.com (: accessed 27 January 2017; clubs & sports participation, physical description, age given as 16. Calculated birth year 1873.

 (3) Utah, Salt Lake County Birth Records, 1890-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXX9-JXF : 5 December 2014), George Wickham Metcalf in entry for John Brownlow Metcalf, 04 May 1905; citing Salt Lake, Utah, line 3347, Records Manager and Archive, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 4,121,066., p. 84, no. 3347. G.W. Metcalfe's age is listed as 33, calculated birth year 1872.

(4) 1910 U.S. Census, Shasta County, California, population schedule, , enumeration district (ED) 98, sheet 9B, dwelling 191, family 207, George W. Metcalfe; digital images, Ancestry.com (: downloaded 28 January 2017). G. W. Metcalfe age is 37, calculated birth year is 1873.

(5) Catalogue of the Alph Delta Phi (New York: The Executive Council of the Alph Delta Phi Fraternity, 1899), p. 875, img. 856; p. 75, img. 91; digital images, Ancestry.com (: accessed 27 January 2017; locality index, chapter listing, shows G.W. Metcalfe as class of 1891. "George Washington Wickham Metcalfe. Knoxville, Tenn. Civil engineer; Resident Engineer of Wetmore, Polk Co., and of Embreville Iron Furnace, Washington Co., since 1891."

(6)  Knoxville, Tennesee, City Directory, 1894 (N.p.:n.p., 1894), p. 460, img. 243; p. 344, img. 181, Metcalfe, George W. civil eng; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 27 January 2017), Cites two pages, both listing Metcalfe as a civil engineer with an office on Gay St.

Knoxville City Directory. 1895. (Knoxville, TN: E.W. Crozier, 1895), p. 336, img. 180, Metclafe, George W.; digital image, Ancestry.com (: accessed 27 January 2017), office and residence.

Knoxville city Directory. Volume XV. 1898. (N.p.: E. W. Crozier, 1898), p. 586, img. 290; p. 404, img. 206, Metcalfe, G. W.; digital image, Ancestry.com (: accessed 27 January 2017).

Knoxville city Directory, Volume XVI. 1900 (Knoxville: E.W. Crozier, 1900), p. 391, img. 201; p. 554, img 284, Metcalfe George W; digital image, Ancestry.com (: accessed 27 January 2017), residential and business listings.

The Directory Knoxville Tennessee 1901 (Knoxville, TN: E.W. Crozier, 1901), p. 428, img 222; p. 608, img. 313, Metcalfe George W; digital image, Ancestry.com (: accessed 27 January 2017), residential and business listing.

Metcalfe does not appear in the 1902 Knoxville Directory.

(7) "Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZ47-RLC : 22 December 2016), George Wickham Metcalfe and Edith Brownlow, 08 Jun 1896; citing Knox, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. 144, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 1,020,963.

"Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZ4F-BY9 : 22 December 2016), George Wickham Metcalfe and Edith Brownlow, 11 Jun 1896; citing Knox, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. 288, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 1,205,097.

(8) 1910 U.S. Census, Shasta County, California, population schedule, , enumeration district (ED) 98, sheet 9B, dwelling 191, family 207, George W. Metcalfe; digital images, Ancestry.com (: downloaded 28 January 2017).

(9) Knoxville city Directory, Volume XVI. 1900 (Knoxville: E.W. Crozier, 1900), p. 177-178, img. 91-92; Brownlow, Mrs. Adele, Miss Mabel, and Miss Mary; digital image, Ancestry.com (: accessed 27 January 2017), residential listing.

(10) "Utah, Salt Lake County Birth Records, 1890-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXX9-JXF : 5 December 2014), George Wickham Metcalf in entry for John Brownlow Metcalf, 04 May 1905; citing Salt Lake, Utah, line 3347, Records Manager and Archive, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 4,121,066., p. 84, no. 3347.

(11)  Catalogue of the Alpha Delta Phi 1832-1909 (New York: The Executive Council of the Fraternity, 1909), pages 28, 439, 405; digital images, Google, Google Books (: accessed 28 January 2017; location listing p. 405. Note name appears as G. W. W. Metcalfe, or George Washington Wickham Metcalfe.

