Jennie Beatrice Caesar and Raymond Dixon
Jennie Beatrice Caesar Dixon (Ma) is the granddaughter of James Drinkard and Victoria McClendon Drinkard, and the daughter of Namon and Victoria Drinkard Caesar.
Raymond Benjamin Dixon married Jennie Beatrice Caesar on February 11, 1935. They met when Raymond was 13 and Jennie was 11 in East Orange, New Jersey. Both migrated from Blakely, Georgia as children with their families, yet did not meet until the teens years. The couple eloped and were subsequently blessed with an abundance of children. They lived in East Orange until 1943 then moved to Harlem, New York where their impact is still felt by longtime Harlemites. 103 West 127th Street, Apartment 9 was a famous place because of the Dixon clan. Their next door neighbors in Apartment 10 were Miss Peaches Dumpsey, Larina, and Bootsey. In 1965, the family moved to 158 Liberty Road in Englewood, New Jersey, and the rest is HISTORY! -Submitted by Ramona Gomez, the grand-daughter of Raymond & Jennie Dixon, 1996.
Raymond Benjamin Dixon (Dad) is the son of Elijah Dixon (born 1872) and Roberta Robinson. According to the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Censuses, Elijah and Roberta (a black couple) were married in 1891. Both were born in Georgia, as were their parents. ELIJAH was a farm laborer at a Saw Mill, ROBERTA was a washer woman at home; and both could read and write. They owned a home at Militia District 866, Bluffton Road, Blakely, Early, GA. They have 9 children, including a 3 month old infant. By 1920, the family was living in Orange, Ward 1, Essex, New Jersey. They shared the dwelling at 91 Parron Street #126 with the another African-American family named Newberry. Elijah was 49 and listed as mulatto. Roberta was 46 and listed as mulatto. Raymond Dixon (Dad) was listed in the Census as 4 year old Waymon born in 1916, also mulatto. Elijah was a house carpenter, which he received wages. Their son, Elijah, Jr. (16 years old) was employed as a ship stewart. The couple had 11 children in total:Versa, Raymond, Ozie, Viola, Arcilia, Lucille, Norman, Elijah, Richard, Robert, and Paul.
Early, Georgia in 1870 was the home of the Brinkley Chancy Family, merchants of Dry Goods with real estate worth $4,000 (today's worth is $67,796) and a personal estate worth $2,000 (today's worth is $33,898). Shade Dixon (Discon), a farm laborer lived in the Chancy household. Shade could not read or write. He is important to Dad's historical story because, according to the U.S. Census, in 1880 Elijah Dixon (Dad's father) was an 8 year old boy who lived in the home of a non-direct relative named Shade Dixon, a 28 year old black man and his 24 year old wife, CELIA, and their 11 year old daughter, JULIA, all were laborers. HILLIARD, a 6 year old boy is listed as a relative living in the home as well. Absent any information to counter this, one must assume that HILLIARD and ELIJAH are brothers because both are described as 'non-direct' relatives to SHADE. It is highly likely that SHADE and CELIA were previously enslaved; thus it can be deduced that ELIJAH and HILLIARD's parents were also enslaved and possibly died sometime after 1874 when HILLIARD was born, which would explain why the two boys were living with non-direct relatives. Again, until more data is found to contradict these findings, it is what my research leads me to believe.
For Roberta Robinson (Dad's mother), there are 2 possibilities in identifying her history. First, the 1880 U.S. Census shows a BOBBIE ROBINSON is listed in the U.S. Census as a 5 year old born in 1875 to ANNA and SAMUEL in Davis, Harris, Georgia. Both could write, but not read; and SAMUEL worked in farming. Second, the 1880 U.S. Census shows a ROBERTA ROBINSON, is listed as a 2 year old born in 1878 to ANNETTE and SAMUEL (a laborer) in 27 District, Sumter, Georgia. ANNETTE kept house; and neither could read or write.
Raymond Benjamin Dixon married Jennie Beatrice Caesar on February 11, 1935. They met when Raymond was 13 and Jennie was 11 in East Orange, New Jersey. Both migrated from Blakely, Georgia as children with their families, yet did not meet until the teens years. The couple eloped and were subsequently blessed with an abundance of children. They lived in East Orange until 1943 then moved to Harlem, New York where their impact is still felt by longtime Harlemites. 103 West 127th Street, Apartment 9 was a famous place because of the Dixon clan. Their next door neighbors in Apartment 10 were Miss Peaches Dumpsey, Larina, and Bootsey. In 1965, the family moved to 158 Liberty Road in Englewood, New Jersey, and the rest is HISTORY! -Submitted by Ramona Gomez, the grand-daughter of Raymond & Jennie Dixon, 1996.
Raymond Benjamin Dixon (Dad) is the son of Elijah Dixon (born 1872) and Roberta Robinson. According to the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Censuses, Elijah and Roberta (a black couple) were married in 1891. Both were born in Georgia, as were their parents. ELIJAH was a farm laborer at a Saw Mill, ROBERTA was a washer woman at home; and both could read and write. They owned a home at Militia District 866, Bluffton Road, Blakely, Early, GA. They have 9 children, including a 3 month old infant. By 1920, the family was living in Orange, Ward 1, Essex, New Jersey. They shared the dwelling at 91 Parron Street #126 with the another African-American family named Newberry. Elijah was 49 and listed as mulatto. Roberta was 46 and listed as mulatto. Raymond Dixon (Dad) was listed in the Census as 4 year old Waymon born in 1916, also mulatto. Elijah was a house carpenter, which he received wages. Their son, Elijah, Jr. (16 years old) was employed as a ship stewart. The couple had 11 children in total:Versa, Raymond, Ozie, Viola, Arcilia, Lucille, Norman, Elijah, Richard, Robert, and Paul.
Early, Georgia in 1870 was the home of the Brinkley Chancy Family, merchants of Dry Goods with real estate worth $4,000 (today's worth is $67,796) and a personal estate worth $2,000 (today's worth is $33,898). Shade Dixon (Discon), a farm laborer lived in the Chancy household. Shade could not read or write. He is important to Dad's historical story because, according to the U.S. Census, in 1880 Elijah Dixon (Dad's father) was an 8 year old boy who lived in the home of a non-direct relative named Shade Dixon, a 28 year old black man and his 24 year old wife, CELIA, and their 11 year old daughter, JULIA, all were laborers. HILLIARD, a 6 year old boy is listed as a relative living in the home as well. Absent any information to counter this, one must assume that HILLIARD and ELIJAH are brothers because both are described as 'non-direct' relatives to SHADE. It is highly likely that SHADE and CELIA were previously enslaved; thus it can be deduced that ELIJAH and HILLIARD's parents were also enslaved and possibly died sometime after 1874 when HILLIARD was born, which would explain why the two boys were living with non-direct relatives. Again, until more data is found to contradict these findings, it is what my research leads me to believe.
For Roberta Robinson (Dad's mother), there are 2 possibilities in identifying her history. First, the 1880 U.S. Census shows a BOBBIE ROBINSON is listed in the U.S. Census as a 5 year old born in 1875 to ANNA and SAMUEL in Davis, Harris, Georgia. Both could write, but not read; and SAMUEL worked in farming. Second, the 1880 U.S. Census shows a ROBERTA ROBINSON, is listed as a 2 year old born in 1878 to ANNETTE and SAMUEL (a laborer) in 27 District, Sumter, Georgia. ANNETTE kept house; and neither could read or write.