53. Napoleon Alexander Marquis
was born on Nov 15 1891 in Hamilton County, Illinois. He was born on a
Sunday. Napoleon Alexander or N.A. as he was often called was named after a
neighbor Pola Vaughn. N.A. was called Pola (pronounced Polie). This information
was taken from the Family of Alexander Rhodes Marquis and Hannah Mae Pennell,
written in 1988 by Della Marquis Gruthoff and the newspaper obituary of Napoleon
A. Marquis. He was a machinist for W.R. Meadows from in 1944 in Elgin, Kane
County, Illinois. He was previously employed by the Elgin Daily Courier-News
from 1929 to 1944 and prior to that he worked at the Elgin State Hospital.
He died on Jul 5 1956 in Elgin, Kane County, Illinois. Uncle Pola died of
leukemia. The newspaper obituary of N.A. Marquis states: "Napoleon A.
Marquis, 64, of 708 Orange St., a machinist for W.R. Meadows, Inc. died Thursday
morning in his home following an extended illness. An Elgin resident for 44
years, he was employed for the past 12 years by the Meadows firm and previously,
from 1929 to 1944 by the Elgin Daily Courier-News. He was a member of the Elgin
Bible Church.
Surviving besides his widow, Lillie, are three sons, Earl and Richard Marquis
and Cecil Dickerson, all of Elgin; a daughter, Mrs. David (Virginia) Socha of
Elgin; four brothers, Perry, William, Charles, and Lyman; three sisters, Mrs.
Ira (Katherine) Huffstutler, Mrs. Frank (Myrtle) Jordan, and Mrs. Della Gruthoff;
and five grandchildren, all of Elgin. He was preceded in death by a sister,
Mrs. Harry (Eileen) Weichert."
He was buried on Jul 7 1956 in Elgin, Kane County, Illinois. "Funeral
services were Saturday at Bergan Memorial Chapel in Elgin. Officiating was Rev.
T.C. Fletcher of the Elgin Bible Church." N.A. is buried in Bluff City
Cemetery.
N.A. was the first of the Marquis family to move from Hamilton County, Illinois
to Elgin, Kane County, Illinois. The date of this move is around 1912 as taken
from N.A.'s obituary.
According to Patricia Marquis Robbins, Uncle Pola was the first one in the Marquis
family to get a television set. Many stories are told about other Marquis family
members gathering at Pola's home to watch a little square screen that talked.
For example, Lyman Marquis and his family would walk eight blocks and carry
a "treat" to watch television on Tuesday evenings.
He was married
to Lillie Trumbo Dickerson about 1928 in Hamilton County, Illinois. This was
the second marriage for both N.A. and Lillie. Lillie Trumbo had a son named
Cecil by a previous marriage.
Lillie Trumbo Dickerson was born on Sep 20 1895 in
Illinois. This is according to the Social Security Death Record for Lillie Marquis
in Elgin, Illinois. She died in Jan 1975 in Elgin, Kane County, Illinois. Napoleon
Alexander Marquis and Lillie Trumbo Dickerson had the following children:
+64 i.
Virginia Marguerite Marquis.
He was married
to Della Coale about 1911 in Hamilton County, Illinois. He was divorced from
Della Coale about 1925 in Hamilton County, Illinois. Napoleon
Alexander Marquis and Della Coale had the following children:
+65 i.
Earl Duane Marquis.
66 ii.
Alva Richard Marquis was born in Illinois. Excerpts of a letter to Aunt
Della Marquis on May 14, 1975 from A. Richard Marquis, son of N. A. and Della
(Coale) Marquis:
"So nice that you and Aunt Katie have a Grand Hotel for the ‘Grands’.
Those were the days I enjoyed as a kid, visiting with Grandpa and Grandma Marquis,
and playing ‘nosey poker’ on the floor with Uncles Lee, Lyman and Perry.
Don't recall Uncle Bill much as a kid, but did enjoy working with him and Carl
at the Shoe Factory in Elgin during my vacation time from high school...
...I remember going to church in Southern Illinois, and we could hear Grandpa
Marquis singing above all the rest. And I remember a crippled boy who walked,
and even jumped off the wagons, on his hands. My! That seems like a long, long
time ago..."
Dick currently (as of 1997) lives in Huntsville, Alabama.
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