(12) 1920 U.S. Census, Alameda County, California, population schedule, Oakland Township, enumeration district (ED) 85, p. 138, dwelling 64, household 342, Metcalfe George; digital images, Ancestry.com (: downloaded 27 January 2017); NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.. Roll: T625_89; Image: 601.

 (13) 1920 Blue and Gold. A Record of the College Year Nineteen-Eighteen Nineteen-Nineteen, University of California. Published by the Junior Class: Berkeley, California; 1919. Hathi Trust; https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.b2961889?urlappend=%3Bseq=379. page 347, members of Zeta Psi fraternity. Listing by class year on p. 346.

1921 Blue and Gold. Being a record of the College Year published by the Junior Class of the University of California in the year 1920. University of California, Berkeley. Copyright 1920 by John W. Cline, Jr. and Charles Cost. Hathi Trust; https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.b2961890?urlappend=%3Bseq=331. p. 295. Skull and Keys membership.

(14) "U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 27 January 2017), George Wickham Metcalfe; Tennett, Shasta, California; serial No. 315, Order No. 1613; citing World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.

Minnie Dixon and Milton Moore : Marriage Certificate

On Sunday, 30 September 1905, Minnie Elizabeth Dixon married Milton George Moore. (1)

Milton was 22 years old, and a resident of West New Brighton, Staten Island, New York. His parents were Sarah (Fullegar) and William Moore. (1) Milton was the oldest of four children. His siblings were Edith (b abt 1887), Charles (b abt 1893), and Percival "Percy" (b abt 1894). (2) At the time of his marriage to Minnie he indicated that his occupation was "chauffer." (1)

Minnie, also 22 years old, had been born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey. (1, 3) She was the oldest  child of Mary E. (Klein) and William A. Dixon. At the time of the wedding Minnie had six living siblings (two others had died as children), and in four more years her youngest sister, Hazel, would be born. (4) Minnie was living at 54 Marshall Street, Elizabeth, NJ at the time of her marriage. I assume this was the family home. (1)

The wedding ceremony was performed by the Rev. Henry Hale Sleeper, the Pastor of Grace Episcopal Church in Elizabeth. (1, 5) The witnesses were Anna Sleeper, the Reverend's wife, and  Frank Carberry, who's connection is unknown at this time. (1)

Certificate and Transcription

Marriage Certificate for Minnie Dixon and Milton Moore, 30 September 1905. (1)
New Jersey State Archives, NJ Vital Records.

State of New Jersey. Bureau of Vital Statistics. 399
Certificate and Record of Marriage.

Full Name of Husband: Milton George Moore
Maiden Name of Wife: Minnie Elizabeth Dixon
Place of Marriage: Elizabeth
Date of Marriage: September 30 1905
Groom's:
Residence: 137 Richmond Terrace. West New Brighton, Staten Island
Age: 22. Number of Marriage: One
Color: White
Occupation: Chauffeur
Birthplace: U.S.
Father's Name: William [R? or A?] Moore
Mother's Maiden Name: Sarah Fullegar

Bride's:
Residence: 54 Marshall St. Elizabeth, NJ
Age; 22. Number of Marriage: One
Color: white
Name, if a Widow: ---
Birthplace: U.S.
Father's Name: William A. Dixon
Mother's Maiden Name: Mary Elizabeth Klein

Witnesses: Frank H. Carberry, Anna E. Sleeper
Signature of person officiating and P.O. address: Henry Hale Sleeper, Elizabeth


Sources

(1) Milton George Moore and Minnie Elizabeth Dixon marriage certificate, (30 September 1905), New Jersey Vital Records, May 1, 1848 to December 31, 1915: microfilm roll 201 (Marriage Certificates 1905: Matt - Mule), organized alphabetically by surname of groom; New Jersey State Archive, Trenton, New Jersey.

(2) 1910 Federal, Richmond Borough, New York, pop. sch.; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed ); NARA microfilm publication T624_1072; Page: 10A.

(3) Unnamed [Blank] Dixon, birth certificate D40 (5 April 1884), New Jersey New Jersey State Archives, Trenton. Believed to be Minnie, as the date agrees with other documents.

(4) Compilation of information from a variety of sources too numerous to list here. Please see the page on this blog "Dixon Family Tree" for a list of names of the children. 

