My Great-Grandparents, Austin W. Leitch and Ella Elinora Thomasson

Austin Leitch ca. 1897

Austin W. Leitch was born on July 4, 1877 in Virginia. His marriage record to Alice Southard from 1927 states he was born in Staunton, VA. The Family Data Collection - Individual Records database at Ancestry.com states he was born in Beverly Manor, August County, VA. Beverley Manor is adjacent to Staunton in Augusta County, Virginia.

He was listed as a member of James Henry Leitch and Cynthia M. Depriest's household in the census on June 5, 1880 at a farm in Beverly Manor, Augusta County, VA along with Celestine Leitch, Ella J. Leitch, Eva Lulu Leitch, Mary J. Leitch, Preston Thompson Leitch Sr., Samuel D. Leitch, and Franklin P. Leitch. Austin was listed as their son, 2 years old and born in Virginia.

He registered for the World War I draft on September 12, 1918 in Snow Hill, Worcester County, MD. He gave and signed his name as "Auston Wilford Leitch", his age as 41, and his birthdate as July 4, 1876 (he would have been 42 with this birth date; his real birth year was 1877). His permanent address was Pocomoke, Worcester County, MD. He was white, native born, and worked as a ship builder for Nelson Bocsfield(?) in Crisfield, Somerset County, MD. He gave his nearest relative as Ella Lenora Leitch, his wife, who also lived in Pocomoke, Worcester County, MD. Austin was of medium height and medium build, with blue eyes and black hair.

Austin Leitch's World War I Draft Registration

Austin lived with John Howard Leitch at 84 Post in Hilton Village, Newport News (Warwick County), VA in 1923. In the 1923 city directory for Newport News, both Austin and his son John were listed as carpenters. According to their 1925 divorce record, Austin and Ella were separated by this time. This is corroborated by Ella having a separate listing in the same 1923 city directory at a different address.

He was a farmer in Richmond, VA on July 20, 1925. This information came from the divorce decree from his first wife, Ella Thomasson.

He was a carpenter in Elmont, VA on September 1, 1927. This information came from the record for his marriage to his second wife, Alice Southard.

Austin was the informant on the death certificate of Alice "Allie" Southard. Alice had been his wife for 12 years when she passed away in 1939.

He appeared in the federal population census on April 27, 1940 in Ashland, Hanover County, VA. John (aka Austin Leitch) was living by himself in a home he owned worth $4000. He was 63 years old, widowed and had a 6th grade education. He had lived in the same house in 1935, He was not working, not seeking work and was unable to work. He had no salary from 1939 but did earn income of more than $50 from other sources. John/Austin was no longer working on a poultry farm like he was in 1930. Charles Harris is listed on the same census page and is no longer listed as owning a poultry farm, but the Linker family listed in 1930 is not on the page, either. John/Austin being widowed matches up with his second wife, Allie, passing away in 1939, and this was before he married his third wife, Melba. His given age, 63, lines up with being born in mid-1877.

He registered for the World War II "Old Man's" Draft on April 27, 1942 in Hanover County, VA. This draft registration was for men born on or after April 28, 1877 and before February 16, 1897. John's name on the registration card was John Wilfred (misspelled - should have been Wilford) Southard, and he lived on Gilman Store Rd., Ashland, Hanover County, VA. His mailing address was R.F.D. 2, Box 22, Ashland, VA. He had no telephone number. His age was listed as 59 (he was actually 64) and his date of birth was July 4, 1882 (actually July 4, 1877) in Augusta County, VA. John gave his wife's name, Mrs. Melba Southard of the same address, as the person who would always know his address. He worked for Southeastern Goode of Charlotte, NC and was currently working at Richmond Air Base, Sandston, Henrico County, VA. I couldn't find any information about his employer, but the Richmond Air Base was an Army Air Base located outside of Richmond in Sandston during World War II. He signed the registration as "J. W. Southard".

