Susie Mae (Fambro) Rivers (abt. 1921)

Born about 1921 in Georgia, United States

Ancestors

Wife of John Lewis Rivers — married 15 Apr 1947 (to 8 Aug 1950) in Miami, Dade, Florida, United States

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Biography

Susie (Fambro) Rivers is a part of US Black heritage.

[Mickey Rivers] moved in with his grandmother, Flora Fambro, before he turned 10.

“My father wouldn’t let me play ball,” Rivers told the Miami News in 1977. “My grandmother would.”^[1]

Susie Rivers raised her son John Milton "Mickey" Rivers in Miami. She and her son would bet on the horses.

"Mickey Rivers was too young to enter Tropical Park racetrack in Miami about 50 years ago, so he watched the horses from behind a fence. Rivers spoke to everyone about the horses. Before a race, his mother would go to him for some advice and for his contribution to a $2 bet. "I gave her 50 cents, we won and I got back $3," Rivers said. "That felt pretty good to me."^[2]

"Mickey's father, John L. Rivers, was a longshoreman who worked on the Miami docks. He became permanently disabled after an on-the-job accident in June 1968. He lives on social security and Veteran's Administration benefits. Until last Sunday, John Rivers had never seen his son play in a professional baseball game, except on television. Mickey has been playing pro ball since 1969. [His grandmother] Mrs. Fambro "I'm almost in my 70s now" always encouraged Mickey to play baseball.

"Ever since he was a little bitty boy, I took him to the park every day to practice," Mrs. Fambro says. "My husband would tell me, 'You go out with him and I'll mind his supper."^[3]

Research Notes

3 Jan 2024: I am now uncertain about the parentage of Susie Mae Rivers. I am investigating whether she was the daughter of Mike Fambro and Flora (Moses) Fambro. Am finding little info on Mike Fambro; think he may also have gone by the name Mack Fambro. Looking for a marriage record of Flora (Moses) and Mike Fambro; her name may not have been Moses at the time she married him.

Flora (Moses) Fambro presumed daughter of Alonzo and Mary Moses; sister of Leila Moses Miles, Annie B Moses, Inez Moses Mitchner, Mary Moses Prophett; Alonzo Moses Jr.; E B Moses; John Moses; James Moses and Jerome Moses. Children: Susie, Jimmy, Rufus and Oliver. Don't know what their LNAB were.

The presumed parents of John Milton "Mickey" Rivers, according to the 1950 Census and marriage records, are John Lewis Rivers and Susie Mae (Joseph) Fambro Rivers, formerly married to Sylvester Fambro. There is, however, more than one Susie Mae Rivers and more than one Sylvester Fambro.

The links in the chain are the marriage record of Susie Mae Joseph and Sylvester Fambro, married 18 Oct 1937 in Spalding County, Georgia.^[4]

In 1940, Sylvester Fambro age 21 (b 1919) and Susie Mae Fambro, age 19, were in Barnesville, Lamar County, Georgia. This census record implies a birth date of 1921 for Susie Mae Fambro. They were in District 533 in Lamar County. No children.^[5] Yet, in the same county, in District 540, are found a Sylvester Fambro, b 1914 in Georgia, with wife Opal L. Fambro and son Sylvester, Jr.^[6]

John Lewis Rivers married Susie Fambro 15 April 1947 in Miami, Dade, Florida. Witnesses were Winnie Lewis and Flora Fambro.^[7]

Flora Fambro, witness, was married to Mike Fambro, according to the 1950 Census for Miami, Dade, Florida. This Mike Fambro was born 1901 in Georgia.^[8]

Sylvester Fambro and Mike Fambro were listed together as brothers in the 1930 Census for Philadelphia, Pa. They were in the family of Amos and Lonie (Rivere) Fambro. Amos Fambro was age 45, negro, b Georgia. Lonie Fambro was age 46, negro, b Georgia. The children in the family were all born in Georgia: Cories, age 23, Amos Jr., age 19, Mike, age 16, and Sylvester, age 13.^[9]This Mike Fambro is about 16 years younger than the Mike Fambro of Miami in the 1950 Census.

Another Sylvester Fambro, however, was residing in Georgia in 1930. "Bittie" Walker was head of household, male, negro, age 63 His wife Ethel was age 30. Son Albert Walker was age 19. Grandchildren were Sallie Pearl Fambro, age 19, Lucile Fambro age 18, Lessie Fambro age 13, and Sylvester Fambro, age 13. District 523, Lamar, Georgia.^[10]

John Lewis Rivers and Susie Mae Rivers were divorced 8 Aug 1950 in Dade County, Florida. Divorce was granted on grounds of "extreme cruelty." There were two minor children.^[11]

In 1950, Susie Mae Rivers was in Miami, age given as 22, birthplace as Alabama. Her marital status was separated; she was working as a maid in a private home. No children were in the household; it appears she was lodging in an apartment or hotel.^[12]

In 1950, John Rivers, age 21, was enumerated in Miami in the 1950 Census. His marital status was separated; he was working for Dade County maintenance division. No children were with him.^[13]

A Susie Mae Rivers was b 1928 and d 2011 in Miami at age 83. Death notices found online give no next of kin.^[14][15] The marriage record of Susie Mae Joseph and Sylvester Fambro, however, indicates a bride older than nine years old.

