Friday, August 19, 2011

What year was Albert Leroy Dillon actually born?

     Despite various public trees on ancestry.com and conflicting data, I believe that Bert Dillon or Dr. A.L. Dillon was born on 31 December 1876, as my family tradition states.

1880 Federal Census:  Brouilletts Creek Township, Edgar Co, IL.  Page 8, Supv Dist. 5, Enum. Dist 90
Dillon, Robert E, W, M, 43, married, Farmer, Indiana, Tenn, NC
 -- , Julia A, W, F, 40, wife, Keeping House, Indiana, VA, Ohio
 -- , Sarah J, W, F, 17, daughter, single, at school, attended school, Illinois, Ind., Ind
 -- , John L, W, M, 15, son, single, works on farm, attended school, Illinois, Ind, Ind
 -- , Frank B, W, M, 11, son, single, works on farm, attended school, Illinois, Ind, Ind
 -- , Ella, W, F, 9, daughter, single, at school, attended school, Illinois, Ind, Ind
 -- , Fred A, W, M, 6, son, single, Illinois, Ind, Ind
 -- , Albert, W, M, 4, son, single, Illinois, Ind, Ind
 -- , Carl C, W, M, 7/12, son, single, Illinois, Ind, Ind

ancestry.com

- In 1880 census enumeration, Albert was 4 year old, which would place his birth year as 1876.  Carl C. is listed as 7 months old, which would make him born in 1879 and younger than Albert. -

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1900 Federal Census:  Bruilletts Creek TP, Edgar Co, Illinois.  Sheet 1, Supv Dist 13, Enum Dist 61.
Enumerator:  Albert Dillon.
Dwelling 1, Family 1 -
Dillon, Robert E, Head, Jan 1837, 63, M-38 yrs, Indiana, Tennessee, North Car, Farmer
 -- , Julia, A, Wife, Nov 1839, 60, M-38 yrs, 11 children born, 8 living, Indiana, Va, Ohio
Scott, Sarah J, Daughter, Nov 1862, 37, M-6 yrs, 2 children born, 2 living, Illinois, IN, IN
Dillon, Ella, Daughter, Mar 1872, 28, single, Illinois, IN, IN, School Teacher
 -- , Albert L, Son, Dec 1875, 24, single, Illinois, IN, IN, School Teacher
 -- , Carl C, Son, Oct 1880, 19, single, Illinois, IN, IN, School Teacher
 -- , Edna E, Daughter, Dec 1882, 17, single, Illinois, IN, IN, at school
Scott, Clarence G, Grandson, Jan 1895, 5, single, Illinois, Illinois, Illinois
 -- , Kenneth M, Grandson, Dec 1898, 2, single, Illinois, Illinois, Illinois


[from ancestry.com]
  - Albert Dillon was the enumerator who completed this 1900 census.  Birth order has him placed older than Carl C Dillon, age 19.  Date of birth is Dec 1875 - I can't explain this discrepancy except that I have found other December birth dates which appear 1 year earlier than actuality.  Was this a problem with the directions of the 1900 census?  Age is 24 which supports the 1875/1876 birth date for Albert L Dillon. -

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History of Dillon, Fletcher, and Kindred Families by Henry Dillon, Feb. 23, 1909, p.30
(http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lukedillon/henry.html)
"Robert Edmund, one of the twins of Labon and Jane (Holiday) Dillon, married Julia Cully. . . They had the following family:
        Jennie - married Israel Scott
        John
        Frank
        Ella - married Daniel W. Thompson
        Fred A.
        Albert
        Carl C.
        Edna - born December 9, 1882, married Charles Inskip."

- This book does contain errors; however, the book, in general, has families listed in their birth orders. -

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Wedding Register -
In May 2010 at the Edgar Co Courthouse in Paris, Illinois, I abstracted the marriage information for Albert L Dillon and Lois L Dawson from the Register of Marriages, page 231, #706.

Edgar Co, Illinois Courthouse

Register of Marriages

Page 231, #706
Albert L Dillon, res of Scott Land, ILL, occ – teacher, age next birthday – 26, white, b. Scottland, IL, father – R E Dillon, mother – Julia Culley, groom’s 1st marriage; Bride – Lois L Dawson, res of Scott Land, age next birthday, 22, white, b. Kansas, father – Taylor Dawson, mother – Iona Rodenberger, bride’s 1st marriage; Married at Scott Land, IL on June 2nd 1901; Witnesses: JL Dawson & CC Dawson; Performed by Albert G Blunk, MG.  Date Returned June 3, 1901; Date Registered June 6, 1901.

