Monday, January 27, 2014

The Beaubiens - Blanchet - Bourassa - Frigon Families: A Maple Hill Legacy

Some readers will recall that forty years ago, I wrote a local history column for The Alma Signal Enterprise and The St. Marys Star newspapers.   The column was called "Notes from Moundview Farm" and was dedicated to recording the history of Maple Hill, Wabaunsee County, Kansas and its people.   Between 1972 and 1978, I wrote some 50 feature stories and enjoyed the work immensely.

In a career move, my family and I left Maple Hill and began moving a great deal as I worked developing history museums in Kansas, Idaho, Wisconsin, Oregon and Indiana over the next 28 years.   I'm sure the two papers would have continued to publish articles had I written, but I was simply too busy with my family and career to continue.

One of the stories I always wanted and intended to write, was history related to the Beaubien - Blanchet - Bourassa and Frigon Families who were among the earliest settlers along Mill Creek in what became Maple Hill Township.  I began corresponding with members of the family, gathered a number of historic photos from them, continued to do research when I had the opportunity, but somehow I never seemed to have the time necessary.

I also knew that the information was too voluminous to include in one article and would require several, so one thing and another prevented me from attempting the task.   Now, with old age creeping up on me, I feel that I must go forward with what I have or simply give up.    I wish I could "fill in all the blanks" but it just won't be possible.    These family members I first corresponded with in the early 1970s are all dead, many without descendants.  My paternal grandmother, Mabel Rachel (Jones) Clark, who knew Mary C. (Blanchet) Beaubien, her children and grandchildren, is also deceased.   My mother passed away in 2011 at 89 and is no longer available to help with details.  So while this article may not attain the professional standards to which I should be held accountable, I'll do the very best I'm able to do.



This is a photograph of Mary C. (Blanchet) Beaubien with her great grandchildren, Bill and Ed Chapman.  Bill was several years younger than Ed and had a remarkable resemblance to his father, Edmund B. Chapman, Sr. while Bill resembled his mother's Sams family members.   The photo was taken in front of the Beaubien Hotel, which was a hotel and boarding house owned and operated by Mary C. (Blanchet) Beaubien.  She had it built in 1887 just across the road and to the north of the Rock Island Railway Depot at Maple Hill.  The lumber was cut on her farm along the banks of Mill Creek south of Maple Hill.  We "old timers" will remember the farm as that of Frank and Mattie (Dailey) McClelland, which was passed on to their children, Don and Hattie McClelland, and today belongs to Jerry and Carol (Arnold) Dinnen.   The logs were then sawed into dimension and finish lumber at the Blyton Mill, which was located on the south banks of Mill Creek near where the KH 30 bridge crosses Mill Creek on the way to Maple Hill.  Hotel customers could easily walk from the depot to the hotel for lodging and meals.   Bill Chapman looks to be about six in this photo which would make the year 1926 or 1927.    Mary C. (Blanchet) Beaubien died in 1929 at the age of 90.

I want to begin with some notes of appreciation.   Ed and Bill Chapman were young men who grew up in and around Maple Hill.   They were the children of Edmund Beaubien Chapman, Sr. and his wife Alberta (Sams) Chapman, the grandchildren of William W. and Mary Florence (Beaubien) Chapman and the great grandchildren of Edmund Augustin and Mary C. (Blanchet) Beaubien.  Both men were college educated.   Ed and his wife, Mary Ann (Stewart) Chapman, were well known in Kansas where he was a journalist, and served as secretary and special assistant to Governor Edward F. Arn, the 32nd Governor of Kansas, during the early 1950s.   They then moved to Texas and finally New Mexico, owning title companies in both states. Ed's brother, William Sams "Bill" Chapman, was a life-long journalist and businessman who wrote for Kansas Newspapers and later moved to Bastrop, Louisiana where he was an owner and co-publisher of The Bastrop Enterprise.  Bill was a pioneer in the use of computers in the newspaper industry.  Ed Chapman died in 2002 and Bill Chapman in 2009.  Ed is buried with his parents, Ed and Alberta (Sams) Chapman in the Old Stone Church Cemetery.  Both were very helpful in sharing family information and photographs.

Secondly, I want to thank Janet McCracken, the great great granddaughter of Edmund Augustin and Mary C. (Blanchet) Beaubien, for providing photographs and information.  Edmund and Mary C. (Blanchet) Beaubien had a son, Hector Edmond Beaubien, who was the father of four children.   One of those four was daughter Nell Beaubien Nichols, who was without a doubt, an internationally known pioneer in women's journalism, as well as the author and editor of dozens of articles, books and cookbooks for such companies as Better Homes and Gardens, Capper Publications, Double Day and Company, The Farm Journal Corporation, and many others.   Nell Beaubien Nichols, who earned a Master's Degree from the University of Wisconsin, was at first an authority on the nutritional properties of soy beans when no one else was even studying them.  She went on to write over 40 cookbooks and become one of the most well-known food authors and editors in America.   Her long and illustrious career spanned more than 60 years.

