Fannie H (Stevens) Dodge (1855-1919)

 Birth record for Fannie Harris Stevens. She was b. 6 Sep 1855 in Pittston, Maine to John B. Stevens & Eliza Ann Butland

Marriage Record for Nathaniel T. Dodge & Fannie Harris Stevens. They were married 3 Jan 1874 in Hallowell, Maine.

The only known photo of Fannie Harris (Stevens) Dodge, taken in 1917. She is holding her granddaughter, Virginia Rose (Graham) DeMark. Standing behind Fannie is her youngest daughter, Ann Hazel (Dodge) Graham. The lady on the left is unidentified.


Death Certificate for Fannie H. (Stevens) Dodge. She died 11 May 1919 at Buena Vista, Colorado.

This is her obituary from May, 1919. It was published in the Chaffee County Democrat. Fannie was the daughter of John B. Stevens and Eliza Ann Butland.

Fannie H. Dodge

Fannie H., wife of Nathaniel T. Dodge, died at the family home west of this city last Sunday afternoon, May 11th, at about 4:45 o’clock, after a prolonged illness. Last week Mrs. Dodge was stricken with paralysis which in her weakened condition was followed by fatal results.
The funeral was held from the home Tuesday morning, Rev. A.A. Kidder being in charge of the services and delivering an affecting discourse. A large number of friends were present, many of whom followed the remains to their resting place in Buens Vista cemetery.
For thirty-nine years Mrs. Dodge had resided with her husband and chindren in and near Buena Vista. The family came to Colorado in 1880 from Maine, locating and remaining in this part of the valley from that year to the present time.
Mrs. Dodge was a woman of fine character who will be sadly missed by the numerous friends acquainted by her during her long residence in this section. She was never without a comfting word for the unfortunate or material assistance for the needy, her actions through life being tempered with charity and humaneness. It is not strange that such a one leaves behind her aching hearts and ineffaceable memories.

Fannie H. Dodge became 63 years of age last September, and was born in Pittston, Kennebeck county, Maine. Besides her husband, Nathaniel T. Dodge, she is survived by four daughters, Mrs. Clara Morgan, of Canada; Mrs. Rachel Newitt, of Buena Vista; Mrs. Ann Graham of Olympia, Wash.; and Mrs. Frances Fogalsang, of San Francisco; and five sons, Sherman and Alfred Dodge, of California; Edward and Dwight H. Dodge, of Buena Vista; and James R. Dodge, now with the American army of occupation in Germany. All but two of the children, Sherman and Alfred, were born in Chaffee County.

Nathaniel Toothaker Dodge (1848-1926)

Death Record for Nathaniel T. Dodge

My great-great grandfather, Nathaniel T Dodge, was an interesting charchter, from what my grandpa has told me. Born in 1848 in Maine to James Dodge & Rachel Curtis, Nathaniel was the youngest of nine children. He was a millman in Maine during the 1870's. He married Fannie H Stevens in 1874 and they lived in South Gardiner, Maine with his brothers Asa & Curtis and their families. When his parents died in 1877, Nathaniel, along with his brother Curtis, acted as sureties for thier parent's estate. In 1880, Nathaniel left Maine and settled in Buena Vista, Colorado, joining his sisters Mary & Sarah Bray. Mary had arrived in Colorado in 1874 with her husband Ezekiel B. Bray and Sarah had married her husband, Benjamin D. Bray, there in 1872. The rest of his siblings stayed in Maine. In Colorado, Nathaniel was a farmer, rancher, miner, Justice of the Peace and lawyer. My grandpa told me that "Nathaniel didn't drink, but he wouldn't work either. He had a ranch but never ranched and was a lawyer but never lawyered. He would go into town everyday and let his wife and children run the ranch and take care of the farm. As each of them got older, they left Buena Vista. Some of the sisters we kept in touch with, but we lost touch with all of the brothers." He died in 1926 in Salida, Colorado, not far from Buena Vista. He had a cancerous growth on his face that the doctors in Salida had removed. His death notice in the local newspaper is very shory. It only mentions that he died in the Rio Grande Hospital in Salida and his body was removed to Buena Vista for burial. The picture for Nathaniel T. Dodge is from the 1870's. The picture below is Nathaniel with his daughter Ann, from the mid 1910's. These are the only pictures that my family has of Nathaniel. It really is unfortunate that many of the pictures were either lost of destroyed through the years and that there was nobody to pass them on to. By the time my family started to look for pictures, many of them were already gone.

