Elvis Treme R.I.P. March 1999 to 19 Dec 2012

Garry and I lost a beloved member of our family, our cat, Elvis. Since this website is devoted to my family, I've decided to mark the passing of my very sweet old swashbuckler of a cat.

Elvis came into our lives late one night in May 1999. We were living in an apartment, which was filled with abandoned strays that I had been feeding. For no reason at all, I peeked out of the curtains and saw the loveliest fuzzy gray and white kitten licking the concrete where the food had been. It broke my heart and it was love at first sight.

I spent the summer using food to tame him. He was big and loud, and he had sharp claws. But he was always just out of reach of humans, seemingly wanting to be closer. In September, we had a storm coming through Tampa and I didn't want him out in the weather. So I scooped him up and brought him in. My older cat Ziggie was not pleased. But they quickly settled into a working truce.

Over the next few months, the kitten came in and out of the apartment as I was able to lure him in. We hadn't given him a name until Garry came home one day and asked, "So, is Elvis in the building?" I don't know who I was fooling by not giving him a name. He was always going to be my cat. Thus began my time with Elvis.

Elvis was stubborn. Everything was his way or no way. When we moved into the house in 2001, I kept him inside for a month. It was a long, noisy month as we listen to non stop yowling about how much this cat wanted to be outside. We hadn't built the screened patios (lanai in Florida) yet but we noticed that everyone in the neighborhood let their cats out without any problems. When we let him out, Elvis quickly established domain over our yard and several others around us. He became the scourge of Lake Saxon Drive.

He loved to hunt. We've had our share of dead birds, squirrels, and snakes. He cleared up a long standing mouse problem for a neighbor, who was most grateful for the service. I couldn't argue with him much because he ate everything he killed. As he got older, he no longer killed anything. He'd just bring his catches home and let them go in the back lanai. I've released an assortment of panicked birds and squirrels and one terrified rabbit.

As Elvis got older, we realized he had dyspepsia in his hips and that arthritis would be a problem for him. Otherwise, as the vet noted, Elvis was in perfect health. He remained that way for many years until recently, when we found him in the garden, unable to walk. He had developed an abscess (cause unknown) and we took him back and forth to the vet for treatment.

We ended up keeping Elvis in the house again for two weeks because we had to give him antibiotics. Garry and I discussed keeping him in permanently. The question became who would we be doing it for? Us? Elvis? In his usual fashion, Elvis let us know his feelings on the topic. He wanted out!

So we let him back out and everything seemed fine. Last Saturday, while trying to get Elvis to eat, I flipped the kitty door closed. Garry went out later and opened it for him. He went trotting across the yard like he always does and plopped down in the garden in a favorite spot. That was the last either of us saw of him. We knew that he was coming in and eating because his food, treats, and crunches were disappearing. We kept calling and looking and hoping but no Elvis.

Then, this morning, when I went out to put feed in the bird feeders (we have a fenced area for them), I spotted his body on the side of the house. We're not sure what happen to him. The vet said it could have been any number of things. We didn't have him autopsied. We didn't see the point. Sometime over the next few days, he will be cremated. Believe it or not, it's legal in Florida to be buried with cremated pets. I plan on going off to the great beyond with Ziggie and Elvis tucked on the right side of my feet...where they both wanted to be at night.

I'm going to miss my handsome boy Elvis, just like I still miss my sweet girl Ziggie. If you've read this post to this point, thank you for indulging me in honoring the life of Elvis Treme, a four footed friend, a hell of a character, a cat who lived his life on his own terms. I loved him dearly.

Elvis Treme

R.I.P.

March 1999 to 19 Dec 2012

Dodd Cousin

For the past few days, I've been exchanging emails with a distant Dodd cousin named Julia. Julia and her brother Raymond are interested in pursuing research on the Dodd line. I'm not even sure how Julia found me. Her email just popped up. But then, it isn't as if I'm not posting and fishing for information.

I've armed Julia and Raymond with everything I have on the Dodd line so that they are not starting from scratch. I've also contacted Vivian, another cousin from the same line. Perhaps they might be interested in working together. If anything further develops, I'll be sure to blog about it.

I think I received the following certificates from Vivian.

Marriage Certificate Joseph Dodd and Agnes Anderson

Birth Certificate Albert Dodd

Alexander McKee 1827-1886 Northern Ireland-Illinois

Well, my luck didn't hold. The researcher looked for every McKee in the Mount/Port Norris area that was born in the 1820s. He found a few but none are my Alexander or any other of the McKee family members I'm looking for. Here are results from the researcher.

I've sent a follow up question to the researcher. Based on church history for the Mount/Port Norris area, Presbyterians were going to church at Markethill. Since a record of Alexander's older brother Robert shows a place of birth as County Armagh, I've asked the researcher if looking at Markethill is a reasonable next step. I've also asked the researcher to suggest an alternative search if he has a suggestion.

I'll keep posting as long as I have questions, options, the attention of the researcher, and disposable cash.

Mary Jane (McKee) Thompson, Ireland, Illinois, 1837-1886

I've continued to work on the Murphy wing of the family. I'm gathering obits right now and having lots of luck with The State Historical Society of Missouri.

I got bored and went on to Genlighten and decided to take a stab at finding a McKee document in Ireland. I had tried this once before with no luck. Well the stars must have been with me, because the researcher found a document exactly where I told him to look. Here's what I had him look for...

Mary Jane McKee's death certificate states that she was born 11 May 1837 Port Norris, Ireland. Port Norris is also called Mount Norris and you'll find that it's also written as one word. This place name is very fluid. It's located in County Armagh, Ireland. I asked the researcher to see if he could find a christening record in one of two Presbyterian churches: Tullyallen or Mountnorris. Here's the document I received.

The researcher put red dots beside the entry for Mary Jane McKee. Here's the info for Mary Jane.

Mary Jane McKee d/o William C. McKee + Susanna Gilmore
b. 11 May 1837 Port Norris, County Armagh, Ireland
d. 1 Jan 1886 Six-mile Prairie, Randolph County, Illinois, United States
m. 10 May 1859 Randolph County, Illinois
Joseph Thompson
b. ? Dec 1830 County Down, Ireland
d. 6 Dec 1898 Randolph County, Illinois

Mary Jane and Joseph had eight children: William James (1860-1944), Sarah Jane (1861-1909), George Henry (1864-1896), Salena (1867-1896), Mary Margaret (1869-1897), Agnes Minerva (1872-1896), Ada (1878-????), and Joseph Edward (1881-1905).

With this document I think I've placed at least the family of William C. McKee in County Armagh in 1837 just before the McKee family left Ireland for the United States.

