Charles Montague Belcher

  General Notes:

C. Montague Belcher is listed as a farm laborer living with his parents in the Snow Creek area of Franklin County in the 1910 and 1920 Federal Census. Snow Creek is in the south eastern part of the county near the convergence of Henry, Pittsylvania, and Franklin Counties.

The WWI Draft Registration Card for Charles Montague Belcher dated June 5, 1917 at the Snow Creek, Franklin Co., VA registration precinct records his date of birth as October 14, 1895 in Mtn Valley, VA. He is currently living in Figsboro, VA and is employed in farming by C. F. Belcher [his father] of Snow Creek. He is medium height and build with gray eyes and dark brown hair. In a note that explains his fitness to serve he states that "his father is getting old, but is not totally disabled".

The 1930 Federal Census for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 20th Ward, District 555, page 102A records Charles (36 - VA/VA/VA) and May (28 - PA/PA/PA) Belcher with children Paul (2 - Maryland) and June (11/12 - PA) living at 2127 East Side 8th Street in Philidelphia, Pa. They have been married 2 years and are in a rental unit. His occupation is a packer at a bakery. Also at the address is Charles' mother-in-law, Elizabeth Price (57 - PA/France/France), and her son Frank Price (18 - PA). This is May's mother and brother.

Much of the information on the children of Charles Montague and Elizabeth May Price Belcher and their families came from the personal accounts from their son, Fredrick Charles Belcher, written in an email to me on June 24, 2002. Fred and I continue to correspond. Actually, when I found several of my Hagen family had moved to Camden, NJ ca 1890, where they lived, died, and are buried, Fred was gracious enough to go to Harleigh Cemetery and take photographs of the grave markers.

The 1940 Federal Census for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 20th Ward, District 51-228, page 102A, dated 1940 records Charles (44 - VA) and May (34 - PA) Belcher with children June (10 - PA), Frederick (5 - PA), Robert (4 - PA), and Reese (4/12 - PA) renting an apartment at 2012 Wallace Street in Philidelphia, PA at $24 / month. His occupation is a Baker at a Retail Restaurant and earned $1,100 working 52 weeks last year. Charles has completed 2 years of college and May 7 years of schooling.

The WWII Draft Registration Card (for men born on or after April 28, 1877 and on or before February 16, 1897) for Charles Montegue Belcher dated April 27, 1942 lists his date of birth as Oct. 14, 1895 in Henry Co., VA. He is living with his wife, Mrs. May Belcher, at 3202 D. Morris Street in Philadelphia, PA. He is working for Horn & Hardart Baking Co. at 10th & Locust Streets in Philadelphia and his physical description is 5' 11", 164 lbs with brown eyes, black hair and ruddy complexion.

  Research Notes:

Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 14:36:03 -0400
From: fred3202 <fred3202@netzero.net>
Subject: Belcher family
To: lhagen@vt.edu
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700
Mary Lou, thank you so much for responding, I've been trying to learn about the family for some time now without success. I would appreciate anything you can tell me. Especially any personal information about my father; He was such a quiet, private person who never talked about himself and I hardly recall him talking about the family unless there was a trip planned to visit someone; which wasn't often. About 12 years ago my wife, Ann, and I made a trip to Bluefield in an attempt to find my roots. I had always thought dad's home was Bluefield only to be told after our trip that his home was Roanoke. Is that correct? When we had our short visit with Aunt Jaynie in 1970, the only time I met her, she mentioned going "over there" to visit some of the family the next day. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, we were in a hurry to get to Philadelphia and make our onward connections.
In no special format here is the information on Charles Montague Belcher:
Married Elizabeth May Price (she liked to be called May Elizabeth) in 1927 at Philadelphia
Children: Paul, born May 1928 Philadelphia died July 1934 Philadelphia (drowned in the Schuylkill river)
June Elizabeth, born June 6, 1929 - currently living in Florida
Fredrick Charles, born August 5, 1934- currently living in Mt. Laurel, NJ
Robert Oscar, born April 16,1936 - currently living in Philadelphia
Reese Herbert, born March 21,1939 died March 1964 in a truck accident while working for a silver mining co. in Nevada
June had eight children, six in her first marriage to James DiBella - Loraine who died of cancer at age 50, Lois, Laura, Linda, Lisa, and James who died of a heart attack at age 37.
There were two children in the second marriage to Joseph Saggio - Mark and Andrea. All of the surviving children live in New Jersey.
I married Olga Ann DiDomenico on Dec 24, 1953. We have three children, Tina Marie born in Bedford England September 9, 1956, Diane born in Philadelphia March 5, 1958, and Fredrick Mark born Mount Holly, NJ May 19, 1960.
Tina married George Sexton September 19, 1976, they have four children: Nicole Marie, (who is also a school teacher) born December 8, 1978. She teaches fourth grade in Camden, NJ. Douglas George, born April 22, 1981. David Michael, born December 29, 1982. Pamela Ann, born November 5, 1985
Diane has two children one from each marriage. Misty Lee born, June 19, 1976 and Bobbie Leah born June 16, 1991. Unfortunately neither marriage lasted.
Fred has one child Kimberly Ann born March 6, 1986. Fred's was a very short lived marriage. He is now a "ski bum" and does computer work to support his hobby.
Robert has one child - Robert who lives in New Mexico. I'm not sure of the birth date or middle name.
Reese had two children who both live in Alaska. They stayed there with their mother after the divorce.
My memory bank fails frequently so I'll have to get the birthrates of June and Bob's children and send them to you at a later date.
I retired from the federal government in March of this year and am trying to adjust to being unemployed. I was in the Air Force for twenty years, retiring in 1974, and then went to work for the Dept. of Defense as a civilian employee in 1975. We have lived in New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, England and Italy. We moved ten times in 20 years while in the Air Force.
Looking forward to learning more about the family, thank you again for putting me in touch with my ancestors. Is there any information at all on the Minter family? We were always told when we were children that there was Spanish background in dad's family but Minter doesn't sound Spanish at all. Do you know where the Spanish connection might have come from? If there is anything I missed please let me know. It was so great to see those photographs, after all these years I've finally met my grandparents. Your grandparents, Lula and William, were a very attractive couple and they had a beautiful family.
Fred

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Worked in a bakery in 1930 as a Packer and in a Retail Bakery in 1940. Continued working at Horn & Had.

Charles married May Elizabeth Price, daughter of Henry Frank Price and Elizabeth Ledent, in 1926 in Philadelphia, PA. (May Elizabeth Price was born on 15 May 1900 in Philadelphia, PA, died on 16 Apr 1953 in Sacred Heart Home, Philadelphia, PA and was buried on 20 Apr 1953 in Fernwood Cemetery, Fernwood, Delaware Co., PA.) The cause of her death was Carcinoma of Larynx.

  Marriage Notes:

Philadelphia Orphans Court Marriage Records from familysearch.org:
Charles M. Belcher married to Price [May E.] in 1926 #5358004