At the present time, I am planning to write about these pioneer families in 10 articles or fewer.   It always amazes me how much information and history there is about our early Maple Hill Families, when there isn't a single descendant living in the community today.    With those words, I shall bring this introductory article to a close.    I'm hopeful you, gentle readers, will enjoy the history of the Beaubien - Blanchet - Bourassa and Frigon Families.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Before I Continue With The Clarks---A Few Corbin Updates and a Couple of Maple Hill History Blogs

Dear Readers,

I hope this blog finds you well and enjoying a peaceful Sunday, whatever the weather might be like where you are.   We are having a fairly typical day of 70+ degree temperatures in Palm Springs.   I have done laundry, mixed enough humming bird food for the week, watered the outdoor cactus and potted plants, checked the guest room for brother Gary's arrival, made chicken vegetable soup---and having done all that, where do I find myself---at the keyboard writing a blog :)   I just can't help myself.   I love history and sharing history.

Before I dive into the history and genealogy of the Clark family, I want to share some updates on the Corbin family that I have received.   I also want to try and unravel the history of the Beaubien, Bourassa and Frigon families who were some of the earliest Maple Hill residents.    This is not a simple task.  

For instance, there were two distinct lines of the Beaubien family living in the area.   One was clearly French and Native American (mostly Ottawa and Pottawatomi) and the other was just French.   TwoFrench Beaubien brothers were born in Canada.  I appears one married a Native American and the other another French lady.    The two lines were fairly separate until they meet in Illinois and Kansas during the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s.    But more of that in a separate blog.

The Bourassa Family were definitively Native American and it is easily to document their ancestry since they were well-educated and highly placed within their tribes.   They arrive on the scene when the Pottawatomi Tribe was removed from the Great Lakes during the late 1830s and play prominent roles in Kansas, tribal and Maple Hill History during the 1840s through the early 1900s.    They in fact marry members of the Beaubien, Blanchet and Frigon Families which further complicates their genealogy.

Thanks to letters and documentation that survive in these families, we are going to be able to catch a glimpse of what pioneer life was like for these early families in Illinois and Kansas.   I find them particularly fascinating and I want to thank the survivors of William Chapman, a descendant of the Beaubien and Blanchet Families and his cousin, Janet Beaubien McCracken (granddaughter of Nell Beaubien Nichols) for their assistance and for sharing family photographs.  William Chapman and I exchanged correspondence and photographs several times during the 1970s and 1980s.   He passed away in 2009 and I will share his history and obituary later.  Nell Beaubien Nichols, in addition to literally being a Kansas pioneer, was also a pioneer in the field of women's journalism.   Over her long 40-year career, she attained both bachelors and masters degrees, wrote hundreds of published articles, and edited numerous cookbooks for a variety of publlishers, most notably The Farm Journal and Better Homes and Gardens.   Although she never spent a lot of time in Maple Hill after her youth, she is likely one of its most important native daughters.

I don't know exactly how many blogs it will take to reveal the family and community history of the Beaubien-Bourassa-Blanchet and Frigon Families, but I suspect six or eight.  I will try and make the text as readable as possible while remaining accurate to the materials.   It will not be a simple task but I'm going to do my best.
I hope if any reader has documentation for errors, you will share it with me.   Most of what I'm going to use comes directly from family members, from the Citizen Band Pottawatomi Library and Archive in Shawnee, Oklahoma and from Ancestry.com and other Internet sources.

Have a good day friends!







Nick Clark
Palm Springs, CA
January 12, 2014

Friday, January 10, 2014

The History of the Children of Edgar and Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell

James Llewellyn Bell was the oldest child of Edgar and Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell and was born on July 1, 1880 in Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.  He lived in Adams County for a few years and then moved to Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois with his parents.

James learned the barbering trade when he was young and remained a barber his entire life.  When his parents returned to Ayr, Nebraska, James stayed in Illinois opening a barber shop at Farmer City, Illinois.  There he married Mayme Delores Keller, born in August 1881 to William Austin and Alice Elizabeth (Miller) Keller.   Mayme lived her entire life in Illinois.

James and Mayme Keller were married in 1903 and they lived their entire married life in Farmer City, Illinois.   They had no children.

