Margaret Catherine James was born 3 June 1899 to Felix James, a common laborer, and Jennie Crisp in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana. She was the 2nd of 4 children; her older brother, Felix Jr. (later known as Philip/Harry Lawrence James), was born in 1896, sister Mary born in 1901, and Helen in 1904.
Margaret experienced tragedy and apparent deceit as a child. Her father committed suicide only 3 days after her 7th birthday, and she and her siblings were placed in an orphanage. (See her father Felix's biography for her childhood story and the early history of her family).
She was placed with a Mr. C.B. Kern on....... "C.B." was...
Margaret married WWI veteran Earl Burgess Smith on 19 July, 1919 in Washington, Daviess, Indiana, just a year after Earl returned from France, were he was an army soldier. Her marriage application record indicates that she knew her father was dead, but she thought her mother was as well.
An agent, following up on Margaret's welfare traveled to Washington, Indiana and Flora, Illinois and reported back to Tippecanoe County officials in Lafayette on the 18th of September, 1919. Margaret could have been tipped off or informed that she was adopted around this time and that Jennie was still alive. Margaret may have already been pregnant as well.
Margaret and Earl had a daughter, Pauline Bernice Smith, on the 28th of May, 1920. Margaret and Earl were recorded in the 1920 US Census in Knox County, Missouri, where Earl was farming.
The marriage did not last long and Margaret relocated with Pauline to California, although it is not known when. As mentioned before, Margaret may have found out that her mother Jennie was alive, and was or had been living there.
Proving that truth is often stranger than fiction, Jennie had been living under her alias name "Della" and had married Earl's brother, Louie Smith! So when Margaret married Earl, her brother in law Louie was married to her mother!! Jennie and Louie had their 1st child in 1915 and last child in 1921 and Jennie disappeared sometime after that.
By 1930, Margaret and Pauline were listed as Margaret C. Dalton being married to Thomas K. Dalton, AKA Earl Woodson and AKA Charles Russell (see his bio for details) and Pauline B. "Dalton" in the US Census. Pauline married Herbert W. Masters, Jr. in 1938.
Margaret also assumed her husband's alias last name, Woodson. After Thomas' WWII draft registration in 1942, no other records of Margaret and Thomas have been found. So their lives after that up until their deaths are largely a mystery. Pauline did keep in contact with the couple, however, as evidenced by their photo together here.
Margaret and Thomas (AKA Earl) are entombed at under the name Woodson at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, CA.
Mitchell A. May
Great grandson
Kennewick, WA
Updated 3 Feb. 2021
Margaret experienced tragedy and apparent deceit as a child. Her father committed suicide only 3 days after her 7th birthday, and she and her siblings were placed in an orphanage. (See her father Felix's biography for her childhood story and the early history of her family).
She was placed with a Mr. C.B. Kern on....... "C.B." was...
Margaret married WWI veteran Earl Burgess Smith on 19 July, 1919 in Washington, Daviess, Indiana, just a year after Earl returned from France, were he was an army soldier. Her marriage application record indicates that she knew her father was dead, but she thought her mother was as well.
An agent, following up on Margaret's welfare traveled to Washington, Indiana and Flora, Illinois and reported back to Tippecanoe County officials in Lafayette on the 18th of September, 1919. Margaret could have been tipped off or informed that she was adopted around this time and that Jennie was still alive. Margaret may have already been pregnant as well.
Margaret and Earl had a daughter, Pauline Bernice Smith, on the 28th of May, 1920. Margaret and Earl were recorded in the 1920 US Census in Knox County, Missouri, where Earl was farming.
The marriage did not last long and Margaret relocated with Pauline to California, although it is not known when. As mentioned before, Margaret may have found out that her mother Jennie was alive, and was or had been living there.
Proving that truth is often stranger than fiction, Jennie had been living under her alias name "Della" and had married Earl's brother, Louie Smith! So when Margaret married Earl, her brother in law Louie was married to her mother!! Jennie and Louie had their 1st child in 1915 and last child in 1921 and Jennie disappeared sometime after that.
By 1930, Margaret and Pauline were listed as Margaret C. Dalton being married to Thomas K. Dalton, AKA Earl Woodson and AKA Charles Russell (see his bio for details) and Pauline B. "Dalton" in the US Census. Pauline married Herbert W. Masters, Jr. in 1938.
Margaret also assumed her husband's alias last name, Woodson. After Thomas' WWII draft registration in 1942, no other records of Margaret and Thomas have been found. So their lives after that up until their deaths are largely a mystery. Pauline did keep in contact with the couple, however, as evidenced by their photo together here.
Margaret and Thomas (AKA Earl) are entombed at under the name Woodson at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, CA.
