My Great-Grandmother Owned a Monkey

Not my grandma, not her monkey!

See the original on the fascinating
Tumbler Blog
"An Unnatural History."

Oh, how I wish I had a photo of Mary Elizabeth (Klein) Dixon Payne and her monkey to share with you. [If, by chance, you have one, I hope you'll share it with me!] This Fun Family Fact comes courtesy of of a step-cousin, who's father, Thomas Payne, Jr. brought the monkey back from his Navy travels and gave it to his step-mother.

Just another example of the treasures you find when you contact cousins, and step-cousins, you've never met. This particular step-cousin has shared some great information about the Payne family, and has helped me identify some photos. Love it!

Did anyone in your family have unusual pets?

The Payne Family : Part of the Merry Group

Back in 2016 I wrote a Mystery Photo post, "The Mystery of the Merry Group," where I pondered the possible identity of a group of people who appeared in some photos that all seemed to have been taken at the same event. The older lady in the group looked a bit like my great-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Klein (Dixon) Payne, and the older gentleman certainly resembled her second husband, Thomas Payne. But I wasn't sure, and I had no clue who the other people were.

In recent months I've been in contact with three people who are connected with the Payne family in one way or another. Last week the granddaughter of Thomas Payne, Jr. contacted me. She was able to identify some of the people in these pictures. In fact, she wrote that she has a photo taken on that same day.

My step-cousin said that the photos were taken at Thomas Payne, Sr.'s farm in Massachusetts. I never knew he had a farm in Massachusetts! She also commented that he was very well-off and that at one time he owned a restaurant in New Jersey, and that my Great-grandmother, who she called Mrs. Dixon, ran the kitchen. [I've done some  preliminary research on the restaurant and will report on that eventually.]

So, a photo mystery gets closer to being solved, and I've got more fun things to research.

Here are the photos in question. My Great-grandmother died in 1938 at the age of 70. Andrew was born in 1905, and Thomas was born in 1910 and I would say that they look in these photos like they could be in their mid- to late-twenties. I'm going to guess that this was taken some time in the mid-1930's.

As far as I know, these are the only photos I have of my Great-grandmother that were taken after her marriage to Thomas Payne in 1927. According to my source, Great-grandmother raised Thomas, Jr. and he called her "Mother," and she remembers her father talking about my grandfather, Wallace B. Dixon, and his sister, Hazel. They would have all been children in the combined Dixon/Payne household at the same time.

Standing, from left: unknown; Mrs. Thomas Payne, Jr.; unknown; unknown; Andrew Payne; Mary E. (Klein Dixon) Payne.
Kneeling, from left: unknown; unknown; a dog; Thomas Payne, Jr.

I don't know who the fellow in the white shirt, standing third from the left, is but every time I see him in a photo I think "he sure looks like a Dixon!" He's in a good number of photos that I have with the woman standing on the far left, also unidentified.

From left: Thomas Payne, Jr.; Andrew Payne; unknown; unknown;
Mary E. (Klein Dixon) Payne; Thomas Payne, Senior.
And the dog.

From left: Thomas Payne, Jr.; Andrew Payne; unknown; unknown;
Mary E. (Klein Dixon) Payne; Thomas Payne, Senior.

Thomas Payne also had a daughter named Mary, from his first marriage, and I wonder if the young woman in this photo might be her. And then there's that Dixon-looking fellow in the back again! Who are you?!?
 

Andrew Payne

Still unidentified

 As always, if you recognize anyone in these photos, I'd love to hear from you!

Sources

Private E-mail correspondance with descendant of Thomas Payne.

All photos from Wallace B. Dixon Collection, privately held by the author. 

Julian Place

A place and a moment in time.

My great-grandparents and their children moved frequently, though mostly within the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey. When I find them in a city directory I can guess that they had moved on from the listed address by the time the book was printed and distributed. That leaves me always one step behind as I try to piece together their lives.

I do know that on 9 April 1924, Mary Elizabeth (Klein) Dixon and her three youngest children lived at 2 Julian Place. (1) George Thomas was 26 and my grandfather, Wally, was 19. I'm sure they were both working and helping to contribute to the household. Hazel, the youngest, was 15 and was likely going to school.

The first mention that I found of my grandfather
living at 2 Julian Place.

Mary Elizabeth had filed for a divorce from her husband, William A. Dixon, the previous year and this address is mentioned in a deposition given on the 9th of April. The same address is also given on my grandfather's motor vehicle registration for that year.(2)

Prior to 1911, when the postcard below was mailed, we get a glimpse of the place they called home in 1924. Fast forward thirteen years and replace some of those carriages with automobiles and you can imagine what their street might have looked like.

The corner of Julian Place (on left) and Morris Ave. (on right), Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Postcard in collection of E. Ackermann, 2017.

In a snippet from the 1922 Sanborn Map (3), the size and shape of the building at the intersection of Julian Place and Morris Avenue are a match. The only real puzzle is that the map only shows addresses starting with number four, and it appears that the very corner space has an address on Morris Avenue. This leads me to believe that perhaps the residences on the upper floors were given the number 2, while the street level businesses started at 4. The map shows a staircase leading to the upper floors to the right of the office at number 4. In the postcard you can see the entry next to the leftmost striped awning on the first floor.

1922 Sanborn Insurance Map. (3)
Elizabeth, N.J. (Vol. 1, Sheet 3). Princeton University website.

Meet the neighbors 

Residents of Julian Place.
1924 Elizabeth (NJ) City Directory
* denotes person has telephone (4)

 Here are the folks that lived and worked on Julian Place. This is the whole street – it was only one block long. Notice that the Dixon family isn't listed here. They don't appear at all in the 1923 or 1925 directories either. Perhaps they choose not to be in the listing, or maybe they were boarding with one of the other residents. We'll probably never know.

