When Bessie Mae Swartz was born on January 27, 1893, in Champaign, Illinois, her father, Daniel, was 22, and her mother, Minnie, was 24. She married Edward Edwin Dawson on March 27, 1918, in Monroeville, Indiana. They had five children during their marriage. She died on March 11, 1969, in Volusia County, Florida, at the age of 76, and was buried there.
Her sister Marie Beulah was born on July 8, 1896, in Urbana, Illinois, when Bessie Mae was 3 years old.
Her sister Hazel Alice was born on January 29, 1902, in Urbana, Illinois, when Bessie Mae was 9 years old.
Her sister Elsie Rose was born on July 16, 1909, in Monroeville, Indiana, when Bessie Mae was 16 years old.
When World War I broke out, in 1917, farmers were exempt from the service and Edward Dawson wasn't required to serve. This gave him the opportunity to court Bessie Mae Swartz while they both were living in Monroeville, IN.
Bessie married Edward Dawson 27 March 1918 in Monroeville, Allen Co., Indiana. Edward was a farmer and carpenter.
After his marriage to Bessie Swartz, Edward continued to work with his father on the family farm.
On 13 December 1918 Daniel Edward Dawson was born in Monroeville, Indiana.
Sometime before 1922 Ed and Bessie's grandparents came for a visit. Ed's grandfather B.F. Thomas and Bessie's grandfather Christian Luther.
In 1919 Bessie's father, Daniel Swartz, bought a farm in Pendleton, Madison Co., IN and Edward and Bessie moved to help him on the farm, since he had all daughters. On 31 March 1920 Glenola Idell Dawson was born in Pendleton, Indiana.
Ed and Bessie were in Pendleton until 1922 when some dispute occurred between Daniel and Edward. This has been the source of many family stories and speculation since Edward and Bessie refused to speak about it. I am sure the economic stress of the depression made life and family relations very difficult. They merely backed up their family in the Ford model T Touring convertible and moved to Cozad, Dawson Co., NE where Edward's sister Audrey "Dot:" lived. Audrey Ardenell, who was named after her aunt, was born 28 December 1921in Pendleton.
Finding work was difficult during the depression and Edward was very resourceful and hardworking. He left his family in Cozad and went to the mountains of Colorado to raise lettuce. Delmar Darwin was born in Cozad on 10 August 1923.
During the 1923 drought the crops failed and in 1924 Edward took his family to Canada looking for prosperity. They moved to Vancouver, British Columbia by train.
Since they were traveling by train, they were able to only take a few belongings. Bessie had carefully packed her china and was deeply saddened when it was damaged during the trip. Archie Gordon was born in Vancouver, British Columbia 5 May 1925.
Edward worked as a carpenter, while in Vancouver, building houses. When the housing market would slow down Edward cut ice from the Saskatchewan River. The workers would cut chucks of ice out of the river with a hand saw, and then the trains would stop and pick up the ice to keep their ice boxes cold. Bessie stayed home with the children.
Their home was 2 miles from school so the children would ride in a covered wagon. In the wintertime there was a pot bellied stove in the wagon to keep them warm and the children would all have to take turns sitting by the fire.
Bessie would also leave to find work. When the hops where in season she would take the younger children by train to the countryside to go pick hops. Audrey was expected to take care of Delmar and Archie while their mother was working.
Audrey has expressed great frustration that she was always responsible to watch Delmar and Archie. Glenola was always helping her mother and learning how to cook and household chores. Audrey was sent outside with two rowdy boys. During one of their rowdy episodes, she was kicked in the hip by a horse, Trixie. This lead to lifelong pain and eventually a hip replacement.
In the summer time they would walk to school. Delmar was the only first grader and quickly became bored when the teacher in the one room school house had little time for him. He usually would run away and hide in the cornfields until school was out. He obviously was hiding when this photo was taken.
When Ed and Bessie found out he was skipping school they had Dan make sure he went to class. This was usually accomplished by dragging him or kicking him in the behind. until he moved. He was so far behind he was eventually placed in Archie's class when he began school.
Her mother Minnie Catherina Swartz passed away on May 31, 1932, in Griffith, Indiana, at the age of 63.
The family remained in Canada until their returned to the United States in 1937. They returned to the United States on 29 Jul 1937 crossing at International Falls or Ranier, Minnesota.
In 1937, Daniel Swartz had again bought a farm in Rensselaer, Jasper Co., IN. Edward and Bessie returned to help him on the farm. Edward bought adjacent land and opened a small grocery store where they lived until 1947.
In 1938 Delmar and Archie attended Jordon School. Dan finished school in Canada. Glenola, and Audrey graduated from Remington High School.
In 1939 Archie graduated from 8th grade. Delmar, still struggling with school, was a year behind.
Ed continued working as a carpenter and was very successful at building houses. He worked on the Jordon school built in 1938. [Jordon school is in the background below]
In 1947 Ed and Bessie moved to a house that he built in Rensselaer. This was taken in their home of the Swartz family shortly before Bessie's father Daniel died in 10 Aug 1950.
Her father Daniel Albert passed away on August 10, 1950, in Rensselaer, Indiana, at the age of 80.
They remained in Rensselaer until the late 1950s when they retired to Deland, Fl.
Edward continued to work as a carpenter part-time for many years in Florida. They would return to Indiana to visit Audrey and Delmar.
Ed and Bessie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary March 27, 1968.
Bessie Mae Swartz died on March 11, 1969, in Volusia, Florida, when she was 76 years old. Ed and Bessie are buried in Memorial Gardens in Deland, Volusia Co, FL.
Sources: Glenola Rogers, Audrey Alexander, Dewey Dawson " The J.E. Dawson Family"
Photos scanned by: Larry Alexander