Mitchell A. May
Great grandson
Kennewick, WA
Updated 3 Feb. 2021
Margaret Catherine James was born 3 June 1899 to Felix James, a common laborer, and Jennie Crisp in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana. She was the 2nd of 4 children; her older brother, Felix Jr. (later known as Philip/Harry Lawrence James), was born in 1896, sister Mary born in 1901, and Helen in 1904.
Margaret experienced tragedy and apparent deceit as a child. Her father committed suicide only 3 days after her 7th birthday, and she and her siblings were placed in an orphanage. (See her father Felix's biography for her childhood story and the early history of her family).
She was placed with a Mr. C.B. Kern on....... "C.B." was...
Margaret married WWI veteran Earl Burgess Smith on 19 July, 1919 in Washington, Daviess, Indiana, just a year after Earl returned from France, were he was an army soldier. Her marriage application record indicates that she knew her father was dead, but she thought her mother was as well.
An agent, following up on Margaret's welfare traveled to Washington, Indiana and Flora, Illinois and reported back to Tippecanoe County officials in Lafayette on the 18th of September, 1919. Margaret could have been tipped off or informed that she was adopted around this time and that Jennie was still alive. Margaret may have already been pregnant as well.
Margaret and Earl had a daughter, Pauline Bernice Smith, on the 28th of May, 1920. Margaret and Earl were recorded in the 1920 US Census in Knox County, Missouri, where Earl was farming.
The marriage did not last long and Margaret relocated with Pauline to California, although it is not known when. As mentioned before, Margaret may have found out that her mother Jennie was alive, and was or had been living there.
Proving that truth is often stranger than fiction, Jennie had been living under her alias name "Della" and had married Earl's brother, Louie Smith! So when Margaret married Earl, her brother in law Louie was married to her mother!! Jennie and Louie had their 1st child in 1915 and last child in 1921 and Jennie disappeared sometime after that.
By 1930, Margaret and Pauline were listed as Margaret C. Dalton being married to Thomas K. Dalton, AKA Earl Woodson and AKA Charles Russell (see his bio for details) and Pauline B. "Dalton" in the US Census. Pauline married Herbert W. Masters, Jr. in 1938.
Margaret also assumed her husband's alias last name, Woodson. After Thomas' WWII draft registration in 1942, no other records of Margaret and Thomas have been found. So their lives after that up until their deaths are largely a mystery. Pauline did keep in contact with the couple, however, as evidenced by their photo together here.
Margaret and Thomas (AKA Earl) are entombed at under the name Woodson at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, CA.
Mitchell A. May
Great grandson
Kennewick, WA
Updated 3 Feb. 2021
Margaret experienced tragedy and apparent deceit as a child. Her father committed suicide only 3 days after her 7th birthday, and she and her siblings were placed in an orphanage. (See her father Felix's biography for her childhood story and the early history of her family).
She was placed with a Mr. C.B. Kern on....... "C.B." was...
Margaret married WWI veteran Earl Burgess Smith on 19 July, 1919 in Washington, Daviess, Indiana, just a year after Earl returned from France, were he was an army soldier. Her marriage application record indicates that she knew her father was dead, but she thought her mother was as well.
An agent, following up on Margaret's welfare traveled to Washington, Indiana and Flora, Illinois and reported back to Tippecanoe County officials in Lafayette on the 18th of September, 1919. Margaret could have been tipped off or informed that she was adopted around this time and that Jennie was still alive. Margaret may have already been pregnant as well.
Margaret and Earl had a daughter, Pauline Bernice Smith, on the 28th of May, 1920. Margaret and Earl were recorded in the 1920 US Census in Knox County, Missouri, where Earl was farming.
The marriage did not last long and Margaret relocated with Pauline to California, although it is not known when. As mentioned before, Margaret may have found out that her mother Jennie was alive, and was or had been living there.
Proving that truth is often stranger than fiction, Jennie had been living under her alias name "Della" and had married Earl's brother, Louie Smith! So when Margaret married Earl, her brother in law Louie was married to her mother!! Jennie and Louie had their 1st child in 1915 and last child in 1921 and Jennie disappeared sometime after that.
By 1930, Margaret and Pauline were listed as Margaret C. Dalton being married to Thomas K. Dalton, AKA Earl Woodson and AKA Charles Russell (see his bio for details) and Pauline B. "Dalton" in the US Census. Pauline married Herbert W. Masters, Jr. in 1938.
Margaret also assumed her husband's alias last name, Woodson. After Thomas' WWII draft registration in 1942, no other records of Margaret and Thomas have been found. So their lives after that up until their deaths are largely a mystery. Pauline did keep in contact with the couple, however, as evidenced by their photo together here.
Margaret and Thomas (AKA Earl) are entombed at under the name Woodson at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, CA.
Mitchell A. May
Great grandson
Kennewick, WA
Updated 3 Feb. 2021
Gravesite Details
Buried under the name Margaret C. Woodson.
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