If you notice, the left side of the street is occupied by the Central Rail Road of New Jersey passenger station. So not only can you imagine the sights and sounds of an urban neighborhood, but you can add to that frequent passing trains, and all those folks getting on and off the trains. What a busy place!

The neighborhood was also full of businesses – real estate brokers, express agents, plumbers, painters, auto and bicycle repair, restaurants. The business at number 8, A.B. Swick,  probably explains the rather extravagant awnings on the corner building. 

Julian Place today

A look at the same block today shows some changes. The buiding that my Great-grandmother and her children lived in is no longer standing. The lot is now occupied by a restaurant with outdoor seating on the corner. The old train station still stands across the street, although it looks like it now houses a restaurant. Train passengers board from the elevated platform on the bridge that crosses North Broad Street. A number of the older buildings on the block on Morris Avenue are still there, giving a bit of a feel of the old neighborhood.

Corner of Julian Place and Morris Avenue, Elizabeth, New Jersey.
The buiding on the corner, where my Great-grandmother and her children lived is no longer standing.
Today that space is occupied by a restaurant with outdoor seating. There's still a nice view of the old train station.
Image : Google Earth.

Buidings on Morris Avenue, heading away from Julian Place. Elizabeth, New Jersey.
It looks like a lot of the old buildings still stand.
Image: Google Earth

Sources

(1) Dixon, Mary E. vs. Dixon, William A., 25 July 1923, Chancery Court Records; Superior Court Records Management Center, Trenton, New Jersey; NJSA microfilm 2-23, file number C64-517, New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, New Jersey.

(2)  Passenger Vehicle Registration, NJ Dept. of Motor Vehicles; Wallace B. Dixon Collection; privately held by Elizabeth Ackermann, [address for private use], 2016. 

(3) Elizabeth, N.J. (Vol. 1, Sheet 3). Sanborn Map Company. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1922. Princeton University website http://map.princeton.edu/mapviewer/#/xs55mf363 . Accessed 12 March 2017. 

(4) Elizabeth City Directory 1924. Newark, New Jersey: Price & Lee Co., 1924. Page 574. Digital images. Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : [Accesed 12 March 2017].

Everything was not just as it should be

When my grandfather, Wallace B. Dixon, was nineteen years old his mother filed for divorce from his father. The year was 1923, and, according to the divorce documents, William A. Dixon had deserted the family in September 1912. (1)

The divorce documents are decidedly one-sided, as William chose not to respond to the suit in any official manner. We only get his wife's side, but affidavits given by Mary Elizabeth (Klein) Dixon and others tell a story of an abusive husband who drank away the rent money, forcing the family to move frequently — often several times in a year. Mary Elizabeth says "My husband made so much disturbance and did not give me money to pay the rent, so I had to move."

Mary Elizabeth testifies "For two years before the desertion, I lived on Livingston Street, between First and Second Streets; Second Street, between Jersey Street and Fulton Street, from there to Marshall Street, between Second and Third Streets, and then to South Second Street, and from there to Elizabeth Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Streets."

In May of 1912 William deserted the family for the first time, out of fear that Mary Elizabeth would have him arrested again for abusing her. He was gone for three months. Returning to the family, he "promised faithful to do what was right."

At the end of September 1912 William was drinking again. The family had been living on Elizabeth Avenue for a little over a month when a visit from the landlady prompted Mary Elizabeth to ask her husband for the rent money. According to her, William became abusive and told her to get the money herself, he did not care how she did it. Fearing further abuse, Mary Elizabeth went to her daughter Clara Viola (Dixon) O'Hare's house on Marshall Street and stayed the night. At that time she would have had three children aged eighteen and under – George Thomas, eighteen; Wallace, seven; and Hazel, three years old. Presumably she took them with her. My grandfather states in his testimony that he went to his sister Viola's house with his mother.

Q. Why did you go to your sister's.
A. I don't recollect now. Everything was not just as it should be.
Q. There was some trouble between your father and mother?
A. That had happened quite a few times.

Mary Elizabeth and her children stayed away from home until the following afternoon. "I then went back home and everything was gone, it was an empty house. The people downstairs said that he had sold some, and took some with him." Wallace adds "...there was a few odd pieces of furniture left; the house had practically been stripped."

According to Wallace, they went back to his sister's house for a few days, then moved to West Orange for a while before returning to Elizabeth. Mary Elizabeth petitioned the Overseer of the Poor, Mr. Sattler, to help her find her husband. The authorities did find him. They "ordered him to pay" and when he did not he was arrested and sent to jail for six months for failing to support his family. When he got out of jail he made a few meager payments to his wife, and then quit. Eventually the family learned that William had moved to Staten Island. Mary Elizabeth had to support herself and her children, going out to work and taking in boarders. Her son George Thomas was probably working by that time, and likely contributed to the family's support, as did my grandfather when he became old enough to work.

William A. Dixon with his two youngest children,
Wallace Bernard and Hazel Dorothy.
I believe this was taken around 1920.
Held by E. Ackemann, 2017.

At the time of the divorce William was living at 124 Grand View Avenue in Staten Island. He was employed as a carpenter at the Brewer Ship Yard, also in Staten Island. My grandfather testifies that he and his sister, Hazel, had made several visits to their father at his home there. So, presumably they maintained some sort of relationship with him.

On 29 May 1924 Mary Elizabeth was granted a divorce from her husband. She was given custody of Wallace and Hazel, and was granted permission to resume her maiden name.

