November 13, 2025
Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry continues her series on the genealogy of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, focusing on connections to the familial lines of Elthina Foster (Wixon) Joy. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.
Today I resume my series on “Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe,” focusing on the familial lines of Elthina Foster (Wixon) Joy (1847-1934), a direct descendant of Mayflower passengers Thomas Rogers, Joseph Rogers, Stephen Hopkins, and Constance Hopkins. She married Daniel Chase Joy, a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger Edward Winslow.
(Note: spelling for her name varies. Some records have Elthina while others have Elthinia.)
Here is a photo of Elthina Foster (Wixon) Joy.
And here is a photo of her mother, Elthina (Wixon) Wixon (1822-1894), who married her cousin Ira Wixon.
While researching the Snow family I stumbled across the Pauline Wixon Derick Photo Album, part of the digital online collection with the Dennis Historical Society in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I have not located a photo of Elthina’s husband.
Below is a photo of Elthina with her sisters, all born to Ira and Elthina Wixon of Dennisport, Massachusetts. In this photo we see (left to right): Susan Emma, married David Jonthan Nikerson; Elthina Foster, married Daniel Chase Joy; Mary Rogers, married George Frederick Chase; and Lydia Doane, married Nehemiah Francis Joy, and 2nd Elisha F. Chase.
Both Elthina and her husband Daniel were members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church), renamed Community of Christ in 2001, which considers itself a continuation of the church established by Joseph Smith’s father in 1830.
Here is a photo of an RLDS group outing in 1910 at the RLDS Campground at Onset, Mass., “Cape Cod Folks.” Front (left to right): Elthina (Wixon) Joy; Mary (Wixon) Chase; Jane Snow (mother of Mamie Baker); Sadie Joy. Standing (left to right): Sadie Joy (1st wife of Leonard Gage); Nathaniel H. Wixon; Ensign “Linie” Baker, husband of Mamie (Snow) Baker; Mamie (Snow) Baker; Edgar F. Wixon; Adelia (Hawes) Wixon; Charles P. Wixon; Sylvia (Rogers) Baker; Daniel Joy Sr.; Alpha Baker.
Below is a photo from the Pauline Wixon Derick Photo Album of an RLDS family reunion held in Warren Snow’s Grove in Dennisport. The photo is undated. Featured in the photo is Joseph Smith III (1832-1914), the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith (founder of the Latter Day Saint movement) and his wife Emma Hale Smith. Joseph is sitting in the center with a full white beard. He is a direct descendant of Mayflower passengers John Howland, Elizabeth Tilley, Governor William Bradford, and William and Mary Brewster.
Daniel Chase Joy and Elthina Foster Wixon were married in Harwich, Massachusetts, on 4 December 1866. Below is their matrimony notice published in the New Bedford Mercury.
Before I continue, here is the lineage of Elthina Foster Wixon. Another aspect of her lineage is her Wampanoag heritage, which requires further research. The surnames include Nickerson, Wixon, Maker, Bearse, and Crowel/Crowell. More on that in my next story. (Related stories are linked at the end of this article.)
Mayflower Lineage:
- Thomas Rogers and Alice Cosford
- John Rogers and Elisabeth Twining
- Eleazer Rogers and Martha Young
- Eleazer Rogers and Ruth Higgins, daughter of Joshua and Ruth (Twining) Higgins; daughter of William and Ruth (Cole) Twining; daughter of John and Ruth (Snow) Cole; daughter of Nicholas and Constance (Hopkins) Snow; daughter of Stephen and his first wife Mary Hopkins
- Hezekiah Rogers* and Ruth Rogers
- Mary Rogers and Heman Wixon, son of Daniel and Jane (Chase) Wixon
- Elthina Wixon and Ira Wixon, son of Barnabas and Jerusha (Chase) Wixon
- Elthina F. Wixon and Daniel Chase Joy
* Hezekiah Rogers’ Mayflower Line:
- Thomas Rogers and Alice Cosford
- Joseph Rogers and Hannah (unknown)
- John Rogers and Elisabeth Twining
- John Rogers and Priscilla Hamblin
- Ebenezer Rogers and Hannah Cooke, daughter of Hannah (Smith) and Richard Cooke; son of Josiah and Deborah (Hopkins) Cooke; daughter of Catherine (Whelden) and Giles Hopkins; son of Stephen and Mary Hopkins
- Richard Rogers and Sarah Higgins
- Hezekiah Rogers and Ruth Rogers
Below is a photo of Daniel Foster Joy (1877-1967), one of the sons born to Daniel and Elthina, with his wife Evelyn Louise (Johnson) Joy and their son Edward Merrill Joy.
Here is an obituary on Daniel Foster Joy published in the Providence Journal.
This article reads:
Daniel Foster Joy of 740 Broad St., former owner of Purity Bakery Co. on Broad Street, died yesterday at the Roger Williams General Hospital. He was the husband of Evelyn (Johnson) Joy.
Born in Dennisport, Mass., March 25, 1877, a son of Daniel C. and Elthina (Wixon) Joy, he had been a resident of this city for 85 years.
He started the Purity Bakery Co. in 1915 and retired in 1944.
He was high priest of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints [RLDS Church] of Warwick, and a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge, F & A.M., and also the Providence Chapter.
Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, Edward M. Joy of St. Loius, Mo., and Daniel F. Joy Jr. of Tampa, Fla.; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
To be continued…
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Note on the header image: Ousamequin, or “Massasoit” (Wampanoag term for “Great Sachem”) and Governor John Carver smoking a ceremonial pipe at Plymouth Colony in 1621. Credit: Sutro Library; Wikimedia Commons.
Related Articles:
- Mayflower Descendants: Who’s Who, Part 35 (part 9)
- Mayflower Descendants: Who’s Who, Part 35 (part 10)
- Mayflower Descendants: Who’s Who, Part 35 (part 11)
- Mayflower Descendants: Who’s Who, Part 35 (part 12)
- Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 1)
- Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 2)
- Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 3)
- Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 4)
- Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 5)
- Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 6)
- Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 7)
- Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 8)
- Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 9)
- Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 10)
- Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 11)
- Richard Bourne: Missionary to Plymouth Colony Indians
- Thomas Tupper: Missionary to Plymouth Colony Indians
Thank you for this series. I have Bearse, Hopkins, Bourne, Cooke, and Chase in my tree. My Dad said my Grandmother told him we had indigenous ancestors, so I am researching.
Anne, thank you and stay tuned! Let me know if you need some research.
Hi, Melissa!
My grandmother was Pauline’s sister, and she had this same photo of Elthina. I was told it was Elthina Wixon, wife of Ira Wixon. The style of the clothing would seem to date it to her, rather than to her daughter, Elthina Joy. We actually have another photo of Elthina Joy that I can share with you.
There is a photo of Elthina’s husband, Ira Wixon, from the same time period. Looks to be same age photo.
Is it possible this photo is mislabeled at the Dennis Historical Society? Did Pauline label the back of it? Just curious. Want to make sure our family has the information correct.
As an interesting note, I own the scarf seen tied into a bow that is shown in the photo, my grandmother gave it to me and said it was my great, great, great grandmother’s (Elthina Wixon’s — the mom). The initials on it are Elthina Wixon’s. She could have gifted that to her daughter, I suppose. But then, I don’t know how I would have ended up with it — I am not descended from Elthina Joy, but from her brother, Edgar Wixon.
Thanks for any additional info you have.