Need help locating a member of the Sexton family

K

kwackster

Joined
Dec 23, 2005
Messages
2,049
Hi Guys,

Having searched the internet and tried various leads over the years i find myself on a dead end, so this is basically my last attempt at finding at least one member of the Sexton family from Hinsdale, Illinois.

The thing is that my Dutch mother used to work for said Sexton family as a nanny in the early '60's of the previous century.
The head of the Sexton family (Bill ?) made his fortune in groceries (i think) and he was also the owner of the Texas Book Depository in Dallas, Texas from where Lee Harvey Oswald supposedly shot Kennedy in 1963.

During her working period for the Sextons my mom made quite a few snapshots of all the family members in their natural habitat, some of Sexton and his wife, and also some of the 5 or 6 children they had.
Later my mom married a Dutch guy in Chicago, and it was there that i was born in 1965.
Sadly the marriage didn't last, so she went back to the Netherlands and i have been living there ever since.

Now my mom died in 1998 and in her belongings we found this envelope with the Sexton pictures.
If it were pics from me and my family dating decades ago i would for certain want them back, so since then i've been on a quest to find a Sexton family member or relative so i can return the pictures.
Btw: not for any fee or such, i just want to return these pictures to their rightful owners.

Long story, i know, but i hope there is someone on this forum who knows someone who knows somebody else, etc, etc.

Thanks in advance for any help or pointers you can give me,

My direct mail address: kwacksterREMOVE@REMOVEgmail.com

Robert
 
I'm out of town for the week, but I do know a Mike Sexton, that I can check with. It may be a couple weeks, as I won't be at church to run into him for awhile.

I'll see if I can find anything out. Long shot, I know, but maybe he knows someone.

email me to remind me, as I would probably forget otherwise. Use the forum address.
 
I can't believe that anyone with any significant connection to the Kennedy assassination could disappear very far. The family would have, in fact, employed Mr. Oswald at the time. I'd start there. There is a museum on the sixth floor of the building today. Perhaps they can help.
 
Gollnick said:
I can't believe that anyone with any significant connection to the Kennedy assassination could disappear very far. The family would have, in fact, employed Mr. Oswald at the time. I'd start there. There is a museum on the sixth floor of the building today. Perhaps they can help.
Click to expand...

Hi Gollnick, i've already been to the sixth floor museum in person, and later e-mailed with the general manager there.
The sad thing is that they had no idea where any of the Sexton's could be reached, but he very much liked to have the original pictures (didn't give him those) for the museum since they had practically nothing on Sexton apart from a few documents and his name written on a wall near the freight elevator.
 
Well, if you can't find the family, at least the museum will give the pictures a home. If the family ever does decide to look into their past, they may contact the museum and then they could see the pictures.
 
i will post a few pics in this thread, hopefully someone (from the family) stumbles across them.

Mr & Mrs John Sexton, dressed for a party in 1961:





AI-enhanced


Mr & Mrs Sexton with German (Sherman ?), Susan, John and Sharon in 1960/1961:





AI-enhanced
 
Last edited:
A few days ago i found these 2 obituaries on the internet, and i think this is the Sexton family i was looking for.
I found Susan Bere from Naples, Florida on Facebook and i already sent her a message plus 2 pictures, i hope she responds and confirms my idea so i can return what is rightfully theirs.

Obituary 1:

William C. Sexton, July 14, 1985

Mass for William C. Sexton, 67, retired vice president of John Sexton & Co., will be said at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church, 306 W. 4th St., Hinsdale.
Mr. Sexton, a resident of Hinsdale, died Friday in Bernard Mitchell Hospital of the University of Chicago.
He was a member of the board of trustees of De Paul University and past president of the International Food Manufacturing Association and the fundraising board of the Stritch School of Medicine.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret; four sons, William, Michael, Sherman and John; three daughters, Sally Kalmbach, Susan Bere and Sharon Page; 10 grandchildren; and a sister.

**********

Obituary 2:

Services are pending for retired rubber company executive William H. Salisbury and his wife, Margaret Sexton Salisbury, both victims of a plane crash Friday in Mexico that killed six tourists and injured 12 others.
The Aerocozumel plane, carrying 18 tourists, crashed about 2:30 p.m. in a remote area about 40 miles south of Cancun. Authorities said engine failure caused the crash.
Mr. Salisbury, 69, and Mrs. Salisbury, 70, had been vacationing in Cozumel, Mexico, since May 1.
Mr. Salisbury, who lived in Winnetka for 35 years before moving with his wife to Burr Ridge last year, was the former president of W.H. Salisbury & Co., a manufacturer of rubber electrical-safety products.
Mr. Salisbury was president of the company for 20 years before he retired in 1986. His grandfather founded the company in 1855.
A four-year lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy during World War II and a Northwestern University graduate, Mr. Salisbury was a member of the Art Institute of Chicago and a patron of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
In 1987, he married Margaret R. Sexton, widow of William C. Sexton, retired executive of John Sexton & Co., a wholesale food distributor.
Mrs. Salisbury, a 35-year Hinsdale resident, cofounded the Hinsdale Assembly and was a director of the Hinsdale Community House. She was an active fundraiser for the Loyola University Medical Center Stritch School of Medicine and the Chicago Boys Club.
Mr. Salisbury is survived by two daughters, Patrice Watrous and Linda Salisbury.
Mrs. Salisbury is survived by four sons, William, Michael, Sherman and John; three daughters, Sally Kalmbach, Susan Bere and Sharon Page; and 16 grandchildren.
Arrangements for services are being handled by the Elliston Funeral Home in Hinsdale.
 
chicagoirish said:
Those are my grandparents, and my mother is one of the children! Were you able to get in touch with someone yet? If not email me at chieventsREMOVE@me.com - I am looking forward to hearing from you!
Click to expand...
Hello i have a very old bible dating back to the 1860's that also had a bunch of older souvenirs as well as names and dates and the last names for most of those people were Sexton! im not sure if it correlates to your family but i would love to find out and find a way to get it to you as well! i know that they located at the First presbyterian church in Aledo IL at one point so if you have any knowledge of that i would love to return it to the family!! please contact my email pattjak12@gmail.com if your interested thank you!!
 
JJ, you're replying to a ten year old thread. Maybe if you PM Kwackster you might get a response.
 
jayjay090 said:
Hello i have a very old bible dating back to the 1860's that also had a bunch of older souvenirs as well as names and dates and the last names for most of those people were Sexton! im not sure if it correlates to your family but i would love to find out and find a way to get it to you as well! i know that they located at the First presbyterian church in Aledo IL at one point so if you have any knowledge of that i would love to return it to the family!! please contact my email pattjak12@gmail.com if your interested thank you!!
Click to expand...
hello, my name is dawn and the youngest daughter of the sexton family is my best friend. if u still have anything from her family please contact me thank you.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top