Notes for: George Henry Bodine
From Ronny Bodine:
Charlotte "Lottie" Bodine gave birth to a daughter, Lilly on 14 April 1894 in Bridgeton, Cumberland County, NJ according to county birth records. The father was named Harry H. Thompson. On 6 Nov 1894, Harry H. Thompson and Charlotte Bodine were married in Bridgeton. In June 1900, Lottie Thompson and her children Alice, born March 1895, and George, born March 1899, lived with Herbert Fisher, for whom Lottie worked as a servant. She reported having been married 6 years and having borne 3 children of whom 2 were then living, but her husband was not living with them.
George Bodine was born 31 March 1899 in Bridgeton, Cumberland County, New Jersey according to his newspaper obituary. In 1920, as George Bodine, aged 20, he lived with his aunt Emma Harris, 49 and widowed, uncle Thomas Bodine, 48 and single, and Alice Thompson, 24 and single and who was actually his sister, in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY. Emma Harris, wife of James Harris, was the sister of Thomas Bodine. In 1922, George Bodine married his 1st wife and named his parents as Henry and Lottie Bodine and in 1932, when he married his 2nd wife, he named his parents as George Bodine and Lauretta Fisher.
It now appears evident that George Bodine was born George Thompson in 1899 and was raised by his uncle Thomas Bodine, who never married, and with whom he was living as George Bodine in 1920. In both of his marriage records, George named his mother 1st as Lottie and then as Lauretta Fisher (after Charlotte aka Lottie), perhaps believing his mother had been married to Herbert Fisher at some point and confused his biological father, Harry (aka Henry) Thompson with Thomas Bodine and gave his father's name first as Henry Bodine and then as George Bodine. No record names Thomas Bodine as father of George. In 1940, Thomas Bodine, single, lived with Alice Thompson, also single, who rightfully calls Thomas her uncle, in Fairfield Township, Cumberland County. When George Bodine died in 1957, the newspaper obituary reported Alice Thompson, correctly, as his sister, though referring to her as "Mrs. Alice Thompson."
In April 1930, George and Bertha Bodine lived in Niagara Falls where George worked as a truck driver for a coal company. George and Alice Bodine were buried in Somerset Cemetery, Somerset, Niagara County, New York. George Bodine served during World War I in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Alice (Thiel) Bodine was the daughter of Fred and Rose C. (Schnackel) Thiel.
From Cattaraugus County, New York Marriage Records:
George Henry Bodine, 23, of Niagara Falls, painter, born Bridgeton, NJ, son of Henry Bodine & Lottie AND Bertha Anna Rothenger, 18, of Shingle House, PA, born in Toronto, Canada, daughter of Fred Rothenger & Bertha, were married on 15 April 1922 at Olean, by G. R. Williamson. First marriage for both parties.
From Niagara County, New York Marriages:
George Bodine, 34, chauffeur, born 31 March 1898 in Bridgeton, NJ, son of George Bodine & Lauretta Fisher, divorced from Bertha Bodine 22 Oct 1931 Niagara Co., NY AND Alice Theil, 25, factory worker, born 1 Aug 1907 in Barker, NY, daughter of Fred Theil & Rose Schneckel, were married 6 Sept 1932 in Niagara Falls. His 2nd marriage, her 1st.
From New York Federal Census Records:
1920 (17 Jan) Niagara Falls, Niagara Co.: Emma HARRIS 49 NJ widowed, Charles E. 24 NJ son, George BODINE 20 NJ nephew, Thomas BODINE 48 NJ brother single, Alice THOMPSON 24 NJ niece.
1930 (4 April) Niagara Falls, Niagara Co.: George H. BODINE 31 NJ married@23 coal company truck driver, Bertha A. 24 PA wife married@16, Vera C. 7 NY dau.
1940 (13 April) Somerset Corners, Niagara Co.: George BODINE 41 NJ papermill laborer, Alice 32, George 6, Melvin 3.
Obituary, Union-Sun and Journal (Lockport, N.Y.) of 3 Aug 1957.
A 58-year-old Barker man was fatally injured in a tractor-trailer and automobile collision at Rt. 18 and 269, Niagara - Orleans County Line Rd., Friday evening, Aug. 2, 1957, when he was pinned under the tractor in which he was a passenger. George H. Bodine Quaker Rd., was pronounced dead at the scene by Dr. David Fraser of Lyndonville, Orleans County coroner. Three other persons were injured in the accident. [Portion of accident description omitted.] Mr. Bodine, a solderer at Harrison Radiator Division, General Motors Corp., for the past several years, is survived by his wife, Mrs. Alice Thiel Bodine: a daughter, Karen; two sons, Melvin of Lockport, and George Jr. of Norfolk. Va.; and a sister, Mrs. Alice Thompson of Bridgeton, N. J. Mr. Bodine was born in Bridgeton on March 31, 1899. He had made his home in Barker for the past 20 years. He was a veteran of World War I, having served overseas with the Navy. He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign War Post, Barker. Funeral services will be held at Hood Funeral Home, Barker, at 2 Monday afternoon. Military services will be conducted at the graveside in Somerset Cemetery.