1F#2 JAMES WILLIAM VERNON

In previous chapters, I have touched on the fact that I was born illegitimate; that is, my father was not married to my mother. In fact, my natural father played no part in my life at all, other than a token support payment paid for a short time to Mom, according to my older brother. My father's name was anathema in my family.

I have also touched on the fact that until I began a search -- which I hope to document in detail in another book, tentatively titled The Search for Bill Vernon -- to discover the identity and whereabouts of my dad, I had no idea who he was or how to reach him. The obstacles to overcome were staggering. So were the possibilities. Perhaps he had kin. Parents, siblings -- even another son or daughter, my half siblings -- who were still alive.

On the birth certificate I had gotten from my county of register, the only information given in the section for father was that his name was William Vernon; that his age was 30(ish); that he was from Ohio. That was it. It took me eight years of countless hours of research through city directories, courthouse records, census records, and interviews -- and my Guardian Angel -- to discover who he was, and where his family was. I wouldn't have started my search had I not begun to work on this genealogy.

As this biography/genealogy is dedicated to Donna Lenora, I decided to detail the difficult and unusual search for Bill Vernon in his own journal. Suffice herein I will include substantially only the facts on him as they pertain to Donna.

* * *

He was born James William Vernon on 30 August 1907, the fourth of six children of James Robert Vernon and Effie Drucilla Dudley. Bill, or 'Willy' as he was sometimes called, was born in a coal mining community called Glenwood Station -- literally a railroad stop to load coal -- in Buffalo Township, Noble County, Ohio, a rural three-way intersection of houses all sitting atop the relatively small Glenwood number NE-48 shaft coal mine, also known as the 'Glenwood-Rigglesburg #48" owned by the Eastern Ohio Coal Company of 1900. It's not known if Bill's dad worked in the mine as it closed up in 1902, and Bill came along in 1907. It is certain, however, that some of Effie's kin, all of whom were coal miners, worked the mine before its closing.

By March of 1901, according to a local newspaper, James Robert had moved on to work at Trail Run #1 coal mine near Byesville in next-door Guernsey County. Presumably, the family followed.

In any case, I managed to learn little about Bill Vernon's early life, even though I had opportunity to interview surviving kin, including his sister Catherine, nephews, and nieces.

I learned that Bill had been a part of the Depression Era work force; that as a roustabout with a Hartville work crew, he had fallen off the back of a stakebed truck and sustained a severe head injury which gained him a 'steel plate'. He had that much in common with Donna Lenora.

If Bill attended school in Glenwood, it would have been either Randle School, or Glenwood School, both of which were wood frame one-room institutions. Some portion of Randle School rebuilt, still stands at the end of Township Route #99, a dirt road that rides the rising crest of a weed-overgrown hill ridge off the main thoroughfare in the Noble County countryside.

His older brother, Clarence Earl, worked as a brakeman in 1922, on the Erie Railroad. Presumably, that brought him into Akron and to available jobs in the rubber factories. Presumably, word got back to the family in southern Ohio that there were jobs in Akron. By 1925 sibling Carl Harold joined Clarence, who was by then employed at the Goodrich Rubber Company, and by 1928 'William' (according to the Akron City Directory) was employed as a truck driver, living at 655 Mohawk Drive in Akron, just a couple of houses away from Carl, who lived at 665.

I did learn who Bill Vernon was and what happened to him. I learned that he had left some family behind. I located a sister, his only surviving sibling, and some nieces and nephews. In terms of bloodline, they are more closely related to me than are Mom's cousins. In fact, I discovered some of Bill's cousins both in the Akron area and in southern Ohio. And very likely, there are some in West Virginia and the South as well.

* * *

But I haven't really learned exactly "who" he was, the kind of man he was. Bill Vernon didn't seem to be able to settle down in any one place for too long.

"...Bill just took off on his own...he was wandering all over the place. He'd come (up from Florida), and he'd been different places; how he's telling about he'd been at a place washing dishes...he just kind of bummed around..." (One of Bill's nephews).

* * *

Born 30 August 1907, his Sun was 6 degrees in Virgo, his Moon 1 degree in Gemini; both on the cusp.

He had a Sun conjunct Mercury and Venus, trine Mars and Uranus, and sextile Neptune. Bill's Mercury was conjunct Venus, trine Mars and Uranus, and sextile Neptune. His Venus was trine Mars and Uranus, and sextile Neptune. His Mars was conjunct Uranus and opposition to Neptune. Bill's Jupiter was trine Saturn, his Uranus was in opposition to Neptune.

