I am looking for any info on Helen Dixon Crawford or her son Vern Dixon. She lived in South Bend WA area and was the daughter of John and Serine Olsen. They are listed on the 1910 census which shows her as divorced and the mother of Vern Dixon born approx. 1905.
In her father's obit (Willapa Harbor Pilot 6/23/1916) she is listed as a survivor and living in Oregon. It also mentioned she had been librarian there (?) in 1910-1911. Her son was not listed as a survivor, only her mother and Helen.

Her mother remarried in 1920 to Solomon Smith and in her obit (Raymond Herald 3/3/1922) Helen is listed as living in California. Her son was not mentioned in that obit either.

Thanks for any help...
Marge in Michigan

Hi Marge,
What an illusive family! I looked in the US Censuses, FamilySearch and Washington State Digital Archives but found nothing for the family members except for the 1910 Census.

All of the documents that will be in FamilySearch and Washington State Digital Archives aren't all loaded yet so it wouldn't hurt to check them monthly.

I'd also out the USGenWeb Pacific County web site, http://wagenweb.org/pacific/ . They have a volunteer who has access to marriage applications 1890-1938 and other sources.

There is the Pacific County Historical Society who may or may not have genealogy info, http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=217403 .

I'd also look at Random Acts Genealogical Kindness, www.raogk.org, read instructions, choose Washington, choose Pacific County. They have a volunteer who has access to Marriage License Applications 189-1938 and you might find more info on Helen Olsen's marriage to Mr. Dixon.

Another volunteer does public record lookups and I'd be interested in what is on Vern Dixon's birth cert.

People who move and change their names frequently are hard to find info on. Successful Searching!

Thanks for your reply. I have tried several of sources you suggested without any luck. Never had much luck with Random Acts Genealogical Kindness. What little info I have about her, ie, that she was a librarian, married name Crawford, living in Oregon, California, etc. came from a request I made to AskALibrarian@secstate.wa.gov...great service, very genealogy friendly.

I think she was a librarian in South Bend WA sometime around 1912 as I have a copy of a letter her mother, Serine, wrote on letterhead from the South Bend Library.

I am curious as to what happened to her son...nothing on him after the 1910 Pacific County Census...no listing of him in either of his G/P's obituaries.

Thanks again.....

What does Vern's father's obituary say about him? Thomas continued to live in Pacific county after the divorce...

I found several Dixons on the SSDI with Vern's date of birth, but none with the first name of Vern. What was Vern's middle name?

Laura

After putting the baby down for a nap, I had a little free time to search and here's what I found. Keep in mind that nothing is for sure until verified by other sources (of which there will be many).

If this the right Vern then he chose to take his step-father's last name.

In 1920, it would appear that Helene/Gena is living here:

1920;Census Place: Alpine, Benton, Oregon; Roll T625_1491; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 1; Image: 573.
Household Members: Name Age
Guy R Crawford 46~Head~rented house~married~OR~IN~OR~carpenter-house
Gena Crawford 43~wife~immigrated 1890~naturalized~Norway~Norway~Norway
Verne H Crawford 14~son~WA~OR~Norway~attends school
Gail H Crawford 5~daughter~OR~Or~Norway

In 1930 Guy R Crawford is in Delaware, Leavenworth, KS at the National Military Home:
1930; Census Place: Delaware, Leavenworth, Kansas; Roll 707; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 4; Image: 877.0
Crawford, Guy R age 51, WIDOWER, first marriage at age 22, OR~IN~OR, laborer, veteran of Spanish American War.

U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914
Name: Guy R Crawford
Birthyear: abt 1879
Birthplace: Oregon, United States
Enlistment Date: 12 Sep 1908
Enlistment Age: 28 10/12

Name: Guy R Crawford
Birthyear: abt 1880
Birthplace: Oregon, United States
Enlistment Date: 28 Jun 1906
Enlistment Age: 25 7/12

Name: Guy R Crawford
Birthyear: abt 1880
Birthplace: Oregon, United States
Enlistment Date: 13 Dec 1901
Enlistment Age: 21

Based on "Verne's" middle initial and exact birthdate, I found this:
Name: Hugh Crawford
SSN: 562-18-2700
Last Residence: 97206 Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, United States of America
Born: 13 Oct 1905
Died: Nov 1970
State (Year) SSN issued: California (Before 1951)

The Oregon Death Index has a listing like this (which means there is an obvious error somewhere):
Name: Crawford, Hugh Hom
County: Multnomah
Death Date: 28 Nov 1970
Certificate: 17563
Age: 05

Posting on the Multnomah Co. OR forum may lead to an obit for this Hugh, keeping in mind it may not have been his last place of residence, rather where the death benefit was sent.

This should help you narrow down your search.
Good Luck!
Laura

Thanks so much Laura!
The info from the 1920 census will be helpful....I didn't know Gina Helene Olsen Crawford had a dtr. THe last record I could find of her was in her father's obit of 1916 which listed her as living in Oregon and then in her mother's obit of 1922 which listed her as living in Los Angeles, CA. No mention of her son, Verne, dtr Gail or husband were mentioned in either of those obits.
I see about finding an obit for Hugh Crawford.
Thanks again...
Marge in Michigan