Austin Leitch / John Southard World War II "Old Man" Draft Registration

Austin died on August 30, 1954 at the age of 77 at Blue Ridge Sanitarium in Charlottesville, VA. John (aka Austin) had been at the Blue Ridge Sanitarium in Charlottesville, VA for 3 years before he passed away. His usual residence was Route 1 in Ashland, Hanover County, VA. His full name was given as John Wilford Southard, married, 77 years old and born on July 4, 1877 in Virginia. He was a farmer and a carpenter, and his parents were listed as James H. Southard (should be Leitch) and Cynthia Dupriest (I've also seen it spelled as Depriest or DePriest). It was his mother's name on this certificate of death that was the major break in determining that he had changed his name, corroborating the family story I had heard, and what he changed it to. His wife's name was listed as Mrs. John H. Southard, and the informant on the certificate was the records at the sanitarium. John died directly from pulmonary insufficiency which lasted 18 hours, and was due to pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema lasting 3 years, as well as bronchial asthma and bilateral advanced pulmonary tuberculosis that had lasted 4 years. An autopsy was performed. His doctor, H. Charles Walker, Jr., M.D. at the sanitarium attended John from October 13, 1951 until he died on August 30, 1954, when death occurred at 12:15 P.M. Burial was planned for August 31, 1954 at Forest Grove Church in Hanover County, VA. Preddy's Funeral Home in Charlottesville, VA was in charge of arrangements.

Austin Leitch / John Southard Certificate of Death

He was buried on August 31, 1954 at Forest Grove Methodist Church in Ashland, Hanover County, VA. The name on his gravestone was John W. Southard, the name he had changed to after marrying his second wife, Alice Southard. His third wife, Melba Fetty Southard is also buried in the same church graveyard, along with a son from their marriage, Warren Wilford Southard. His birth date on the gravestone is 1882; it is really 1877 but for some reason he started using that birth date when he married Melba.

Austin went through many variations of his name. On the marriage register for Augusta County, VA, his name is listed for his first marriage to Ella Thomasson is Williamsford A. Leitch. Other variations include Austin W. Leitch (from the 1880, 1900, 1920 censuses, his 1925 divorce decree from Ella and his marriage record for his marriage to his second wife, Alice Southard), Auston W. Leitch (1910 census), and Auston Wilford Leitch (from his WWI draft registration). Sometime after his marriage to Alice and before the 1930 census, he changed his name to John (Jack) Southard. In the 1930 census, he is listed as Jack Southard and in the 1940 census his name is John Southard. On his second wife Alice's certificate of death, he is listed as J. W. Southard. On the marriage certificate for his third wife, Melba Fetty, and on his death certificate, he is listed as John Wilford Southard.

Austin W. Leitch and Ella Elinora "Big Mom" Thomasson were married on October 27, 1897 in Staunton, Rockingham County, VA. Austin and Ella were married by C. H. Crowell.  On the marriage register for Augusta County, VA, his name is listed as "Williamsford A. Leitch", his age as 21 (he was really 20), marital status as single, place of birth and current residence as Augusta County, VA, parents as J. W. Leitch and C. M. Depriest and occupation as farming.  Ella's age was given as 17 (she was really 15), marital status as single, place of birth and current residence as Augusta County, VA.

Austin and Ella Leitch, ca 1897 - wedding picture?

They appeared in the census on June 13, 1900 at a house in Middle River District, Augusta County, VA along with John Howard Leitch and Francis A. "Fannie" Frank. Austin was 22 years old, born in July 1891 (the census is hard to read - could be 1877, which matches up with being 22 years old). He and Ella had been married for 2 years. He was born in Virginia, as were his parents, and he worked as a farm laborer. Ella, his wife, was 18 years old, born in December 1881. She had 1 child born and 1 child still living. Ella was also born in Virginia, as were her parents. Both were able to read and write. Their son, John Leitch, lived with them. John was 1 year old, born in October 1898 in Virginia. Also living in the household was Ella's mother (Austin's mother-in-law), Fannie (Frank) Thomasson. Fannie was 56 years old, born in May 1844 in Virginia, as were her parents. She was widowed, and had 10 children born, with 7 children still living. Fannie was also able to read and write.

They appeared in the census on April 16, 1910 at Rehoboth Road in Dublin, Somerset County, MD along with Emma Linora Leitch, Frank C. Leitch, John Howard Leitch, Mamie Virginia Leitch, and William W. Leitch. Auston (a variation on the name "Austin") was 33 years old and married for 12 years to Ella. He worked on his own account as a farmer on their rented farm. Although he was not at work on census day (April 15), he claimed he worked the entire year of 1909. Ella was 28 years old and claimed to have had 6 children, of which 5 were still living. Their older children: John (11 years old), Frank (9 years old) and Emma (7 years old) were all born in Virginia and had attended school since Sept 1, 1909. Their younger daughter, Mamie (my grandmother, 4 years old) was born in Virginia, however, their youngest son, William (5 months old) was born in Maryland.

