"Ancestrees"

John STEVENS ^{1 2 3 4 5}

  General Notes:

According to his obituary in the Dayton Journal dated Mar. 29, 1922, he was born in Manchester, England. Family tradition has been that he was born in London or in Lancaster, England (Death certificate). However, in the 1881 census record for England his birth place is listed as Rugby, Warwick, England. This is the only source that lists his birth place while he was alive. It was not the same as his wife's or children's place of birth. His birth date is listed as Nov. 25, 1853 or Nov. 25, 1857 (death certificate). The 1881 census tells us that he was 24 years of age, making either 1856 or 1857 correct. His christening record took place in Aug. of 1857, so he was therefore likely born in Nov. of 1856. Fred Stevens gave the information on the death certificate that is often at variance with other sources. There is a John Stevens and Keturah Dimmock living in the Parish of Hackney, Co. of Middlesex in 1875 on Englefield Rd. that are probably them. (C-589) He was a superintendent of the mechanical department for the "ChatterBox". It was an English child's annual storybook. In the 1881 census, John is listed as a printer and they lived at 161 Eversleigh Rd., Battersea, Surrey, England. In his christening record and 1881 census record, his name is listed as John Stevens. My father remembered his middle name being Charles, but that has not been verified.

He (age 26) and his wife, "Katy" (age 27) and sons, Fred (age 7) and George (age 4) emigrated to the United States arriving in New York on November 1, 1883 on the Grecian Monarch. This was before Ellis Island was opened. They had departed from London, England. John was listed as a printer by profession. They came in Steerage with 3 pieces of luggage for the entire family. (C: Doc)

In his 1922 obituary, he was listed as having been in the U.S. for 35 years, but in reality it was around 39 years. They first moved to Wheeling, West Virginia where he worked as in Interior Decorator. They them moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1892 where he continued in the same trade and where he lived for the remainder of his days. He is listed as a painter living at 1916 E. Fifth Street in the Dayton, Ohio 1889 and 1890 directories. There are several Stevens in the Dayton, Montgomery Co., OH directory of 1887 that have similar names to his children, who could be his relatives that he followed to Ohio. They include an A.E. Stevens, an Alfred, a George W. (1845-1923) and a John Stevens. (C-1905, C-Doc)

In the U.S. 1900 census, John is listed as a house painter who could read, write and speak English. They rented their home at 411 N. Main St, Dayton, Ohio. Both John's and Keturah's parents were born in England. (C-98)

In his later years, John worked for a cookie factory called Greene and Greene as a painter and custodian. His sons (Alfred) George and Albert Edward were at one time both in the painting business with him. They lived through 7 floods in the United States. (C-2,4, 1899) These floods might account for the reason they moved often renting the following residences in Dayton, Ohio according to Dayton City Directories: 1900: 411N Main St., 1902: 67 E. Halena, 1908: 218 N. Linwood, 1914: 522 W. 3rd.

In his death certificate, his son Fred gives his birth date as Nov. 25, 1857. However, both census records give his age matching a birth year of 1853. (C-226, C:Doc) As for his death, this was a very sad event for his children. John had remarried and was quite ill. When my father's mother and her sisters wanted to visit their father on his death bed on Bolander Ave, their new mother-in-law wouldn't let them in. She got all of his belongings including all the family heirlooms and furniture from England. The daughters even suspected that he was poisoned by his wife. However, his death certificate says that he died of a cerebral hemorrhage compounded by pneumonia that he'd had for the last 7 days. He died at 9:30 on a Monday evening. The funeral was held at the home of his daughter, Keturah Ritter, at 2:00 p.m. on Mar. 30, 1922. (C:DOC, 2077) ¹²

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation. House-Painter

• Immigration, 1882.

John married Keturah (Kitty) DIMMACK, daughter of Benjamin DIMMACK and Martha AUSTIN, on 6/2/1875 in Hackney, Middlesex, ENG.¹ (Keturah (Kitty) DIMMACK was born on 6/2/1855 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, ENG,^{2 6} died on 2/11/1918 in Dayton, Montgomery, OH, USA ^{11 13 14} and was buried on 2/14/1918 in Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Montgomery, OH, USA ¹¹.)

John next married Unknown UNKNOWN after 2/1918 in Dayton, Montgomery, OH, USA. (Unknown UNKNOWN died after 3/1922.)