Rev. Charles and Mrs. Josephine Dayton Biography

by Mildred Jenkins, May 30, 1980

Norfolk-The Rev. and Mrs. Charles (Josephine) Dayton, Norfolk, are closing the year with the Norfolk Wesleyan Church and are retiring in West Chazy, N.Y., and Brooksville, Fla., (near Orlando).  They will be leaving the last week of June where they will be attending the Annual Conference and Camp Meeting of the Champlain District of the Wesleyan Churches, to be held at West Chazy starting June 25.  The Rev. Dayton’s last Sunday, as pastor of the Norfolk Wesleyan Church will be June 22, and they plan to leave for West Chazy on Monday, June 23.

          The couple’s daughter, Mrs. John (Camilla) Luckey, Alexandria, Va., plans to spend the week-end of June 21 at the home of her parents, and will accompanying them to West Chazy on June 23 and will leave on Tuesday, June 24, to return home to Alexandria, Va.

          The Rev. and Mrs. Dayton have resided in Norfolk for the last four years where the Rev. Dayton has served as pastor of the Norfolk Wesleyan Church. 

Chop and Chip with families probably picking berries on Hadley Hill circa 1929

          This makes 50 years that the Rev. Dayton has served as a minister with the Wesleyan Church, which started in 1930 when he first carried on the work in a country schoolhouse in Lake Luzerne (near Corinth) and in the Wesleyan Methodist Church in East Corinth for two years.  For the past 48 years he has served under Conference appointment, since 1932 with his appointment as pastor, June 1932, in Chittenden, Vt., where he served for three years.

          The Rev. Charles Dayton was ordained by the Champlain Conference in July 1934.  He served as Champlain District President for 22 years.       

          He served the Champlain District in many responsible positions starting as a layman, President, and trustee.  He served several terms as Youth President and several years as Sunday School Secretary, and many years as Camp Meeting President and represented the District several times as the District Representative at the General Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church (which became the Wesleyan Church in 1968) and represented the conference on the college boards at the United Wesleyan College, Allentown, Pa.  He was a member of the comity(sic) Committee for pursuing of the merger of the two churches: The Pilgrim Holiness Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which became the Wesleyan Church in 1968.

          The Rev. Charles Dayton has pastored the following Wesleyan churches: Chittenden, Vt., 1932-1935; Glens Falls, 1935-1940; he started a new church in Watervliet, 1940-1946; he became the Champlain District Superintendent in 1946 where he served until 1952.  He served his home church as pastor from 1952 to 1960.  He became District Superintendent, again, in 1960, where he served in that capacity until 1976, when he was called to become pastor of the Norfolk Wesleyan Church.

          As District Superintendent, he also pastored.  He was instrumental in opening a church in Waterford where he pastored 1945-1946, and he pastored, twice, at the Springfield, Mass., Church, and has opened up other churches.

          The Rev. Dayton has been a member, for the past 40 years, of the Christian Holiness Association, which is a National Organization; and a member of the Board of Administration of the Christian Holiness Association for 25 years.  He served two terms as the President of the New York Holiness Association and has served as President of the Tri-County Holiness Association, for several years, comprising the counties of Saratoga, Washington, and Warren, and has also served as the President of the St. Lawrence County and Clinton County Christian Holiness Association.   At the present time, he is serving as the President of the New York State Christian Holiness Association.

          He has conducted evangelic(sic) Services, done work and preached across the country from Massachusetts to Oregon, Canada, Columbia, South America, Puerto Rico, Italy, and in several other states in the Union.

          The Rev. Charles Dayton was united in marriage to the former Gladys R. McDonald of Corinth, on February 3, 1926. She died in 1949.  They were the parents of two daughters: Isabelle and Doris.  Isabelle is married to Major Quentin O. Hayes, former Chaplain in the U.S. Army, and the couple reside in Phoenixville, Pa.  Doris, who is a Registered Nurse, is married to the Rev. John Lamos, who is pastor of the Springfield, Mass., Wesleyan Church, and the couple reside in Springfield, Mass.

          On April 11, 1950, the Rev. Charles Dayton was united in marriage to the former Josephine Fisher, in Corinth.  They are the parents of one daughter, Mrs. John (Camilla) Luckey, Alexandria, Va. 

          The couple has 8 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

          Mrs. Charles (Josephine) Dayton, is director of Christian Education at the Norfolk Wesleyan Church, and as a retired educator.  She taught for 11 years in Ohio and 11 years in N.Y.S. Public Schools. She also taught missionary training at Nyack and had 4 years’ experience as a civilian supervisor at the military communications in Arlington, VA, during World War II. She also taught in Nyack Missionary Training College, north of New York City, and for the past 15 years she served as District President of the Women’s Missionary Society of the Champlain District. She has taught classes in teacher’s training in the Champlain District churches for the past 30 years. She holds a degree in education from Asbury College, {Wilmore} Kentucky, and a Masters of Religious Education from the Northern Baptist Seminary, Chicago, Ill.  In April 1980, she was re-elected, for a 2^nd term as second Vice President of the Women’s Auxiliary of the National Christian Holiness Association at a meeting held in a Baptist Retreat at Richcrest, North Carolina.