"Susie Mae Rivers, of Miami" was named as the daughter of Shade Sutton, Jr. in his obituary, in the Americus (Ga.) Times-Recorder. Shade Sutton Jr. died at age 85, 12 Feb 1986, in Smithville, Lee, Georgia. His wife was Ruth (Dismuke) Sutton. His sons were Shade Sutton III of Baltimore, C W Sutton of Smithville; his six daughters were Annie Mae Gilbert of Sanford, FL, Susie Mae Rivers, Miami, Beverly C Sutton and Priscilla Ann Davis of Smithville, Deborah D Burton of Halelock, NC, and Tara Jones of Smithville; a sister, Mrs. Roscell Clark, Thomasville. ^[16] Annie Mae Gilbert was daughter of Shade Sutton and Fannie Shelling, b 28 Apr 1920 in Smithville, Lee, Georgia and d 25 Oct 2004.^[17] Shade Sutton III b 1928; Beverly C Sutton Bady Perez b 1954 d/o Shade Sutton & Ruthie Belle Dismuke.^[18]

Susie Mae Rivers, age 45, died 17 Aug 1996 in Goulds, Dade, Florida. She was the wife of Mack Rivers. Children: Everett, Mack Jr., Ronald, Dwight and Ted. Sisters Mary Alice Wells, Brenda Collier and Teresa Dear and brother Billie Joe Dear.^[19]

Sources

1. ↑ https://baseballhall.org/discover/card-corner/1974-topps-mickey-rivers
2. ↑ "For Rivers, Pursuit of a Different Triple Crown," by Jack Curry, New York Times, June 3, 2007. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/sports/othersports/03curry.html
3. ↑ Palm Beach, Fla., Post, Wednesday, March 23, 1977, p. 43 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/134057603/
4. ↑ "Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q28M-F5ZR : Sat Oct 21 15:19:07 UTC 2023), Entry for Sylvester Fambro and Susie Mae Joseph, 18 Oct 1937.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7GK-YQB : Tue Nov 28 17:33:35 UTC 2023), Entry for Sylvester Fambro and Susie Mae Fambro, 1940.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7G2-WTV : Tue Nov 28 11:35:02 UTC 2023), Entry for Sylvester Fambro and Opal L Fambro, 1940.
7. ↑ "Florida Marriages, 1830-1993", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:23HW-MHY : Tue Oct 24 04:58:47 UTC 2023), Entry for John Lewis Rivers and Susie Fambro, 1947.
8. ↑ "United States 1950 Census", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6X2S-4LYF : Thu Oct 05 11:31:20 UTC 2023), Entry for Mike Fambro and Flora Fambro, April 18, 1950.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH7T-ZL1 : Wed Oct 04 04:32:11 UTC 2023), Entry for Amos Fambro and Lonie Fambro, 1930.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:34ML-RN2 : Wed Oct 04 19:16:53 UTC 2023), Entry for Bittie Walker and Ethel Walker, 1930.
11. ↑ "Florida, Divorce, 1927-1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6N8K-XVZ7 : 8 August 2022), Susie Mae Rivers in entry for John Lewis Rivers, 1950.
12. ↑ "United States 1950 Census", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6X2S-ZTKT : Wed Oct 04 23:43:08 UTC 2023), Entry for Curtiss Barnswell and Agustus Bornwell, April 15, 1950.
13. ↑ "United States 1950 Census", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6X2M-9S3M : Fri Oct 06 11:02:05 UTC 2023), Entry for John Rivers, April 16, 1950.
14. ↑ Miami Times, May 18-21, 2011, p. 20B
15. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VMDV-D3B : 12 January 2021), Susie Mae Rivers, 14 May 2011; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
16. ↑ https://www.blackcemeteries.com/index.php?Inc=obituaries&Type=Name&String=S&pageNum_SearchResults=29
17. ↑ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KSK-WKKX : 10 February 2023), Annie Mae Gilbert,
18. ↑ "Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVY5-BPMV : Sun Oct 15 16:50:02 UTC 2023), Entry for Jose Luis Perez and Roberto Ebner Perez, 17 Nov 1979.
19. ↑ Miami Times, Thursday, 22 Aug 1996, page 5D. https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00028321/02898/37x