Sunday, November 4, 2018

SUNDAY’S OBITUARY ~ Thomas W. Davis (1873-1952) –husband of Gladys Olive Grout

DAVIS_Thomas W_obit_13 Apr 1952_SanDiegoUnion_CA
Published in the San Diego Union 13 Apr 1952, page 9

I’m always surprised when I find a San Diego connection among my ancestors.  Over the years, I’ve found the majority of them stayed in the Midwest or on the east coast.

This week I located the obituary of Thomas W. Davis, who was living in San Diego at the time of his death.

TRANSCRIPTION:  
Thomas W. Davis
Funeral services will be held at 2 tomorrow afternoon in La Jolla Mortuary under auspices of La Jolla Masonic Lodge for Thomas W. Davis, 79, retired railroad agent and telegraph operator.  He died yesterday at his home, 844 Archer St., Pacific Beach.
For more than 50 years he was employed by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.  He was a member of the Order of Railroad Trainmen and the Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include his wife, Gladys Davis, a brother and a niece both of Cuyahoga Falls, O.  Burial will be in the family plot in Mount Hope Cemetery.


Thomas was married to Gladys Olive Grout, daughter of Bradley B. Grout and Nellie E. Tibbits. This makes Gladys my 2nd cousin twice removed.  I had located her death record, also in San Diego and that lead me to search for the death record and obituary for her husband Thomas.

Thomas was born 21 Dec 1873 in Glencoe, Belmont, Ohio to Samuel Davis & Mary Jane Warren.  He spent over 50 years working for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, as an agent and telegraph operator.  I find that Thomas and Gladys were still living in Ohio in the 1940 census.  There move to San Diego took place between then and his death in 1952.
 
It looks like they came west after his retirement?  The address given in the obituary is 844 Archer St., in Pacific Beach (a community here in San Diego).  It must have been quite a change for he and Gladys, having lived in the colder climates all their lives.  I hope they enjoyed it here.

Using Google maps you can see they were living just a few blocks from the ocean.  Having been in the area many times, I can attest to how beautiful it is.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)
844 Archer st map
Screenshot courtesy of Google Maps©
844 Archer st
Screenshot courtesy of Google Maps©
I looked in the city directory listings for San Diego and the first listing for Thomas & Gladys is in 1950.  They were living at the same address on Archer St.
 
On Genealogy Bank I ran the address, 844 Archer and found an article about Thomas having been struck by a car on 23 Feb 1951.  He was a pedestrian and sustained critical head and internal injuries.  I wonder if the injuries he sustained had anything to do with his death the following year?  I don’t have his death certificate, so I don’t have a specific cause of death, at this time.

Here’s the article:

DAVIS_Thos struck by car
Published in the San Diego Union 24 Feb 1951, page 6


































Gladys stayed in their home on Archer St. for a few years, but later moved to different addresses nearby, according to city directory listings.  She died in San Diego 25 Nov 1985 at the age of 93.

Thomas and Gladys are both buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery here in San Diego.  Thomas #112364040 and Gladys #112364020.

All four of my husband’s grandparents are buried at the same cemetery, so I’ve been there a time or two.  Next time I go, I’ll have to visit the Davis gravesites.  There are no headstone photos on FindAGrave, so I wonder if they have headstones or not?  Perhaps they just need to be photographed.  I have submitted a photo request as well as some edits to enhance their memorials.
 
If you are related to the Davis or Grout family, I’d love to hear from you. 

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl
Copyright ©  2010-2018   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

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I look forward to reading your comments. If you have any connection to the people mentioned in this blog, please let me know. I write about mine and my husband's ancestors and would welcome new information or meeting a new cousin or two. Thanks for visiting and come back soon.