A Police Sergeant

In late March of 1893 at South Rockwood, MI, a boy named James Elmer Manning was born to Warren Manning & Helen G Garlick – the Garlick line via the Smith family traces back to Hezekiah Rogers Jr & Hannah Vincent.

According to the census of 1910, 17 year old James was a ‘Salt Worker’ – curious, I went digging. 

It turns out John B Ford had opened the Michigan Alkali Company back in 1893 – using the underground salt deposits, the factory created baking soda, ash & lye.

By 1911, James had married Florence G Cummings, the daughter of John Cummings & Eva Green and together they had 4 children - Arthur, Clinton, Raymond & Wallace.

Sometime between 1920, the birth of their children and 1930, James had moved on from the Alkali Co and was working as a lumberman - one back-breaking job to another but he was about to make another career change.

In 1935, he became a police officer with the Riverview Police Department!  Other than a vacancy, I can not imagine what prompted that type of change but bravo!

Wyandotte News Herald, 27 Jan 1965
Retired Riverview Police Sgt Elmer J Manning was buried at Michigan Memorial Park, Flat rock, Friday, following a funeral service at Nixon Funeral Home, Wyandotte. Manning, 71, of 18309 Riverview, Riverview, died while driving his car in Wyandotte last Tuesday afternoon. The car hit two trees at Seventeenth and Oak. Cause of death was a coronary occlusion (heart attack) which occurred before the accident. Mr Manning is survived by his wife Florence; sons, Clinton, Raymond and Elmer Jr; sisters, Mrs Cleo Trombley and Honor Manning; eight grandchildren, four great grandchildren. He was a member of the police department from Oct 1, 1935 until Aug 13, 1958.

Wyandotte News Herald, 4 Dec 1968
Services were held Monday for Mrs Florence G Manning, 77, of 18309 Riverview, Riverview at Nixon Funeral Home, Wyandotte. Burial was in Michigan Memorial Park, Flat rock. She died Friday at Allen D West Convalescent Home, Detroit. Surviving are her sons, Clinton, Raymond and Elmer Jr; sister Mrs Ethel Valade; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Of their children - stay tuned for the next post.....