 Above is the death record for Nathaniel T. Dodge. It doesn't reveal much information on his life, but it is there. He died 27 April 1926 at the Rio Grande Hospital in Salida, Colorado. His death record states he was born 28 May 1844. According to Census Records and Land Patent Records, he was born in 1848. It states he was born in Augusta, Maine. He was born in Rangeley, Maine and grew up in Perkins Plantation, Maine. He did spend some time in Augusta during the 1870's. It lists his father as Arthur Dodge. It does not list his mother. HIs parents were James Dodge & Rachel Curtis.

James Robert Dodge (1894-1949)

James Robert Dodge, my great-grandfather, was born in 1894 in Buena Vista, Colorado. Growing up on the family farm there, he only obtained a 3rd grade education. My great-grandfather was a World War I Veteran (It's too bad my family doesn't have any pictures of Jim from WWI or know where any pictures would be). He enlisted in August of 1918 and took part in the March to the Rhine and the American Army of Occupation before receiving an Honorable Discharge and returning home in August of 1919. My grandpa told me a story about how his dad captured a platoon of Germans while out on patrol (It was one of the only stories he told from the war; he never really talked about what he went through). In my Grandpa's words: "Jim (as my grandpa always called him) and three or four guys were out on patrol and they were walking out across the bridge and they heard some German troops underneath the bridge talking. Jim and his buddies thought that there were only eight or ten of them. They hollered down at these German soldiers to come out with their hands up and that they had a whole company of American Soldiers up there and they’d shoot them all if they didn’t throw their rifles in the river and come up. The German troops heard this and started to come out from under the bridge, dropping their rifles in the river. There were more German soldiers that came out then Jim and his buddies had expected. The German troops were so disgusted, so irate that they let those six guys capture them. They couldn’t do anything because by the time they came out from under the bridge they had thrown their guns in the river. These American soldiers were armed with Springfield Bolt-Action Rifles and held the Germans prisoner. They marched these Germans back to a POW camp and received a citation for their actions."
After he returned home, Jim ran and took care of the family farm until his father, Nathaniel T. Dodge, died in 1926. After that, Jim went to Leadville, Colorado and helped bring up a herd of horses from Leadville to Wyoming. After arriving in Wyoming, he decided to stay there. Jim was a laborer when he first arrived and helped build the old high school in Rawlins. He met and married my great-grandmother, Alice Laura Lemoine, in 1929. They were both living in Laramie, Wyoming when they married. They lived at Windmill Ranch, 18 miles west of Laramie, during the early 1930's. Jim was in charge of the ranch, which was part of the Swift Meat Company. Along with running the ranch, Jim would break horses. He was like the horse whisperer, my grandpa remembers, and was never bucked off a horse when he broke one in. Jim never whipped or beat or used spurs on a horse and he could break in any horse he was given. After leaving the ranch in 1934 or 1935, Jim and his family went to live on a ranch in French Creek as well as working at the pump stations in Sinclair, Wyoming before moving to Rawlins. Jim worked for Carbon County for a time, helping out with highway building before working for the railroad. He started working for Union Pacific during WWII and worked there until his death in 1949. Looking at the pictures of my great-grandfather, I cannot get over how lanky he was. He was a true cowboy and rancher.

John Edward Dodge (1882-1934)

WWI Draft card for John Edward Dodge - Sept 12, 1918.

Death Record for Edward Dodge. He died 9 Sep 1934 in Fairplay, Colorado.

Obituary for Edward Dodge from The Park County Republican and Fairplay Flume - September 14, 1934

One of my great-grandfather's brothers I have found from birth to death is Edward Dodge. He was born John Edward Dodge in 1882 in Buena Vista. He went by his middle name (as do my father and I). Edward was a laborer throughout his life. He worked as a laborer in Buena Vista as well as on the family farm until 1926, when his father Nathaniel T. Dodge died. After this, Edward stayed in Buena Vista (the only one of his siblings that did so) and worked in town and lived at some of the hotels on Buena Vista, including the Wilber Hotel and Bay's Hotel. From what I've found, Edward Dodge stayed in Buena Vista through at least 1930. He is listed in the 1927-28 directory in Buena Vista as a lodger at Wilbur's hotel and in the 1930 Census as a lodger at Bay's hotel. He was a laborer working odd jobs in Buena Vista. Edward eventually left Buena Vista and went to Fairplay, Colorado (45 miles northeast from Buena Vista). He died there in 1934.