It would be said of Bill that he would have the potential to be an outstanding 'ahead-of-his-time' type of person because of his Sun-Uranus connection; or would his Neptune opposition frustrate the expression of his unusual ideas? Would he be so unsure of himself that he'd develop no follow-through?

* * *

Sun in Virgo/Moon in Gemini

"Mind power is your strength and your weakness. Your strength because you are rational, analytical; your weakness because through it you are likely to neglect the emotional side of your life, which nevertheless rises up to cause you trouble.

Your faith is in reason, and you are constantly confounded and baffled in the presence of emotional experience. You are sentimental rather than romantic, indecisive and inconstant in matters of love.

Without being self sufficient, you still hesitate to pin yourself down to one person. Even when you do, your critical nature picks at flaws. You tend to be something flaws. You tend to be something of an intellectual aristocrat, scornful of men and women whose intellectual abilities are not up to you. You are adaptable, a conscientious student and worker. You are also an opportunist, taking advantage of every opening, not always considerate of those who get in your way.

You are impressionable but somewhat cold in response, your inclinations toward the intellectual rather than the romantic, having a judgmental mind. Thus, though you may be erratic, impulsive and independent in intellectual matters, you are not swept off your feet by your emotions..." [from Heaven Knows What by Grant Lewi]

* * *

From a nephew: "I don't know whether he was unhappy [living] where she [Helen] was working...or what it was. But he got to drinking pretty bad...

...When he came to the house, he was broke. And he stayed with us all summer, and he was real...real good. He worked hard around there...but as soon as he got some money, that's the first thing [he did, was buy that wine]...

...None of those Vernon [brothers] had a very [good education]. They went to work in the coal mines as soon as Grandpa could get them in there. I know [Clarence Earl] could figure good and everything, but didn't have much education...I heard he had a third grade education...

...I don't know, it just seems like Bill always...he had a knack for getting into trouble, you know. He was always into something. One time, he got burned real bad. He was scarred across his whole middle...it was Fourth of July, they had all this black powder they used in the coal mine. They was making things. He had his pockets full, and he caught fire. [Clarence] and Carl rolled him in the weeds. They finally got the fire out, and [Bill] got...he had scars all around, I can remember. They'd been playing, a bunch of them -- they was kids. And they [put powder under] these cans. That's before he went to work in the mines..."

"I don't know how much she [Bill's wife Helen's daughter] would know...Big reason you have so much trouble getting information about him [Bill] is he never stayed anywhere very long. There's a lot of your dad that there's nobody in the family can tell you 'cause it's my understanding [that] nobody in the family knew where he was at...

...I don't think Bill had any horrible secrets. Bill never worried too much...he just moved around so much. There you see him, then you didn't. [There] he was, then he was gone. He could show up from nowhere, you know?"

From a niece: "Seems to me [Uncle Bill], seems like Uncle Orrin was in on that, working for the WPA...during the Depression. [My husband] worked in it too. And they all boarded onto a big truck to take them where they were going to work. Uncle Bill was the last one in the truck and they didn't get the gate up. And they started the truck up and he was thrown off and he hit his head...

[Bill] had that...when he fell off that truck and [injured] his head, and they put that metal plate in...Uncle Bill changed all together...that's what killed him when they hit him in jail...

...You never knew [when] Uncle Bill would come into town, Uncle Orrin come into town. And, of course, they always come to our house...They knew they could get a free meal and a bed. So they were there, but they wouldn't be there long, before their feet would be itching and they had to leave. And they'd just pick up what they had...now, Orrin did settle down, but Uncle Bill never did."

"We never knew where they was at. This is no surprise that you [the author] turned up. [Bill] never settled long enough to marry anybody...

...Helen settled Uncle Bill down. That was later years. She, Helen, stayed with Aunt Violet [Clarence Earl's wife] when she had her heart attack and such...

...Aunt Helen had a [child]...she was an awful nice person...always helpful. Anybody that needed help, Aunt Helen was there.

...He [Bill] wasn't a gambler; none of them were..."

Another relative: "Bill had wavy hair, and he was taller than Carl. Had dark wavy hair. He was a good looking man."