James died on February 17, 1938 and is buried in the Farmer City Cemetery, Farmer City, Illinois.   Mayme (Keller) Bell died in 1956 and is also buried in the Farmer City Cemetery, Farmer City, Illinois.

A photograph of James Llewellyn Bell courtesy of his cousin, Betty (Nunemaker) Harris.






























Linnie Alice Bell was the second child of Edgar and Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell and was born on April 19, 1883 at Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.   Linnie grew up in Ayr, Nebraska and Chillicothe, Illinois.   She married Eddie Edgar Parsons on August 9, 1924.  She was a registered nurse and received her nurses training at Proctor Hospital in Peoria, Illinois.

In 1908, she returned to Hastings, Nebraska with her parents and united with the Christian Church there in 1909.  On the 1910 U. S. Census, she is shown living with her parents, Edgar and Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell in Hastings, Nebraska.

Like so many others, Eddie Edgar Parsons moved west with his parents.   His father, Henry Harrison Parsons was born in Ohio in 1840 and moved west.   He joined the Union Army during the Civil War and served with Company B, 118th Illinois Infantry from August 1862 until October 1865.  He was married to Rachel Ann Mapes in 1867 at Hancock, Illinois and they lived there for over a decade before moving to Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska where they lived on a farm.   Henry Harrison and Rachel Ann (Mapes) Parsons were the parents of eleven children.

Another of the Parsons children, William Henry Parsons, married into the extended Corbin family, when he took Estella Mae Wilder as his bride in 1900.   Estella was the daughter of Loren H. and Mary Elizabeth (Corbin) Wilder and their story is found elsewhere in my blogs.

Unfortunately, Linnie Alice (Bell) Parsons died at an early age.   The Hastings, Nebraska newspaper carried the following obituary for Linnie on August 18, 1937:
Funeral services for Mrs. Linnie Alice Parsons, 54, of Rose, Nebraska who died here Wednesday, will be held Friday at 2:30pm at the home of her mother, Mrs. Edgar Bell, 846 South Denver.   The Rev. Dewey Meranda will conduct the services.   Interment will be at the Leroy (Blue Valley) Cemetery.   Vernon Wyman, Wilbur Parsons, James and Henry Ferguson, John and Frank English will be pallbearers.  Flower bearers will be Betty Nunemaker, Mrs. Jack Bell, Dorothy and Hazel Parsons, Martha Ferguson and Esther Thornberry.    Mrs. Parsons, who was born in Hastings and spent most of her life here, is survived by her husband Edgar, two brothers, Frank E. Bell of Hastings, and Llewellyn Bell of Farmer City, Illinois and a sister, Mrs. Sam Nunemaker of Fremont, Nebraska.

Eddie Edgar Parons lived the remainder of his long life in Hastings, Nebraska and died on June 11, 1973.  The following short obituary appeared in the Hastings newspaper:
Death: 
Jun. 11, 1973 Good Samaritan Village, Adams County, Nebraska, USA.


Mr. Eddie E. Parson, 93 years old of Good Samaritan Village. Passed away Monday. Surviving are a twin sister Effie Carpenter, of Lincoln, sister-in-law Mrs. Frank Parsons of Lebanon, Oregon, many nieces and nephews. Services will be Wednesday at 2 in the All Saints Chapel with Reverend H.W. Lebsack. Burial in Blue Valley Cemetery.


A Photo of Eddie Edgar Parsons (standing middle) and unknown friends.



























A photograph of Eddie Edgar Parsons and his twin sister, Effie Jane (Parsons) Carpenter taken on their 90th birthday in 1969.

Both Eddie and Linnie (Parsons) Bell are buried in the Blue Valley Cemetery near Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.

Hattie Bell Nunemaker was the third child of Edgar and Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell and was born on January 21, 1883 at Wakarusa, Elkhart, Nebraska.   She took nurses training at the Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings, Nebraska and worked as a nurse.  She was married to Samuel Calvin Nunemaker on September 12, 1912 at Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois.

Sam Nunemaker was the son of Jacob and Phoebe K. (Darkwood) Nunemaker and spent his early life in Elkhart County, Indiana where his father was a farmer.   Like so many other young men, Samuel moved West to Nebraska to seek a better life.   Samuel Nunemaker worked for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad his entire career.




















A photograph of Hattie B. (Bell) Nunemaker in her nurses uniform.













Samuel and Hattie (Bell) Nunemaker were not able to have children and adopted a daughter, Betty Marie Bell.   Betty was born on July 31, 1922 at Junita, Adams County, Nebraska.   Betty grew up in Hastings, Nebraska where the family were members of the Assembly of God Church.

Samuel Calvin Nunemaker died on August 16, 1955 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska and Hattie B. (Bell) Nunemaker also died at Hastings.  Both are buried at Parkview Cemetery, Hastings, Nebraska but I have not found a death date for Hattie Nunemaker.