Next Step
The death certificate of William's brother, Robert McKee, states that Robert was born in County Armagh. He was born about 1816 but that doesn't provide much in the way of a real date that a researcher can act on. However, I do have a complete date for William and Robert's youngest brother Alexander McKee (b. 28 Feb 1827) but I don't have a place of birth.

I've asked the researcher to look for a christening for Alexander based on his date of birth and in the church records for Tullyallen and Mountnorris.

In addition to confirming that the family is located in County Armagh in 1827, I'm hoping to finally find out their mother's first name. I'm guessing it's Margaret because a number of the oldest granddaughters are named Margaret. Other contenders are Mary Jane or Mary Agnes.

With their mother's first name, I can pursue a death record at the church. She had to be alive in 1827 to give birth to son Alexander but dead by 1837 when the McKee family comes to the United States. According to notes from a distant relative, she died in 1835. I'm hoping to find out that she's buried in one of the church burial grounds.

Identifying the Church
One problem with the certificate I received for Mary Jane is that I have no way to identify which of the churches is the correct church. Here's what I can read of the signature on the certificate:

Rev. Rob't ___________________

Click here to read a history of the two churches. Based on this history, my best guess as to the Reverend on the certificate is Robert Lyons Porter at Tullyallen Presbyterian Church. He's the Robert who is there at the right time. However, if you look at the certificate, the name doesn't look like his. I'm hoping that if the researcher can find a certificate for Alexander McKee that the signature on that certificate will be clearer.

Further, if I can place the family in Armagh between 1827 and 1837, I should be able to begin to pursue marriage records for the older McKee children (Agnes, Joseph, William, and Robert). Only Jane and Alexander McKee enter the United States in 1837 as unmarried children.

Waiting...waiting...waiting...
The clock started yesterday because it takes the researcher 7-10 days to respond after I paid the fee. So stay tuned. I might have some interesting McKee news soon.

Murphy Status

Since last February or so, I've been trying to track down everybody named Murphy in Union County, Illinois. If you're not sure how the Murphy family fits in with the McKee family, see The Murphy Connection. Finding information has gone well with the occasional stalling.

It's not as daunting a task as it might sound. Until more recent times, Union County was a relatively sparsely populated rural county in Southern Illinois. So I'm tracking a limited number of Murphys. Add a birth place--Tennessee--to the mix and you begin to see patterns form. So when I find a record for a Murphy who is living in Union County but born in Virginia, I can go light on researching this Murphy and concentrate on Murphys born in Tennessee or descendants of Murphys born in Tennessee.

After several months, I can declare that the Tennessee Murphy family is a wild bunch. There are lots of marriages, lots of divorces, several children with "early" birth dates, and lots of drama. I was always able to trace the difficult personalities in the family back to Prudence Murphy. However, I've come to see Pru and any of her activities as just the tip of the ice burg.

Of late I've been working with land records. I bought a book--Family Maps of Union County, Illinois by Gregory A. Boyd, J.D. In the book Boyd plots all of the early land records based on Bureau of Land Management records. The book is handy because I don't have to try to plot locations myself. In addition, because Boyd plots all of the land records, I can spot possible parents of spouses.

Early land records place the Murphy's in three townships:

• T12R1W (Anna) includes land owned by Wilburn Murphy b. Tennessee about 1814...later maps show the area where Wilburn's land was as the Murphy School district. There's also Murphy School Road that runs through the area.
• T12SR1E (Stokes) includes land owned by Wilburn, John (b. Tennessee about 1808), and Williams Murphy (b. Illinois about 1821)...Williams name can be Williams Murphy or Williams Murphey or William Murphy
• T11SR1E (Rich) includes John Murphy

I'm going to continue looking at land and trying to pair them with census records to sort out relationships.

Hiley Murphy--the female found on the 1818 (Federal) through 1855 (state) censuses and most likely the matriarch of the Murphys in Union County--seems to be born about 1770. In 1850, she's living with Williams Murphy. She would have been about 51 at the time of Williams birth...too old to be his mother? Perhaps his grandmother? I'm not sure at the moment.

Anyway that is the state of things with the Murphys at the moment. If I make any earth shattering discoveries, I'll post. In the meantime, it's systematic collecting and interpreting.

Joseph went by J. C...an update

Click here to see my original post.

I got a nice surprise in the mail today--an obituary from the Belleville Public Library in Belleville, Illinois. They have a very efficient service. You send the librarians an email with the info you're looking for, and when one of them has a few minutes, they look up your document. They copy it and place it with a cover letter, which also serves as a bill, into an envelope and mail it off to you. It's $2.50 for an obituary. Then a recipient (like me!) gets a nice surprise in the mail one day.

I had been emailing with another researcher and she gave me the hints I needed to track down the obituary. So here's the info on J.C.

Joseph Curtis McKee
b. 30 Jul 1934 Percy, Randolph County, Illinois
d. 2 Oct 1994 Mascoutah, St. Clair County, Illinois
m. 3 Jul 1958  Mascoutah, St. Clair County, Illinois
Carol Jean Payer

Joseph and Carol had three children: Tod, Gina, and Joey.

Joseph is buried in Mascoutah City Cemetery. You can find in on Find A Grave (93545525) complete with comments from his obituary.

Luke Family Portrait 1898 Du Quoin, Illinois

From the left, Aril Webster Luke, James Alexander  Luke, Lillie May  Luke, and Mary Agnes (Leemon)  Luke with Hazel Cliff Leary on her lap. The family dog, Nero, is below. 

I've written about the members of the Luke family many times before. The new person in this photograph is Hazel Cliff Leary. Hazel is the daughter of Edward Leary and Margaret Susanna (Leemon) Leary. Margaret is Mary Agnes' younger sister. 

Hazel Cliff Leary (FAG 67450296)

b. 15 Dec 1897 Millstadt, Saint Clair County, Illinois

d. 28 Dec 1929 Randolph County, Illinois

m. Jun 1914 in Illinois
Thomas Earl Deppe (FAG 52689475)
b. 5 Sep 1889 Steeleville, Randolph County, Illinois
d. 7 Mar 1951 Illinois

Child 1: Clifford Earl Deppe (FAG 46296060)
b. 18 Jul 1915 Willisville, Perry County, Illinois
d. 29 Aug 1998 Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois
m. 29 Sep 1945 Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois
Virginia Mae Putney (FAG 25823973)
b. 10 Feb 1926 East Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois
d. 29 Mar 2008 Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois

Child 2: Aril Eugene Deppe (FAG 575759)
b. 4 Feb 1917 Willisville, Perry County, Illinois
d. 25 Dec 1990 Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas
m. 12 Jul 1942 Sebastian County, Arkansas
Mildred Marie Barnett (FAG 575765)
b. 22 Dec 1919 Where?
d. 7 May 1991 Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas

Child 3: Burbon Ernest Deppe (FAG 40411588)
b. 24 Jan 1918 Willisville, Perry County, Illinois
d. 30 Jul 1999 Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa
m. When? Where?
Imogene Lucille Unknown
b. 30 Mar 1922 Where?
d. Where? When?

