Prof. M.T. Nix
The above named is superintendent of public instruction for Weakley county, and has for several years, although a comparatively young man, been one of the leading teachers of the county. Mr. Nix was born and raised in 17th district of Weakley County, and is highly esteemed by his acquaintances for his gentlemanly bearing and upright character. He has been a resident of Dresden for some time, and is permanently located here, having gone into the undertaking business with Mr. M.L. Moore Sr. They are doing a good business, and are giving satisfaction to their numerous customers. Their advertisement will be found in this issue.
I looked through the entire paper, all 8 pages :), and had no luck locating the advertisement that was referenced. I didn't have a lot of luck with the Nix family but here's what I found.
From a family tree on ancestry.com I found Mark Thomas Nix, born Sept 20 1861 in Sandy Branch, Weakley County Tennessee. He was the son of Mark Nix and Mary Elfendel Harvey. He married Jane Moore on September 12, 1888 in Dunklin, Holcomb County, Missouri. On the marriage document the name was Marcus T. Nix.
The following comes from Census records:
1900, Logan, Boone County, Arkansas
Mark T. Nix, age 38, married 13 years, year of marriage 1887. He was a school teacher.
Janie M, wife. Age 27, born October 1872. She had two pregnancies and two living children.
Moore L, son, age 9, born in 1891. Whoever transcribed the Census transcribed his name as Moone, I think it's Moore.
Guy/Gay, age 7, born in 1892. Her name was transcribed as Guy but listed as female. It looks like Gay to me rather than Guy but I found a reference to her on Findagrave and it said Guy.
What I find interesting here is that the brief bio in the Enterprise indicated Nix "is permanently located here" after going into business with M.L. Moore Sr. I think it's possible that M.L. Moore Sr was Jane's father and Mark had gone into the "family business" of undertaking. I wonder why they left Dresden. Did Mr. Moore die and there was no more business? Did Mark discover he didn't like undertaking? All I know is that 4 years after the article was penned he and his family are in Arkansas.
1910 Census, Central Union, New Mexico
Mark is now 49 and farming. Jane is 39. In addition to Moore and Gay there are two more children: Madge, age 9 born in Arkansas and Ruby, age 7 born in Oklahoma.
I wasn't able to locate a 1920 Census for the family.
1930 Census, Nara Visa, Quay County, New Mexico
Mark is now 68 and a general store merchant. Jane is 57. The only child that appears in the household is their grand daughter Wanda, age 16, born in New Mexico. Wanda was the daughter of Moore Nix and his wife Ethel Kelly. A good account of Wanda's life can be found on her memorial at Findagrave.
Mark T. Nix dies a year later on September 23, 1931 in Nara Visa.
Moore L. Nix was living in Rosebud New Mexico when he completed his WWI Registration Card in 1917. It listed his birth date as January 15 1891 and his birthplace, Portland Tenn. His occupation was farming and stock raising and he owned his own farm. He said he had a "sickly wife and child 3 yrs." The sickly wife was his first wife Ethel and the child was most likely Wanda. He was short, medium build, blue eyes dark hair. It's interesting to note his father, Mark T. Nix, was the registrar and signed his sons paperwork. His memorial on Findagrave lists his full name as Moore Lytton Nix. He is interred next to his second wife Irene Asmussen Nix.
Ruby Nix married George Marcus Lockett. She and her husband moved to Sedalia, Missouri. Ruby passed away in 1966 and is buried with family at Memorial Park Cemetery in Sedalia.
Madge Nix married married Wolcott Lord Russel. Madge passed away in 1985. She and her husband are interred at Santa Fe National Cemetery.
I have not located what happened to Jane Moore Nix nor the other daughter, Guy/Gay.
The complete list of links in this multi-part series:
part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight, part nine, part ten, part eleven, part twelve, part thirteen, part fourteen, part fifteen, part sixteen, part seventeen, part eighteen, part nineteen, part twenty, part twenty-one, part twenty-two, part twenty-three.