Edward never married, so I wonder what pictures and records were lost because of that. When I was looking for Edward's death record, I wrote the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and asked for his death record. Because I had used his full name on the request, they didn't find his death record. I sent another request and got a call from the Dept. of Public Health. They had his death certificate and needed to verify some of the information they had. After talking with them for a minute, it was determined that it was him and they sent me a copy of his death certificate.

The picture I have is very interesting. My grandpa let me borrow some pictures he had and I found this one. The front of the picture identifies the person as Alfred Dodge. On the back the picture is dated 28 Jan 1882, age 52 years. The date and age correspond to Edward's birthdate and age. There is also a death date written on the back of the picture (1936). It is possible that this is when Alfred died or the person writing the information didn't remember exactly remember when Edward died.

Rachel Elizabeth (Dodge) Newitt (1887-1977)

Marriage Record for Rachel Elizabeth Dodge & James Newitt - 20 August 1906

Marriage Announcement - Colorado Republican

SSN Application for Rachel Elizabeth (Dodge) Newitt from 1972. This is the only document I have found that gives the spelling of her father's middle name; Nathaniel Toothaker Dodge

Death Record for Rachel Elizabeth (Dodge) Newitt. She died 30 May 1977 in Tacoma, Washington.

Obituary for Rachel E. (Dodge) Newitt

Mortuary Record for Rachel E. (Dodge) Newitt.

Funeral Record for Rachel E. (Dodge) Newitt

Gravestone for Rachel E. (Dodge) Newitt. She is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Tacoma, Washington (findagrave.com)

Rachel Elizabeth Newitt is one of my great-grandfather's sisters that I have found. Rachel was born in 1887 in Buena Vista and grew up there. The first picture is of the family home in Buena Vista around 1900 (Again, I wish I had more pictures; most of them have either been lost or destroyed over the years and were never passed on because nobody had children to pass them on to). Rachel was a domestic in the early 1900's before she married James Newitt in 1906.
Here is the wedding announcement from the Colorado Republican dated Aug. 23, 1906: 'At the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. N.T. Dodge, west of Buena Vista, Miss Rachel Elizabeth Dodge was united in marriage at noon, Monday, August 20, 1906, to James Newitt; the ceremony was performed by Judge Newitt. Only the immediate relatives were present to witness the ceremony. The couple will make Buena Vista their home for the present. The contracting parties are both well and favorable known in Buena Vista, and they have a large circle of friends who wish them a safe journey in their little craft, matrimony, as it sails out o’er the bounding billows of wedded bliss.'
James Newitt was 18 years older than Rachel and was from England. I was very surprised to find that James Newitt had been married previously to a lady named Maggie Meeter and had two children from that marriage: Keith and Bernice. Maggie died in 1904. Keith was born in 1899 and was a World War I veteran who lived most of his life in California before moving to Oregon, where he died in 1974. He married twice but had no children. Bernice was born in 1902 and was an Army Nurse during the 1920's & 1930's. She died in 1982 in California and never married. James & Rachel had three children together: James Francis, Edna Rae and Frances Mae Newitt. James Francis Newitt was born April 29, 1907 and died May 4, 1907 in Buena Vista. Edna was born in 1908 and died in 1999 in Tacoma, Washington. The second picture is of Edna; she was also a nurse in Tacoma for years and years. She married twice but never had any children. Frances was a surprise to me because there is nothing on her in my family records. She was born in 1910 and was only around in the 1920 Census. She passed away in 1926 in Grand Junction, Colorado. James & Rachel lived with her father, Nathaniel T. Dodge, in Buena Vista until 1921, when they moved to Grand Junction. They lived there until 1931, when they moved to Tacoma, Washington. James passed away there in 1952; Rachel passed away in 1977. I was surprised to learn she had lived so long.
Here is her obituary: 'Rachel Newitt, 90, a longtime resident of Tacoma, died Monday. Mrs. Newitt, of 217 S. 76th St., was born in Buena Vista, Colo., and had lived here since 1931. She was a member of St. Ann's Catholic Church. Survivors are a daughter, Edna Patterson of Tacoma, and a step[daughter] Bernice Newitt, of Glendale, Calif. Gaffney Funeral Home is in charge.'

