I realize this is an old post, but trying anyway. My maternal grandfather is James Joseph Dimond - on my mother's b cert it says he was from Alpena MI. My mother knows he was in the Military and married my grandmother, Grace Elizabeth McClelland in New Jersey. She lived in Newark, the McClelland's lived in Belleville. She was born in New York City.
According to family info, they had two children, my mother and her brother, who might have been Chester. They called him "Buddy." He burned to death, and then there is nothing more on Jim. Supposedly, he died, this w/have been ca. 1926. If he left and didn't die - the above tragedy c/have been the reason. That's the reason I mention it - and everyone who knows the family, knew about that incident, but they don't know exactly what happened.
Either way, I can't find Jim, except for a possible WW1 enlistment, saying he was from MI. My mother says his family is from Canada. That's why your post interested me.
Big mystery.
Thanks,
Ceci
ceciliewalsh@yahoo.com