Child 4: Gladys Ilene Deppe (FAG 46160453)
b. 31 Dec 1920 Willisville, Perry County, Illinois
d. 27 Mar 2008 Barrington, Barrington County, Illinois
m. 6 Jun 1940 Clinton, Clinton County, Iowa
George Edwin Chase (FAG 46160010)
b. 8 Feb 1918 Buda, Bureau County, Illinois
d. 1 Feb 1999 Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois


Child 5: Emma Madelyn Deppe (FAG 49956440)
b. 27 Dec 1922 Perry County, Illinois
d. 19 Apr 1993 Woodhull, Henry County, Illinois
m. 15 Mar 1942 Viola, Mercer County, Illinois
Ivan LeRoy Shannon (FAG 46300288)
b. 11 Jun 1918 Bethel, McDonough County, Illinois
d. 24 Dec 2004 Woodhull, Henry County, Illinois

Child 6: Mosman Leroy Deppe
b. 5 Jul 1924 Where?d. When? Where?
m. When? Where?
Bessie E. Hook (FAG 50461913)b. 23 Aug 1928 Where?
d. 18 Sep 1995 Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois


See Also These Posts:

• Three Deppe Boys
• Same Deppe Boys...A Few Years Later 

If you are related to this family, please contact me. I'm happy to trade information.

John Stanley Pearce (1870-1931) Illinois

My tale of woe today might involve successfully researching a family to whom I am not related. Let me explain. Mary Ann Miles seems to have married a Murphy who disappears, and then she marries a Wesley Greer. Or, Mary Ann Murphy may have married Wesley Greer and she never was a Miles. Or, there may have been something else going on. Wesley and Mary Ann had a daughter, Charlotte "Lottie" Greer...a person whose descendants I have had lots of luck with the past few days. So regardless of whether we're related, I thought I'd share the wealth!

Wesley Greer
b. 1820 Tennessee
d. 1879 Union County, Illinois
m. 30 Sep 1847 Union County, Illinois
Mary Ann Miles or Murphy or perhaps another name...
b. 1826 Illinois
d. Hmmmm...don't know

Child #7 for Greer/Miles
Charlotte "Lottie" Greer
b. Sep 1866 Illinois
d. Hmmmm...don't know
m. 1895ish
John Stanley Pearce...look for records under Pierce too
b. Apr 1870 Illinois
d. 15 May 1931 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois

Child #1 for Pearce/Greer
Clarence Clayton Pearce
b. 25 Dec 1896 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois
d. 6 May 1936 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois (FAG 90077656)
m. 10 Sep 1917 Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
Susie Annabelle Colyer
b. 1900 Sweetwater, Monroe County, Tennessee (FAG 90194356)
d. 20 Feb 1977 Granite City, Madison County, Illinois

Child #2 for Pearce/Greer
David Clyde Pearce
b. 1 Feb 1899 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois
d. 8 Nov 1975 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois (FAG 90195234)
m. 1918
Helen E. Callen
b. 31 Jan 1897 Delta County, Illinois
d. 21 Jun 1927 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois

Check the Find A Grave (FAG) memorials and you'll find obituaries and links to descendants. If you're chasing this family and want me to transfer the memorial, please just Edit the memorials and send me your FAG number. I'll be happy to turn them over to your care.

Earl Julius Yarbro 1910-1989 Arkansas, Texas, Missouri

I'm still hacking my way thru the Murphy family. So much has been published online since the last time I tried that after two months I remain in the hitting pay dirt at every turn phase of gathering records. I am surprised since this family was in Union County, Illinois...rural Southern Illinois where I didn't expect to find all that much published online at this point. So much for condescending expectations!

Anyway, I've hit upon an interesting piece of info. A daughter in the Murphy line--Hallie Martha Hasty--married Earl Julius Yarbro...more than once!

First Marriage Record
19 Sep 1928 Kennett, Dunklin County, Missouri

Second Marriage Record
28 May 1968 Liberty County, Texas

So far I've found no record of Hallie and Earl having lived in Texas. They seem to have always lived in Missouri. So what's the story. I'm sure it has to be an interesting one. Here are their vitals.

Earl Julius Yarbro s/o William Yarbro and Dora Unknown
b. 6 Apr 1910 Carpenter, Clay County, Arkansas
d. 8 Mar 1989 Saint Charles, St. Charles County, Missouri
m. well you know this part
Hallie Martha Hasty d/o Thomas Jefferson "Tom" Hasty and Florence Opal Murphy
b. 7 Apr 1910 Independence, Dunklin County, Missouri
d. 30 Sep 2000 Saint Charles, St. Charles County, Missouri

I've sent for Hallie's obituary; however, I can't imagine that it explains the details of the second marriage and the sojourn in Texas. Perhaps someone reading this blog some day can offer details. In the meantime, it remains an amusing mystery...a quirky aside to what people do in their lifetimes.

Iris Marvel Corcoran Update

It always pays to cross check. I decided to do an idle check for Iris on Ancestry.com. A family record was added for her that indicates the following:

Marriage #1 = Albert Owen Bates (Children: Glowrene, Jacqueline, and William)
Marriage #2 = Eldred Floyd Charley 30 May 1950 in Reno, Washoe County, NV (Children: Curtis and Kevin)

So that solves the mystery of why Iris would have been in Hawaii without Eldred.

The family record at Ancestry includes a lovely photograph of Iris as a young woman.

Iris Marvel (Corcoran) Charley, 1917-2011, California and Oregon

I have a number of outstanding McKee-related requests for lots of stuff from lots of different places. The Rogue Valley Genealogical Society recently fulfill one of my picture requests at Find A Grave. I was looking for a picture of Glowrene Dee (Charley) Gwin's grave site. On a whim, I checked to see who else was buried in the cemetery. Glowrene's parents Eldred Floyd Charley and Iris Marvel Corcoran Charley are in the same cemetery. The memorial for Eldred is complete; however, Iris was outstanding. Since she was born in 1917 and had no date of death, I decided to google her name and her obituary turned up in the Mail Tribune, Medford, Oregon, 19 Nov 2011.

"GG" (for great grandmother) was the name that Iris preferred. GG's obituary starts with a description of an iris: "The iris flower means faith, hope, wisdom, courage and admiration and is the perfect match for the life of Iris Charley."

The obituary notes that her parents were William and Fern Corcoran. Iris was their oldest child. The family starts out in Sacramento where Iris was born. The Corcoran family moved to Medford in 1930. According to the obituary, Iris was an early driver. At age 12, she drove her father to the doctor when he was suffering a case of appendicitis. At age 13, Iris drove the second car behind her father as the family moved from California to Oregon.