Ann Hazel (Dodge) Graham (1896-1961)

Marriage Record for Ann H. Dodge & Earl G Graham - 21 July 1915.

Marriage announcement - Chaffee County Democrat

SSN Application for Ann H. (Dodge) Graham - 14 February 1942.

Death Certificate for Ann H. (Dodge) Graham. She died 6 Jan 1961 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Obituary for Ann H. (Dodge) Graham.

Obituary for Virginia (Graham) DeMark & Don DeMark. Virginia was the daughter of Ann H. (Dodge) Graham & Earl G. Graham.

Another of my great-grandfather's sisters I have found is Ann Hazel Graham. Ann was born in 1896 in Buena Vista. She was the youngest of the children and by 1910 was the only one attending school. She married George Earl Graham in 1915. Here is their wedding announcement from the Chaffee County Republican dated July 24, 1915, 'Earl G. Graham and Miss. Anna Hazel Dodge were married Wednesday evening at the home of Rev. MacInnes. Both young people are well known, well liked and enjoy a wide circle of friends, who will be pleased to hear of their happy wedding. They will make this city their home.'

They had one daughter, Virginia, born in 1917. Virginia married Don DeMark in 1939. They both died in 1991. They didn't have any children of their own; so that ends that line. Here are the pictures I have are of Ann. The first picture is from 1915. Ann is in the middle. The man on the right is her father, Nathaniel T. Dodge. I don't know who the lady is on the left. The second picture is from 1917. Ann is with her mother, Fannie H. (Stevens) Dodge, who is holding her granddaughter Virginia. The lady on the left is unidentified. The third picture is of Ann during the 1930's. Ann and her family seemed to move around over the years. In 1919, they were living in Olympia, Washington. The following year they are back in Buena Vista. During the 1920's & 1930's they lived in Colorado Springs. Ann worked as a manager of the El Patio Lodge in Colorado Springs during the 1930's and early 1940's. They left Colorado during the 1940's and lived in Utah for a few years before moving to Norhten California. Ann returned to Colorado Springs in the late 1950's, and passed away there in 1961.

Gravestones for Ann Graham (1896-1961) and Virginia DeMark (1917-1991), her daughter.

Frances Cleveland (Dodge) Nemetzky (1888-1955)

Marriage record for Frances C. Dodge & Thomas Fogalsang - 24 June 1916


Passport Application for Thomas E. Fogalsang - February 1923

Mortuary Record for Thomas E. Fogalsang

Marriage Record for Frances C. Dodge & David Nemetzky - 24 January 1930

WWII Draft Registration Card for David Nemetzky

Mortuary Records for David Nemetzky

Death record for Frances C. Dodge - 3 October 1955


Mortuary Records for Frances C. Nemetzky

Obituary for Frances C. Dodge

I've had more luck finding my great-grandfather's sister Frances Cleveland Nemetzky, mostly because my great-grandfather had kept in touch with her. Frances was born in 1888 in Buena Vista and grew up there. She left home and in 1910 was a Nursing Student in Longmont, Colorado. My grandpa (or was it my mother who had talked to my great-grandmother) had mentioned to me that one of my great-grandfather's sisters had been a nurse. I found some information on the Longmont Hospital Association and their nursing program online. It was a three-year program. They had to have good moral character, sound health, common sense and a high school diploma (I wonder how many of my great-grandfather's siblings had high school diplomas). They worked 12 hours on night duty and 12 hours of day duty. They were also required to purchase their own books and uniforms. Tuition was free and they were paid $6 per month. After this, Frances went out to San Francisco, California and was a nurse out there. Frances eventually came to own and run a candy store in San Francisco called Fogalsangs Pru-Nut Creams. My grandfather remembers traveling to San Francisco when he was a kid and visiting Frances there. She married twice. Her first husband was Thomas Fogalsang, who was an Electrical Engineer. They married in 1916. Thomas died in 1928. Her second husband was David Nemetzky, who was a pharmicist. They married in 1930. David died in 1947. Frances never had any children and was very well off because of her business. When she died in 1955, she left her money to her nieces and nephews. The picture is of her storefront during the 1930's. My great-grandfather, James R. Dodge, is standing in front.

Here are some pictures of her gravestone (courtesy of findagrave.com)