-Within the marriage record, Albert L Dillon stated that he would be 26 on his next birthday.  He was 25 at the time of his marriage and that would place his birth year as 1876. -

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Birth of Son
ATTESTATION TO BIRTH CERTIFICATE
STATE OF ILLINOIS}
    County of Edger      }
Name of Child - Albert Leroy Dillon, Jr.
Date of Birth:  Sept. 7, 1904  Place of Birth:  Hume, Ill.
Sex:  Male    Race:  White   No. of Child of This Mother:  First
FATHER:  Name:  Albert Leroy Dillon; Place of Birth:  Edgar Co, Ill.; Age 28; Residence:  Hume, Ill.; Occupation:  Physician
MOTHER:  Name:  Lois L Dawson; Place of Birth:  Kansas;  Age:  24;  Residence:  Hume, Ill.
Name of Medical Attendant:  A. L. Dillon, M.D.
                                                              4 day of November 1940, Carl C Patrick, County Clerk
Book 3, Page 147- Filed Sept. 30, 1904

- As the attending physician for his son's birth, Dr. A.L. Dillon, entered his age as 28 in 1904 supporting a birth year of 1876. -
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1910 Federal Census:  Ward 1, Clovis, Curry Co, New Mexico; Supv Dist 1, Enum Dist 54, Sheet 3A

44/45  Dillon, A. L., Head, 32, single, Illinois, unknown, unknown, Physician in General Practice, Own Acct.

- I believe a neighbor completed the information for A.L. Dillon who was probably at work:  parents birth locations unknown and marital status of single instead of divorced.  Age 32 would be a birth year of 1878 -

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WW1 Draft Registration - dated 9/12/1918 in Clovis, Curry Co, New Mexico Serial #1141  Order #A-1135
Albert LeRoy Dillon
222 N. Ross, Clovis, Curry, NM
Age 37, Birth:  Dec. 31, 1880, Native Born
Occupation:  Physician & Surgeon at 102-1/2 N Main St, Clovis, Curry, NM
Nearest Relative:  Dixie Dillon at 222 N. Ross, Clovis, Curry, NM

[from ancestry.com]
- First appearance of the 1880 birth year. -

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1920 Federal Census:  Ward 1, Clovis, Curry Co, New Mexico; Supv Dist 1, Enum Dist 46, Sheet 24B
  163/175
Dillon, Dr. Albert L, head, owns home, 34, married, IL, IL, IN, Physician in  General Practice, OA
 -- , Dixie, wife, 30, married, KY, KY, KY
 -- , Jackson, son, 2-7/12, single, NM, IL, KY

from ancestry.com
indexed as Alvert R Dillan
-  Age 34 in 1920 would make Albert A's birth year 1886, which is either 10 years or 6 years off depending on which birth date believed.  Father's birth location is inaccurate. -

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1930 Federal Census:  Ward 1, Clovis, Curry Co, New Mexico; Supv Dist 5, Enum Dist 5-1, Sheet 10B
422 Ross   377/410 -
Dillon, Albert H, Owns $5000 home and a radio, Age 50, married 1st time at 33yrs, IL, IL, IL, Physician,
          Not a veteran.
 -- , Dixie M, wife, 40, married 1st time at 24yrs, KY, KY, KY
 -- , Jackson, son, 12, NM, IL, KY
 -- , Robert L, son, 8, NM, IL, KY
 -- , Eva Ann, daughter, 4-2/10, NM, IL, KY

1930 Clovis, Curry Co, NM
http://www.ancestry.com/
- Albert H Dillon is indexed on ancestry's website as age 50 which would be 1880 birth year. -

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WW2 Draft Registration Card (men born on or after Apr 27, 1877 and on or before Feb 16, 1897)

- In 1942, A.L. Dillon was living in Clovis, Curry, New Mexico.  The "old man" draft registration cards from New Mexico are not available on Ancestry, Footnote, nor Family Search's on-line records. -

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SS Hawaiian Pilot Manifest:  List 101
Sailing from Los Angeles HBR on Nov. 27, 1953
Arriving at Honolulu T.H. on 12-3-53

