Weird Stories - Husband And Ex-Husband Die And Are Buried At Same Hour In Oakland Co., Michigan

From the Detroit Free Press (21 January 1909):


Dateline Oxford, Mich., January 20--

John Norris, who died at his home here, was buried in Royal Oak cemetery today. Besides a widow, he left three children, one son and two daughters. He was born in Burlington, Vt., 86 years ago and resided in Michigan 25 years. He was the first postmaster at Auburn, a little village three miles east of Pontiac, a position he held ten years. Later moved to Detroit, where he lived four years, going from there to Pontiac and finally in 1903 came to this village to spend his last days. His first wife was Miss Susie Bean, to whom he was married in 1851 in Pennsylvania. She died nine years ago. He was married in June, 1900, to Mrs. Addie Fox, of Pontiac, at Mt. Clemens. Coincident with the death of John Norris here, came a telegram to Mrs. Norris that her former husband, Andrew Fox, from whom she was divorced, died at Holly at the same hour as did Mr. Norris. The funerals were held at the same hour. Fox was a veteran of the civil war and a former resident of this village.

According to John Norris's Michigan death record, he was the son of Henry & Julia [Eunice] (Weed) Norris and was born in Vermont on November 11, 1822. John Norris was buried in the Royal Oak Cemetery in Oakland County, Michigan.

He was living in Pontiac in 1880:

1880 MI Census, Oakland, Pontiac
J. NORRIS Self M W 50 VT Joiner VT VT
Susan NORRIS Wife M W 48 NY CAN VT
Roswell D. NORRIS Son S W 21 PA VT NY

Adaline and Andrew Fox were living in Oxford, Oakland Co, MI, in 1880:

1880 MI Oakland, Oxford
Andrew J. FOX Self M W 41 MI MI MI
Adeline FOX Wife M W 38 MI NY NY
Moretta FOX Dau M W 11 MI MI MI
John FOX Son S W 3 MI MI MI
Emma FOX Dau S W 2 MI MI MI

Andrew J. Fox, son of Lucien Fox, married Mary E. Lawrence Brayman (daughter of C. & Nancy (Nichols) Lawrence) on December 25, 1897, in Oxford, Oakland Co., Michigan (according to IGI source). He and Mary were living in Oxford in 1900:

1900 MI Oakland, Oxford
Fox, Andrew, Dec 1843, 57, m25, b. MI, pensioner
", Mary, Nov 1853, 47, m? 3children/2living, b. Canada
", John, son, Nov 1876, MI MI MI
", Jesse J., son, Aug 1883, 16, MI MI MI
", Edward, son, Apr 1885, MI MI MI

John Norris and his 2nd wife were servants living in Pontiac in 1900:

1900 MI Oakland, Pontiac Twp.
Starkey, Albert, head, Dec 1853, single, b. Germany
Norris, John, servant, Nov 1823, 76, married "0" years, VT VT VT
Norris, Ada, servant, Aug 1848, 52, " ", MI NY NY

Adeline (Torrey) (Fox) Norris died 5 July 1916 in Oxford, Oakland Co., Michigan, and was buried in Oxford Cemetery. According to her death record she was the daughter of Jonathan & Margaret (Howard) Torrey and was born in Michigan on 20 August 1847.

The actual death records indicated that Mr. Fox may have died on January 16th, just past midnight, and that Mr. Norris died on January 15th about 5:00 P.M., so they may have actually died hours apart but on different days.