More About Life of Recluse and Hermit-Woman Revealed, June 19, 1926

Relatives of Mrs. Julia Dezerne Have Been Found. . . Daughter, Mrs. Cal Owens, Tells Officers of Brother and Sister—Funeral Here Tomorrow

Relatives of Mrs. Julia Dezerne, recluse and hermit-woman who was killed here Thursday night, have been located and they will arrive here tomorrow to see that their mother is given a decent burial.

Following clues found among letters in the hovel occupied by the dead woman, officers went to Derita, Mecklenburg County, Friday afternoon in search of Mrs. Cal Owens, one of the daughters. Mrs. Owens was fund and told officers she had one sister, Mrs. Willard Kissiah of near Reidsville and one brother, Will Dezerne of Denver, Colorado.

At the request of Mrs. Owens, Chief L.A. Talbirt of the local police department Friday night wrote to Mrs. Kizziah, asking her to come to Concord tomorrow to attend the funeral and a conference with Mrs. Owens. It is probable that the funeral service will be held at Rocky Ridge Church Monday morning. Mrs. Owens told Chief Talbirt she would communicate with her brother, who formerly was in the United States Army and later was associated with a plumbing concern in Denver. He is now a member of a fire department in Denver, Mrs. Owens told Chief Talbirt.

Relatives here for the funeral are expected to remain over Monday and take legal steps to settle the estate of the woman who had accumulated more than $1,500 although on the county’s paper list for more than 15 years. When killed by an automobile driven by H.M. McClure of this city, Mrs. Dezerne carried more than $1,400 in cash on her person and alter a certificate of deposit for $200 was found in the shack she called home.

Although those persons who were familiar with the habits of the deceased expected some cash to be found on her person or in her home, no one apparently suspected that she had accumulated anything like $1,000. She had done no work for years, had lived on berries and herbs and food given to her, and apparently her only income was from berries she picked in the woods and sold in small quantities and for low prices. The fact that she had been on the county’s pauper list for many years is evidence that no one expected she had enough money to live on.

Mr. McClure was exonerated of any blame for the accident when given a hearing by a coroner’s jury here Thursday. He said he did not see the woman and did not know what he had struck until he stopped his car and walked back to where she was lying in the road.

Legal steps to dispose of the estate will be taken the first of the week.

From page 2 of The Concord Daily Tribune, Saturday, June 19, 1926

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