Austin and Big Mom appeared in the census on January 1, 1920 at Piez Avenue, Hilton Village in Newport Magisterial District, Warwick County, VA along with Emma Linora Leitch, Hunter Austin Leitch, John Howard Leitch, Mamie Virginia Leitch, and William W. Leitch. Austin was 42 years old, married to Ella, and working for wages as a ship carpenter at a shipyard - probably the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company. Ella was 38 years old and had no occupation listed in the census. Their oldest son, John (21 years old), was single and still living with them, and also worked for wages as a carpenter at a shipyard, presumably the same one his father worked at. Their older daughter, Emma (16 years old), was single and no longer in school. She worked for wages as a bookkeeper at an electrical store. Their younger children: Mamie (14 years old), William (10 years old) and Hunter (8 years old) had all attended school since Sept 1, 1919.

1920 Census for Austin Leitch family - about 1/3 down the page from the top

The family lived in a part of Warwick County called Hilton Village. Hilton Village was a planned, English-village-style neighborhood in Newport News, Virginia. Recognized as a pioneering development in urban planning, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood was built between 1918 and 1921 in response to the need for housing during World War I for employees of Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company and is recognized as the United States' first Federal war-housing project.

They were divorced on July 20, 1925 in Newport News, VA. On the divorce decree, the cause was given as desertion and abandonment. The place of marriage was given as Newport News, Va although I have found other evidence that they were married in Staunton, Va. The duration of marriage was 28 years and the time lived together was 25 years, which meant that Ella and Austin had been separated for 3 years (since 1922) before the divorce was granted. My grandmother, Mamie (Leitch) Todd, told me how she had to go to work after Austin left the family (around 1922) and had to lie about being 16 to get a job (she would turn 16 in 1922). According to my Mom, after Austin left Ella ran a boarding house on 34th Street for a judge that practiced in Hampton. One other thing to note from the divorce decree: the ages for both Ella and Austin are a year older than other information I've found, although their ages do agree with the ages given in their marriage information.

1925 Divorce Decree for Austin and Ella Leitch, filed by Ella

Ella Thomasson, ca. 1897

Ella Elinora "Big Mom" Thomasson, daughter of George W. Thomasson and Francis A. Frank, was born on December 25, 1881 in Rockingham County, VA. This date was provided by her second husband, George F. Dunaway, on her death certificate. I believe this to be her correct birth date, with no birth certificate to back it up, and it is supported by her death certificate, her obituary that stated she was 72 when she passed away, and the 1900, 1910 and 1920 census records. I have also found records though indicating she was born a year later than this date, on December 25, 1882. This date is supported by her Social Security application information, the 1940 census and her tombstone, which has her birth year as 1882. However, this 1882 birth date would have meant she was only 14 years old when she married Austin Leitch in 1897. To add to the confusion about her real birth date, her 1925 divorce decree from Austin Leitch indicates a birth year of 1880, while the 1930 census supports a birth year of 1883.

She lived with Mamie Virginia Leitch at 127 34th Street in Newport News, VA in 1925. This address was listed in the 1925 Newport News city directory as a boarding house that Ella ran. Mamie was my grandmother.

She lived in Newport News, VA on July 20, 1925. This information came from her divorce decree. She probably lived at the same boarding house she ran that was listed in the 1925 Newport News city directory.

Big Mom applied for Social Security in May, 1937 in Virginia. She gave her name as Ella Thomason Dunaway, birth date as Dec 25, 1882 and parents as George W. Thomason and Fannie A. Frank. Her Social Security Number was 231-05-0822, and the signature on her card was Ella L. Dunaway. The signature on her Social Security application was different; it was Ella Thomason Dunaway. Note that Thomasson is spelled with one "s" as Thomason.

She was listed in the household of George Dunaway in the census on April 1, 1940 at 1239 22nd Street in Newport News, Warwick County, VA along with Pryor David Martin Jr. She was married to George and 57 years old. She had no occupation outside of the home, no salary from 1939, but had received more than $50 from other sources in 1939. Ella had a 6th grade education. She and George had lived in the same place in 1935.

She lived in the residence of George Dunaway at 111 Cedar Avenue in Newport News, Warwick County, VA in 1946. This information came from the 1946 Newport News city directory.

Ella's children threw a 70th birthday party for her about December 25, 1951. I have a picture from the party, showing all her children and their spouses, except William.

My great-grandmother Ella Dunaway's (seated) 70th birthday party at the Warwick Hotel, Newport News, VA in December 1951. Standing, l-r: Annie Leitch, Zack Todd, Mamie Todd, Hunter Leitch, Frank Leitch, Gladys (Happy) Leitch, George Dunaway, John Leitch, Emma Love, and Hazel Leitch.

Big Mom lived at 309 Pennsylvania Avenue in Hampton, VA until she passed away on September 16, 1954.

