George Leon CROSSON Jr. (1922-2008), Part 1

It seems most fitting that I begin with paternal grandfather, George Leon Crosson, Jr. In his later years, he took an avid interest in tracing our family tree. He worked diligently in finding records, writing letters back and forth to various aunts, uncles, and cousins, and exercised great caution when guessing any familial links. 

I owe much of my love for genealogy, and the abundance of stories, records and photographs, to both him and my grandmother, Juliette Otholt Crosson.

George Leon Crosson, Jr.

Birth and Early Childhood

George Leon Crosson, Jr. was born in Neptune Township, Monmouth County, NJ on June 22, 1922 to George Leon Crosson, Sr. and Emily Agnes Bennett. He was their first child.

George Leon Crosson, Jr., 1922

At the time of his birth, his father, who went by his middle name Leon, made his living playing poker at Elk's Club.

In 1925, he and his parents moved into a bungalow in rear of 611 13th Avenue in Belmar. The property was the John Henry Bennett Family home. George's grandmother Mary Elizabeth Allen and Uncle Luke lived in the big house in front.

On April 27, 1926, his mother Emily gave birth to twin boys, Bob and Fred, at home.

"Grandmother Mary Elizabeth, after Bob's birth, on being told there is one more on the way, says, "Mercy!" " 

School Years

The following fall, George was taken in Uncle Bob's open Flint touring car, with Luke for support of Uncle Bob, to his first day of school at St. Rose Parochial School. George describes this experience, saying:

"At the school I refuse to get out of the car, climb up on back seat, hold tight, and scream. Luke and Uncle Bob on sidewalk in front of school, try to pull me out without hurting me. Several nuns in long black robes come over to assist. Large commotion going on, other kids gather to watch. Neither uncle has the stomach for this. They finally give up."

In September 1927, he entered kindergarten in public school.

In 1929, Leon moves the family to a newly purchased home on 4th Avenue in Bradley Beach. That September, George enters the second grade at Bradley Beach Elementary, but then skips to third grade.

George Leon Crosson, Jr. - 2nd Grade
Bradley Beach Elementary

In 1930, the U.S. Census shows us that the family is living at 502 4th Avenue in Bradley Beach. His father is now working as a bookkeeper for the electric company.

In 1930, George underwent an emergency appendectomy at Anna May Memorial Hospital in Spring Lake. During his recovery at home, he develops an abscess on the incision, which the doctor opens up to clean and drain, without anesthetic.

"I remember my screaming, and people holding me down. Large scar still there. Then peritonitis develops, usually fatal then, I believe. Back to Anna May hospital, where at some point during this critical illness double lobar pneumonia sets in. I remember those days and nights in the hospital. Doctor advises parents there is little hope. Later parents receive call at 2 a.m. to come now if they wish to see me again before I die. Family tradition says my mother's hair turned white during this illness (and stayed white). Sick for a long time, went home, then later went into Long Branch hospital, but I don't remember what the problem that took me there was."

Looking back, George, Jr. describes his childhood as being fairly happy. His mother, though he does not remember a feeling of warmth between them, did her job as a housewife and mother, with no neglect or lack of care. He does not remember his father being home much, and when he was he was reading the newspaper or something else. His father was the disciplinarian of last resort, when the offense was too serious for his mother to handle (or when she felt he might as well do some of it).

In 1931, Leon was working as a manager for Proctor-Jones Electric Company. By 1932, the company had gone bankrupt and Leon was out of work.

George Leon Crosson, Sr., Emily Agnes Bennett, and sons (around 1929)

George's Mother Dies

On January 18, 1933, George's mother dies. Of this incident, George writes,

"A couple of days before she died, I remember the doctor being in the house, and several other people, waiting for the pneumonia crisis to occur. It was clear to everyone now that she was gravely ill. Sometime during that afternoon the crisis came, and her turn was for the worse, not better. The next morning she had me brought to the bedroom to say goodbye, to kiss me and hold my hands, and tell me to be a good boy. I have not forgotten the odor of sickness in the room, nor her gravity. The next morning, the day of her death, was a Wednesday. Several people were in the house. Her friends, people like Madge Hurley Schmidt, Mae King White, and others, had been there off and on constantly during the final week. Sometime about 0800 I remember them coming out of the sick room crying and greatly disturbed. I must have realized the worst had happened, but could not comprehend it. Dad came out of the sick room, down the hall to the kitchen, and in the corner of the kitchen put a hand on each wall, put his feet well into the room, leaned forward into the corner and cried and sobbed."

He goes on, saying,

"After a while, Mae King White took me into the living room, sat on the couch, and told me Mother had died. She arranged for me to go up the street to Agnes Murphy's house, where son Bernard, my age, would stay home from school and we would play with his electric trains. So that is where I went, and Bernard did a very good job of entertaining me, but the day passed in a fog, except that every few minutes I would remember that Mother was dead and a shiver would pass over me."

That night, George, Bob, and Fred were taken to the Bennett family home at 611 13th Avenue in Belmar to be with Grandma Bennett, Uncle Luke, and Aunty Marion, and never left.

In February of that year, Leon lost the Bradley Beach house to the bank.