On 20 April 1927 she married Thomas Payne(2), a long-time acquaintance and boarder with the Dixon family. Thomas had been a boarder with the family in 1900, prior to his first marriage.(3) By 1918 he was again living at the same address as Mary Elizabeth, 159 West Grand Street (4), and he and his youngest son were listed among several boarders in her household at that same address on the 1920 U.S. Census.(5) After their marriage the couple moved into a house that they owned, 125 West Grand Street, and for the first time in her life Mary Elizabeth had a home that she could truly call her own.(6) I would like to believe that they lived together happily until her death on 3 October 1938.(7)

William A. Dixon was living back in Elizabeth and was employed as a carpenter when he died on 23 May 1927, at the age of 64. I don't know who the informant was for his death certificate. That document records that at the time of death he was married to "Mary Kline".(8)

Sources

(1) Dixon, Mary E. vs. Dixon, William A., 25 July 1923, Chancery Court Records; Superior Court Records Management Center, Trenton, New Jersey; NJSA microfilm 2-23, file number C64-517, New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, New Jersey.

(2) Marriage record for Thomas Payne and Mary Eliz. Klein. No. 11913, 20 April 1927. The second marriage for both bride and groom, took place at the Municipal Building in Manhattan. New York City Department of Records and Information Services, Municipal Archives, 31 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007. Certified copy held by Elizabeth Ackermann, 2016.

(3) 1900 Federal Census, Union County, New Jersey, population schedule, , ; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed ); FHL microfilm: 1240996.

(4)"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZJ6-D9V : 12 December 2014), Thomas Payne, 1917-1918; citing Elizabeth City no 3, New Jersey, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,712,099.  

(5)"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4YG-CQK : accessed 15 February 2016), Mary E Dickson, Elizabeth City Ward 10, Union, New Jersey, United States; citing sheet 10A, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,821,070. 

(6)"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.

(7) Mary E. Payne, death certificate. New Jersey Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records, Trenton. NJSA microfilm roll 827 (Death Certificates 1938: Nason – Poz), organized alphabetically by surname. New Jersey State Archives, Trenton.

(8) William Dixon, death certificate No. 611 (23 May 1927), New Jersey Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Trenton, New Jersey. 

Marshall Street Mystery : Conflicting Evidence

Sometimes you just wish your ancestors would give you a straight story, or that the documents you find might be deemed reliable.

I don't know that it's crucial, or even vaguely important, that I determine exactly where on Marshall Street my great-grandparents lived with their family. It is vexing that I can't find them in the 1910 U.S. Census, and I keep hoping that getting an address for them might lead me to a census record.

In two posts I wrote in May of 2016, I started to explore this problem. You can read them here:

54 Marshall Street
54 Marshall Street : A Room With a View?

Since then, I've found more information about the Dixon family during that time period. They moved quite often, and I'll write more about that in another blog post. Suffice it to say that William wasn't an ideal husband, and the family was often forced to move due to lack of rent money. (1)

Today I'm going to summarize the three pieces of conflicting information that I have regarding the family's address on Marshall Street in Elizabeth between the years 1909 and 1911.

City Directories

Both the 1909 and 1911 Elizabeth city directories list William A. Dixon, carp[enter] at 54 Marshall Street. (2,3)

There are actually two William A. Dixons listed in the directory, the other boards at 57 Butler. At that same address we find "boarding" Frank and Alexander Dixon, Jr. Also listed is Alexander Dixon, presumably the senior. Both Alexanders are oystermen, Frank and William are leatherworkers. This is clearly a different Dixon family.

Since my great-grandfather is known to have worked as a carpenter from around 1900, I believe that the Marshall Street William is mine. Additionally, there is another William Dixon, William H., boarding at 54 Marshall. My grandparents had a son named William, born in 1885. His middle initial was J according to his birth record, but I've also seen it recorded as C.

In the 1911 directory it appears that Alexander senior has died. His widow, Mary, is boarding at 161 Elizabeth Avenue. William the leatherworker and the junior Alexander are also now at this address.
Frank Dixon is not among the Dixon listings for this year.

Carpenter William A. and laborer William H. Dixon continue to be listed at 54 Marshall in 1911. And so I conclude that this is "my" William A. Dixon. One might also infer from this that they lived at 54 Marshall Street between at least the years 1909 and 1911.

Hazel Dixon's Birth Record

William & Mary (Klein) Dixon's youngest daughter, Hazel, was born 16 January 1909. You can read about her birth record in detail in an earlier post from February 2016. In that document the midwife, Therese M. Leyerer, records the place of birth as 65 "Marchal" Street. (4)

Neither the 1909 or 1911 directories have any listings in the street directory for a "Marchal" Street, leading me to conclude that she was spelling "Marshall" the way she pronounced it. Remember, this is the same document where William's occupation is "Carp Endor," actually "carpenter."

Additionally, the 1903 Sanborn Map for Marshall Street (5) shows that number 65 would have been located in the Pattern Storage building of the ship building company that occupied most of that side of the street. The ship building facility only increased in size over the years, by 1918 (6) it occupied nearly the entire block, so it seems unlikely that some time between 1903 and 1909 that a residence would have been located on that spot. Only those lots with even-numbered addresses on that block were residential. The same is true today. A comparison of the Sanborn maps and Google Maps for that street show that the numbering hasn't changed. 

Given the whimsical nature of the information in this document, or at least Mrs. Leyerer's interpretation of the information, I take the address with a grain of salt. Hazel may have been born on Marshall Street, but it seems unlikely that the address was number 65.

The Divorce Deposition

So, here we arrive at the heart of the matter. In 1924 Mary Elizabeth (Klein) Dixon petitioned for a divorce from her husband, William A. Dixon on the grounds of desertion. She claims that he left the family in September of 1912 and for the next twelve years provided no support for her or her children.

In Mary's deposition, she states:

For two years before the desertion [in September 1912], I lived on Livingston Street, between First and Second Streets; Second Street, between Jersey Street and Fulton Street, from there to Marshall Street, between Second and Third Streets, and then to South Second Street, and from there to Elizabeth Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Streets.