(5) Elizabeth Directory 1905 (Newark, New Jersey: The Price & Lee Company, 1905), page 463, Sleeper, Henry Hale, Rev.; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 20 November 2016), image 232 of 334. "Sleeper, Henry Hale Rev., pastor Grace Episcopal Church, h 225 E Jersey."

Ida Dixon and Stephen Bruggy : Marriage Certificate

Ida Francis Dixon was the sister of William A. Dixon, my great-grandfather. They were the children of John Dixon and Isabella Porter. William was the couple's second child, Ida was their third. She was born on 12 June 1865 in Elizabethport [Elizabeth], Union County, New Jersey. (1)

Ida was 23 years old when she married Stephen L. Bruggy. At the time of their marriage he was 22 years old and employed as a boiler maker. (2) His place of birth on the Marriage Return is  Elizabethport, however, in the 1900 US Census Ireland is listed as his place of birth. It also records that he immigrated in 1872, around the age of 6. (3)

The couple was married on 31 March 1889 at 320 Franklin Street, Elizabeth, NJ. The ceremony was performed by Rev. J. Madison Hare, pastor of East Baptist Church. (2) According to the Elizabeth City Directory for 1888-89, the Rev. Hare resided at 213 Elizabeth Avenue, but the church was at the corner of Third and Franklin streets. However, the same city directory shows that Theodore J. Woodring lived at 320 Franklin Street, so it appears that the wedding occurred in his home. [Connection to either family still to be discovered.] (4) My great-grandparents, William and Mary Elizabeth (Klein) Dixon were the witnesses at the wedding. (2)

Marriage Return and Transcription

Marriage Return for Stephen L. Bruggy and Ida F. Dixon
31 March 1889, Elizabeth, New Jersey
NJ State Archives, Trenton.(2)
[click image to enlarge]

State of New Jersey.
Marriage Return. [written in corner: B47]

1. Full Name of Husband: Stephen B. Bruggy
Place of Residence: 222 Bond Street
2. Age: 22 years. Number of his Marriage: First
3. Occupation: Boiler Maker. Country of Birth: Elizabethport, N.J.
4. Name of Father: Patric Bruggy. Country of Birth: Ireland.
5. Maiden Name of Mother: Eliza Grady. Country of Birth: Ireland.

1. Full Maiden Name of Wife: Ida Francis Dixon. Country of Birth: Elizabethport, N.J.
2. Place of Residence: 107 Elizabeth Ave.
3. Age, nearest birthday: 23. If in any trade or business, so state: [blank]
4. Last name, if a widow. Number of Bride's Marriage: First.
5. Name of Father: John Dixon. Country of Birth: Staten Island
6. Maiden name of Mother: Isabella Porter. Country of Birth: Ireland.
1. Date (in full) March 31, 1889. Place: 320 Franklin St. Elizabeth, N.J.
2. In presence of : W.A. Dixon, Mrs. W. A. Dixon.
3. Signature of Minister, (what Church Pastor of) or person officiating.
J. Madison Hare
Pastor, East Bapt. Ch.


Sources

(1) Ancestry.com. New Jersey, Births and Christenings Index, 1660-1931 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data:"New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1931." Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009, 2010. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.

(2)  New Jersey Vital Records, May 1, 1848 to December 31, 1915. NJSA microfilm roll 64 (Marriage Certificates #384-83-A1 to #384-91-Z31), certificate #384-91-B47. New Jersey State Archives, Trenton.

(3) 1900 U.S. Census, Union County, New Jersey, population schedule, Elizabeth (City), enumeration district (ED) 99, Sheet A8, dwelling 111, family 155, Stephen Bruggy; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 14 January 2017); Year: 1900; Census Place: Elizabeth Ward 4, Union, New Jersey; Roll: 995; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0099; FHL microfilm: 1240995.

(4)  Cook & Hall's Elizabeth City Directory for 1888-9 (Elizabeth, New Jersey: Cook & Hall, 1888), p. 151, p. 329,  p. 335, image 190 of 256, East Baptist Church; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded all three pages 14 January 2017), names Rev. J. Madison Hare as pastor, gives location of church [p 335]; Hare residence [p. 151]; Woodring address [p. 329].