Iris attended school at the Butte Falls School District. During the depression, families with children in the school received a small subsidy. In the case of the Corcoran family, they received $20 for Iris and her sister Carol. Iris eventually graduated from the two-year old South Medford (Central) High School.

I don't have a marriage date for her but sometime between her graduation and 1937, she married Eldred Floyd Charley. Eldred and Iris had the first of five children 12 Dec 1937. The couple had the following children: Glowrene, Jacqueline, Loyal, Curtis, and Kevin.

Early in her marriage--the obituary doesn't say why--Iris had a front row seat on history.
"On December 7, 1941, she was a witness to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. She was living on a hill overlooking the Navy base, and she told stories of being able to see "the whites of the eyes" of the Japanese pilots as they flew above her house before sweeping down on the harbor. After the attacks Iris, while pregnant with her first son, Bill, and her two daughters, Jacque and Glo, were relocated to the mainland in transport ships under the escort of Navy destroyers. During the voyage, Iris could hear the depth charges as the Navy responded to sightings of Japanese submarines."

In addition to their five children, Iris and Eldred raised foster children--over 100 boys, many of whom stayed in touch over the years.

Eldred preceded Iris in death (FAG 59794431) as did her daughter Glowrene (FAG 68915736). All of Iris' remaining children survive along with their spouses and 16 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and 10 great-great-grandchildren. The obituary lists them by name.

According to her obituary, Iris kept abreast of the event, trials, and triumphs of each of her descendants. She made a point of making sure that all 94 people in her family received a Christmas gift. Iris was treasured for her unconditional love. The obituary reports that among her last words were "I had a beautiful life."  

You can find Iris on Find A Grave at memorial 59794432.



See update for more information. Iris was married twice.

Murphy

I've been contacted by a DAR volunteer researcher. I didn't realize that the DAR had volunteer researchers. Anyway, the researcher is in pursuit of info on the Murphy line of the family. She's trying to find a Rev. War soldier...helping someone who has hit a brick wall. I've answered some initial questions. I've got to pull documents to provide more info.

I've heard rumors about a lady whose research was confirmed by the DAR; however, I've never gotten  any real info that verifies the event as fact. I wish her luck, because if the DAR research proves for the lady she's working for, she'll prove for me too...and a slew of other female Murphy descendants. So I've got my fingers crossed and I'm saying novenas.

Russell Family Update

One of the byproducts of requesting a photo of a grave site on Find A Grave (FAG) is that the volunteer who fulfills your request frequently will take and post additional photographs. Thus it was when I requested a grave site photo for Lucy Jane (Booth) Russell.

As it so happens, the Russell memorial has a double stone and the volunteer (Sarah Carter) posted the information for Thad Allma Russell...notice the middle name change from Allan to Allma. The bonus? The grave stone includes a marriage date, which means yet another piece of paper to chase.

Getting corrections like Thad's middle name (or at least a new fact like a marriage date to ponder) is another benefit to supporting and participating in FAG. Anyway, for anyone searching for Thad Allma Russell, you can find him at Tuscola Cemetery, Tuscola, Taylor County, Texas. His FAG memorial is  87398568.

Now the fun part. I've found a newspaper article indicating that Lucy and Thad were divorced. Here it is.


The Abilene Reporter-News, Abilene, Texas, 22 Jun 1962, Page 36
Thad A. Russell v. Lucy J. Russell, plaintiff granted divorce. 

And yet, they have a double stone and are buried as man and wife with nary a mention of a divorce.

So what's the story? Did they reconcile? Did they remarry? Do you know? Will you tell? 

Virgie Evelyn (Hillis) Norman 1916-1944, Missouri, Arkansas

While I've been working on the Murphy line, I've still been sending off for obits at the The State Historical Society of Missouri. I recently received the following obituary, which lead me to the information on Virgie's siblings.

Dexter Messenger, Dexter, Missouri, 6 Jan 1944, Page 1, Column 3

Mrs. Curtis Norman

Evelyn Hillis, was born March 14, 1916 at Williamsville, Mo. and passed away at a Poplar Bluff hospital Thursday at 12:10 A.M. following an operation the preceding day.

On Oct. 18, 1938 she was united in marriage to Curtis Norman in Pocahontas Arkansas. To this union were born two daughters, Judith Ann, 4 and Rebecca Janet aged 2 years, who with her campanion survived her. She also leaves her parents Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Hillis, of Dexter, two sisters Mrs. Agnes Thompson and Mrs. Edna Hobgood both of Morehouse, Mo. and one brother Asa Hillis who is a Lieut. in the U. S. Services somewhere in England.

Mrs. Norman was a member of the Pentecost church, a true companion and loving mother.

Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Rev. Claude E. Maples officiating. Interment in Dexter cemetery.

Here are the details I have for Virgie's family:

William Roy Hillis

b. 3 Nov 1892 Williamsville, Wayne County, Missouri

d. 1964 (FAG 21661032)

m. 30 Jun 1912 Williamsville, Wayne County, Missouri

Julie Ann McKee

b. Jan 1895 Missouri

d. 1972 (FAG 21661015)

Child 1: Agnes M. Hillis (died as Mrs. Conliff Blankenship)

b. 29 May 1913 Williamsville, Wayne County, Missouri

d. 2 May 2002, Cahokia, Saint Clair County, Illinois (FAG 32563482)

m. When? Where?

Joseph E. Thompson

b. 21 Nov 1911 Missouri

d. 13 Jan 1978 Benton, Scott County, Missouri (FAG 44648172)

Child 2: Virgie Evelyn Hillis

b. 14 Mar 1916 Williamsville, Wayne County, Missouri 

d. 6 Jan 1944 Poplar Bluff, Butler County, Missouri (FAG 17689115)

m. 18 Oct 1938 Pocahontas, Randolph County, Arkansas

Curtis Clyde Norman

b. 9 Oct 1899 Liberty, Stoddard County, Missouri

d. 20 Oct 1979 Dexter, Stoddard County, Missouri (FAG 17689139)

Child 3: Willie Edna Hillis (died as Mrs. George H. Troxell)

b. 11 Feb 1919 Missouri

d. 25 Nov 2008 Dunnellon, Marion County, Florida

m. 15 May 1939 Dexter, Stoddard County, Missouri

Charles T. Hobgood

b. 20 Sep 1917 Missouri

d. Aug 1967 Dexter Stoddard County, Missouri

Child 4: Asa Norman Hillis 

b. 8 Nov 1921 Missouri

d. 1 May 1995 Pasadena, Harris County, Texas

m. When? Where?

Mary Ethel Everett

b. 9 Nov 1923 Where?

d. 21 May 1991 Florida

As always, if you're working on this family, I'm happy to hear from you and to trade info. Just post to this blog.