Please take a moment to process this. The family lived in at least five different locations in the two years between 1910 and 1912. Additionally, if they were living on the block between Second and Third Streets, the house numbers ran from 200 to 255 on the 1903 Sanborn Map.(7)  This is neither the 54 from the city directories or the 65 from the birth record.

So it seems that, at some point roughly between 1910 and 1912, the family did live on Marshall Street. Had they lived on Marshall Street more than once?

Conclusion...Confusion

I'm willing to accept as true that the family of William A. and Mary E. (Klein) Dixon did, at some point, live on Marshall Street in Elizabeth, New Jersey. I have three separate and unrelated documents that support that.

It is possible that they occupied a residence with the address of 54 Marshall Street, given the fact that it appears in both the 1909 and 1911 city directories. Supporting this is the listing in two city directories, and the fact that it was a residential address as indicated on both the 1903 and 1918 Sanborn insurance maps. However, they do not appear at that address in the 1910 U.S. Census, and given William's reported inability to come up with regular rent payments it seems a little bit unlikely that they lived at the same address for three consecutive years.

It is highly improbable that they resided at 65 Marshall Street, given the industrial nature of that side of the street. I don't consider Mrs. Leyerer to be a highly reliable source for any information other than the actual birth of the child. However, number 65 would have been in the same block as number 54. So there's that.

It is possible, given the nature of the testimony of Mary E. (Klein) Dixon under oath that the family did live in the 200 block of Marshall Street sometime around 1911-1912. One does have to keep in mind that the testimony was given about twelve years after the fact, and it is possible that with all of the moving the family apparently did Mary may have confused the exact location.

My conclusion is that the family did probably, at some point, live on Marshall Street. It is possible that they lived on Marshall Street two different times, once at number 54, and once in the 200 block. Is it vitally important that I know exactly when and where? At this point, I think not. It seems more important to acknowledge this as an exercise in examining conflicting evidence, and as a reminder that you can't always believe what you read.


Sources

(1) Dixon, Mary E. vs. Dixon, William A., 25 July 1923, Chancery Court Records; Superior Court Records Management Center, Trenton, New Jersey; NJSA microfilm 2-23, file number C64-517, New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, New Jersey.

(2) Elizabeth Directory 1909, Volume III. Newark, New Jersey: Price and Lee Company,  p. 193.  Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line: accessed 14 May 2016]. Image 101 of 417. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Entry for William A. Dixon.

(3) Elizabeth Directory 1911, Volume IV. Newark, New Jersey: Price and Lee Company,  p. 201. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line: accessed 14 May 2016]. Image 102 of 418. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Entry for William A. Dixon. 

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

(5) Insurance Maps of Elizabeth, New Jersey. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1903. Sheet 75.
Princeton University Library: Sanborn Maps of New Jersey: Elizabeth.

(6) Insurance Maps of Elizabeth, New Jersey. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1918. Sheet 75.
Princeton University Library: Sanborn Maps of New Jersey: Elizabeth.


(7) Insurance Maps of Elizabeth, New Jersey. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1903. Sheet 73.
Princeton University Library: Sanborn Maps of New Jersey: Elizabeth.

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."

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.

Thomas Payne : A Timeline

Here's what I know about Thomas Payne, his children, and his connection with the Dixon family so far.

1876 - 22 March. His 1918 Draft Registration says that Thomas Payne was born in NJ on this date. (1) 1875, 1878, and 1881 are also possible birth years based on other sources. (2, 3, 4) It's a little hard to pin down, but I'm going to go with the date on the Draft Registration since he provided that information himself. The marriage record for Thomas Payne and Mary Eliz. Klein says that Thomas was born in Dover, New Jersey to Patrick Payne and Catherine Gaskin. (3)

1900 - Thomas Payne is boarding with the family of William A. and Mary E. (Klein) Dixon. Age 25, Single, Oyster Dredger. (5)  

1900 - 1905 Probable date range for marriage of Thomas Payne to unknown wife.  

1905 - A family group sheet from a distant cousin gives March 1905 as Andrew Payne’s date of birth. This is confirmed by the 1905 NJ State Census. Thomas Payne, 28; Mary M. Payne, 17; and Andrew Payne, 0 are listed in the same household in Union County, New Jersey. (6) [a calculated birth year for Thomas Payne gives 1877, which makes this a likely match for "our" Thomas Payne.]  

1909 - A family group sheet from a distant cousin gives December 1909 as Thomas Payne’s [the younger] date of birth. [unconfirmed, no source given]  

1915 - A family group sheet from a distant cousin references the 1915 NJ State Census. Thomas Payne and his sons, Thomas and Andrew, are living in Elizabeth, New Jersey. No wife is included in the household. Thomas Jr.'s birth date is Nov 1909, Andrew's birth date is March 1905. (7) [The Family Search database record gives the birth date for Thomas Sr. as Sept. 1877. I have only seen the transcribed entry, not the original.]  

1918 - Sept. 12. Thomas Payne registers for draft. Contact person is Mary Payne, 159 West Grand, Elizabeth, NJ. (1) This is the address given by Mary E. (Klein) Dixon in the U.S. Census two years later. In that census she calls herself a "widow" although her husband was still living at the time. (8) [William Dixon is still listed in the household with Mary E. in the 1915 NJ State Census. (9)]  

1920 - Thomas Payne is boarding with the Dixons, as is his 9-year old son, Thomas [estimated birth year 1911]. 159 West Grand Street, Elizabeth, NJ. (8)

• His age is given as 39, which would make his birth year 1881.
• The census indicates that he is married. He is working as a dock builder.
• Census info now gives his birth place as New Jersey and both his parents’  birthplace as Ireland.
• Mary Dickson (Dixon) is listed as head of household, boarding house mistress, widowed, age 52. Thomas, Wallace, and Hazel Dickson (Dixon), Mary's children, are also in residence. No sign of Andrew Payne.