Betty Marie Nunemaker was raised from infancy by her adopted parents, Samuel Calvin and Hattie B. (Bell) Nunemaker.  She was born July 31, 1922 at Juniata, Adams County, Nebraska.   She was married to Rev. Merle Jennings Harris.  Rev. Merle Harris died in 1990.   Below is the obituary of Betty Harris, which provides additional details about her life and family:
Betty Marie (Nunemaker) Harris 
July 31, 1922 - December 2, 2007
Betty M. Harris, 85, of Mablevale, Arkansas died on December 2, 2007. She was born July 31, 1922 at Hastings, Nebraska and adopted by the late Samuel and Hattie (Bell) Nunemaker. Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Merle Jennings Harris.

Mrs. Harris was a Pastor’s Wife, sharing God’s Word, at Winnebago Indian Reservation, Mullins, Nebraska; Ozark, Arkansas; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Russellville, Arkansas; Administrator at Hillcrest Children’s Home, Hot Springs, Arkansas. She shared with Rev. Harris as past District Superintendent for the Arkansas District Council of the Assemblies of God. She was an accomplished violinist, loved children, had a joyful spirit and was known for her radiant smile.

Survivors include her son; James Harris and wife, Linda of Mablevale; one granddaughter, Shannon Davis, and husband Chris of Mablevale; two beautiful great-granddaughters, Nicole and Casey Davis, and the many lives she touched at Hillcrest Children’s Home.
Betty M. Harris

The author is deeply indebted to Rev. and Mrs. Harris for providing much information for the Edgar and Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell portions of the Corbin Family History and this blog.  They provided the only pictures of James and Cynthia Corbin and they had a diary kept by Mrs. Nancy Anna Bell Corbin which gave many dates of marriages, deaths, births and other information which has been utilized in these writings.

I spent two days with Rev. and Mrs. Harris in their home at Little Rock, Arkansas in 1979 and enjoyed a wonderful time and their fine hospitality.   Betty Harris was a lovely lady who loved her family and its heritage.   May she rest in peace.

The Merle Jennings Harris Family:  L-R:  Rev. Merle J. Harris, Betty M. (Nunemaker) Harris and son James Wesley Harris.

James Wesley Harris is the adopted son of Merle Jennings and Betty Marie (Nunemaker) Harris and was born on April 6, 1950 in Clinton, VanBuren County, Arkansas.  He is married to Linda Diane Dixon who was born on May 1, 1950 at St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri to Emery and Myrtle Mae (Tucker) Dixon.   James and Linda were married on October 6, 1973 at Hot Springs, Garland, Arkansas.   James W. Harris is a fireman.


A photo of the James W. Harris Family.   L-R:  James W. Harris, Linda Diane (Dixon) Harris and daughter Shannon Elaine Harris.



James and Linda Harria are the parents of Shannon Elaine Harris, b orn January 22, 1975 at Ft. Smith, Arkansas.   Shannon is married to Christopher Davis and they have two children: Casey and Nicole Davis.  James and Linda Harris and the Davis family all live in Mablevale, Pulaski County, Arkansas at this writing.


A photograph of three geneations:   Betty M. (Nunemaker) Harris, her mother Hattie (Bell) Nunemaker and James Wesley Harris, son and grandson of Betty (Nunemaker) Harris and Hattie (Bell) Nunemaker.

Frank Earl Bell was the fourth and last child born to Edgar and Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell on October 25,  1889 at Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois.  He was raised in Chillicothe and returned to Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska with his parents and family in the early 1900s.  Frank started working for the Hastings Ice Cream Company at an early age and continued to work there his entire career.


L-R:  Frank Earl Bell, John Edgar Bell and his mother Mary Margarette (Cooney) Bell.

Frank E. Bell was married to Mary Margarette Cooney and they lived in Hastings, Nebraska at 831 S. Denver Avenue.  Mary Margarette Bell was born on March 12, 1890 in Nebraska.  They were the parents of one son, John Edgar Bell, born on October 28, 1919 at Omaha, Nebraska.

John Edgar Bell was the only child of Frank Earl and Mary Margarette (Cooney) Bell and was born October 28, 1919 at Omaha Nebraska.  John was married twice.   His first marriage was to Sarah Adalaide Cook on May 17, 1937 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska.  John E. Bell served in the U. S. Army during World War II and his marriage ended in divorce.