She was a member at the time of her death at Ivy Memorial Baptist Church in Hampton, VA on September 16, 1954. She was president of the T.E.L. Bible Class and a former leader of the Rosalie Mills Circle of the W.M.S.

She died of carcinoma of the gall bladder and tongue on September 16, 1954 at the age of 72 in Hampton, VA. At the time of her death, Ella was living at 309 Pennsylvania Avenue, Hampton, Virginia with her second husband, George F. Dunaway. Ella's date of birth was given by the informant, George, as Dec. 25, 1881. George incorrectly listed her father as Frank Leitch and didn't know who her mother was. The doctor, Dr. Siegel, MD of Newport News, VA attended Ella from Aug 7, 1953 until Sep 16, 1954, when death occurred at 1:30 pm.

Ella Dunaway's Certificate of Death

Big Mom's obituary appeared on September 17, 1954 in the Daily Press Newspaper in Newport News, VA. Text of the obituary: "Mrs. Ella Leitch Dunaway, 72, of 309 Pennsylvania Ave., Hampton, died at 1:30 yesterday afternoon at her home after a long illness. A native of Rockingham County, she was a resident of Hampton for the last 35 years. She was a member of the Ivy Memorial Baptist Church, president of the T.E.L. Bible Class and a former leader of the Rosalie Mills Circle of the W.M.S. She is survived by her husband, George F. Dunaway, Hampton; two daughters, Mrs. D.M. Love, Norwood, PA, and Mrs. Z.T. Todd, Hampton; four sons, John H. Leitch, Richmond; Frank C. Leitch, Hampton; William W. Leitch, Chester, PA; and Hunter A. Leitch, Norwood, PA; two sisters, Mrs. Emma Cape, Fresno, Calif., and Mrs. Cora Crider, Harrisonburg; a brother, Robert F. Thomasson, Fresno, Calif.; 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon from the Ivy Memorial Baptist Church with the Rev. W.F. Farrar, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Peninsula Memorial Park Cemetery. The body will remain at the Peninsula Funeral Home until 1:50 Saturday afternoon when it will be taken to the church."

She was buried on September 18, 1954 at Peninsula Memorial Park in Newport News, VA. Her gravestone has her birth year as 1882; I believe it was 1881 based on other evidence.

Austin W. Leitch and Ella Elinora Thomasson had the following children:

1.      John Howard Leitch, born October 25, 1898, Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, VA; married Hazel Estelle Pearce, about 1924, Richmond, VA; died December 20, 1960, Richmond, VA.

2.      Frank C. Leitch, born July 4, 1900, Verona, Augusta County, VA; married Annie T. Mathews, June 15, 1919, Pocomoke City, Worcester County, MD; died January 14, 1976, Hampton, VA.

3.      Emma Linora Leitch, born May 11, 1903; married Pryor David Martin Sr, September 2, 1920, Hilton Village, Newport News (Warwick County), VA; married Alfred Paul Ransome, September 29, 1929, Newport News, VA; married Donald Love, after 1940; died January 7, 1976, Hampton, VA.

4.      Mamie Virginia Leitch, born February 25, 1906, Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, VA; married Zachary Taylor Todd, March 2, 1926, Norfolk, VA; died September 23, 2007, Hampton, VA.

5.      William W. Leitch, born November 24, 1909, Maryland; married Helen Brewster, June 10, 1931, Newport News, VA; died June 5, 1962, Upland Borough, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

6.      Hunter Austin Leitch, born May 28, 1912, Maryland; married Gladys Dawn Dresser, October 4, 1936, Camden, North Carolina; died December 1, 1963, New Castle, New Castle County, DE.

Austin W. Leitch and Alice "Allie" Southard were married on September 1, 1927 in Gordonsville, Orange County, VA. My grandmother never would tell me anything about her father's second marriage. One family story was that he took the maiden name of his second wife, but this marriage index record doesn't say anything about that. This was later proven to be true with his entries in the 1930 and 1940 censuses, among other sources.

They appeared in the federal population census on May 3, 1930 in Ashland, Hanover County, VA. Austin was going by the name of Jack Southard at this point, having changed both his first name to Jack (John) and his last name to the surname of his second wife (Southard), and corroborates what I heard from family tradition. He and his wife, Allie (Alice) lived on a farm they owned. His age was listed as 52 years old, which lines up with being born around July 1877. He claimed he was 48 years old when first married, which roughly lines up with his marriage to Alice in 1927. This is a strange entry because his first marriage was to Ella Thomasson (my great-grandmother) in 1897 when he was 20 years old. The census said he was born in Virginia, as were his parents, and he worked as an employer on a poultry farm, where he was at work the day before the census was taken. His wife, Allie, was 48 years old and 44 years old when first married, again roughly lining up with their marriage in 1927. She was also born in Virginia as were her parents, and she had no occupation listed.

