He is married to Sarah Dunford.
They got married on October 22, 1915 at Port Huron, Michigan, he was 23 years old.
Child(ren):
Went by the name "Jack".
Attended University of Michigan (engineering) 1912-1914. Captain of Soccer team. Became an accomplished inventor.
Social Security application from 1936 says that he worked at The American Electric Switch Corp. in Minerva, Ohio.
Necrology file from the University of Michigan indicates that Felix lived at 1118 Pearl St., Port Huron, MI in 1913 (and had been there for 5 years). Interestingly, the same card says that Felix was born August 4th, 1891, not 1892 as seen on most documents. It also states that he was born in Windsor, Ont. and not Toledo, Ohio as indicated on his Social Security application.
Married Sarah Dunford on Oct. 22, 1915 in Port Huron, MI. (Great Grandson, Scott Aaron has the original Marriage License signed by Felix, Sarah, and their parents S.J. Watts and Fred J. Dunford).
Died from a stroke.
Address at death: 113 N. Howard St., Croswell, MI. Place of death: Yale Community Hospital, Yale, MI. ; Buried at Croswell Cemetary.
Other addresses:
208 State St., Bronson, MI
6308 Frontenar Ave., Detroit, MI
392 Lakeside Ave., Birmingham, MI
46156 Elizabeth Ave., Birmingham, MI
Story from Margaret Carson (Felix "Jack" Watts niece):
Jack Watts, often came to Detroit on business and stayed overnight with us and my brother and I had to be on the watch for him if we were playing cards because at one point in his life he was much against card playing. At another point in his life his whole family only ate raw foods. Jack was a clever inventor. He and my father often dreamed up great schemes. I remember once when they said we would be millionaires by July, and I was crestfallen when July came and we weren't. My favorite story about him is one my father told, so I can't be sure it is true. (My father thought that a good story was worth a thousand lies.) When he was in Bronson he worked in a small factory that made parts for many years. When the owner of the factory died, his nephew inherited the factory, and threw his weight around, and fired or threatened to fire Jack. Jack quit and took his 49 patents with him so that the nephew inherited, not a business, but a factory building without anything to make. The poor nephew did not know Jack held all the patents. Jack came to Detroit and did very well on his own. I do not know if your grandfather worked for Jack before or after he married Marjorie but they were all prosperous, at least for a time.
Notes from Esther Watts suggest that Felix and brother David were in Columbia, South America at some point.
I have copies of 6 patents for Felix. They range from the year 1928 to 1942. I'm told there are many more, and I will be getting copies of those as well. The ones I have: Electric Lamp Socket, Mounting Means for Lamps in Headlights of Automobiles, Switch, Electric Switch, Lock-Controlled Electric Switch, Lock.
Daughter Bette said that he sold inventions to Henry Ford and was friends with him as well. Bette actually met Henry Ford a couple of times.
18 of Felix Watts' patents can be found at:
http://gb.espacenet.com/
Click on WORLDWIDE-30 MILLION DOCUMENTS.
On the next page type in Watts Felix under INVENTOR
The list will appear. Click on the patent # and it
will load the document.
Became naturalized citizen in 1940.
Watts Felix J. born 8-4-1892 Ontario died Aug. 17, 1966 Yale, MI. of Cerebral Hemorrhage age 74 widowed wife Sarah buried Croswell
Parents Samuel J. Watts and Elizabeth Mills occupation manufactured Electrical Products.
1930 Census record in Bronson, MI indicates that he worked at an automobile accesory shop. Also that he immigrated to the United States in 1907.
Grandchild Nancy Aaron said that Felix and Sarah were Baptists.
In 1917 he was working for General Electric as an electrician in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
"I often wonder what became of the records of that huge engine exibit that Grandpa Watts had at the Ford Rotunda....if there are any photos or descriptions of it. It was a huge mobile that hung from the ceiling of the rotunda with 3 full size engines, one below the other, one rotating left, one rotating right and the bottom one rotating in the opposite direction of the engine above it. They were each enameled in one color. One was red, one blue and one yellow. You could see the pistons going up and down in the engines as they rotated. It was quite an engineering piece!" - Nancy (Aaron) Hincliff, grandchild of Felix Watts.
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