Frank E. Bell was married a second time to Mary Marjorie Wieland on June 23, 1941.  They had two children:  Jerry Allen Bell born October 21, 1942 and Nancy Anna Bell born June 11, 1946.  This marriage ended in divorce.   Mary Marjorie (Wieland) Bell married a second time and her husband adopted Jerry and Nancy Bell, who took his last name.    There whereabouts is not known at this writing.

This is the last known photograph of Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell.   It was taken on her back porch in Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska by her granddaughter Betty Marie (Nunemaker) Harris.  Nancy Anna died on September 26, 1950 and was buried beside her husband Edgar Bell in the Blue Valley Cemetery, Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.  The following is a short obituary from the Hastings newspaper.


Birth: Feb. 2, 1860, Putnam County, Missouri, USA
Death: September 26, 1950, Hastings, Adams, Nebraska, USA
Funeral services for Mrs. Nancy Anna Bell, age 90, were held Wednesday at 2:30 at the Assembly of God Church with the Rev. B.C. Heinz officiating. She was the youngest child of James and Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin, pioneers of Adams County.   A prayer service at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Samuel Nunemaker, preceded the funeral. Pallbearers were R.D. Shore, William Harms, Jack Bell, Ray Noble. W.H. Parsons and R.A. Nelson. Burial was in the LeRoy Cemetery. Livingston-Butler Funeral Home was in charge.

28 Sept. 1950 pg 13

Family links:
 Parents:
   James Corbin (1813 - 1891)
   Cynthia Ann Casteel Corbin (1819 - 1903)

 Spouse:
   Edgar Bell (1857 - 1937)

With the writing of the history of the Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell family, I conclude the recounting of the history of the children of James and Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin.  The writing of this history has entailed the posting of over 70 blogs on this site and with it, the fulfillment of a promise I made to my maternal grandmother, Mildred Mae (McCauley) Corbin, who gave me all of her old family photographs with the understanding that they would be shared with family members.   I have used all of her photographs and many, many others that I have copied or used from other sources.   I am grateful to all who have helped in any way with the writing of this history.

I wish you Happy Trails!!!

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Nancy Anna Corbin: The Last of the Children of James and Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin

With the next blog or two, I will conclude the long recounting of history and genealogy concerning the children and descendants of my great, great grandparents James and Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin.  Their ninth child was Nancy Anna Corbin.   Of their nine children, eight lived to adulthood, the sole exception being Griffith Corbin, who died in infancy in 1839.


 Nancy Anna Corbin was born February 2, 1860 in West Liberty, Putnam County, Missouri to James and Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin.  Cynthia (Casteel) Corbin had her first child in 1838, beginning a long child-bearing period of 22 years.  Cynthia was 41 years old when Nancy Anna was born, and the life expectancy for women in that year was 42 years-of-age.   Both Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin and her husband James were raised in Clermont County, Ohio, then moved to LaPorte County, Indiana, Dodge County, Missouri, Putnam County, Missouri, northern Texas, then back to Putnam County, Missouri and finally to Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska---all in a span of 60 years---and we talk about our generation as being mobile!

Nancy Anna Corbin spent her early life in Putnam County, Missouri where James, her father, returned from the Civil War a partially disabled man.   With the help of his sons and daughters, he and Cynthia were able to operate their farm and become fairly prosperous.  About ten years after settling in Putnam County, Missouri James and most of his children and grandchildren moved to Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska where he and his sons took out 160 acre homesteads.  The homesteads were proved up between 1872 and 1874, well ahead of the five years provided for in the Homestead Act.   With alterations to the Homestead Act in the 1880s, they were able to add 80 acres of "timber" land which meant that they had to plant at least 40-acres of that 80-acres into timber.   The timber could then be cut for firewood or milled into wood for commercial use.

In Adams County, the family continued do well and grow.

Nancy Anna Corbin was the youngest of James and Cynthia (Casteel) Corbin's children and was about 13-years-old when they removed from Putnam County, Missouri in 1872 and 1873.  Her parents would have been nearly 60-years-old at that time, and had already lived 20 years beyond their life expectancy, so Nancy Anna would have had a great deal of responsibility for the women's work in their home.  James and Cynthia lived well beyond their life expectancy.   James died in 1891 at the age of 77 and Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin died in 1903 at the age of 83.   They continued to be surrounded by many of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren as the years passed and they are buried in the Blue Valley Cemetery, Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.

While my great grandparents, George Washington and Sarah Ann (Todd) Corbin, (also children of James and Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin) did move to Adams County, Nebraska they stayed only for a short period, and the reason is not known.   They returned to Putnam County, Missouri where George was a farmer in the West Liberty Community.  They endured incredible hardships, loosing one child in Nebraska and three children to typhoid fever after returning to Putnam County, Missouri.   The sorrow was too great for them in Putnam County, and they sold their farm and moved to southern Kansas where they remained the rest of their lives.