Another niece: "Bill was a nice looking man... All I remember of Uncle Bill was he was a hell of a nice guy. I know his reputation was as a ne'er-do-well. The black sheep of the family is what mother used to call him. And he apparently was. And beyond that...I remember smelling booze on his breath. Beyond that, I never knew much of him."

* * *

According to the Akron City Directory, James W. Vernon didn't maintain a listed address in Akron in 1937 or 1938. In 1939 he was listed:

Vernon, William [Helen] wks Imp El Co [Imperial Electric Company] r 332 W. Miller Ave -- This is as it appears on page 1167 of the Akron City Directory.

In 1941 the listing was:

From that date on, the only James Vernon who is listed who can be identified with this family is identified as James Robert Vernon, the father of Bill and his siblings. In any case, the next listing is after Bill's death.

* * *

Since Bill's son, Dallie was born on 5 March, 1938, as a nine-month term baby he would have been conceived 5 June, 1937, the weekend of the highly-publicized romantic wedding of the English King Edward VIII, who gave up the British throne "for the woman I love", so that he could marry American socialite and divorcee Wallis Simpson.

* * *

[Ron Bosley]: "I remember the night you were conceived...it was in the summertime...and Bill had been coming to pick up...I didn't really know him... Bill was coming to...see our mom...and I don't know how often it was...this particular night...he come to pick up Mom. Grandma says, 'You're taking Ron with you...' Mom kicked up a what-you-call-it. And Grandma said, 'You're taking him with you, or you're not going out'."

According to Bill's kin, he occasionally borrowed a nephew's car, a 1936 L-36 V-8 Oldsmobile convertible.

[Ron Bosley]: "so they took me with them. And they went up to the top of Perkins' Woods hill. You can still drive up there...and they parked. Bill says, 'Go down and look at the bear'. That's how they got rid of me. I went down there, I was watching the bear ...and right after that they broke up. I don't know how long, but they broke up."

"...Boy, he was a mean sombitch [sic] Dallie. I remember that. I remember the fight they had. It was '37, I guess. He had gotten unruly one time before, and ol' man Godar [Gay's landlord]...Grandma went down and got ol' man Godar, and ol' man Godar kicked his ass out of the house. Physically. Yeah, physically. Because he was beating on Grandma, or Mom, one or the other. And...ol' man Godar came up with his damned club ...he had a club he always left behind the door. And he threatened him. He says, 'You get out of here, or I'll call the police'. And he left, that's what it was. And then, I guess they smoothed it over. Anyhow, after that night up in Perkin's Woods...had another fight. And...he bruised Grandma. He grabbed her by the arm. Bruised her. He tried to...he tried to slap Donna, and Grandma got between them, that's what it was. And finally Grandma shoved him to the top of the stairs, and closed the door on him. He never came back after that. ...he was a big guy, if I remember it right. She grabbed him somehow...and just pushed...see, had a little step down landing before you went down the steps."

* * *

Whether it was on this occasion, or under other circumstances, Bill's only son and only child, to this author's knowledge, was conceived. Nine months later, on 5 March 1938, the child was born.

* * *

A marriage license application was filed on 4 June, 1938 by "James Wm Vernon, 29 years old and residing at 23 Cross St., Akron, and Helen M. Bruns, 36 years old and residing at 837 N. McKinley, Canton." James indicated that he had not been married before. She had been once divorced in Whiteside County, Illinois in 1935.

* * *

[A nephew]: "I remember...at that time, Bill didn't have any...romantic connections, that I knew about. He met Helen right along...along the time [a niece, in 1935] was born.

...I remember her coming, meeting her, I'm pretty sure...at that time, that's when we moved, when they sold the house. We weren't there too long, just long enough for [the niece] to be born. ...my recollection to seeing Bill bringing her into the front yard...introducing us. He had met Helen here, in Ohio."

* * *

An entry in the Zion Lutheran Church journal in North Canton, indicated that James Wm. Vernon and Helen M. Bruns were married at the parsonage of the church by Rev. Norman B. Euich in the presence of Violet and Clarence Vernon, on 4 June, 1938.

The marriage might have been a birthday gift from Bill to Helen, who turned 37 on June 6th. Or perhaps Bill needed to be married to avoid paternity problems caused by the existence of his three-month old son.

