Detail 1

On August 13, 2025, we begin a narrative about the Daviet family – where we come from and who came before us.  I never knew my paternal grandparents, expect for pictures on Ralph Senior’s bureau.  On Mildred’s side only knew her Mother Helen, I recall a little bit from being dropped off there at age five or six while Mom did something else – don’t know what.  Ralph, maybe you know more?

So that’s the reason for this ancestral digging and I’ll send along whatever I find to you all.  I know folks these days are very busy, and our mailboxes are way too full. If you want to “unsubscribe” just let me know—no harm, no foul.  If you care to share with others, fine by me.  If you have anecdotes, or better yet facts and dates, send them along.

This chronicle will be based on documents and other accounts found mostly on Ancestry.com.  References to past relationships will be framed relative to the three brothers, sons of Ralph E. senior and Mildred A.:  Ralph E., Thomas G., and myself Charles W.  This approach will provide an anchoring point, e.g. a reference to “maternal great grandfather” will refer to our mother’s father’s father.

Ancestry.com will provide a detailed family tree of births and deaths for each past generation for an overview and can be reviewed here: [link shared earlier but you have to register to view the tree as it evolves – leaving that up to you].

This history will begin as a series of observations from the ancestral data as reviewed and verified as well as possible.  So where to start?

I’ve already shared that Ralph senior was the youngest son and had two brothers — Uncle Bill who I never liked and intentionally spilled a glass of milk on and Charles who died at age 18 [correction from earlier] of rheumatic fever we were told.

So today some information about Mildred’s father, Anthony Michael Vinikaitis, registered for the WWI draft in 1917-1918 at age 44 as one of some 24 million men living in this country.  He was described as of medium build, short, with blue eyes and grey hair.  He listed his occupation as Owner, and Saloon Keeper.  He gave his birth date as May 10, 1874, residing at 67 River St., Newark, NJ as a Naturalized U.S. citizen.  He was born in Lithuania and arrived in America in 1892 at 14.  Nearest relative was Ellen Vinikaitis, most likely a misspelling for Helen, whom we knew as the Camel-smoking Gramma.

From a 1930 Census when he claimed to be 52 (wouldn’t that make him 56?) , we learn his occupation was Watchman in the Garages Industry.  At this time, he is living at 543 South Clinton St, Orange NJ with his wife Helen age 44 and three children:  son Anthony T age 19, son George 18 and daughter Mildred age 16.

Ralph and Mildred were married on August 21, 1937, 88 years ago 8 days from today.  Mom at age 22 and Dad at 24.  Wonder how and when they met?

To be continued …

Detail 2

August 14, 2025

Mildred’s Mother Helen was born in Lithuania in 1890.  She arrived in the U.S. in 1904 at the age of 14.  And we now can verify Helen passed on Christmas day in 1957 at the age of 67.  Mildred was 42.  I remember that day very well and also the ensuing service when all the relatives pushed me, the 12-year-old, to “go up to the open coffin and say goodbye to Gramma.” Yikes!

Still have no records relating to when Mildred’s father died.

From the timeline below we learn that Ralph and Mildred tied the knot with a judge.  The timelines also establish the buying, and selling of Marquette and for how much. As well for the Fairview Lake property.

And we also establish that when Ralph jr was born in 1940, the parents and first born lived at 84 Lafayette Ave in East Orange with Minnie Force, Dad’s Mom for several years after Minnie’s husband, William Camille, died on September 21, 1938.  By December 1945, when Charles (that’s me) the family was living in their first house at 11 Irwin Place in Bloomfield NJ.  I have a picture of it as it currently looks below.  Ralph jr was about eight when everyone moved to Marquette around 1949 or so.

August 20, 2025

Is it French or Irish on the Daviet side?

So we know that William Camille (1875-1938) and Minnie Force (1877-1941) were grandparents of Ralph junior, Charles and Tom.  Both were born in New Jersey and living in Atlanta in 1910.  That’s where Ralph senior and his two brothers, Charles Dunlop and William C jr. were born.  But who was William Camille’s father and where did he come from?

That was Joseph John Daviet JJD (1843-1931).  And the records start to get murkier here.  Pretty certain he was born in Ireland and arrived in the U.S. in 1863 as a 20-year-old.  For perspective right in the middle of the American Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg.  Have to check records, was there a draft for Northerner young men?  Joseph John was 32 when he and wife Mary (whom little is known) gave birth to William Camille in 1875 while living in Hoboken, NJ at 1208 Washington St.  In a later census he gave his occupation as an Iron Moulder.

AI says this about that occupation: In the 1800s, iron molders were skilled workers who created molds from sand, using wooden patterns, to shape molten iron into various products. These products included everyday items like stoves, pots, and farm implements, as well as more specialized castings such as cannon and sash weights. The process involved carefully packing sand around a pattern, creating a hollow cavity into which molten iron was poured. 

In the 1900 census JJD, said his father and mother were born in Ireland.  In the 1920 census when he was retired and widowed at age 77, living in Queens NY, with his son William C., he listed his mother and father as being born in France.   Why did JJD change his reporting to the census about his parents’ birthplace -- have to dig deeper. 

  JJD died at his son’s house at 88.  Seems like, back in the day, parents went back to live in their children’s households in their later years.