          The Rev. Dayton has also served as President of the Wesleyan Benevolent Society of the Champlain District and at present is a member of the board.

          The Rev. and Mrs. Dayton have made 3 trips to the Holy Land and have given several inspirational illustrated talks of their trips.

          The Rev. Dayton’s ministry has led him on many speaking engagements in evangelism to Europe, to: Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Belgium, Netherlands, Greece, Cyprus and Rhodes in the Mediterranean; and also to Mexico, and several meetings throughout Canada and the Maritimes.

          The Rev. Charles Dayton is now listed with the General Wesleyan Church as an evangelist and with headquarters in Fla., and he will now be traveling throughout the country and to mission fields, overseas, and the Daytons hope to conduct tours to Israel.

          While the couple have resided in Norfolk, the Rev. Dayton, was overseer of the new building annex to the Norfolk Wesleyan Church, the sale of the old parsonage located on Morris St., and the new parsonage located over the church; new piano and organ installed, insulation, paneling, carpeting of the church, and updating of the Sunday School rooms and Sunday School equipment and general repairs.

          Mrs. Josephine Dayton is also Director of the Norfolk Women’s Missionary Society, and treasurer of the WMS, and also Director of Community Missions.

          The Rev. Dayton is a member of the Nutrition Advisory Board of St. Lawrence County.

          Both Rev. and Mrs. Dayton are members of the Jolly Agers Senior Citizens Club of Norfolk; and the Golden Agers Senior Citizens Club of Norwood, and the Rev. Dayton has served 2 years as secretary of the Golden Agers Senior Citizens Club of Norwood; and he is also a member of the Advisory Board of the SLCCSC (St. Lawrence County Council of Senior Citizens).

          Everyone is invited to attend the Open House to honor the Rev. and Mrs. Dayton, which be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday night, June 14^th, in the Norfolk Fire Station so that everyone may come and say “good bye” to the Daytons!

          Everyone who has known and worked with the Rev. and Mrs. Dayton, regret to have them leave Norfolk, but we both know that they are very worthy of their retirement, and even though we dread to see them leave this area, everyone of us wishes both of them the very best in their retirement and in their plans for traveling throughout the country and overseas in evangelism!

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Paul Dayton—the Sportsman I never knew

This post is the first of a multipart series of posts on Dayton family sports interests. 

When you think of the activities the Dayton family are involved in, sports hardly ever comes to mind. The words Dayton and sports used in the same sentence is an oxymoron. We Daytons are more into books, learning, religion, the fine arts and nature.  Seemingly, the Dayton family is not known for sports at all. We seem to have a distaste for them.  Other than hunting, the Dayton boys seemed quite devoid of sports.  At least that’s what I thought until I started doing research for this story.  Now I’m finding sports stories popping up all over the place.  Hail Dayton Sports!   Viva Dayton sports!

I have several ideas which will turn this topic into a multi-post series.  I’ll cover Paul Dayton first.  By doing so, you will get an idea of types of sports information I’d like to report.  You can help by sending me sports stories or information or leave comments on posts which you’ve read.  Any person affiliated with the Dayton clan is fair game… your patriarchs, father, mother, son, daughter, etc. This post about Paul may give you ideas for subsequent posts.

Paul Dayton–The Sportsman I Never Knew

His Toy

I love sports of all types, especially baseball, and college basketball, but I got that from my Carter side of my family.  The Dayton boys loved hunting.  I’m not sure where they developed their skills because Grandpa (Wilber Dayton Sr) never hunted.  Perhaps their interest came from the White family.  Hunting was certainly in Chop’s DNA, and I think the other boys just followed in their big brother’s footsteps.  I’ve written about deer hunting and probably will again in the future. But can you think of any other sport they liked?

Softball

Softball—As I was recently searching though old newspapers, much to my delight, I ran across the article at the left.  Paul Dayton had hit a home run in an organized, town  softball league.  I didn’t even know he played.  The EMBA was a very respectable town league made up of former high school and college ball players.  I don’t know anything more about his softball endeavors than this article.  I do know that he had another baseball glove dating from the 50’s.  It was also in the garage, buried under more imporyant stuff like firewood. I imagine that glove was the one he used in the EMBA league games. I kept that one, had it framed, side by side with my first glove, and gifted them to my grandson Luke.

