Week 12: Loss
There’s a disturbing trend that I noticed while studying my family tree over the years that relates to the use of a specific name. It’s a name that I’m rather fond of – Emmet. But it appears to be tied to unfortunate tragedy.
Unknown photographer, sepia-toned image of infant Nathan Emmet Dixon deceased in casket, 1902, West Virginia, held in private collection of descendant Kira D. Foltz. Photo has some rips and damage to sides and corners, “AT REST” is etched into the top of the photograph with a backward “S” and “1902” is etched onto the lower half of the photograph.
NATHAN EMMET DIXON
My great granduncle was born to Elizabeth Beatrice Rockwell and Nathan Dixon on February 4th, 1902 and died just 7 months later of blood poisoning. His casket photo is seemingly the only photo surviving of him as an infant.
Unknown photographer, picture of Lloyd E. Dean’s totaled automobile, 1955, Wheeling, West Virginia, held in private collection of Kira D. Foltz.
LLOYD EMMET DEAN
My granduncle made it just barely to adulthood. He was born 28 November 1936 in Sherrard, West Virginia to Beatrice Bethel Dixon and Chester Joseph Dean. Almost as if he knew his life was to be a short one on Earth, he got married young at the age of 17 to Jewell Ann Straub on 5 June 1954. And the couple gave birth to a boy, Michael Andrew Dean, just five short months later!
Lloyd went from becoming an adult to becoming a husband to becoming a father all within a span of less than a year. And sadly, that was all that he was to experience of his adult life, as he suddenly passed away when his car was T-boned on 17 July 1955 in Wheeling, West Virginia right in front of the hospital, in fact. He was buried at Halcyon Hills Cemetery. His wife and son were also injured in the crash, but survived. A newspaper account describes the event below.
Wheeling Intelligencer, “Local Man, 19, Dies, 5 Injured in Crash,” 18 July 1955, Wheeling, West Virginia, p. 1; online database, Ohio County Public Library (https://www.ohiocountylibrary.org : accessed 21 Mar 2021) > OCPL Digital Newspaper Archives, search for fatal car in July 1955.
Unknown photographer, picture of Lloyd E. Dean’s totaled automobile, 1955, Wheeling, West Virginia, held in private collection of Kira D. Foltz.
Unknown photographer, picture of Lloyd E. Dean’s totaled automobile, 1955, Wheeling, West Virginia, held in private collection of Kira D. Foltz.
EMMETT LEE BALES
Daisy Pearl Ruse and David Russell Bales’ boy, my 3rd cousin once removed, had a similarly shortened life, it would seem. He was born in West Virginia in 1937 and according to my records died at the age of 23 in 1960. It’s possible I could have this one incorrect, as there appear to be a few Emmett Lee Bales around this time period that hail from Braxton County. Some day I will need to delve into his life more to be sure.
Sutton High School, “U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012,” 1954, Sutton, West Virginia; U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999, online database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 Mar 2021) > West Virginia > Sutton > Sutton High School > 1954 > “Sophomores.” Emmett Bales is listed 2nd in the members of the class, but unknown where he appears in photograph of class.
EMMETT CARL AUFRANC
Finally, this Emmett, also my 3rd cousin once removed, seems to be the luckiest of the bunch. He lived to be 44 years of age, born in 1915 in Missouri and died in 1959. That’s still quite a short life span, though!
David Henry Hickman High School, “U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012,” 1933, Columbia, Missouri; U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999, online database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 Mar 2021) > Missouri > Columbia > David Henry Hickman High School > 1933 > “SENIORS.” Emmett Aufranc is pictured as the 4th image in the left-hand column.
So there ya have it!
All 4 men who carried the Emmet or Emmett name in the family perished way too soon. And while it may lean to being rather superstitious, if I were to be asked how to prevent a tragic loss of a loved one occurring in the future, my first response would be to not name that child Emmet!
Just in case…
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