This photograph was taken in the 1920s.  I don't know if it was taken in Ayr, Nebraska or in Hastings, Nebraska but I suspect in Ayr.   I hope if any "cousins" know, they will contact me.   L-R:  Edgar Bell, Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell, their son Frank Bell, and Nancy's older sister, Mary Elizabeth (Wilder) Bell.   I owe a large debt of gratitude to my deceased cousin, Betty (Nunemaker) Harris, granddaughter of Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell, for all of the photographs in this blog.

Nancy Anna Corbin was married to Edgar Bell on January 16, 1879 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska. She was 18-years-old and Edgar Bell was 21-years-old.   Edgar was the son of Llewellyn and Sarah Elizabeth "Lottie" (Gallaugher) Bell and was born on March 7, 1857 at Richmonddale, Ross County, Ohio.

Llewellyn "Blue" Bell was born on May 18, 1829 at Ft. Ann, Washington County, New York.   Sarah Elizabeth "Lottie" Gallaugher was born Marach 5, 1837 in Muskingum County, Ohio.  He and Sarah Gallauger were married about 1855 in Ross County, Ohio.   Llewellyn was a blacksmith and served as such in the Civil War.   When he returned home, he and Sarah headed West where they settled at Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois.   They became the parents of thirteen children, of whom their son Edgar Bell was the second.   They remained in Chillicothe, Illinois their entire lives and are buried there in Chillicothe City Cemetery.

Edgar Bell was born March 7, 1857 at Richmonddale, Ross County, Ohio and moved West with his parents after the Civil War.  I have not been able to find any of the Llewellyn "Blue" Bell family on the 1870 U. S. Census, including Edgar.    However, by the 1875 Nebraska Census, he is living in Adams County, Nebraska.  I have not been able to find Edgar Bell's name among those who applied for and improved a farm homestead.



Records indicate that Edgar Bell and Nancy Anna Corbin were married on January 16, 1879 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska by Judge B. G. Smith.   The 1880 Census records the young couple living on a farm at Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.   The 1890 U. S. Census burned so we do not have those records, however the 1900 U. S. Census shows that they moved to Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois where many of Edgar's twelve brothers and sisters and their families lived.  The Census lists his occupation as brick mason.  Their granddaughter, Betty (Nunemaker) Harris, told me during a 1981 visit to her home in Little Rock, Arkansas: "Edgar and Nancy lived in Adams County for a while and then moved to Chillicothe, Illinois where he was a brick mason and also made and repaired shoes.  He had been a blacksmith in his early days, learning the trade from his father.  Edgar played the fiddle along with his brothers and they made lively music.   They decided they'd had it better in Nebraska and moved back to Hastings where he lived for nearly 50 years."

Edgar and Nancy Anna (Corbin) Bell were the parents of four children:  James Llewellyn Bell in 1881, Linnie Alice Bell in 1884, Hattie B. Bell in 1887 and Frank Earl Bell in 1889.    In the next blog, I will talk about these four children and their families.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

The Last Two Children of Levi L. and Martha Jane (Corbin) Plummer: Ada Evelyn and Ara L. Plummer

Ada Evelyn Plummer and Arthur Hartford Livingston

The Plummer sisters, Ada Evelyn and Ara L., married brothers, Arthur Hartford Livingston and Franklin Moses Livingston.

Ada Evelyn Plummer was born to Levi L. and Martha Jane (Corbin) Plummer on July 27, 1893 is Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.   She was married to Arthur Hartford Livingston on July 29, 1912 at Hastings, Adams, Nebraska. 

Arthur Hartford Livingston was born in Marshalltown, Boone County, Iowa on March 1, 1881 to Moses and Rachel (Garrett) Livingston.  His brother, Franklin Moses Plummer was born September 16, 1888 at Superior, Nuckolls County, Nebraska.

Moses Livingston was born in Ireland in 1835, immigrated to the United States about 1850, and moved to Lake County, Indiana where he farmed.   He joined the Union Army and fought in the Civil War from 1862 to 1865, returning to Lake County, Indiana where he married his wife, Rachael Garrett.   They lived in Indiana a while, then moved to west through Illinois, Iowa, and finally to Nebraska where they are shown living in Ayr, Adams County, on the 1880 U. S. Census.   Moses and Rachael Livingston were the parents of eleven children and both died in the Nebraska Soldiers and Sailors Home.   The Livingstons are buried in Blue Valley Cemetery near Ayr, Nebraska.


           This is a photograph of the  Livingstons brothers and Plummer sisters taken in Hastings, Nebraska.