Hazel Dixon : Comptometer Operator

Working Woman

Hazel Dixon was, around the time of her first marriage to Harry Wimmer, employed as a clerk in an insurance offfice. (1) Whether she kept that job after their marriage in 1931 is unknown. It seems likely that after their divorce [date currently unknown] she went back to work, and was likely employed at the time of her second marriage, in 1946, to James Sullivan.

Turns out a Comptometer
is an adding machine.
By Ezrdr (Own work)
[Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Hazel's obituary says this: "Prior to 1950, she was employed as a comptometer operator by Diehl Manufacturing Co., Finderne." (2) They made fans, among other things, and were the electronics division of Singer. [A very brief summary, and a nifty worker badge from the 1940's here.]

Was this her "wartime job" during World War II? Did she leave that work after marrying James? Every little bit of information leads to more questions!

International Sewing Machine Collectors International has a great article about Philip Diehl, founder of the company Hazel worked for. The guy was a genius. Seriously. A Great Diehl of Invention. [a bit random and off topic, I know, but really pretty interesting]


Sources

(1) "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4F1-D1T : accessed 15 February 2016), Thomas Payne, 1930. ED 61, sheet 7B; household 166. Citing The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. GS Film Number 2341121, digital folder 004951973, image number 00896.

(2) Hazel Dixon Sullivan obituary, Elizabeth Daily Journal, Elizabeth, New Jersey, 21 May 1957, laminated clippings. Obituary and funeral arrangements.

Hazel (Dixon) (Wimmer) Sullivan : Obituary

There are times when one is grateful that the family kept "things." I found this laminated obituary for Hazel tucked into my Grandma's bible, along with about a bazillion funeral cards.

Death notice and obituary for
Hazel (Dixon) Sullivan, 21 May 1957
Elizabeth Daily Journal, Elizabeth, N.J.
Laminated card, private collection,
E. Ackermann, 2017.

Elizabeth Daily Journal
N.J.
May 21 1957
scrapbooks Inc. so. plainfield, n.j.
In Memoriam

SULLIVAN-Hazel, of 32E Pioneer Homes, Elizabeth, widow of James Sullivan and daughter of the late William and Mary Dixon.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend the funeral from the James J. Higgins & Son Mortuary, 414 Westminster Ave., Elizabeth, on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. High Mass of Requiem, St. Patrick's Church at 9 a.m.
Interment, Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

Mrs. Hazel Sullivan

Mrs. Hazel Sullivan, 47, of 32E Pioneer Homes died today at St. Elizabeth Hospital after an illness of several months. She was the widow of James Sullivan.

A native of Elizabeth, Mrs. Sullivan was a daughter of the late William and Mary Dixon. Prior to 1950, she was employed as a comptometer operator by Diehl Manufacturing Co., Finderne.

Surviving are a sister, Mrs. Claire Greaves, with whom she made her home, and two brothers, Wallace Dixon of Roselle and John Dixon of Elizabeth.

The funeral will be conducted from the James J. Higgins & Son Mortuary, 414 Westminster Ave.

A few notes

According to this obit, Hazel was living with her sister Clara Viola (Dixon) (O'Hare) Greaves when she died. Clara was 17 years older than Hazel. It must have been very difficult for her to see her youngest sister pass away.

We see also that Hazel had two other surviving siblings when she died - my grandfather, Wallace B. Dixon, and their older brother, John Dixon. John was 15 years older than Hazel, but she and my grandfather were just four years apart. There was a gap of 8 years between Wally and the next oldest, George. Hazel and Wally would have been the only children in the house by the time they were in school.

Citation

Hazel Dixon Sullivan obituary, Elizabeth Daily Journal, Elizabeth, New Jersey, 21 May 1957, laminated clippings. Collection of E. Ackermann, 2017. Obituary and funeral arrangements.

Wallace B. Dixon : Patent Holder

Cover page of Letters Patent granted to
Wallace B. Dixon in 1963.
Collection of E. Ackermann, 2017

In 1963 my grandfather, Wallace B. Dixon, was awarded a patent for a toy camera(1). He was quite proud of this achievement.

