Leon (born 3rd June 1889) was the fifth child of John Harmer Jnr., which makes him our John Harmer’s grandson.
Leon grew up with his parents John and Susie and his four siblings at Basking Ridge, Bernards Township, Somerset County, New Jersey. In the 1905 New Jersey State Census, when he was 16, he is described as a plumber.
Marriage
Leon married Mary Nicoll Mcintosh at N.J. in 1913 [New Jersey Marriage Index, 1901-2016]. Mary’s parents were both Scottish, with their ‘tongue’ given as ‘Scotch’, although Mary was born in N.J. on 3rd July 1887 [1920 U.S. State Census and U.S. Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014].
In that year he appears in the Passaic Street Directory at 94 Summer (plumber). He was still working as a plumber in 1916 when the Newark Street Directory lists him at ‘435 S 16th’.
Leon’s WWI Draft Registration Card of June 5th 1917 is a good starting point for finding out more about his adult life. Not only does it tell us that he was of medium height, with brown hair and grey eyes, it informs us that he was married with two children. He gave his address as 19 Romney Road, Bound Brook, New Jersey. Leon’s occupation is given as ‘Steam Fitter’, and his employer was the ‘Chemical Co. of America’, Springfield N.J.
Moving about
The U.S. State Census of January 1920 tells us that by then Leon and Mary had moved to 422 Layfayette Avenue, and that their two children were Margaret (aged 5), and Leon Dudley Jnr. (aged 4 years and 11 months). Leon was working as a steam fitter at a ship yard.
1920 – 1921 Passaic Street Directory – 29 Ward, steam fitter
1923 – 1925 Passaic Street Directory – 179 Burgess Place, steam fitter
1929 – Passaic Street Directory – h14 Federal, plumber
1930 – U.S. State Census – 345 Sherman Street, Passaic. Leon was not a veteran of any military service, and was still a steam fitter. By now another two children had come along, Doris and Myrtle Mae (1929).
1937 – Passaic Street Directory – stmftr (steam fitter) – 229 Brook Avenue
1940 – U.S. State Census – 52 Van Houten Avenue, Passaic. Leon Jnr. was working a 40 hour week as a drill press operator at an airplane factory, and earning 560 dollars per annum. His sister Doris had been out of work for eight weeks and was job hunting.
In 1942 Leon completed a Draft Registration Card, indicating his willingness and ability to join the military. He gave his address as 76 Paulison Avenue, Passaic, N.J., and his next of kin as Mrs. Mary Harmer of the same address. Leon knocked a year off his age, giving his date of birth as 3rd of June 1890. His employers at the time were ‘Wallace and Tierman, Belleville’, which was a water sanitisation company.
Death
Leon died in Aug 1980, when he was 91. His last residence was East Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA, and the last benefit he claimed was when he was living at Providence, Rhode Island [U.S. Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014]. His wife Mary died in May 1980, at the same location. They are buried together at Pawtuxet Memorial Park, Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island.
