Born to Elijah Matthew and Florence Ann Hall Leonard. Admiral Dewey Leonard m. Avanell E. Roddy in Walker Co., GA on December 25, 1948. Avanell used the last name of Aaron on the marriage license. (Walker Co. Marriages) She was born on December 25, 1914. Her parents were Cecil and Nettie Blanche Roddy. Dewey had resided at his parents until 1947. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on 17 November 1942. Dewey had a charismatic personality where he could pour on the charm to the pleasure of those around him. He fathered a son named Fred Cooper in 1929. Fred would sometimes accompany Dewey on visits to Leonard family members, but Fred otherwise grew up in a stable home with his parents Fred and Nellie Cooper. Dewey married Avanell after she bore his second child, Melba Ann.
Dewey's occupation is listed as plumber during the 1940s, Ken's Place in 1949 and 50, and as an auto salesman at Dixon Motors in 1951. His favorite passtime was gambling. City Directories reveal that Dewey and Avanell moved as often as he changed jobs. His problem was excessive drinking. This contributed to their divorce in January 1950.
Avanell rented a cottage from Ma Leonard that adjoined her home on 28th Street. They continued to work together at Ken's Place. (city directory)
Dewey and Avanell each had hand guns. On July 21, 1952, after a bout of heavy drinking, Dewey phoned Avanell to warn her that he was coming to her residence to take Melba away. She told him that would happen over ‘her dead body'.
She fired a fatal shot to his chest with her .32 caliber pistol when he arrived. He was carrying a 45. During the trial that followed, the judge determined that their relationship was going to result in death to one or the other. In this case, it happened to be Dewey.
Avanell subsequently had a nervous breakdown, suffered from alcoholism, and needed to be in the care of her mother, and eventually her daughter. Avanell never remarried and died at the age of 69 on September 8, 1984 in Hixson, TN. She is buried at Hamilton Memorial Gardens. (obits, EMK and ELC).
Dewey's occupation is listed as plumber during the 1940s, Ken's Place in 1949 and 50, and as an auto salesman at Dixon Motors in 1951. His favorite passtime was gambling. City Directories reveal that Dewey and Avanell moved as often as he changed jobs. His problem was excessive drinking. This contributed to their divorce in January 1950.
Avanell rented a cottage from Ma Leonard that adjoined her home on 28th Street. They continued to work together at Ken's Place. (city directory)
Dewey and Avanell each had hand guns. On July 21, 1952, after a bout of heavy drinking, Dewey phoned Avanell to warn her that he was coming to her residence to take Melba away. She told him that would happen over ‘her dead body'.
She fired a fatal shot to his chest with her .32 caliber pistol when he arrived. He was carrying a 45. During the trial that followed, the judge determined that their relationship was going to result in death to one or the other. In this case, it happened to be Dewey.
Avanell subsequently had a nervous breakdown, suffered from alcoholism, and needed to be in the care of her mother, and eventually her daughter. Avanell never remarried and died at the age of 69 on September 8, 1984 in Hixson, TN. She is buried at Hamilton Memorial Gardens. (obits, EMK and ELC).
Born to Elijah Matthew and Florence Ann Hall Leonard. Admiral Dewey Leonard m. Avanell E. Roddy in Walker Co., GA on December 25, 1948. Avanell used the last name of Aaron on the marriage license. (Walker Co. Marriages) She was born on December 25, 1914. Her parents were Cecil and Nettie Blanche Roddy. Dewey had resided at his parents until 1947. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on 17 November 1942. Dewey had a charismatic personality where he could pour on the charm to the pleasure of those around him. He fathered a son named Fred Cooper in 1929. Fred would sometimes accompany Dewey on visits to Leonard family members, but Fred otherwise grew up in a stable home with his parents Fred and Nellie Cooper. Dewey married Avanell after she bore his second child, Melba Ann.
Dewey's occupation is listed as plumber during the 1940s, Ken's Place in 1949 and 50, and as an auto salesman at Dixon Motors in 1951. His favorite passtime was gambling. City Directories reveal that Dewey and Avanell moved as often as he changed jobs. His problem was excessive drinking. This contributed to their divorce in January 1950.
Avanell rented a cottage from Ma Leonard that adjoined her home on 28th Street. They continued to work together at Ken's Place. (city directory)
Dewey and Avanell each had hand guns. On July 21, 1952, after a bout of heavy drinking, Dewey phoned Avanell to warn her that he was coming to her residence to take Melba away. She told him that would happen over ‘her dead body'.
She fired a fatal shot to his chest with her .32 caliber pistol when he arrived. He was carrying a 45. During the trial that followed, the judge determined that their relationship was going to result in death to one or the other. In this case, it happened to be Dewey.
Avanell subsequently had a nervous breakdown, suffered from alcoholism, and needed to be in the care of her mother, and eventually her daughter. Avanell never remarried and died at the age of 69 on September 8, 1984 in Hixson, TN. She is buried at Hamilton Memorial Gardens. (obits, EMK and ELC).
Dewey's occupation is listed as plumber during the 1940s, Ken's Place in 1949 and 50, and as an auto salesman at Dixon Motors in 1951. His favorite passtime was gambling. City Directories reveal that Dewey and Avanell moved as often as he changed jobs. His problem was excessive drinking. This contributed to their divorce in January 1950.
Avanell rented a cottage from Ma Leonard that adjoined her home on 28th Street. They continued to work together at Ken's Place. (city directory)
Dewey and Avanell each had hand guns. On July 21, 1952, after a bout of heavy drinking, Dewey phoned Avanell to warn her that he was coming to her residence to take Melba away. She told him that would happen over ‘her dead body'.
She fired a fatal shot to his chest with her .32 caliber pistol when he arrived. He was carrying a 45. During the trial that followed, the judge determined that their relationship was going to result in death to one or the other. In this case, it happened to be Dewey.
Avanell subsequently had a nervous breakdown, suffered from alcoholism, and needed to be in the care of her mother, and eventually her daughter. Avanell never remarried and died at the age of 69 on September 8, 1984 in Hixson, TN. She is buried at Hamilton Memorial Gardens. (obits, EMK and ELC).
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