Since Ada Evelyn is the older of the two Plummer sisters, I'll begin with her family.  So far as I've been able to learn, Ada spent most of her youth in Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska where many members of her father and mother's family resided.   She attended schools there.   After her marriage to Arthur Hartford Livingston, they moved to Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska where his occupation is listed to begin with as "laborer," then "truck driver," and "teamster."  The 1930 Hastings City Directory lists his occupation as "carpenter."


Arthur and Ada (Plummer) Livingston had three children:  Levi Arthur Livingston, born April 25, 1914 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska; Eliza Evelyn Livingston, born February 20, 1918 also at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska and Charles Edward Livingston who was born  in January 1920 and died on August 20, 1920.   He is buried in Blue Valley Cemetery, Ayr, Nebraska.   While the Plummers were living in Hastings, their address was listed as 216 S. Delaware Street.

Ada Evelyn (Plummer) Livingston died of heart failure on January 16, 1937.  At the time, the family was living at 910 W. Eleventh Street in Hastings.   She was buried in the Blue Valley Cemetery, Ayr, Nebraska next to her son.

The Livingston's lost three children in infancy.  Their first child, Ira Herman Livingston, was born at Hastings, Nebraska on May 28, 1913 and died that same year. The second child was Charles Edward Livingston, born January 1, 1920.  He died of pnuemonia in September 1921.  The third child they lost was, Irene Alice Livingston, born March 25, 1921.  She died in 1921.   The babies are buried with their mother in the Blue Valley Cemetery, Ayr, Nebraska.

I have not been able to find any further information about Arthur Hartford Livingston.  He eventually moved to Oklahoma to be near his son, Levi Arthur Livingston.  He was still living at 910 W. Eleventh Street in Hastings in 1939.   Arthur Hartford Livingston died on May 3, 1964 and is buried in at Cyril, Caddo County, Oklahoma and is buried at Cement, Caddo County, Oklahoma.  

Levi Arthur "Lee" Livingston was born April 15, 1914 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska and was living in Roseburg, Oregon in 1935 according to the 1940 U.S. Census which required those enumerated to say where they were living five years before.  Since there were many lumber mills in the Roseburg area, it is assumed that he went West to work in those mills.   It was the Great Depression and work was hard to find where ever you were.

Levi Arthur Livingston was married to Ruth Elphie Cook July 21, 1937.  Ruth was the daughter of Thomas Mark and Sarah Edith (Newell) Cook and was living in Custer, Nebraska shortly before her marriage.  The 1940 Census shows them living in Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska.  

Levi was called "Lee" by his family and friends.   Lee and Ruth were the parents of three children:  Nancy Ruth Livingston born APril 27, 1938, Thomas Lee "Tommy" Livingston born September 27, 1944 and Robert Arthur Livingston born April 26, 1946.   The family moved from Hastings, Nebraska to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma sometime in the mid-1940s.   The 1944 Oklahoma City Directory lists Lee as a factory worker for the Robberson Steel Company as does every OKC Directory through 1959.  He died on October 20, 2001 and is buried in the Dale Cemetery, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma.  

Ruth (Cook) Livingston continued to live in Oklahoma City and passed away January 21, 2011.   Here is a portion of her obituary:

 Ruth Livingston, 93, died Friday, January 21, 2011 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was born on November 23, 1917 to Thomas Mark and Edith Cook in Ansley, Nebraska.


Ruth enjoyed sewing, knitting and crocheting very much. She made Baby Quilts, knitted New Born Baby Caps and made Bags for older children. All of these items were distributed to area Hospitals by local Churches. These items were greatly appreciated and used by many. Ruth enjoyed her time with her Womens Club that met each Wednesday. The club sewed and knitted numerous items.


Ruth was preceded in death by:Her husband Lee Livingston, her son Robert Livingston, two grandsons, Dennis Harris and Chris Livingston.  She is survived by her daughter Nancy Harris of McLoud, Oklahoma; her son Tom and wife Fran Livingston of El Reno, Oklahoma and one sister, Rosa Royal of Karney, Nebraska; Three grand children; eight great grand children and one great great grandchildren.

Nancy Ruth Livingston
Nancy Ruth Livingston was born to Levi "Lee" and Ruth (Cook) Livingston on April l27, 1938 in Oklahoma City, Canadian County, Oklahoma.  She was first married to James Franklin Kay in February 1954.   They were the parents of two children:  Dennis James Kay born on November 16, 1957 at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Shaun Lee Kay born October 1, 1962 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.   James Franklin Kay and Nancy Ruth (Livingston) Kay were divorced in 1962.

Nancy Ruth then married Robert Gail Harris in August 1966.  Robert Gail Harrris then adopted Dennis James Kay and Shaun Lee Kay.

