Pictured here is Etta Kent Dewey, wife of Charles Marion Dewey who is buried in Bayview-New York Bay Cemetery in Jersey City, New Jersey with her father in law Milton, her mother in law Pamelia Riggs Dewey, her son Duane Dee Dewey, and her grandson Dix Dewey, Jr. Thee picture was taken in 1922. You can read more about Etta and her family here.
Charles Marion Dewey was born in Martinsburgh, New York on 6 August 1856. Charles was
the son of Milton
Dewey and Pamelia Riggs. When Charles was 8 years old his family moved from
Martinsburgh to Binghamton where Charles spent the rest of his youth. In 1880 when Charles
was 22 he did not show up with his parents in the 1880 census in Binghamton, New York. I
could not find a trace of him until he married Etta Kent in Binghamton, New York on 1
January 1884. That same year his parents decided to leave Binghamton and moved to Jersey
City, New Jersey. Charles and his young bride followed and lived with his parents there. In
October Etta gave birth to a son they named Duane Dee Dewey.
While in New Jersey Charles enjoyed riding his bicycle. Not just for leisure but in competitions. He joined a Jesey City team called the Hudson County Wheelmen and competed in local races. In an article dated 19 August 1897 the Jersey Journal stated:
"Charles M. Dewey of the Hudson County Wheelmen has begun
training for the five mile New Jersey L.A.W. championship
race to be held in connection with the H.C.W. races on
Sept. 4. Dewey is a strong rider and will well up with
the leaders at the finish. In the county championship race
Dewey finished second."
On December 27, 1884 Charles filed his first application for a patent with the United States Patent Office. The patent was for a sewing machine attachment that allowed the user to sew a zig zag stitch. His patent was published on September 22, 1885.
On January 13, 1885 Charles filed another patent application. This patent was for a puzzle. In reading the patent application and drawings, the descriptions and pictures bore a striking resemblance to a baby's developmental toy every modern parent is familiar with. Shaped blocks (triangle, circle, etc) that fit into a board with matching shapes. At the end of the patent application Charles wrote, "I am aware that it is old to make a puzzle." I have to assume Charles was inspired by his young son to invent this puzzle. A month later Charles submitted another patent application that was similar to the original with a few minor changes.
A few months after Charles filed his patents, on Christmas Eve of 1885, Charles and Etta's 14 month old son Duane Dee Dewey died. At the time of his death Etta was 5 months pregnant. Four months later, on 23 April 1886, Etta gave birth to another son that they named Don. One year later, they had another son named Dix Darius who was born on 1 June 1887.
Sometime in 1898 Charles moved his family to Ames, Iowa. They did not stay long. By 1900 Charles had moved his family to St. Louis, Missouri where he took a job as a foreman in a clothing house. Charles suffered from melancholia (depression) for many years. One day in late May of 1904 Etta Kent sent her teenaged sons Don and Dix to look for their father. He had not come home the night before. After several days of looking Dix found his father's body in an empty field. According to his death record, Charles Marion Dewey died on May 25, 1904. Charles had walked to an empty field and ingested carbolic acid in a successful attempt to commit suicide. He was 48 years old.
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