* * *

On 24 January 1942, a warrant was issued by Summit County Common Pleas Court, Juvenile Branch:

State of Ohio

Vs

William Vernon

[employed by]

[Imperial Electric]

per docket number 11707, page 435, book number 12. The affidavit states that 'Donna Stout states that for the past four weeks in Summit County that one William Vernon did contribute to the neglect of Dollie [sic] Arnold Vernon, at age 4 years, to wit- that he did fail, refuse and neglect to provide for and support said minor, he being the father of said illegitimate minor child, he the said William Vernon knowing the child to be a minor.

A. B. Ongly, Deputy Clerk signing for Common Please Court Clerk Verne T. Bender."

[Ron Bosley]: "...five dollars and twelve cents was his...check that he used to send every week when he sent it, Dallie. He did it for six months and then he quit. Then he was taken back to court, and he gave it for a couple of months, and then that was it..."

* * *

On 17 March, 1949 the aforesaid court action docket number 11707, State of Ohio vs William Vernon, was dismissed for "lack of prosecution".

* * *

Entry #611123 was made in the Grantees Deed book volume 2209, page 452 in the Summit County Ohio tax assessor's office, for the transfer of a purchased one acre of land and house in what was known as Green Acres Allotment. The address was 4088 Greenbay Street in Coventry Township. The date of the entry was 23 August 1945. The price given was 'other considerations and one dollar'. The grantees were James William Vernon and Helen Vernon. The grantors were Elmer Ray Sims and Ora Belle Sims.

Entry #705293 dated 17 July 1947 was made in Summit County Deed Book 2300, page 654 for the same property given over to the grantees Louis Andress and Hazel Andress, from grantors James Wm. and Helen Vernon.

This appeared to be Bill's only land ownership. His tenure as an employee at Imperial Electric Company on Ira Avenue lasted at least from 1941 to 1946. It would seem that Bill Vernon wanted to be the settled-down-married man.

* * *

[A nephew]: "Helen worked somewhere for a while during the war...and she saved some of the money up and they bought that little house out there... She had a friend named Bertha. Her husband worked with Bill at [Imperial] Electric...on Ira Avenue.

He [Bill] worked there quite a while...longest place I knew him to work. And after he left there, he just...well, they took off in that Olds. They got them a trailer, and they took off in that trailer and we didn't see them for a long time after that. That was when he left Imperial. And they took off, I think they started off going somewhere.

Somehow they ended up down in Florida. And Helen got a job there working. Bill just took off on his own...wandering all over the place. That's when he ended up on our doorstep one day. He came in the Fall. It was cold...and he was broke. And he stayed with us all summer. Real good. Worked hard around there. Then Mom caught him drinking, said he had to leave.

He...was over by Goodrich...kind of a rough neighborhood. He had called and tried to get ahold of Dad, said he was going to be leaving, he'd like to see him. Dad got hold of me and we drove over. We went to this place; there were a bunch of guys around drinking. We'd got there; he'd already left. So we never seen him...he went to Florida.

Now, this was a year or two after he'd been to our place. I don't know where he'd been in the meantime. Then he went to Florida from there. That's where he got killed down there."

* * *

An article appeared on 25 March 1957 in a Panama City, Florida local newspaper:

"Fight Injury Proves Fatal to Local Man. James W. Vernon, 49 year old painter, died last night in a local hospital as result of a head injury received in a scuffle in a city jail cell Saturday night. Two teen-age sailors are being held in the county jail, awaiting issuance of a ---------------------------------------------------------------

Warrant was issued this morning by County Judge Joseph W. Bailey, charging Michael Hoyt and Franklin Anderson with second degree murder in the death of Vernon.

warrant. Michael W. Hoyt, 18 of Babylon, N.Y., and Franklin D. Anderson 19, of Brunswick, M.D., are being held following a fist fight Saturday night in a second story cell of the city jail, during which Vernon was knocked to the floor and suffered skull injuries, according to city police records. Hoyt and Anderson are stationed at a local Navy station. Daniel R. Blair, a cellmate of (turn to Fight, page 2)

(continued from Page one) Vernon's, said the two Navy men were put in the cell with them Saturday night. Blair and Vernon were playing cards, Blair said, when a fight between Vernon and one of the sailors started. Vernon was knocked down in the fight, suffering a head injury, according to police reports, and was later taken to a hospital where he underwent brain surgery. Blair's statement said that he tried to call for help following the altercation, but that one of the sailors 'drowned him out' by yelling louder, and that it wasn't until about 11:00 P.M. that he managed to attract the attention of Detective Capt. D. L. "Doc" Barron by shouting out a window that faces on Luverne Ave. Vernon is survived by his wife, Helen, of 737 Grace Ave. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Wilson Funeral Home.