1.  Dillon, Albert, age 78, male, born in Scottland, IL
2.  Dillon, Dixie, age 63, female, born near Henderson, KY

SS Hawaiian Pilot Manifest
http://www.ancestry.com/
- Age 78 in 1953 supports a birth year of 1875. -

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California Death Index - Ancestry

Albert Leroy Dillon
Born:  31 Dec 1880 in IL
Died:  8 Sept 1957 in Orange
Mother's Maiden Name:  Cully
Father's Surname:  Dillon

- supports the 1880 birth date -

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Obituary - Clovis News-Journal, Monday, September 9, 1957; p1, Vol. 29, No. 138
from Susan Patterson
     Dr. Albert L. Dillon, 80, a pioneer physician in Clovis, died Sunday afternoon in South Laguna, Calif., according to word received in Clovis by a nephew, Edmund Dillon.
     Dr. Dillon's family will accompany the body to Clovis Tuesday afternoon and funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday from the Charles V. Steed Memorial Chapel.  Burial will be in Lawn Haven Memorial Park under direction of Steeds.
     Born in December 1876 in Scotland, Ill., Dr. Dillon moved to Clovis in 1909 and was in partnership with his brother, the late Dr. Fred Dillon.  He practiced in Clovis until after World War II when he retired and moved to South Laguna.
     Dr. Dillon was a member of a Masonic Lodge in Illinois, and transferred his membership to the newly formed Clovis Lodge No. 40, AF&AM. on Aug. 3, 1909.  He was the second Master of the Clovis Lodge, serving in 1910, and was the oldest Past Master of the local Masonic organization.
     Dr. Dillon was a member of the Clovis Municipal Board of Education in 1918 when the Clovis high school building was built at 7th and Main - the building has just been razed.
     Surviving Dr. Dillon are his widow, Dixie; a daughter, Mrs. M.L. Milmore, Fayetteville, Ark.; three sons, Robert L., Carlsbad, Dr. Jackson C., Fresno, Calif., and Leroy, Las Vegas, Nev.; seven grandchildren; a brother, Dr. Carl C., Sidell, Ill.; a sister, Mrs. Charles Inskip, Wallace, Ida.; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Fred Dillon, Clovis; and a niece and nephew, Mrs. Julia Pearson, Purcell, Okla., and Edmund L. Dillon, Clovis.

- Obituary written by family gave a birth year of 1876. -

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Article written at Dr. A.L. Dillon's death by a friend. 

Probably from the Clovis newspaper.
[Received from Dr. A.L. Dillon's great-niece, Susan P.] 
     The passing of Dr. A. L. Dillon, in South Laguna, Calif., was a shock to me, in spite of the fact that I have known for some time he was in poor health.  But we are never prepared for such news.
     I have known Dr. Dillon since his arrival here in 1909 from Illinois.  He has been one of my closest friends thru-out his life here.  Outside of politics he and I saw things remarkably alike.  For years he was a Republican leader in Curry County, and was a high-ranking Mason.  The doctor dated back to horse and buggy days, of his profession, and had driven many miles over regional roads taking care of his patients.  He had one of the first automobiles in Clovis.
      Dr. Dillon planned to sell his home in South Laguna and move to Carlsbad to be near his son Bob who is a Santa Fe employee in the Cavern City.  His burial here was a natural consequence of his love for New Mexico and Clovis.  I presume Mrs. Dillon's future plans are not yet determined, altho' she may continue to reside in South Laguna at least until property interests there have been sold.
     Dr. Dillon was 80 years old.


- Supports the 1876 Birth year. =
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Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Clovis, Curry Co, New Mexico
Albert Leroy Dillon 1876 - 1957

Photo by Teresa McKennon-Croft
FindAGrave website
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I don't know why the birth year discrepancies.  They started when Albert L Dillon moved to Clovis, New Mexico.  Was he upset from his recent divorce?  At the start of a new life, did he want to be seen as younger without the baggage of a divorce?  He started to date Dixie Morrow who was 14 years younger?  He did sign the WW1 Draft Registration Card with the 1880 date; however, he also signed the 1900 Federal Census as enumerator, his marriage application to Lois Dawson, the birth information for his son, Albert L Dillon, Jr., as the attending physician.  With the more consistent early data, I believe the 1876 date.  It is up to each reader to decide for themselves.



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