Postcard Photographs

Unidentified Man
card embossed "Scherer New York"

These three postcard photographs were in the same box together.  I don't know who they are and I don't know if they were together because they are related to each other or if it's as simple as they are three postcards and they fit neatly together.  

The postcard of the single man is embossed in the upper left corner "Scherer New York".  The photographer or perhaps just the company that printed the card?  

The card with the couple has no identifying marks at all.  

The last card tells the most, "Don't throw this away because it was taken in Colorado."  The Moran's took a  trip out west that included Colorado and some relatives moved to Colorado.  Virginia Moran's cousins Hattie Mai Shumate and Martha Belle Shumate both moved to Denver post 1900.  Another family member connected through the Cowardin branch of the family moved to Denver as well, Carrie Fuller Cowardin and her children Almus Sheffield Cowardin and Robert Purcell Cowardin.

Fred Mayo Dies in Memphis, 1940

I came across an obituary for Fred Mayo among the papers of Virginia S. Moran.   There are Mayo's in the Moran family tree, I haven't figured how or if Fred Mayo is one of them or not.

His full name was Fred Henderson Mayo born Nov. 18 1899, per the death certificate.  His headstone in Sunset Cemetery say 1898.  He was the son of William B. Mayo and Lucy Brooks of Palmersville, TN. 

Fred was living with his Uncle Thomas A. McElwrath and Aunt Mollie Brooks in Mayfield Kentucky in 1920.  He worked as a salesman in a dry goods store.  His uncle Thomas owned a dry good store, betcha he was working there.  Fred married Grace Beasley, also of Mayfield.  Her parents were Robert Lee Beasley and Minnie Wyman.

Dresden Merchant Dies in Automobile in Front of Clinic

Fred H. Mayo, Dresden, Tenn., merchant, and member of the State Democratic Executive Committee for the Eighth Congressional District, died of a heart attack while seated in his automobile in front of a Madison Avenue clinic at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon.  Mr. mayo, who was 41, apparently had been in good health and had brought his wife, Mrs. Grace Beasley Mayo, to Memphis yesterday for treatment.

Mr. Mayo had visited the Federal Building to call on friends and had lunch with Dist. Atty. William McClanahan, a longtime friend, and Richard Holliday of Dresden, who is here with the FHA.

Mr. Mayo was a native of Dresden and had operated a ladies ready-to-wear store there for several years.  He was chairman of the Dresden School Board and a former president of the Dresden Chamber of Commerce.  He was a World War veteran and belonged to the American Legion and the Baptist Church.

Besides his wife, he leaves his mother, Mrs. W.D. Mayo; a brother, George Mayo, both of Dresden, and a sister, Mrs. Cornelius Wakefield of Union City, Tenn.

The body was sent to Dresden last night by Thompson Brothers Mortuary for services and burial.  The Burns Funeral of Mayfield, Ky., is in charge of arrangements.

I haven't come across a picture of any Mayo's but we do have this picture of Brud (wearing the bow tie) with Thomas Allen McWlwrath (Fred Mayo's uncle in Mayfield), Mollie Brooks McElwrath (Thomas's second wife standing at the back) and their daughter Linda with the blonde curls.  The woman next to brud is Nell McKruger.

Dresden Enterprise Apr 24 1896 - The Illustrated Edition Part 17 "Prof. M. T. Nix"

This is the seventeenth in a multi-part series featuring the April 24 1896 edition of the Dresden Enterprise.  If you missed the previous posts you can find them here: 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.

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.