Frances Jane Dodge of Medina (1862-1943)

BIRTH MARRIAGE DEATH

29 June 1862, Petersburg, Mahoning, Ohio, USA 24 February 1883, Lorain County, Ohio, USA 09 July 1943, Medina, Medina, Ohio, USA

Frances Jane "Frankie" Dodge was born on 29 Jun 1862 in the small village of Petersburg in Springfield Township, Mahoning, Ohio, to parents Rufus Dodge and Sarah Bryant.³ Frankie was the 2nd of 3 children, all daughters.

By the summer of 1870 Frankie and her family had moved to Ridgeville, Lorain, Ohio (now North Ridgeville) where they lived with her sister Hattie (until she married), niece Adela, and later, sister Georgianna.⁴

On 24 Feb 1883, Frances Jane Dodge married George Edward Christian in Lorain County, Ohio before Judge E.H. Himman.⁵

In 1887, the family moved into a home on 11 Gregg Street in Cleveland Township, Cuyahoga, Ohio where George was worked as a Machinist. George and Frankie had a total of 5 sons & 2 daughters and by 1897 they were also taking care of Frankie’s father Rufus Dodge who had recently lost his wife.⁶

Interestingly, the 1900 census describes that George spent 2 months unemployed in the previous year.⁶ This information combined with the knowledge that George was a longtime sufferer from Bright's Disease (an archaic term which referred to any kidney disease that produced albumin in the urine) leads me to believe that George needed to be his own boss.

In September 1903, the Christian family sold their home on 11 Gregg Street and moved out to Weymouth Township, Medina, Ohio. Here they bought a house near the intersection of Old Weymouth and Remsen roads where George took up work as a general farmer. Whether this move was a medical decision or not remains unknown.

Most of the children would marry and move out by 1910. The census stated George and Frankie were living with son Howard, daughter Mona, and son Fred with his wife Valeska remaining. Daughter (Ethel) Lucille & her husband Merrill lived next door for a while before they moved to Hinckley.⁷

George died on 07 Feb 1917 in Weymouth, Medina, Ohio from Brights disease: a general term for kidney disease.¹ The Medina Gazette reported that George was a longtime sufferer of heart disease and had been confined to the house in his final days.⁸ Funeral took place on 09 Feb 1917 in Berea at father's home on 95 Beech Street in Berea and George was buried in Woodvale Cemetery.¹

Following George's passing, Frankie sold the family farm and relocated to what is now inside the city limits of Medina, Medina, Ohio. On the 24 Sep 1919, she purchase a home just two blocks northwest of the town square at 240 North Huntington Street. Here she lived with son Howard and daughter Mona. By this time, son Fred & wife Valeska had bought a house close by and were living only two blocks away.⁹

Frankie's son Howard, better known as Pete, became the man of the house, holding jobs such as a Tinner at a Bee supply factory (possibly for A.I. Root) and a cutter at a bending works to help provide. That help was much needed in the coming years as daughter Mona would get married, have 2 children, and then move back home after her husband abandoned the family. The family did have a Radio set (1930 census).¹⁰

Frankie spent the later years of her life playing with and helping raise her daughter Mona’s children. She sold the family home to her son Howard on 15 Oct 1838.

Frankie passed away on 09 Jul 1943 in Medina Township, Medina, Ohio from acute pleuritis and endocarditis at the age of 81. She was buried on 12 Jul 1943 in Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio at Woodvale Cemetery with her husband George at the Christian family burial plot.^{3, 11}

FATHER:

Rufus Dodge, 16 Dec 1825 - 23 Feb 1907

MOTHER:

Sarah C. Bryant, 02 Apr 1829 - 18 Jan 1897

SPOUSE:

George Edward Christian, 22 Nov 1858 - 07 Feb 1917

CHILDREN:

1. Edward Rufus Christian Sr., 19 Apr 1884 – 19 Dec 1943
2. Fredrick Ervin Christian, 03 Dec 1885 – 16 Aug 1945
3. Ethel Lucille Christian, 27 Oct 1887 – 24 Dec 1954
4. Stanley Bryant Christian, 02 Jun 1890 – 08 Oct 1956
5. Lester Clair Christian, 09 Apr 1893 – 16 Mar 1969
6. Mona Marion Christian, 17 Oct 1895 – 10 Oct 1973
7. Howard Emerson 'Pete' Christian, 08 Aug 1897 – 23 Jan 1973

^A The birth returns of Frankie's children, Mona and Howard "Pete", state that Frankie was born specifically in Petersburg, Ohio not the general township of Springfield as commonly stated.

^B Petersburg used to be the principal village of Springfield township early in its history. Many business that were in Petersburg included a grain mill, creamery, butcher shop, coffin shop, millinery, drug store, 2 grocery stores, a liquor store, blacksmith shop, three churches, a barber shop, veterinarian, violin maker, Warner's Inn, the Mahoning House, Petersburg Inn, hardware store, and many other little shops of general merchandise. Today, it's a small unincorporated community of little note.

Sources

¹ George Edward Christian, "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953"; "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8NY-BMN : accessed 07 Feb 2014), George Edward Christian, 07 Feb 1917; citing Medina, Medina, Ohio, reference fn 12632; FHL microfilm 1983934.

² 1880 United States Federal Census about George E. Christian; Year: 1880; Census Place: Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio; Roll: 1009; Family History Film: 1255009; Page: 244C; Enumeration District: 068; Image: 0637.

³ Frances J Christian, "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953"; "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X83L-L4C : accessed 07 Feb 2014), Frances J Christian, 09 Jul 1943; citing Medina, Medina, Ohio, reference fn 45546; FHL microfilm 2024137.

⁴ 1870 United States Federal Census about Francis Dodge; Year: 1870; Census Place: Ridgeville, Lorain, Ohio; Roll: M593_1235; Page: 595A; Image: 581; Family History Library Film: 552734.

⁵ George Christian, "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994"; "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZ2C-GXW : accessed 07 Feb 2014), George Christian and Frankie Dodge, 24 Feb 1883; citing Lorain, Ohio, United States, reference v 4 p 579; FHL microfilm 378293.

⁶ 1900 United States Federal Census about George Christian; Year: 1900; Census Place: Cleveland Ward 42, Cuyahoga, Ohio; Roll: 1260; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0209; FHL microfilm: 1241260.

⁷ 1910 United States Federal Census about George E Christian; Year: 1910; Census Place: Medina, Medina, Ohio; Roll: T624_1205; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 0138; FHL microfilm: 1375218.

⁸ Obituaries of George and Edward Christian, 1917; The Medina Gazette Newspaper; Medina, Medina County, Ohio; Friday, 9 February 1917; Page: 1 & 10.

⁹ 1920 United States Federal Census about Frances J Christian; Year: 1920; Census Place: Medina, Medina, Ohio; Roll: T625_1417; Page: 32A; Enumeration District: 75; Image: 340.

¹⁰ 1930 United States Federal Census about Frances J Christian; Year: 1930; Census Place: Medina, Medina, Ohio; Roll: 1848; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 0014; Image: 686.0; FHL microfilm: 2341582.

¹¹ Obituary of Mrs. George Christian, 1943; The Medina Gazette Newspaper; Medina, Medina County, Ohio; Tuesday, 13 July 1943; Page: 3.