1927 - April 20th marriage record (NYC) gives Thomas Payne’s age as 49, calculated birth year 1878.(10)

• Born in Dover, NJ to parents Patrick and Catherine (Gaskin) Payne.
• This marriage to Mary E. Klein Dixon is his second. 
• Both Mary E. and Thomas indicate that they are divorced.

1927 - May 23 : Mary E. (Klein) Payne's first husband, William A. Dixon, dies. His death certificate says he's married, to Elizabeth Kline, not divorced. (11) [The plot thickens?]  

1930 - Census records Thomas Payne's age as 59, giving a calculated birth year of 1871.(12)

• Born in NJ. Father born in NJ, mother born in Ireland.
• Gives age at first marriage as 22, calculated date for first marriage some time between 1897 and 1903. He is working as a dock builder.
• A brother, John Payne, age 40, is now living with Thomas and Mary E. Payne. Calculated birth year 1890. He and his father born NJ, mother born Ireland.

1931 - Elizabeth City Directory (13) lists Thomas Payne at 125 West Grand, same address listed on 1927 marriage record.

• Andrew P. Payne is in the same directory, with the same residence listed and “in U S Navy"

1935 - Elizabeth City Directory (14)

• Andrew P. rem to California
• Thomas Payne h 125 W Grand
• Thomas Jr in US Navy r 125 W Grand

1938 - Mary E. Klein Dixon Payne dies on October 3 in Elizabeth, NJ at the home of her daughter. The 1938 obituary for Mary E. (Klein Dixon) Payne, Thomas Payne’s second wife, lists her surviving children as well as three surviving stepchildren: (15)

• Andrew Payne of White Plains, NY
• Thomas Payne of White Plains, NY
• Mrs. Joseph Primiena of Elizabeth, NJ

Citations
(1) "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZJ6-D9V : 12 December 2014), Thomas Payne, 1917-1918; citing Elizabeth City no 3, New Jersey, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,712,099.

(2) 1900 U.S. Census, Union County, New Jersey, population schedule, Elizabeth, ED 102, sheet 7, dwelling 83, family 180, Thomas Payne.

(3)  Marriage record for Thomas Payne and Mary Eliz. Klein. No. 11913, 20 April 1927. New York City Department of Records and Information Services, Municipal Archives, 31 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007. Thomas Payne's place of birth is recorded as Dover, New Jersey. His age on this document if 49, giving a calculated birth year of 1878.

(4) "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch. Mary E Dickson, Elizabeth City Ward 10, Union, New Jersey, United States; citing sheet 10A, NARA microfilm publication T625. Thomas Payne's age is given as 39, giving a calculated birth year of 1881.

(5) 1900 U.S. Census, Union County, New Jersey, population schedule, 5th Ward, ED 102, Sheet Number 7, dwelling 83, family 180, William A. Dixon.

(6) "New Jersey State Census, 1905," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMHV-P13 : 8 November 2014), Andrew P Payne in household of Thomas Payne, , Union, New Jersey, United States; citing p. 14, line 44, Department of State, Trenton; FHL microfilm 1,688,625.

(7) "New Jersey State Census, 1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9W-WWXT : 8 October 2014), Thomas Payne in entry for Thomas Payne, 1915.

(8) "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch.Mary E Dickson, Elizabeth City Ward 10, Union, New Jersey, United States; citing sheet 10A, NARA microfilm publication T625.

(9) "New Jersey State Census, 1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9W-WW8H : accessed 15 February 2016), William Dixon, 1915.

(10)  Marriage record for Thomas Payne and Mary Eliz. Klein. No. 11913, 20 April 1927. New York City Department of Records and Information Services, Municipal Archives, 31 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007. 
(11)William Dixon, death certificate No. 611 (23 May 1927), New Jersey Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Trenton, New Jersey.

(12) "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.
(13) Elizabeth Directory 1931 (Newark, New Jersey: Price & Lee Co., 1931), 578-579, Andrew P Payne and Thomas Payne; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 15 August 2016), Image 299 of 612.
(14) Elizabeth Directory 1935 (Newark, New Jersey: Price & Lee Co., 1935), 523, image 266 of 531, "Andrew P rem to California"; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 15 August 2016).
(15) Mrs. Thomas Payne, obituary, Elizabeth Daily Journal, Elizabeth, New Jersey, 3 October 1938, microfilm image, Elizabeth Daily Journal 30 Sep. 1938 - 12 Nov. 1938, Elizabeth Public Library, Elizabeth, New Jersey.. Obituary for Mary Elizabeth [Klein Dixon] Payne.

Who are the Children of Thomas Payne?

The 1938 obituary (1) for Mary E. (Klein Dixon) Payne, Thomas Payne’s second wife, lists three surviving stepchildren:

• Andrew Payne of White Plains, NY
• Thomas Payne of White Plains, NY
• Mrs. Joseph Primiena of Elizabeth, NJ
   

Andrew and Thomas Payne were also listed as bearers at the funeral in newspaper clipping about Mary E. Payne's funeral.(2)

My grandfather, Wallace B. Dixon, told stories about his stepbrothers. I don’t recall that he ever mentioned a step-sister, but perhaps she never lived with her father in the Dixon home.

Thomas Payne, Sr. and his son, Thomas Payne, Jr., are listed on the 1920 U.S. Census as boarding with the Mary E. (Klein) Dixon at 159 West Grand Street, Elizabeth, NJ. Thomas Jr. is 9 years of age at the time. (3) 

Obituary for Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Payne.
Elizabeth Daily Journal, 3 October 1938. (1)

Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Payne.
Elizabeth Daily Journal, 6 October 1938. (2)

Things to Do

• Look for Andrew and Thomas, Jr. in census records. Perhaps the sister will show up as well.
• Try looking at city directories, both in Elizabeth and in White Plains, NY to see if either of the Payne boys show up.
• Research Joseph Primiena of Elizabeth, NJ. Perhaps there will be information about his wife and her family somewhere. Check census records, city directories, etc.