The Murphy Connection

While I was at RootsTech, I bought a copy of Roots Magic. I had to have a learning plan. I decided against importing a gedcom of the McKee family tree because it is a huge file...and mostly complete. It's clean as a whistle but I didn't want to have to try to learn new software on such a large database (almost 2,000 people). Also, I needed to be able to build a file; that is, make entries to the database so that I learned how Roots Magic handles data.

What I decided to do was to begin with the Murphy family. Here's the connection.

• Margaret Susannah McKee married George Ardell Leemon and they had Mary Agnes Leemon.
• Prudence Murphy married Robert Luke and they had James Alexander Luke.
• Mary Agnes Leemon married James Alexander Luke and they had Marguerite Murphy Luke.
• Marguerite Murphy Luke married Peter Dumas Treme and they had James Brice Treme (my father).

The Murphy family moved to Illinois around the time that Illinois became a state in 1818. Later census entries note that many family members were born in Tennessee. I've yet to find a location in Tennessee; however, I haven't tried that hard either.

I decided that the Murphy family was small enough that I could start with them and learn Roots Magic along the way.

So you're going to see me take a break from posting about McKee descendants, while I explore the Murphy line.


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George Henry Thompson, 1864-1896, Illinois

I'm finally getting back to posting to this blog. I've been on an adventure...attended RootsTech in Salt Lake City. I've been trying to integrate an Asus Tranformer tablet into my everyday life...if I'm going to spend this much money on a toy, I need to use the toy. I've been working on the Florida State Genealogy Society newsletter...it's coming together but slowly. Today has been the first day I've had to get back to posting to this blog. So for today's post, I picked George...a random pick.

George Henry Thompson was the son of Joseph Thompson and Mary Jane McKee. He was born in Randolph County, Illinois and lived there for all of his short life. On 26 Oct 1887, George married Janette Gibson Aitken at the Prosperity UP Church, Sadowa, Randolph County, Illinois.

Janette (aka Janet) was the daughter of James B. Aitken and Mary Boyd. Janette's sister, Lydia Ann Aitken had already married into this family. Lydia married John William McKinley on 16 Jul 1885. One can guess that the family relationships played a part in the marriage of George and Janette.

George and Janette had three children: Mary Velma, Wilfred Gilmore, and Nellie Opal.

George died at a young age, 32. His obituary provides the details of his life.

Sparta Plaindealer, Sparta, Illinois, Friday, 15 May 1896, Volume 31, Number 38

Died. -- At his home in this city of consumption, Mr. G. H. Thompson on Wednesday, May 6th 1896.

Henry was one whose personal influence was felt in every phase of life in which he was placed, not words but works weighed his worth in the home, the church and social circles. As was beautifully attributed by his Pastor, the master has taken an Elder, a sweet singer from our choir, and earnest worker of which our mission church of Aurora, Illinois, will feel his loss.

We miss his kindly smile, his earnest voice, but are not robbed of sweetest memories and abiding affection.

Funeral services were held Friday morning, and were attended by a large circle of sympathizing friends. Rev. John A. Henderson and R. E. Wilkin, officiating. Interment in Caledonia cemetery.

With George's death, Janette became responsible for raising her three children on her own. She moves to Kansas and can be found with an uncle James A. Aitken. Presumably this never-married uncle needed someone to take care of his home or perhaps he simply wanted to help his widowed niece and her children. Whatever the case may be, Janette and her children lived with James in Kansas. A relative sent Janette's obituary.

Janetta Gibson Aitken was born in Randolph County, ILL., August 24th 1869, and died at her brothers, near Roxbury, August 26th, 1919, aged 50 years and 2 days, after an illness of four months during which she was a patient sufferer.

She married October 26th, 1887 to George H. Thompson of Sparta, Ill., who preceded her in death 23 years ago. To them was born three children, Velma, Wilfred and Nellie.

At an early age she united with the United Presbyterian church Prosperity, near Tilden, Ill. After her marriage she united with the U.P. chuch, Sparta, Ill, later to the U.P. church in Aurora, Ill., and then to the 1st U.P. church at St. Louis, Mo. On coming to Kansas two years ago last April she brought her letter and placed it in the Roxbury Presbyterian church, of which she was a member at the time of her death, always trusting in Jesus Christ as her savior.

She leaves to mourn her loss, three children, two grandchildren, two brothers, two sisters, one of which lives in Randolph, Ill., and a host of relatives and friends.

Death bears our loved one to the tomb,Our hears are rent with grief,
But Jeasus Christ Our Blessed Lord,
Alone can give relief.
Amens oft are hard to bare,
Life's burdens_______us hear,
They sorely pray ______ friend,
But God will be our truest,
And dry away our tears.
We'll miss our mother and loved one dear
Who from us past away,
But if we're faithful to our God,
We'll meet in endless day.
So let us live while here we stary,
Amidst life's toil and pain,
That shen by death we're called away,
'Twill be eternal gain.

George and Janette's children go on to live their lives in Kansas. Here are the details.

Child 1: Mary Velma Thompson
b. 31 May 1889 Sparta, Randolph County, Illinois
d. Apr 1949
m. 14 Oct 1914
John Karber
b. 1 Oct 1893 Gypsum, Saline County, Kansas
d. Mar 1973 Gypsum, Saline County, Kansas
One child: Paul Thompson Karber

Child 2: Wilfred Gilmore Thompson
b. 19 Apr 1891 Sparta, Randolph County, Illinois
d. 29 May 1923 McPherson, McPherson County, Kansas
m. 28 Feb 1917 McPherson, McPherson County, Kansas
Grace Belle Walker
b. 15 Mar 1897 Durham, marion County, Kansas
d. 15 May 1960 Newton, Harvey County, Kansas
Two children: George Henry Thompson and Janette May Thompson Patton.

Child 3: Nellie Opal Thompson
b. 20 Nov 1893 Aurora, Kane County, Illinois
d. 24 Jul 1979 Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas
m. 1916
William Locke (Divorced)
m. 23 Jun 1917 Salina, Saline County, Kansas
Wiliam Irving Boyd
b. 10 Mar 1889 Great Bend, Barton County, Kansas
d. 30 Sep 1949 Salina, Saline County, Kansas

You can find Find A Grave entries for all members of this family with many of them including obituary-based details.

As always, if you're reading this post and you have info you want to trade, I'm happy to trade info with other researchers.