A Charles Harris is listed immediately following the Southard listing and is the only poultry farm owner on the census page. He is probably the owner of the poultry farm that Jack/Austin managed. Another neighbor, Karl Linker (German) also worked on the poultry farm. The Linker family is listed immediately above the Southard family on the census page.

Alice "Allie" Southard, daughter of Harrison Southard and Lucinda Dogger, was born about 1884 in Orange County, VA.

She lived in Gordonsville, Orange County, VA on September 1, 1927.

She died on October 17, 1939 at the age of 55 in Ashland, Hanover County, VA. On her certificate of death, Alice's full name was Allie W. Southard and she had been living in Glen Allen, VA. She was married to John W. Southard (AKA Austin Leitch). Allie was 54 years old, born in Virginia, and worked in her own home. Her parents were James Soudth (Southard?), born in Virginia, and Mary Clayton, also born in Virginia. The informant on the certificate was her husband, J. W. Southard. Her death was primarily due to cerebral apoplexy that occurred on October 15, 3 days before she died. Arterial hypertension was a contributing cause. There was no autopsy, and her doctor, Alexander McLeod, M. D., of Glen Allen, Va, attended her from October 15 through October 18, when she passed away at 8 P.M. Burial was planned at Forest Lawn cemetery in Richmond, VA on October 19, 1939. Crew Clayton Perkins, of Ashland, VA was the undertaker in charge of arrangements.

Allie's obituary appeared on October 18, 1939–October 19, 1939 in the Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper. Her obituary on October 18, 1939 said: "Allie W. Southard, wife of John W. Southard, died Tuesday at Glen Allen. Surviving are her husband and son, John Southard. Funeral arrangements had not been completed last night."

From the October 19, 1939 newspaper: "Funeral services for Mrs. Allie W. Southard, wife of John W. Southard, who died Tuesday at home in Glen Allen, will be held at 3 P. M. Thursday at the Crew, Perkins and Clayton Funeral Home in Ashland. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery here. Surviving are her husband and a son, John Southard."

She was buried on October 19, 1939 at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Ashland, Hanover County, VA.

Austin W. Leitch and Melba Elizabeth Fetty were married on July 29, 1940 in Hanover County, VA. The Certificate of Marriage for John Wilford Southard [aka Austin W. Leitch] and Melba Elizabeth Schwartz stated that John was 58 years old [born about 1882 - he was really born in 1877], born in Augusta County, VA, widowed and had been married twice before. He was a farmer then living in Glen Allen, VA., and his parents were James H. Southard [Leitch] and Cynthia Depriest. Melba was 28 years old [30 or 35 years younger than John, depending on using his birth dates of 1882 or 1877, respectively], born in Hanover County, VA, divorced and had been married once before. Her maiden name was Melba Fetty. She was living then in Ashland, VA., and her parents were Charles Fetty and Flora Farabee. The date of proposed marriage was July 29, 1940 and the place of proposed marriage was Hanover County, VA. Their marriage license was dated July 29, 1940 and it was signed by F. A. Taylor, Deputy Clerk of Circuit Court for Hanover County, VA. They were married on the proposed day and at the proposed place by E. B. Joyner, a Methodist minister.

John's father's name was actually James H. Leitch. His mother's name is correct on the certificate; that was one of the clues that proved Austin had changed his name to John Southard. I don't know if this was the wife that he visited my Grandmother with sometime around 1941. It probably was. If so, I have a picture of the two of them taken around that time. He supposedly told my grandmother to be "nice" to his new wife.

Austin Leitch and his 3rd Wife - Melba Fetty, ca. 1941

Melba Elizabeth Fetty, daughter of Charles Fetty and Flora Farabee, was born in 1912 in Hanover County, VA.

She died in 1990 at the age of 78. I could not find an obituary for her at GenealogyBank.com.

She was buried at Forest Grove Methodist Church in Ashland, Hanover County, VA. She is buried next to her husband, John W. Southard (aka Austin Leitch) and their son, Warren Wilford Southard.

Austin W. Leitch and Melba Elizabeth Fetty had the following child:

                          i.   Warren Wilford Southard was born on February 28, 1949.

He died on February 8, 2010 at the age of 60.

He was buried in Ashland, Hanover County, VA.