Granny's Charlotte Street Neighbor: Miss Bessie

During the early 1970s, my grandmother lived at 203 North Charlotte Street in Dickson. The home, which was originally a duplex, was owned by the Shelton family. One of my grandmother's neighbors was Miss Bessie. I'd written about several other of the Charlotte Street neighbors' families, and I'd intended to write about her at some point, but I had to wait until I could find out her surname.  

The Tax Books for Dickson County(TN) are online at FamilySearch and cover the years 1831-1965. My plan was to use the tax book and the 1950 Census together to see if I could locate anyone on Cullum. 

In the 1950 Census, the entry for 100 Cullum(Dickson TN) was that of Ben F Mason, a 74-year-old widower.  The only other person enumerated with him was his niece, Bessie Holt, a 37-year-old divorcee. That entry and the 1965 tax entry for Bessie Holt showing that Charlotte Street bordered her property on the north gives me enough confidence to conclude that she is the same lady who was my grandmother's neighbor.

I found several other records in the Dickson Co TN records at FamilySearch that contained information about Bessie's life.  In December 1962, she took out a loan and used her household furniture for collateral.  The loans from the finance company were recorded in the county books which give a detailed list of the furniture.

• 1-4 pc. Living Room Suite
• 1-17" Philco Television Set
• 1-5 pc. Dinette Suite
• 1-G.E. Refrigerator
• 1-Gas Kenmore Stove
• 1-Speed Queen Washing Machine
• 1-Mahogany Hollywood Bed
• 1-Lt. Mahogany Chest of Drawers
• 1-Lt. Mahogany Dresser

While researching Bessie's life, I found that she had folks from her Holt and Mason sides who went to Indiana(Marion and Vigo Counties) between 1920 and 1930. Bessie must have visited her family there, as I found a marriage record for her there to Harley Hardiman, an older widower, in December 1930.  There is also some question about whether or not she married a Davis man in the 1960s as her Social Security Information records indicated a name change during that period.  By Bessie's passing, Granny had been gone from the Charlotte Street area for over 15 years and I had moved out of state.  I was heartbroken to learn that she had died as a result of a housefire at her residence. How very sad.  She was laid to rest in the East Dickson Cemetery.

Sources:

Dickson County Tax Records, 1962-1965, Tax year 1965, p 38, entry of Bessie Holt; browsable image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39N-C4YQ?cat=93578&i=782 : accessed 20 November 2024), IGN 8474065, 783 of 906.

1950 US Federal Census, Dickson Co. TN, Enumeration District 22-7, Household #269, sheet 23, Lines 5-6(Ben F Mason & Bessie Holt) 100 Cullum St; FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6FSQ-ZTCN : accessed 20 November 2024), Entry for Ben F Mason and Bessie Holt, 1 May 1950.

Dickson Co. Tennessee, Trust Deeds Vols 86-88(1961-1963), Vol 88, p 343, Chattel Mortgage of Bessie Holt to Hickory Finance of Dickson; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39N-8BPR : accessed Nov 21, 2024) IGN 8475046, image 818 of 958.

"Home fires in Montgomery, Dickson fatal to father and son, elderly woman," The Tennessean, Fri 6 Jan 1989, p B-1, col 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-home-fires-in-montgomery/159449321/ : accessed 20 Nov 2024).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215756933/bessie-holt: accessed November 21, 2024), memorial for Bessie Holt (12 Feb 1904–5 Jan 1989), Memorial ID 215756933, citing East Dickson Cemetery, Dickson, Dickson County, Tennessee, USA.