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Louise E. (Cook) McKinley 1910-1964 Illinois

I've been at RootsTech 2012 all week and been in and out of the library as time permits. I was hoping that the library had acquired additional books since the last time I was here. They have...just not books that include references for my family. My one meager find was for Louise E. (Cook) McKinley. I found a burial location for her along with correct dates of birth and death. Here's her info:

Louise E. Cook d/o Harry and Lillian Cook
b. 7 Jun 1910 Illinois
d. 27 Aug 1964 (buried Caledonia Cemetery, Sparta, Illinois)
m. 4 May 1934 Tilden United Presbyterian Church, Tliden, Illinois
Gilbert Lester McKinley s/o Samuel Gilmore McKinley and Cora Margaret Edmiston
b. 30 Jan 1913 Illinois
d. 21 Dec 1995 Charleston, Coles County, Illinois

Louise and Gilbert had two children: Martha and Edward.

We have one day left for RootsTech. Everything will be over by about 3 p.m. tomorrow. I may go back to the library just to see what's up. I may just come back to the nice warm hotel room and huddle. My poor Florida climate acclimated bod isn't doing well in this cold arid mountain environment. No more winter conference!


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Margaret Elizabeth (Booth) Reid, 1880-1960, Texas

In my last post, I promised to provide the info I've gather on the Reid family. So, here it is.

Margaret Elizabeth Booth
b. 29 May 1880 Sulphur Bluff, Hopkins County, Texas
d. 17 Aug 1960 Big Spring, Hopkins County, Texas (FAG memorial 46597721)
m. 13 Oct 1896 Palo Pinto, Palo Pinto County, Texas
William Franklin Reid
b. 30 May Gilmer, Upsur County, Texas
d. 6 Oct 1946 Breckenridge, Stephens County, Texas (FAG memorial 46595446)

Child 1: Herbert Wilma Reid
b. 24 Jan 1899 Erath County, Texas
d. 16 Aug 1970 Breckenridge, Stephens County, Texas (FAG memorial 46597221)
m. 30 Mar 1918 Liberty, Liberty County, Texas
Bessie Lee Riggle
b. 8 Dec 1899 Bell County, Texas
d. 19 Apr 1990 Breckenridge, Stephens County, Texas (FAG memorial 76575687)

Child 2: Daisy Reid
b. 23 Sep 1901 Where?, Texas
d. 8 Feb 1989 Lipan, Hood County, Texas (FAG memorial 28388452)
m. When? Where?
George Thomas Smith
b. 31 Mar 1905 Where?
d. 12 Aug 1981 Lipan, Hood County, Texas (FAG memorial 28388461)

Child 3: Lloyd Reid
b. 16 Mar 1906 Erath County, Texas
d. When? Where? As last as 1975, he was living in Weatherford, Parker County, Texas
m. When? Where? Who?

Child 4: Unknown Reid
b. 3 July 1907 Erath County, Texas
d. When? Where? I have no missing child in obituaries.
m. When? Where? Who?

Child 5: James Lelon Reid
b. 8 Dec 1910 Exray, Erath County, Texas
d. 5 Oct 1992 Angleton, Brazoria County, Texas (FAG memorial 42253909)
m. When? Where?
Bertie Alice Evitt
b. 24 Jul 1912 Hamlin, Fisher County, Texas
d. 7 Dec 1982 Clute, Brazoria County, Texas (FAG memorial 42253870)

Child 6: Ardell J. Reid
b. 9 Sep 1913 Erath County, Texas
d. 8 Oct 1975 Yuma, Yuma County, Arizona
m. When? Where?
A. Opal Unknown
b. 8 Jun 1913 Where?, Arizona
d. 15 Oct 1998 Yuma, Yuma County, Arizona

Child 7: Arlene Estalee Reid
b. 6 Nov 1915 Erath County, Texas
d. 16 May 2008 Burleson, Johnson County, Texas
m. 1933 Clovis, Chaves County, New Mexico
Robert Lee Evitt
b. 11 Feb 1914 Texas
d. 18 Sep 1995 Burleson, Johnson County, Texas

Child 8: Arvis Reid
b. 20 Jun 1918 Erath County, Texas
d. 12 mar 1920 Erath County, Texas (FAG memorial 24244112)

Child 9: Gladys AllecReid
b. 20 Apr 1921 Eastland County, Texas
d. When? Where?
m. When? Where?
Virl Tilden Keeny
b. 9 Jun 1914 Where?
d. 15 Nov 2004 Simi Valley, Ventura County, California

As usual:

• You are on your own as far as confirming information. I've given you lots of leads here.
• If you spot a mistake and are in a kindly mood, please post a comment.
• Wanna trade? I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours.

NewspaperArchive and Obituaries and Survivor Lists

Based on some recent successes, it appears that in addition to a new Viewer option (with a spiffy new toolbar), NewspaperArchive has added a boatload of new newspapers. I've hit pay dirt on one family that hasn't left much of a trail that I've been able to follow: The William Franklin Reid Family.

William married Margaret Elizabeth Booth and they had nine children that I know of. I haven't had much luck in stumbling across information and almost no luck with targeted searches. However, with the addition of the newspapers, I found two obituaries of interest. Specifically, the survivor lists gave me leads that I've been able to mine.

Margaret's obituary appears in The Abilene Reporter-News, Abilene, Texas, 19 Aug 1960 on page 3. The list of survivors includes children:

• Mrs. G. T. Smith of Lovington, NM
• Mrs. Robert Evitt of Lubbock, TX
• Mrs. Virl Kenney of Inglewood, CA
• Jack Reid of Breckenridge, TX
• Loyd Reid of Knox City, TX
• Lelon Reid of Lake Jackson, TX
• Ardell Reid of Yuma, AZ

With place names, I was able to start tracking the men. The survivors on Ardell's obituary (The Yuma Daily Sun, Yuma, Arizona, 9 Oct 1975 on page 1) proved to be most helpful.

• Daisy Smith of Cresson, TX (Mrs. George Thomas Smith)
• Arlene Evitt of Weatherford, TX (Mrs. Robert Evitt)
• Gladys Keeny of Torrance, CA (Mrs. Virl Keeny (correct spelling))
• Lloyd Reid of Weatherford, TX
• Leland Reid of Lake Jackson, TX (Lelon is correct)

Between knowing where to look and being able to match the daughters to their husbands, I've been able to gather quite a bit of information on this family. I'll post family info later. I'm just too busy pounding out queries for everybody's name...looking for obituaries first and then anything else I can get my hands on. If you haven't checked NewspapersArchive lately, you might want to revisit it.

Extra Info from Wedding Anniversary

Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec 1965, Page WS 14

Wedding Anniversary Will Be Celebrated
VENICE--Mr. and Mrs. Ira Henderson will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary at an open house at their Penmar Ave. home from 1 to 5 o'clock this afternoon.
Hosts will be their daughters, Mrs. Raymond Downard and Mr. Downard, of Simi; Mrs. Wilton Robison of Montrose, and Mr. Robison; a son, Homer Henderson, of Inglewood, and his wife, and Mrs. Harold Hunt of Culver City.
Another son, Fred, is coming with his family from Oregon for the party. Floyd, also of Oregon, and Ira Jr., in Roseville, will send congratulations to their parents on the anniversary occasion, which they are unable to attend.
The Hendersons have 14 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.
Married in Memphis, Tex., they have lived in Venice since 1943. He retired from Douglas aircraft in 1961, and is also a retired Baptist minister.