* * *

According to the autopsy performed on 24 March, 1957 at Memorial Hospital by Dr. Leo E. Reilly: Hospital No. 24414 - admitted 24 March 1957 (12:10 A.M.) Expired 24 March 1957, 5:30 P.M. Hours postmortem-6

Clinical Summary:

"This was a 49 year-old white male who allegedly had been arrested by the city police on the 18th of March, 1957, on the charge of intoxication and resisting arrest; according to the history his wife said that he had been struck on the head during an altercation with the police on the 18th of March, 1957; blood was on his clothes. He had been doing well from a medical standpoint until the evening of the 23rd of March 1957, when he was involved in a fight with some sailors; the police stated that he fell and hit his head on the concrete floor. There appeared to be a time interval when he seemed alert and without apparent after effects; however, he complained of headaches and was given aspirin. Later he was found unconscious and rushed to the hospital by ambulance. His past history included the following factors; he incurred a skull fracture in 1931-32, which was said to be severe; he was a chronic alcoholic; he had been arrested three times within the past two years for alcoholism; no other diseases except the possibility of bronchial asthma could be elicited; he had no history of diabetes. He had been given a physical examination approximately one year ago by a local physician..."

* * *

The only police report still available under the name Vernon for that incident in 1957 at this writing, according to Sergeant Jim Vestol of the Panama City Police Department, was a report from the Municipal Court of the City of Panama City, Bay County, State of Florida, which says:

"State of Florida vs Vernon, F. Early (Wm.) Public drunkness[sic]

Arresting officer, E. C. Peoples

Prisoner arraigned for trial on 25th March 1957

Enter guilty plea, court found defendant guilty.

By order of the court, the defendant pay fine of $5.00 +

costs $12.50 total $17.50

In default and serve 5 days in jail. Sentence suspended on agreement to leave town.

Judgment satisfied. Suspended

City Clerk Leon Mathia

Judge Mays [Mayo?] C. Johnson"

* * *

Execution of this sentence is unknown, or if it even had anything to do with Bill.

Bill's wife, Helen, apparently was a spectator-participant in this incident. She signed hospital papers, and she allegedly brought suit. According to family members, she won her suit and judgment.

* * *

In response to an October 1989 inquiry made by Bill's son, Dallie, to the Clerk of Court, Bay County-Criminal Felony Division, Ms. Reena Goss replied:

"October 24, 1989

Dallie A. Vernon

1497 East 196 Street

Euclid, OH 44117

RE: James W. Vernon

Dear Mr. Vernon:

I am responding to your letter to Carolyn in reference to your dad and the disposition of Michael W. Hoyt and Franklin D. Anderson. I have reviewed our old dockets and do not find any record of Franklin D. Anderson, which is not uncommon for the process that was followed in 1957. There were never charges filed against someone in the Clerks[sic] office unless an Information (charging document from the state) was filed and apparently there were none filed against him. However, there were charges filed against Michael W. Hoyt but they were Nolle Prosquei, which means that they dropped the charges. In reading the newspaper article that you included with your letter, it implies that these two persons were in the Navy so it is possible that they dropped the cases here so that they could be prosecuted through the Navy. You may need to check with someone there.

I hope that this will be of some assistance to you. If I can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Reena Goss

Deputy Clerk

Criminal Felony Division

/rdg"

* * *

Bill was interred in a grave in Lot 8, Block 94, southeast corner of Greenwood Cemetery (city) on Lizenby Street of Panama City, according to James M. Southall, Director of Engineering Services for the City of Panama City (dated 17 November 1987).

* * *

Bill's wife, Helen, eventually returned to her home of Sterling-Rock Falls, Illinois.

She died there on 4 December 1985 of congestive heart failure, according to her daughter and only child by a previous marriage. Helen was interred at Riverside Cemetery in Prophetstown, Illinois, where she was born.

* * *

Bill's son, Dallie Arnold Vernon, saw a photo of the likeness of Bill for the first time in his 49 years at the home of his newly-discovered, and only surviving paternal aunt, in her home in Akron, Ohio, in 1987. Dallie also had the opportunity to view a photo of his paternal grandparents at that time. They probably didn't know that Dallie existed.

* * *