Born in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States
Ancestors 
Daughter of [father unknown] and Ethel M Dixon
[sibling(s) unknown]
Wife of
Gabriel Eugene Develle
— married
26 Jun 1924 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States
Wife of
George Nicholas (Dardamaneli) Manos
— married
1956 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
[children unknown]
Died
at age 96
in New Rochelle, Westchester, New York, United States [uncertain]
[uncertain]Profile last modified
| Created 30 Apr 2015
This page has been accessed 998 times.
| Mildred (Dixon) Manos is a part of US Black history. Join: US Black Heritage Project Discuss: black_heritage |
Biography
Mildred (Dixon) Manos is Notable.
Mildred Dixon Manos was a professional ballroom dancer who performed at the famed Cotton Club in New York as part of a duo called "Mildred and Henri" and was the companion of Duke Ellington for a number of years.
Mildred was born November 21, 1904 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA, the illegitimate daughter of Ethel Dixon.[1]
1910 CENSUS - Boston Ward 11, Suffolk, Massachusetts [2]
- John J Dixon Head 47 Canada, Black, Widowed
- Joseph Dixon Son 26 Massachusetts, Black, Single
- Ethel M Dixon Dau 25 Massachusetts, Black, Single
- Blanche M Dixon Dau 20 Massachusetts, Black, Single
- Mildred T Dixon Grandau 5 Massachusetts, Mulatto, father born Italy; mother born Massachusetts
1920 CENSUS - Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts [3]
- John J Dixon Head 57 Canada Black Widowed
- Ethel Miro Dau 33 Massachusetts Black Married
- Mildred Miro Grandau 14 Massachusetts, Black (father's place of birth BLANK
Mildred married Gabriel Eugene Gravelle on June 26, 1924 in Boston, Massachusetts. She was 19 years old, a spinster and her mother was Ethel Dixon. He was 26, a bachelor, born in France and his parents were Pierre Develle and Helene Mouchet.[4]
Mildred danced with Henri Wessels in a duo billed as Mildred and Henri and esteemed as one of the finest professional ballroom dance acts in the country. It was while working at the famed Cotton Club in New York that she met Duke Ellington.
She was the live-in companion of Duke Ellington from about 1930 to 1939 when he began his long relationship with Beatrice Ellis (aka Evie Ellington). Considering that Ellington remained married to his wife Edna until her death in 1967, he never married any of his live-in companions, no matter the length of their relationships.
As Mildred Dixon she married George Nicholas Manos (originally named George Nicholas Dardamaneli) in 1956 in Manhattan, New York City, New York.[5]
Mildred died September 18, 2001 in New Rochelle, Westchester, New York.[6]
Obituary
- "Mildred T. Manos, a resident of New Rochelle for over 25 years died Tuesday, September 18, 2001 at Lawrence Hospital. She was 96. Mrs. Manos was born in Boston on November 21, 1904.
- Mrs. Manos married her husband George in 1956 in New York City. George predeceased her in 1980. Mrs. Manos worked as a secretary for Doubleday Publishing for many years. She is survived by many nieces and nephews.
- Visiting will be Thursday 9:30 am at Lloyd Maxcy and Sons Beauchamp Chapel. A funeral service will follow at 10:45 am. Interment will take place at Woodlawn Cemetery.[7]
Sources
- ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4GJ-VRV : 15 January 2020), Mildred Teresa Dixon, 1904.
- ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2K5-SFF : accessed 14 July 2017), Mildred T Dixon in household of John J Dixon, Boston Ward 11, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1415, sheet 10B, family 178, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 618; FHL microfilm 1,374,631.
- ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF9Z-CBD : 1 February 2021), Mildred in entry for John J Dickson, 1920.
- ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q28K-W831 : 10 March 2021), Gabriel E Develle and Mildred T Dixon, 26 Jun 1924; citing Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 831,835.
- ↑ "New York, New York City Marriage Licenses Index, 1950-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLS5-3NPN : 19 June 2017), George Manos and Mildred Dixon, 1956, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States; from Reclaim the Records, The NYC Marriage Index (http://www.nycmarriageindex.com : 2016); citing New York City Clerk's Office.
- ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JTBK-HMN : 20 May 2014), Mildred T Manos, 18 Sep 2001; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
- ↑ The Journal News, Sep. 19, 2001.
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D > Dixon | M > Manos > Mildred Teresa (Dixon) Manos
Categories: Dancers | Boston, Massachusetts | US Black Heritage Project Managed Profiles | African-American Notables | Notables
It's no longer in print from what I've gleaned, but Mercer Ellington's bio is supposed to have all sorts of info.
Even though the Africville bit says she was his 2nd wife, they were never married. He took up with someone else about 1939 (with whom he spent 35 yrs or so and never married either) and that's why he and Mildred went their separate ways.
I've just discovered a marriage for her in 1924 in Boston, so the details on her Wikpedia page about her leaving home there at age 16 are incorrect.
Initially for me it was the Africville connection but lots of fascinating discoveries along the way! Dallas