Every once in a while, you just get lucky. While doing my customary trawling for info, I happened upon this wedding anniversary announcement. Pieces from newspapers are invaluable because they frequently give you a snap shot of exactly where everybody is on or about a given date. That is true of this wedding announcement. For example, I didn't know that son Floyd had lived in Oregon. Here are the family details.

Ira Henderson
b. 18 May 1896 Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto County, Texas
d. 21 Ju 1974 Simi Valley, Ventura County, California (FAG memorial 46526701)
m. 23 Dec 1916 Memphis, Hall County, Texas
Eula Vivian Higgins
b. 20 Dec 1898 Tennessee
d. 9 May 1983 Simi Valley, Ventura County, California (FAG memorial 46922285)

Child 1: Winfred "Fred" Eugene Henderson
b. 9 Sep 1916 Texas
d. 28 Feb 1976 Eugene, Lane County, Oregon
m. 27 Dec 1934 Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri
Bertha Agnes Briggs
b. 19 Sep 1915 Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri
d. 7 Jan 2008 Eugene, Lane County, Oregon

Child 2: Floyd Alton Henderson
b. 9 Mar 1918 Hall County, Texas
d. 18 Feb 1976 King County, Washington
m. Found no record of a marriage. Do you know?

Child 3: Kathryn Louise Henderson
b. 15 Jun 1920 Missouri
d. 14 Mar 2010 Wolfeboro, Carroll County, New Hampshire
m. Where? When?
Wilton Washington Robison
b. 12 Nov 1922 Kansas
d. 17 Feb 1995 Tustin, Orange County, California (FAG memorial 59339473)

Child 4: Ira Henderson
b. 30 Aug 1923 Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri
d. 1 Mar 2004 Roseville, Placer County, California
m. Where? When?
Imogene Living
b. 23 Jun 1924 Where?
d. Not yet!

Child 5: Living Henderson
b. 17 Sep 1929 Missouri
d. Not yet!
m. Where? When?
Donnanae Living
b. 30 Sep 1943 Where?
d. Not yet!

Child 6: Living Henderson
b. 28 Aug 1931 Missouri
d. Not yet!
m. Where? When?
Raymond Hunter Downard
b. 28 Mar 1921 Potter County, Texas
d. 20 Jul 1970 Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California

Burns Children...

Children of William B. "Bill" Burns and Sarah C. "Sally" Booth
Child 1: Henry Eugene Burns
b. 20 Feb 1880 Sulphur Bluff, Hopkins County, Texas
d. 10 mar 1958 E.T.M.C., Clarksville, Red River County, Texas (FAG memorial 15387980)
m 4 Dec 1898 Mt. Vernon, Franklin County, Texas
Mae Henry Anderson *
b. 20 Dec 1990 Pattonville, Lamar County, Texas
d. 20 Oct 1967 Bogata, Red River County, Texas (FAG memorial 15388059)

Child 2: Charles Nathaniel Burns
b. 15 Jan 1881 New Boston, Bowie County, Texas
d. 28 Feb 1959 New Boston, Bowie County, Texas (FAG memorial 9567225)
m. 17 Mar 1905 Franklin County, Texas
Mary Della Campbell
b. 13 Feb 1871 Desoto Parish, Louisiana
d. 23 Nov 1958 New Boston, Bowie County, Texas (FAG memorial 9567228)

Child 3: Cora Maude Burns
b. Apr 1885 Texas
d. Where? When?
m. 13 Nov 1901 Franklin County, Texas
Fred Walter Nelson
b. 12 Jul 1881 Arkansas
d. Where? When?

Child 4: Andrew Jackson Burns
b. Jul 1886 Hopkins County, Texas
d. 10 Apr 1931 Red River County, Texas
m. 30 Jun 1904 Franklin County, Texas (FAG memorial 29954413)
Annie Olivia Anderson *
b. 21 Aug 1885 Hopkins County, Texas
d. 15 Mar 1970 Clarksville, Red River County, Texas (FAG memorial 29954520)

Child 5: Sara Carrie Burns
b. 23 Aug 1889 Bowie County, Texas
d. 2 May 1935 Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas (FAG memorial 52457414)
m. 1904 Franklin County, Texas
John Henry Covington
b. 29 May 1881 Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
d. 27 Oct 1952 Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas (FAG memorial 29799520)

Child 6: Pearl Elizabeth Burns
b. 15 Jun 1889 Hopkins County, Texas
d. 17 Sep 1967 Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas (FAG memorial 59886062)
m. Where? When?
James Henry Jackson
b. 18 Dec 1878 Texas
d. 3 May 1962 Cooper, Delta County, Texas (FAG memorial 59886089)

Child 7: John Dow Burns
b. 4 Aug 1895 New Boston, Bowie County, Texas
d. 12 Jun 1950 New Boston, Bowie County, Texas (FAG memorial 45582540)
m. 22 Sep 1912 Bowie County, Texas
Florence Campbell (Wife #1)
b. 2 Aug 1894 Delta County, Texas
d. 9 Apr 1922 New Boston, Bowie County, Texas (FAG memorial 45577427)
Floy Bell Kemp (Wife #2)
b. 2 Oct 1899 Oklahoma
d. 16 apr 1979 New Boston, Bowie County, Texas (FAG memorial 46093145)

Child 8: Lillie May Burns
b. 27 Apr 1896 Hopkins County, Texas
d. 23 Feb 1975 Horatio, Sevier County, Arkansas (FAG memorial 41261084)
m. 9 mar 1913 New Boston, Bowie County, Texas
Charles Elon Lawrence (Revernd)
b. 28 mar 1895 Detroit, Red River County, Texas
d. 27 Jun 1974 Horatio, Sevier County, Arkansas (FAG memorial 41261035)

* Anderson wives are sisters, d/o Joseph Anderson and Margaret J. Sickles.

Burns/Booth...the beginning

The Burns name is introduced into the McKee family when William B. Burns marries Sarah C. Booth. William and Sarah went by the nicknames of Bill and Sally.

Sarah C, "Sally" Booth d/o Ananias Jackson Booth, Sr. and Mary Jane McKee
b. 8 Feb 1860 Randolph County, Illinois
d. 1898 Texas...Does anyone have any more concrete info?

The Booth family moves to Texas between 1872 and 1874 when Sally is between 12 and 14. Sally marries Bill Burns between 1874 and 1879 in Texas.