 Citations

(1) "Mrs. Thomas Payne", obituary, Elizabeth Daily Journal, Elizabeth, New Jersey, 3 October 1938, microfilm image, Elizabeth Daily Journal 30 Sep. 1938 - 12 Nov. 1938, Elizabeth Public Library, Elizabeth, New Jersey.. Obituary for Mary Elizabeth [Klein Dixon] Payne. 

(2)  "Funeral of Mrs. Thomas Payne", Elizabeth Daily Journal, Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey, 6 October 1938, microfilm image, Elizabeth Daily Journal 30 Sep. 1938 - 12 Nov. 1938, Elizabeth Public Library, Elizabeth, New Jersey.. Article recounting details of funeral for Mary Elizabeth [Klein Dixon] Payne.

(3) "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4YG-CQK : accessed 15 February 2016), Mary E Dickson, Elizabeth City Ward 10, Union, New Jersey, United States; citing sheet 10A, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,821,070. 

Looking for the Payne Family

Thomas Payne.
Second husband of Mary E. (Klein)(Dixon)
Cropped from original photo.
Privately held by E. Ackermann, 2016.

Ah, Thomas Payne. My step-great-grandfather is present in so much of my research, and yet he and his family remain strangely elusive. I've been spending some time focusing on the Payne family in the hopes of tracking down some descendants since I think I might have some photos that could be of the Payne clan.

If you happen to be a descendant or relative of Thomas Payne, please, please, please, get in touch!

Boarder, Husband, Step-Father

I can recall my grandfather, Wallace B. Dixon, talking about his step-brothers, though I don't recall that he ever mentioned them by name. Some of his stories involved the making of "bathtub gin," but I'm a little fuzzy on those details. And I remember my mother telling me about the house her grandmother [Mary Elizabeth (Klein) (Dixon) Payne] and Mr. Payne lived in, and how grand a place it was. Other than that, my personal knowledge is scanty.

At least I know what Thomas Payne looked like. How lucky I am to have a great portrait of he and my great-grandmother. The photo above is cropped from that image.

The story of Thomas Payne and the Dixon family is, at least partially, told through U.S. Census records.

1900 (1) - Thomas Payne, single, age 25 [b. March 1875 in this record] is living with the family of William A. and Mary E. (Klein) Dixon and their five children at 10 Fifth Street, Elizabeth, NJ. Thomas is working as an oyster dredger. At this time William A. Dixon has given up oystering as a profession and is working in a carpenter shop. However, his fifteen-year-old son, Willie, is working as an oyster culler. I can't be positive, but it seems likely that it was oysters that brought the Dixons and Thomas Payne together.

1910 - The Dixon family is missing from the U.S. Census for Elizabeth, NJ. At least I haven't been able to locate them!

1920 (2) - Thomas Payne is once again a boarder, this time in a household headed by Mary E. "Dickson" [Dixon] at 159 West Grand Street, Elizabeth. Mary lists herself as a boarding mistress working at home and on her own account. She is also listed as a widow. William A. Dixon is not in the household. [He doesn't die until 1927!] Thomas's age is listed as 39, which would be impossible if he was 25 in the 1900 census. The census taker records him as married, working as a dock builder for a contracting business. Also boarding in the household is Thomas Payne, age 9. I presume this is "our" Thomas Payne's son. Also living in the household are Mary's children, Thomas, Wallace [my grandfather], and Hazel, as well as two male and one female boarders. It must have been a big house!

1930 (3) - Thomas Payne is now head of the household at 125 West Grand Street. Mary E. is his wife. His age is given as 59, which makes him 20 years older than he was in 1920.  Mary's age is 62. I won't get into her numerous age issues here. Living in the household is Mary's youngest daughter, Hazel, who is listed with the surname Payne. Thomas's brother, John, is also there, as well as Mary's 93 year old father, John Klein. A very multi-generational household!

My great-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth (Klein) (Dixon) Payne dies on 3 October 1938 (4), and I loose track of Thomas after that. He's not in the 1940 U.S. Census for Elizabeth, NJ, so I assume he either died or moved elsewhere.

Questions, questions, and more questions!

• When did Thomas go off and get married the first time? Who was his wife, and did they have any other children? My grandfather spoke of stepbrothers, plural, so Thomas must have had more than one son.
• When did William A. Dixon leave the picture and why?
• Where did Thomas Payne go after my grandmother died?
• What became of Thomas Payne's children?

Citations

(1) 1900 U.S. Census, Union County, New Jersey, population schedule, 5th Ward, enumeration district (ED) 102, Sheet Number 7, dwelling 83, family 180, William A. Dixon; digital image, downloaded 5 march 2015, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 5 March 2015); United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

(2) "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4YG-CQK : accessed 15 February 2016), Mary E Dickson, Elizabeth City Ward 10, Union, New Jersey, United States; citing sheet 10A, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,821,070.  

(3) "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. 

(4) Mary E. Payne, death certificate. New Jersey Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records, Trenton. NJSA microfilm roll 827 (Death Certificates 1938: Nason – Poz), organized alphabetically by surname. New Jersey State Archives, Trenton.

Hazel (Dixon) Sullivan : Death Certificate

One of my ongoing mysteries has involved my Grandfather's youngest sibling, Hazel. In the post "Hazel Dixon, Where Did You Go?" I summarized what I knew about Hazel and what clues I had to follow. Two months and a little luck has made a world of difference.