A search on Google recreates the text and images presented here. It also lists later patents that referenced my grandfather's, including two from Fisher Price Toys, and one from Mattel, Inc.(2)

The attorney who helped my Grandpa with his patent filing was Richard L. Cannaday. They became lifelong friends. I remember going to visit Mr. Cannaday in his office, and seeing him at my grandparents' home. He was a very nice man. I think he was responsible for Gramps getting an annual holiday delivery of giant Hersey chocolate bars, and other treats.

My grandfather did some work for Mr. Cannaday, restoring and repairing antique firearms. It gave him an excuse to buy a lathe for his basement workshop.  Mr. Cannaday also had Gramps help out with other patent work. He built a model of an apparatus for "rocking a human being," a patent later granted to Mary V. Neal. (3) [My baby doll stood in for the person in the scale model.]

The camera patent was never sold, and the toy was never produced. But I think my grandfather was satisfied with his achievment.

The Letters Patent

You can click on any image here, as well as the one above, to enlarge it.

Sources

(1) Letters Patent No. 3,090,158 for Toy Camera, United States Patent Office; Dixon Family Collection; privately held by Elizabeth Ackermann, [address for private use], 2017. Original certificate and documentation, with drawings, for U.S. Patent granted 21 May 1963.

(2) Google Patents (https://www.google.com/patents/US3090158 : accessed 10 January 2016), transcription of patent by W.B. Dixon, with images.

(3) Richard Cannaday to Wallace B. Dixon, 5 March 1966, Letter File Box, 2 page letter; reference firearm repair, Mary Neal [inventor], privately held by Elizabeth Ackermann, [address for private use], 2017.

Hazel (Dixon) (Wimmer) Sullivan

The new year has already brought me a bounty of records. I'm still processing them, but spent some time today working with my great-aunt, Hazel Dixon, and thought I'd write up the new information that I've gained thanks to her two marriage records. The information I had so far indicated that her surname at the time of her death was Sullivan, but I also had an old family group sheet done by a cousin that said she'd married someone named Wimmer. Turns out they are both correct. Hazel Dixon married Harry Wimmer, divorced, and later married James Sullivan.

Hazel L. Dixon and Harry K. Wimmer

Hazel married Harry Wimmer on 16 November 1931. She was 22 years old, still living with her mother [Mary E. (Klein) Dixon] and her soon-to-be step-father, Thomas Payne at 125 West Grand Street, Elizabeth.(1) According to the 1930 U.S. Census, Hazel was working as an insurance clerk, she may have still been in that job at the time she married.(2)

Harry Wimmer was born in Elizabeth, NJ, as was Hazel. His parents were Otto Wimmer and Eva Ball. He was employed as a bank clerk, possibly at Harmonia Mutual Savings Fund (3- see note), and was living at 130 Reid St., Elizabeth. His widowed mother and four other people with the same surname [siblings?] were also living at that address. (3)

Click to enlarge.
Marriage Certificate of Hazel Dixon
and Harry Wimmer, 1931. (1)

The wedding was conducted by the Reverend Wilhelm G. Felmeth, pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church. (4) The marriage certificate indicates that the wedding was performed in Elizabeth, but there is no indication of an exact location.(1)

The witnesses at the ceremony were family members.  Theo Wimmer, living at the same address as the groom, presumably his brother, and Marie O'Hare, Hazel's niece. Marie was the daughter of Clara Viola (Dixon) and John J. O'Hare. Marie was, as far as I now know, born in 1913. (5) Hazel was born in 1909. (6) They were more like cousins than aunt and niece.

At some time, I suppose, things went wrong for Hazel and Harry. There was a divorce. I'm hoping to find some more information about that in the near future.

Hazel and James Sullivan

Click to enlarge.
Marriage Certificate for Hazel Dixon
and James Sullivan, 1946. (7)

On 23 March 1946 Hazel married again. Her groom was James Sullivan, son of James and Margaret (McCarthy) Sullivan. He was born on 1 Nov 1909,  making him eleven months younger than Hazel. This was James's first marriage. He was employed as a clerk. (7)

I don't know where the couple settled after their marriage. They don't appear in the 1947 Elizabeth Directory. In 1949 they are listed at the home address of James's widowed mother, Margaret, at 444 Spring Street, Elizabeth. This is the same address that James gives on the marriage certificate, so it's possible that they moved in with his mother right after they married.