William B. "Bill" Burns s/o Isaac Burns and Mary Ann Ripley
b. 11 May 1856 Randolph County, Illinois (1880 census says North Carolina)
d. Rumor at this point: 15 Jan 1916 Simms, Bowie County, Texas (FAG memorial 7029432)

Henderson Family Lore
Ananias Jackson Booth was wealthy, and after his wife Mary Jane died, he remarried and his second wife was caught putting poison in the well water to kill him. Leaving her he told a daughter Sally and her husband, Bill Burns, that if they would give him a home the rest of his life, he would deed all his property to them. But the deed was not recorded at once, then while he was helping Sally and Bill Burns move into the home, he accidentally dropped a gun and it killed him. Bill Burns knowing that the deed had not been recorded, mounted a horse and rode to the county seat and had it recorded before Booth was buried. No other Booth realized anything out of his fortune.

Family Lore Not Withstanding...
If the Burns family had any substantial money, it isn't evident in the lives of the Burns children. Many of them are prosperous farmers and ranchers; however, none of them seem to evidence any great wealth.

Based on census entries, the oldest child, Henry Eugene Burns, seems to take much of the responsibility for his younger siblings after the 1898 death of his mother. In the 1900 census, siblings Charles Nathaniel, Cora Maude, Andrew Jackson, and Sara Carrie are living with him and his new wife Mae Henry (Anderson) Burns. Henry is 20 years old and responsible to the care of lots of people. Younger siblings Pearl Elizabeth, John Dow, and Lillie May can be found on the 1900 census with Fred and Amanda Tally in Franklin County. All three of the younger children are listed as boarders. Bill Burns is alive but seems not to have a hand in raising his children.

Cora Sue Henderson, 1888-1962, Texas

Cora Sue was the daughter of Hezekiah Othnell Henderson and Lucinda Ann Booth. By the time Cora Sue is born, both the Henderson and Booth families are well established in Texas. Cora Sue grows up in Texas. In the summer of her 18th year, Cora Sue marries. Here are the family details.

Cora Sue Henderson (FAG memorial 46525421)
b. 20 Sep 1888 Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
d. 29 Dec 1962 Hi-Plains Hospital, Hale Center, Hale County, Texas
m. 27 Jul 1906 Wizard Wells, Jack County, Texas
William Bailey Uptergrove (FAG memorial 47855328)
b. 17 Jul 1887 Enon, Moniteau County, Missouri
d. 7 Sep 1973 Hale Center, Hale County, Texas

Child 1: Clyde Hershelle Uptergrove (FAG memorial 47855670)
b. 31 May 1908 Seymour, Baylor County, Texas
d. 25 May 1999 Plainview, Hale Center, Texas
m. 8 Apr 1930 Clovis, Curry County, New Mexico
Jewell Alice Walls (FAG memorial 47858616)
b. 4 Apr 1914 Montague County, Texas
d. 6 Apr 1993 Hale Center, Hale County, Texas

Child 2: Annie Irene Uptergrove (FAG memorial 20972403)
b. 2 Aug 1912 Seymour, Baylor County, Texas
d. 11 Aug 2007 Silverton, Briscoe County, Texas
m. 5 Mar 1938 Hale Center, Hale County, Texas
Truman Henry Loyd (FAG memorial 62928618)
b. 17 Nov 1903 Texas
d. 7 Mar 1985 Swisher County, Texas

Child 3: Minnie Lorene Uptergrove (FAG memorial 63782825)
b. 31 Jul 1914 Seymour, Baylor County, Texas
d. 6 Jul 1990 Marble Falls, Burnet County, Texas
m. Where? When?
Rudolph Luther Faith (FAG memorial 62473255)
b. 15 Mar 1912 Runge, Karnes County, Texas
d. 30 Nov 2010 Autumn House, Idalou, Lubbock County, Texas

Child 4: Mount Vernon Uptergrove
b. 1 May 1917 Somervell County, Texas
d. 20 Oct 1977 Mabank, Henderson County, Texas
m. When? Where? (Divorced)
Edna Idell Cook (FAG memorial 22979973)
b. 21 Aug 1917 McClain, Trinity County, Texas
d. 12 Oct 2000 Palo Pinto General Hospital, Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto County, Texas
m. When? Where? (Divorced)
Billie Jean Barbee
b. When? Where?
d. When? Where?
m. 31 May 1952 Texas (Divorced)
Cora Mae Worlow (FAG memorial 32220967)
b. 4 Jul 1934 Johnson County, Texas
d. 26 Dec 2007 Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas
m. 29 Sep 1973 Navarro County, Texas
Myrtle F. Hicks
b. When? Where?
d. When? Where?
=====
The Abilene Reporter-News, Abilene, Texas, 21 Oct 1977, Page 39
Elderly Men Have Shootout
PAYNE SPRINGS (AP) -
Two elderly men were killed in a Shootout Thursday afternoon in this tiny East Texas community, Henderson County Deputy Sheriff Choice Lovelady said.
Conus Corbit Cooper, 62, of Maybank and Mount Vernon Uptergrove, 60, of Eustace were pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace A.T. Hill of Gun Barrel City.
Lovelady said the two men apparently shot each other with rifles in front of a Payne Springs grocery store. Two eyewitnesses to the shootings were questioned-Thursday afternoon, officers said.
=====
Dallas Morning News, 21 Oct 1977 (Staff Special to The News)
Feud ends in double killing
PAYNE SPRINGS, Texas--Two men in their 60s shot and killed each other following an argument outside a rural grocery story here Thursday.
Texas Ranger Harold Alfred said Mount Vernon Uptergrove, 60, and Conus C. Cooper, 62, had been arguing several months over a money transaction and shot each other to death about 11:20 a.m. Thursday.
Alfred said witnesses told him one of the men was at the store when the other arrived, they argued and each fired one shot at the other, using a rifle and a shotgun.
He said he did not believe the men intentionally met at the store.
Henderson County Deputy Sheriff Choice Lovelady said both of the men were farmers.
=====

Child 5: Winnie Earline Uptergrove (FAG memorial 13424342)
b. 11 Feb 1921 Memphis, Hall County, Texas
d. 27 Jun 2002 Lubbock, Lubbock County, Texas
m. 27 Jun 1941 Where? (Divorced)
Will Carl Johnson
b. 5 Jan 1919 Talco, Titus County, Texas
d. 27 Feb 1999 Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas

Child 6: Floyd Lee Uptergrove (FAG memorial 16799156)
b. 7 Dec 1922 Memphis, Hall County, Texas
d. 23 Mar 1998 Hico, Hamilton County, Texas
m. 26 Jun 1942 Where?
Living Person
b. 16 Jan 1926 Texas

As families go, the Uptergrove family seems passionate. How they direct that passion can be so positive (there's more than one doctor in the family) or negative (like the gun fight above). All in all, they are a most interesting wing of the family.