I recently received a copy of Hazel's death certificate, Number 27268, from the New Jersey Department of Health.(1) This is the bounty of information I gleaned from that document:

• Hazel died on 21 May 1957 at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
• At the time of her death she lived at 534 South Broad Street, Elizabeth.
• Her married name was Sullivan. [This has been confirmed by my Moore cousins]
• Her parents were William Dixon and Mary Klein.
• She was widowed at the time of her death.
• She was unemployed at the time of her death.
• She never served in the armed forces.
• Hazel was buried on 23 May 1957 at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Newark, New Jersey.
• On the document I received, the cause of death was redacted as per N.J.A.C. 8:2A-2.1. There was no autopsy.

Conflicting information

There is some information on the document that disagrees with other documents that I have. Hazel's birth certificate records 16 January 1909 as her birth date, making her 48 when she died. The death certificate claims that she was born on 19 February 1910.

The birth record was certainly made closer to the time of Hazel's birth, so one would expect it to have more accuracy. However, it was filled out by Therese M. Leyerer, Midwife. As we've seen in other birth documents, she wasn't always entirely accurate.

The informant on the death certificate was Mrs. Clara Greaves, who was in fact Clara Viola (Dixon O'Hare) Greaves, Hazel's older sister.(2) Clara was seventeen years older than her sister. It's possible that her memory was faulty, or that she was distraught at her younger sister's death.

I'm not going to worry too much about the conflicting birth dates right now. I will review the census documents to see if there's is any data there that leans one way or the other. Hopefully I will find a marriage record for Clara that will clear things up a bit.

Information still needed

• Marriage record
• Date of her husband's death
• City directory data 
• Marriage record for Clara (Dixon) O'Hare to Mr. Greaves

Citations

(1) Hazel Sullivan, death certificate 27268 (21 May 1957), State Department of Health of New Jersey, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, Trenton, New Jersey.

(2) Facebook correspondence with cousins who descend from another Dixon sibling confirm that Clara "Toots" Dixon did marry twice. Once to Jack O'Hare, and then to a man with the surname Greaves.

Clara Viola Dixon : Birth Registration

The Midwife Strikes Again!

We've seen the creative writing style of Therese M. Leyerer before. She is the midwife who writes with an Austrian accent, and who declared that my great-grandfather was a fish killer: a "Carp Ender." She appeared in that post on the birth registration for Hazel Dixon, the youngest child of William A. and Mary E. (Klein) Dixon. In this entry we see her delivering what she claims to be the couple's fifth child. *

Birth register entry for Clara Viola "Toots" Dixon, 1 November 1892. New Jersey State Archives: Trenton, N.J.

The Birth Record (1)

1 Full Name of Child (if any): [blank].  Color: [blank]
2. Date of Birth: November 1 1892.  Sex: Girl
3. Place of Birth: No. 63 Little Schmid Street
4. Name of Father: Willie Dixon
5. Maiden Name of Mother: Luisa Dixon
6. Country of Father's Birth: Elisabethport.   Age: 30.  Occupation: Oystermann
7. Country of Mother's Birth: Oho [Ohio].  Age: 26
8. Number of Children in all by this Marriage: 5.  How many living: 4
9. Name and P.O. address of Medical Attendant, in own handwriting, with date:
      T M Leyerer Midwife [no address or date given]

Comments

I am reasonably sure that this is the birth register entry for Clara Viola Dixon.

I have two other sources that support at least the month and year of birth. The 1900 U.S. Census records Viola Dixon's birth as November 1892. (2) In addition her marriage record from 1912 gives her age as 20 years, which infers a birth year of 1892.

Midwife Leyerer claims in this birth register that the unnamed child's parents were Willie Dixon and Luisa Dixon. I believe she was in error. As the registration forms were generally not filled out at the time of the birth errors are possible. We have seen this on other documents authored by this midwife. It is possible that she kept sketchy records and relied on memory to fill out the rest. She may have delivered so many babies that it was easy to loose track.

The 1900 census and her marriage record also list Clara Viola's parents as William A. and Mary E. Dixon, or William Dixon and Mary Kline [Klein]. Viola Dixon appears on the 1895 (4) and 1905 (5) NJ State Census with this couple as her parents. The parent's birthplace, age, and occupation also agree or come very close to the same items appearing in other sources related to William and Mary E. (Klein) Dixon as individuals and as a married couple.

As to "Little Schmid" Street, I have found William Dixon, laborer, at 63 Little Smith Street in the Elizabeth City Directory for 1895-96. (6) While the occupation doesn't match the birth record, it is possible that William had quit oystering for other work.



Notes:
* At the time of Clara Viola's birth, my records indicate that William and Mary had four children: Minerva "Minnie" b. 1884; William b. 1885; Harry, b. 1887; followed by Clara Viola in 1892. Given the five year gap between Harry and Clara Viola, it is possible that another child was born and died young. Indeed, Harry would die in 1894 at the age of six. I only found him by chance in a birth index.


Sources

(1) [Clara Viola Dixon], birth certificate D13 (1 November 1892), Elizabeth New Jersey State Archives, Trenton.

(2) 1900 Federal Census, Union County, New Jersey, population schedule, Elizabeth Ward 5, Union, New Jersey; Roll: 996; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0102; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 March 2015 ); FHL microfilm: 1240996.

(3) New Jersey, Certificate and Record of Marriage, 478, O'Hare and Dixon, 21 November 1912; New Jersey State Archives, Trenton.

(4) Ancestry.com. New Jersey, State Census, 1895 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Family number 220, page 38, line 11. Original data: New Jersey Department of State. 1895 State Census of New Jersey. Trenton, NJ, USA: New Jersey State Archives. 54 reels. Roll V227_105.

