Friday's Photo: My Grandmother, Edith Giddens, and her Niece, Evelyn James in Phillipsburg, NJ

This is my grandmother, Edith Giddens, in about 1927. She was visiting Phillipsburg. She might have been living in South Orange, New Jersey at the house on Irvington Avenue with her brother, Charles Giddens, and his wife, Louise Uhde. Sometime the next year Grandma was living in Newark. 

Grandma is standing with her niece, Evelyn James. Evelyn was the daughter of Grandma's sister, Elizabeth Giddens, and her husband, Louis James. The James family was living in Easton, PA in 1923 but by 1930 they owned the home at 28 Reese Court in Phillipsburg. I have other photos of Giddens family standing in this spot. Is this the home on Reese Court? Maybe in the back? 

The home at 28 Reese Court was built in 1900. Recorded on the 1930 United States Census, Louis James, his wife, and their children Dorothy, Evelyn, and John were living in the home. 

Also living with the family was Evans James, father of Louis James. It was reported that Louis James owned the home and its value was $3,000.00.

The house can currently be found at Realtor.com with an estimated value of $105,000. It has one bath and three bedrooms. Interior photos can also be found at Realtor.com.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2020

Sources

"28 Reese Ct, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865." Realtor https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/28-Reese-Ct_Phillipsburg_NJ_08865_M52668-34670#photo0. Accessed 10 Apr. 2020.

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn. 

Thanksgiving at the Aviation Free Gunnery School - 1942

Both the names Aviation Free Gunnery School and Naval Air Gunners School were
 found in his scrapbook. The Aviation Free Gunnery School
may have been a part of the Naval Air Gunners School. 

All items seen in this post were found in Uncle Charlie's scrapbook - "Snaps and Scraps, My Life in the Navy"

On September 9, 1942, at age 49, my great-uncle, Charles William Giddens, left from New York City for the U. S. Naval Training Station in Norfolk, Virginia. He arrived September 11th for training in Platoon #51 to become a Chief Specialist G (Gunnery Instructor). Less than a month later, he left Norfolk for his duty station, the Naval Air Gunners School in Hollywood, Florida. 

Mom said her Uncle Charlie was a sharpshooter. He was a sergeant in the U.S. Army's Rainbow Division when he was injured in Sergy, France during WWI in 1918. In 1942 he was a supervisor for the local gas company, was married to Louise Uhde Giddens, and owned a home at 263 Irvingtion Avenue in South Orange, New Jersey. Mom said he tried to rejoin the Army during WWII, but was too old; however, the Navy needed him. At the Gunnery school, he was said to teach new sailors to shoot. 

In 1942, Charlie celebrated his first Thanksgiving in at the gunnery school. Here is the menu. 

Names on the menu:
Charles C. Gold, W. L. Guthrie,
J. R. Fitzpatrick, L. F. Beotte

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2016

Source

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn

Friday's Photo: Charles Giddens Had a House on Irvington Avenue in South Orange, New Jersey

Another photo found in my grandmother's album. This was her brother's home in South Orange, New Jersey. In 1930, Charles W. Giddens reported that he owned the house and its value was $12,000.  From Zillow.com, I learned that this, 1,672 square foot home at 263 Irvington Avenue, was built in 1923 and was last sold in 1987. 

Charles and his wife, Louise moved from Newark, New Jersey into the house sometime after 1925. By 1927, they were living in the house at Irvington Avenue along with my grandmother, Edith Giddens, and Louise's mother, Louise Uhde. My grandmother moved to Newark in 1928. Charles and Louise remained in the house for more than 10 years often taking in boarders and family. 

Charles entered the Navy during WWII and they moved to Florida sometime during the war. It is unknown as to when they sold the house. 

263 Irvington Ave, South Orange, New Jersey at Google Maps

I wondered about the welding sign seen in the front yard. Did Charles have a  
welding business? A search at Ancestry.com indicated that Charles worked for the Public Service Electric and Gas Company while living in South Orange. And, a Google Map search for the house revealed that it still looks very much the same and welding sign was not in the yard, but on the side of a shop next to the house. 

This photo, labeled Charlie & Louise's Trailer - 1930s,
was on the same page as the house photo on Irvington Avenue. 

Diana

© 2015








Resources

Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

"Google Maps." Google Maps. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.

"South Orange Home." 263 Irvington Ave, South Orange, NJ 07079 Is Off Market. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.

Year: 1930; Census Place: South Orange, Essex, New Jersey; Roll: 1343; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0611; FHL microfilm: 2341078

Year: 1940; Census Place: South Orange, Essex, New Jersey; Roll: T627_2340; Page: 61B; Enumeration District: 7-352

Friday's Photo: Another Giddens Family Photograph

This Giddens photo was found in an album that belonged to my grandmother, Edith Giddens Davis. Charles Giddens was her brother and his wife, standing beside him, was Louise Uhde.  The tallest girl is Doris, the daughter of Charles' brother, Warren. The other girl is unknown. I wondered if this could be Evelyn James, daughter of Elizabeth Giddens James, who would be about a year younger than Doris. However, I don't have any photos of Evelyn during this time to compare. 

The photo is not marked, but in the album it is dated "about 1928." My mother wrote this when my grandmother was still living. It is presumed  that the photo was taken in New Jersey. 

Diana

© 2015

Friday's Photo: Louise Uhde

Louise Uhde  1895 - 1975

Charles William Giddens 

Louise Uhde was born March 18, 1895 in New Jersy. Her parents were Soven and Louise Uhde. Louise married my great uncle, Charles William Giddens, on November 27, 1924. This photograph was taken at J. Rennie Smith in Newark, New Jersey. 

Diana

© 2013

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Sources