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.

John Frank Dixon : Update

Finding Family

Last month was John Frank Dixon's birthday and I was lamenting over how little I knew about him. Since then I've made some inroads into his life, his family, and I've even been in contact with one of his direct descendants.

So, here's a little update on John Frank.

John Frank and his wife married when he was 20 and she was just 16 years old. (2) I'm going to estimate the year as 1915.

In 1920, he was 24 years old and was living with his wife and two daughters at 58 Caspian Street in Elizabeth, NJ. He was working as a core maker in a foundry. His wife, Mary, was 21 years old. It's interesting to note that she indicates that she was born in New Jersey, but both her parents were born in England. Their daughters were quite young. Dorothy E. was a little over a year and a half old. Mary Agnes was two months old. (1)

The family was at the same address in 1930. Their monthly rent was $22. John was now working as a foreman in a soap factory. In this census his wife's parents are shown as being born in New Jersey. [A mystery to solve!] The family has also added another daughter, Margaret, who is 8 years old in 1930. All three of the girls are attending school. (2)

By 1940 the family was living at 30 Spencer Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey. In fact, they had been living there since at least 1935. They were paying $25 per month in rent. John, age 45, was still at the soap factory working as a foreman. All three daughters were still at home. (3)

• Dorothy, now 21, had completed one year of high school and had been working for at least one year as a machine operator at the soap factory.
• Mary, age 20, had also completed one year of high school and had been working for at least one year as an assembler in a fan manufacturing company.
• Margaret, 18 years old, had completed four years of high school and was unemployed at the time of the census.

Mary Agnes Dixon and Felix Cabarle
on their wedding day.
Many thanks to their family for letting me post this!

John's daughter, Mary Agnes Dixon, married Felix Cabarle on 1 February 1941 at St. Patricks Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She died in 2008, at the age of 88. (4) I'll write a little more about her later, but I'm pleased to share this photo of Mary Agnes on her wedding day.

Many thanks to Mary and Felix's grandson for sharing photos and information with me. It's nice to have met another cousin!

Citations

(1) 1920 Census, Union County, New Jersey, population schedule, Elizabeth, enumeration district (ED) 74, sheet 2A, dwelling 21, family 36, Frank Dixon; digital images, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4YK-Z63 : downloaded 18 February 2016); National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,821,069.

(2) 1930 US Census, Union County, New Jersey, population schedule, Elizabeth, enumeration district (ED) 20-29, sheet 1B, household 10, family 18, John Dixon; digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4ND-9K5 : accessed 18 February 2016); The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).  

(3) 1940 U.S. Census, Union County, New Jersey, population schedule, ward 5, enumeration district (ED) 23-37, 5B, household 95, John Dixon; digital images, FamilyTree (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4YP-FVG : downloaded 18 February 2016); (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 2398.

(4) Mary Agnes Cabarle, obituary. Unidentified newspaper, clipping, June 2008. Image on Ancestry.com attached to record for Mary Agnes Cabarle. Accessed 26 February 2016.

Happy Birthday John Frank Dixon

Today is the 121st anniversary of John F. Dixon's birth.

I don't know much about John at this point. Here's what I've learned so far:

• John was born on 18 Feb 1895 in Elizabeth, NJ (1, 2)
• His parents were William A. and Mary E. (Klein) Dixon (2)
• In 1917 he worked as a tool setter for W.A. Clark, Elizabeth, NJ (1)
• In 1917 he lived at 38 Spencer Street, Elizabeth, NJ (1)
• He registered for the WWI draft 5 June 1917, when he was 22 years old (1)
• He was married, although I don't know his wife's name(1)
• He was tall, of medium build, with grey eyes and light hair. (1)
• In 1942 he filled out an affidavit to correct his brother's [Wallace B. Dixon] birth certificate (3)
• In 1942 he lived at 926 1/2 East Jersey Street, Elizabeth, NJ (3)

That's not a lot to know about a person, but it's a start. Hopefully, by John's next birthday I'll know a lot more about him. Even better, I might have identified him in a photograph.

If you're descended from John Frank Dixon please leave a comment or get in touch!



Citations

1. U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]," digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com ; downloaded 15 Aug 2015), Card for John F. Dixon, No. 131, Elizabeth, NJ; citing, National Archives film M1509.

2. 1900 Federal Census, Union County, New Jersey, population schedule, Ward 7, Elizabeth, enumeration district 107,  page 7, dwelling 83, family 180, John F. Dixon; digital image, Ancestry.com (downloaded 5 March 2015); FHL microfilm: 1240996.

3. New Jersey, Bureau of Vital Statistics, State Department of Health, Birth Certificate 235 (2 March 1905), Theodore Wallace Dixon; attached form "For Correcting or Amending a Certificate of Birth, Marriage or Death"; New Jersey State Archives, Trenton.