Hazel died in 1957, just ten years after she married James Sullivan. Her obituary in the Elizabeth Daily Journal on 21 May of that year says she is the "widow of James Sullivan." So somewhere in that ten years James died. I have not yet found his death date.

You can read previous posts about Hazel:

• Hazel Dorothy L. Dixon : Birth Certificate
• Hazel Dixon, where did you go? 
• Hazel (Dixon) Sullivan : Death Certificate

Links
The New Jersey Churchscape : You can read a general history of the Third Presbyterian Church, as well as the First and Second, here.

Sources
(1)  New Jersey Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records, Trenton. NJSA microfilm roll 525 (Marriage Certificates 1931: Wat - Z), organized alphabetically by groom's surname. New Jersey State Archives, Trenton. [Hazel's address on the marriage return matches that of the 1930 census.]

(2) "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4F1-D1T : accessed 15 February 2016), Thomas Payne, 1930. ED 61, sheet 7B; household 166. Citing The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. GS Film Number 2341121, digital folder 004951973, image number 00896.

(3)Elizabeth Directory 1931 (Newark, New Jersey: The Price & Lee Co., 1931), p. 771, Wimmer, Harry and Wimmer, Eva; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 5 January 2017). Harry Wimmer is living at 130 Reid St. with his widowed mother, Eva, and Martha E., Rudolph A., Theodore O., and Waleska L. - all with the surname "Wimmer".  In searching the same city directory, I find no listing for Harmonia Mutual Savings Fund. There is a Germania Mutual Savings Fund, and a Harmonia Building and Loan Association, so I list his employer with that qualification - it may be incorrect in the directory.

(4) Elizabeth Directory 1931 (Newark, New Jersey: The Price & Lee Co., 1931), p. 278, Felmeth, Wilhelm G Rev pastor Third Presbyterian Church; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 January 2017).

(5)  "New Jersey State Census, 1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9W-W6G6 : accessed 21 February 2016), John J O Hare, 1915. Not the most conclusive evidence for the birth date, but all I have at the moment.

(6) Hazel Dorothy L. Dixon, birth certificate 79 (16 January 1909), Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, New Jersey.

(7)  New Jersey Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records, Trenton. NJSA microfilm roll 802 (Marriage Certificates 1946: Spittler - Tango, John), organized alphabetically by groom's surname. New Jersey State Archives, Trenton.

(8)  Elizabeth Directory 1949 (Newark, New Jersey: The Price & Lee Co., 1931), p. 1018, Sullivan, James M (Hazel) r 444 Spring; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 5 January 2017). Margaret F Sullivan, widow of James J is listed at the same address.

(9) Hazel Dixon Sullivan obituary, Elizabeth Daily Journal, Elizabeth, New Jersey, 21 May 1957, laminated clippings. Obituary and funeral arrangements.

Update : Dixon Family Tree

I've updated the Dixon family tree page to reflect what I currently know.

You'll find the tab to take you there at the top of the page, just under the blog title.

Cheers!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2017!

I'm starting this year off with the obligatory New Year's baby photo, a picture of Someone Else's Ancestor. If you are kin to Raymond E. Lockwood [b. abt June 1888], please get in touch. It would make my year to return this photo to his family!

Raymond E. Lockwood, photographed by McKean & Ort, Santa Cruz, California.
Photo found in an antique store in Virginia. E. Ackermann collection, 2017.

"Raymond E. Lockwood. 1 yr. June '89." Reverse of photo above.

 Here we go again!

1 January 2017 marks the One Year Anniversary of this blog. 2016 was a great year for family history. New discoveries were made, "new" cousins were found, I learned some new skills. All good stuff.

As we get a fresh start this year here are a few of my genealogy resolutions:

• continue with my grandfather's generation, and start pushing back to his parents' families and siblings [and their families]
• put in more social history research time
• scan and post more of my photo collections
• start writing my personal history
• continue adding to my genealogy skill set
• create at least one printed photo book to preserve the pictures that I've scanned so far
• print a copy of last year's blog posts

How about you? What are your plans for researching, preserving, and/or sharing your family history?