Nicholas Ayoub Hodge

Photo includes Nicholas Hodge and Rogena Kerbawy and their children Nellie (b. 1905), Ferris (b. 1906), Helen (b. 1908), and Mary Jayne (b. 1910). Photo likely taken around 1911.

There are several names recorded for Nicholas. His passport application (dated 30 July 1902) shows him writing his own name as Ncoila Hiajj. His World War I draft registration card  (dated 11 Sept 1918) shows his name as Nicola Hiajj. His citizenship record lists his name as Neoila Hiajj and Neiola Hiajj. It also appears as Ucoila Hiajj in different handwriting than the other spellings (see highlights below). 

By the 1920 census, his name began showing up as Nicholas Hodge. Though it appears that way on the census as well as in US city directories, no documents have been found that reflect a legal changing of the name to Nicholas Hodge. 

In addition to there being several spellings for his name, there is also some discrepency as to Nicholas's actual birthdate. His passport application and WWI draft card both show his birthdate as 15 Feb 1877, but his obituary and FindAGrave list his birthdate as 20 June 1876. His citizenship application shown above leads me to believe his birthday may also have been 5 March 1876 as it indicates he was 23 as of 5 March of that year, but I am still unsure as to whether not that is an accurate reading of that sentence. His passport and citizenship applications list his place of birth as Assyria, and census records indicate he was born in Syria. He passed down to his children that he was born in Kfeir, Lebanon which would have been part of Syria and the Ottoman Empire at the time of his immigration.

According to his citizenship application, Nicholas immigrated to the United States from present-day Lebanon in 1893. Nicholas's obituary indicates he returned to Lebanon in 1903 to marry Rogena Kerbawy. The couple then returned to the US a year later. So far, no documents have been found that reflect either Nicholas's trip to Lebanon or the couple's return a year later. Early US directories show he initially lived in Toledo, Ohio. By the time of the 1910 census, the family had settled in Morenci, Michigan. He was a merchant by trade and ran a confectionary store in Morenci. His obituary indicates he had operated stores in Toledo, Ohio; Mayfield, Kentucky; Tecumseh, Michigan; Huntington, West Virginia; and Tiptonville, Tennessee at various times as well.