Baseball

Baseball—Each year, dad took our family to New York City to see either a Yankees or Mets baseball double header. They did it for me.  Dad was frugal, and two games for the price of one was a deal he couldn’t pass up.  In those days, you could take a picnic basket of goodies into the stadium, so mom packed enough to feed setion 207. The year Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth’s home run record we sat in the outfield stands so close to Maris that we could have hit him with a baseball or a bottle when he went to the fence to catch a ball.

In 1964, dad thought it would be a good father-son bonding experience to take me to a Mets-Phillies game at Shea Stadium in New York.  It was a twi-night doubleheader, game time 6:00 p.m.  We travelled by Greyhound bus, leaving about noon and returning about 5 a.m. the next morning.  It was a long day and one I will never forget.  Thanks, dad.

Stock Car Racing

Pete Corey Fonda Speedway 1950’s

Stock Car Racing—Paul was a fan of auto racing.  Most Thursdays we went to the track in Menands, NY, then on Fridays we often went to Saratoga Speedway.  His favorite track was Fonda Speedway where we enjoyed a Saturday evening filled with entertainment.

Corinth Wesleyan Methodist Church held a weekly Prayer Meeting service on Thursday evening until the mid-1950’s.  That conflicted with the Stockcar races, so Paul petitioned the church to change Prayer Meeting to Wednesday evening.  I don’t know the circumstances or motivation for the other board members’ votes, but dad’s reason was clear to everyone.  And they did change to Wednesday evenings.

Swimming

Swimming—Paul always enjoyed swimming.  He was a good swimmer, and he had to be.  He was in the Navy.  Not one of his five kids nor his wife knew how to swim a single stroke.  One summer he was determined to change that.  He thought it best if we were at the beach at 7 A.M. every Saturday morning.  Probably it had something to do with both modesty and timidity.  We returned home around 9 to the greatest breakfast a mom could make (bacon, ham and eggs with all the trimmings).  However, dad’s mission was a failure.  We never learned to swim, and we kids protested so much he ended the experiment after a month.

Logging Competition

Logging Competition—Although dad never competed, we went to a logging competition in Tupper Lake, NY every summer.  The logging show was an outdoor extravaganza with all the latest in logging and sawmill gear.  Kids loved it.  They received vendor samples, watched a big parade of logging machinery, and viewed competitions of chain saw log cutting, axe log cutting, tree climbing and log rolling.  Dad was positively sure that he and Red Allen would be undefeated in the log rolling race, but they never tried.  Any combination of Chip, Paul and Roger would probably have won too.  Dad and I would have come in last.  I was pathetic.

Other Sports

Other sports—A few years before he died, I asked dad if he was interested in any particular sport besides hunting and he said, “oh, I don’t care as long as it isn’t football,” and he reached over and teasingly and lovingly slapped my arm.  I had been the MVP running back on our high school football team.  My mom and dad attended every game, and much later in life they told me they went to the games to make sure I didn’t get hurt.  I’m not sure of the logic of that statement, but I appreciated it.  He went on to mention that he ran cross country for Corinth High school.  The coach begged him to play soccer, but it conflicted with his paper route.  In the winter he liked to play hockey with neighborhood kids.

Although he didn’t like sports all that much, he knew I did so he always read the sports page and was prepared to talk about what happened the day before.  I can remember discussions about Cassius Clay (AKA Mohamad Ali) knocking out Sonny Liston, Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points in a basketball game, and Warren Spahn pitching his 300^th baseball game win. He knew they were my favorite players.

My mom was involved with sports too…she was constantly yelling at me to stop bouncing the basketball in the house.

Challenge On The Hudson River

Today’s post find’s two characters, Chip and Chop Dayton, daring each other to cross the Hudson River by walking across pulp wood blocks which filled the river. I’ll leave it up to you to decide the outcome. These brothers were the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn of the Hudson River. If I had to guess, about 90% of you chose the correct outcome of the story. It’s always fun to listen to Chip, the master story teller, recount the event.

Family Trappers

Anna Maria (Flansburg) White was an accomplished trapper. Most trapping done in the Adirondacks was for the purpose of selling pelts to the local tanneries. The most commonly trapped pelts were muscrat, rabbit and mink, although many other species were also favored by the tanneries. Anna taught her skills to her daughter Jessie Belle Dayton who used to trap more for amusement and to put food on the table than she did commercially.

Listen as Chip tells how his grandmother taught Jessie Belle how to trap partridges.

One day Grandpa Dayton proved he was a better trapper than Grandma…and not only did he trap, but he actually used “Dayton ingenuity” to invent the method. To digress,let me explain “Dayton ingenuity”. When Dayton brothers were suddenly faced with a problem at the sawmill they didn’t look up a “fix it man” in the telephone directory. Instead one brother said to the other, “let’s noodle on this until we come up with a solution”. To use an old business cliche, they thought “out of box” until they found the answer…that is what they called “Dayton Ingenuity”, and it always surely was. Let’s listen as Chip tells us the method.