The decade of 1910-1920 was not a happy one for the Lamons. Anna Lamon was eight years old when her mother, Ann Nora Jacobs Lamon, died on 18 May 1911, from "shock following hysterectomy for cancer of uterus," according to the death record. She was 38 years old. Less than a year later, on 12 February 1912, Anna's father, John E. Lamon, died from "congestion of the brain." Researching that cause of death, I learned that it referred to a swelling of the brain that could result from a variety of causes, all of them some kind of damage to the brain, such as a blow to the head, an infection, or an ischemic stroke. It's not clear from the record what injury John Lamon suffered, but his death must have been sudden and no doubt devastating to his family.
Of the children who were left, four were under the age of 18: Anna, Nettie, Leroy, and Walter. Walter was 17, but the others weren't old enough to go out on their own just yet.
In 1911, before all this happened, the Lamons were living in Savannah. Below is the Savannah Directory listing for that year.
As you can see, John E. and Nora were still alive, living at Montgomery Street. John was still the proprietor of the Palace Pool Room, apparently with a partner, F.J. Ciucevich. John Jr. lived with his parents and was working as a printer at the Savannah Morning News. Walter was also living with John and Nora, working as a clerk and traffic officer for the Central Railway of Georgia.
Leroy, however, was at that time living at 1701 Ogeechee Avenue, which was where his maternal grandmother, Sarah Royal Jacobs, was living. It's not known why he was not living at home, as he was only 12.
In 1913, a year after their father died, Anna and Nettie Lamon became wards of their grandmother, Sarah. Below is a segment of the document that gave her guardianship of the two girls, who would have been 10 and 11 years old at that time.
In 1915, Leroy Lamon was living in Atlanta, working as a clerk for H E Boynton. I haven't been able to learn what kind of company that was. Below is the listing from the Atlanta City Directory.
On August 16 of that year, Leroy Lamon died, and his was another sudden death. The death record describes the cause as "fractured cervical vertebrae"--in other words, a broken neck. There's no record of how he was injured, but he died in Jesup, GA, not Atlanta. Why he was in Jesup is also unknown. Was he murdered? Did he get in a fight? Was he in an accident? Maybe there was a piece in the newspaper of the time that explains. That might be worth looking into.
In any case, another member of the Lamon family died. It's not clear if the two girls were living with their grandmother at this time, but in 1917, Walter, one of the other brothers. claimed he was responsible for them on his WWI draft registration card. Though he was then living in New York City as an engineer with Army transport, he was probably sending money home to care for his sisters.
By 1920, the two girls were no longer living with their grandmother but were boarders in a convent in South Carolina, according to the census record. Why they ended up there is unknown. But not long after that, Anna married Jerome Sternberg and began her life as a wife and mother.
Of the children who were left, four were under the age of 18: Anna, Nettie, Leroy, and Walter. Walter was 17, but the others weren't old enough to go out on their own just yet.
In 1911, before all this happened, the Lamons were living in Savannah. Below is the Savannah Directory listing for that year.
Leroy, however, was at that time living at 1701 Ogeechee Avenue, which was where his maternal grandmother, Sarah Royal Jacobs, was living. It's not known why he was not living at home, as he was only 12.
In 1913, a year after their father died, Anna and Nettie Lamon became wards of their grandmother, Sarah. Below is a segment of the document that gave her guardianship of the two girls, who would have been 10 and 11 years old at that time.
On August 16 of that year, Leroy Lamon died, and his was another sudden death. The death record describes the cause as "fractured cervical vertebrae"--in other words, a broken neck. There's no record of how he was injured, but he died in Jesup, GA, not Atlanta. Why he was in Jesup is also unknown. Was he murdered? Did he get in a fight? Was he in an accident? Maybe there was a piece in the newspaper of the time that explains. That might be worth looking into.
In any case, another member of the Lamon family died. It's not clear if the two girls were living with their grandmother at this time, but in 1917, Walter, one of the other brothers. claimed he was responsible for them on his WWI draft registration card. Though he was then living in New York City as an engineer with Army transport, he was probably sending money home to care for his sisters.
By 1920, the two girls were no longer living with their grandmother but were boarders in a convent in South Carolina, according to the census record. Why they ended up there is unknown. But not long after that, Anna married Jerome Sternberg and began her life as a wife and mother.
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