(5) "New Jersey State Census, 1905," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMHK-VXD : accessed 15 February 2016), William A Dixon, , Union, New Jersey, United States; citing p. 6, line 44, Department of State, Trenton; FHL microfilm 1,688,625.

(6) Cook & Hall's Elizabeth City Directory for 1895-96 (Elizabeth, N. J.: Cook & Halln.d.), 127, Dixon William, laborer, h 63 Little Smith; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 3 July 2016).

Hazel Dixon, Where Did You Go?

My grandfather's sister, Hazel, remains elusive. It seems to run in the family.

I thought I was doing really well when I got her birth record in the mail. I wrote about that back in February. Other details about her life remain unknown. Marriage, children, death record? Simply not found. Yet.

To recap, here's what I know.

• 1909: Hazel Dorothy L. Dixon was born on 16 January in Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey. Her parents are William A. Dixon and Mary E. Klein.
• 1910: The entire family is so far undiscovered in the Federal census for this year.
• 1915: Hazel appears in her parents household in Elizabeth in the New Jersey State Census.
• 1920: Hazel appears in her mother's household [Mary E. is listed as head of household, William is not listed there.] in Elizabeth in the Federal Census. Also living in the house as a boarder is Thomas Payne, Hazel's future step-father.
• 1930: Hazel appears in the Federal Census living in the household of Thomas Payne and his wife, Hazel's mother, Mary Elizabeth (Klein Dixon) Payne in Elizabeth, NJ. Hazel is 21 years old, single, and working as a clerk in an insurance business.
• 1936: Hazel poses for this photograph, identified as "Hazel @ 120" with writing on back. I don't know where "120" is. At first I thought it said "130" but then I found other photos with similar inscriptions and confirmed that it is "120."

Hazel Dixon in April of 1936 on the porch of "120."

Inscription on the back of the photo.

Inscription from the back of a photo
of Buddy, the dog.

A review of city directories for the years around 1936 don't show the Dixon or the Payne family at a "120" address. The timeline of what I know about Hazel ends right there. If she married it would have been after 1930.

A few leads

I have two possible leads on more information. Both are from Family Group Sheets that were created by a cousin of Wallace Dixon, my grandfather. The first sheet is not dated, it simply gives Hazel's birth year and month, and for the name of spouse it says "Wimmer." A second form adds the name "Louis" to "Wimmer." A third family group sheet, dated 21 Oct 1996,  has a little more information written in for some of the children in the family. For Hazel it again just lists her birth month and year. But for spouse it records "James Sullivan" and it gives a death date for Hazel: 21 May 1957. There are no sources cited for any of this information.

Database searches for Hazel with either of these possible spouses has turned up nothing. I have sent to the NJ Department of Health Vital Statistics and Registry in the hopes that I can get a death certificate for her and that it will shed some more light on Hazel's life after 1930.

So now we wait.

Sources

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

"New Jersey State Census, 1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9W-WW8H : accessed 15 February 2016), William Dixon, 1915.  

"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org). Mary E Dickson, Elizabeth City Ward 10, Union, New Jersey, United States; citing sheet 10A, NARA microfilm publication T625.  

 "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 15 February 2016), Thomas Payne, 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.

Hazel Dixon , Photograph, Hazel Dixon sitting on porch railing of house. Inherited from Wallace B. Dixon, brother of Hazel Dixon. Privately held 2016 by Elizabeth Ackermann.

[author's name withheld] Family Group Sheets for family of William A. Dixon. Privately held 2016 by Elizabeth Ackermann.

Clara Viola Dixon Marries John J. O'Hare

Wedding Bells : November 21, 1912

St. Patrick Catholic Church, Elizabeth, NJ
Collection of E. Ackermann, Karvoius Family Photos

One of the documents that I received recently from the New Jersey State Archives was a "Certificate and Record of Marriage" for John J. O'Hare and my great-aunt, Clara Viola Dixon. Just to put her in context on the family tree, she is the daughter of William A. Dixon and Mary Elizabeth Klein, and the sister of Wallace B. Dixon, my grandfather.

This document confirms that Clara V. was the daughter of William Dixon and Mary Klein. The 1900 US Census gives November of 1892 as Clara's birth date, and this marriage record aligns with that information.

Although the document that I received does not indicate specifically where they were married, an index record on FamilySearch.org gives St. Patrick Catholic Church as the "Event Place." 

Here's the transcription:

State of New Jersey. Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Certificate and Record of Marriage. No. 478

Full name of husband : John J. O'Hare
Maiden name of wife: Clara V. Dixon
Place of Marriage: Elizabeth, Union Co., N.J.
Date of marriage: November 21st 1912

Groom's
Residence: 312 Livingston St. Elizabeth, N.J.
Age: 24 yrs
Color: White
Single
Number of marriage: 1
Occupation: Driver
Birthplace: Elizabeth, N.J.
Father's name: John
Mother's maiden name: Julia Fitzgerald

Bride's
Residence: 82 Second St. Elizabeth, N.J.
 Age: 20 yrs
Color: White
Single
Number of Marriage: 1
Birthplace: Elizabeth, N.J.
Father's name: William
Mother's maiden name: Mary Kline

Witnesses: Joseph Donovan, Grace Andrews
Signature of person or officer of society officiating and P.O. address: J. P. O'Malley, 211 C[????] St.

Sources

New Jersey, Certificate and Record of Marriage, 478, John J. O'Hare and Clara V. Dixon, 21 November 1912; New Jersey State Archives, Trenton. 

"New Jersey Marriages, 1678-1985," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZ5C-5D4 : accessed 16 April 2016), John J. O'Hare and Clara V. Dixon, 21 Nov 1912; citing 1,398,789

1900 Federal Census, Union County, New Jersey, population schedule; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 5 March 2015 ); record for Viola Dixon; FHL microfilm: 1240996.