Dennis James Kay was married to Becky Ross on August 25, 1979.

 I did find an obituary for Nancy Ruth (Livingston) Harris, who just passed away about three weeks ago.   I'll include portions here:


Birth: Apr. 27, 1938
Ansley, Custer County, Nebraska, USA
Death: Dec. 2, 2013
McLoud, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, USA

Nancy Ruth Harris, 75, of McLoud, passed away Monday, December 2 at her home.

Nancy Ruth Harris was born April 27, 1938 in Ansley, Nebraska the daughter of Levi "Lee" and Ruth (Cooke) Livingston. She graduated from U.S. Grant High School in Oklahoma City. In 1966 she married Robert Harris. Nancy worked as a homemaker and also worked several years in the Psychology department at O.U. She was a member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church. She was an active volunteer at the church and for McLoud schools and was an avid football fan.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, a son: Dennis, and a brother: Robert.

She is survived by Son: Shaun Harris and wife Lisa of College Station, TX; Grandchildren: Emily and Will Harris, Shaunna Torralba; Great-Grandson: Brayden Torralba; Brother: Tommy Livingston and wife Fran of El Reno, OK. 

Spouse:
   Robert Gale Harris (1937 - 1994)
Burial:
Dale CemeteryPottawatomie County, Oklahoma, USA


Thomas Lee Livingston
Thomas Lee Livingston was born on September 27, 1944 at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Levi "Lee" and Ruth (Cook) Livingston.  He married Linda Brill who was born October 3, 1948 at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.   They are the parents of Christopher Lee Livingstom who was born on May 10, 1974 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.   

Thomas Lee and Linda (Brill) Livingston were divorced in 1978.   Mr. Livingston was married a second time to Frances Sherwood Clemonds who was born on August 1, 1949 in China.   Mr. Livingston was a police officer in Oklahoma City, OK when I received this information in the late 1970s.

Robert Arthur Livingston
Robert Arthur Livingston was born to Levi "Lee" and Ruth (Cook) Livingston on April 26, 1946 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  He married Phyllis Diane ALdridge who was born July 26, 1949 at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  They are the parents of one child, Robert Brian Livingston, born November 16, 1974 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  The Livingstons have lived in Oklahoma all their lives and Mr. Livingston is an accountant.

Eliza Evelyn Livingston 

Eliza Evelyn Livingston was born to Arthur Hartford and Ada Evelyn (Plummer) Livingston on February 20, 1918 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska.   She preferred to go by her middle name and was known to family and friends as Evelyn.  She attended schools in Hastings and Ayr, Nebraska.

Evelyn Livingston was married to Joseph Frederick Morganflash on July 25, 1936 at Geneva, Fillmore County, Nebraska.   Joseph Morganflash was born December 29, 1911 at Marseilles, LaSalle County, Illinois to William Charles and Jessie Elmira (Calver) Morganflash.  Joe spent his entire life in the State of Nebraska.




This is a photograph of George H. McCutchen, Ara L. (Plummer) Livingston and Ann Alice (Livingston) McCutchen.  


Joseph F. and Evelyn (Livingston) Morganflash were the parents of four children:
James Frederick "Jim", born September 6, 1938; Richard Joseph "Dick" born February 28, 1941; Evelyn Jessie born October 19, 1942 and Irene Cora born April 24, 1944.   All of the Morganflash children were born at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska.


Irene (Morganflash) Radcliff told me that her family moved to a farm about four miles northeast of Hastings, Nebraska when she was about two years old.  Irene said they lived there until January of 1959 when they moved back to Hastings, the reason being that the big barn on the farm burned down and they had no place for livestock or hay.   She said the fire was mostly likely arson as there were other fires in the neighborhood at that time.

Irene Radcliff also reported that Evelyn E. Morganflash worked at Hastings College and then Mary Lanning Hospital.   She then worked at the Hastings Regional Center.

According to Hastings City Directories, Joe Morganflash was a laborer and truck driver in early marriage and later became a psychiatric technician and Mrs. Morganflash worked as a human resources technician.  She also worked at K&R potato factory and for Bruckman Rubber.   She worked in the kitchen at Good Samaritan for over 25 years.     Joseph Frederick Morganflash died on July 29, 1966 at Juniata, Adams County, Nebraska and is buried in the Juniata Cemetery.

Evelyn Morganflash assisted me in gathering much of the Plummer Family information used in this article.   Her daughter, Irene Cora (Morganflash) Radcliffe is continuing to assist in gathering information.

Evelyn (Livingston) Morganflash passed away on July 26, 1990 at Hastings, Nebraska and is buried with her husband in the Juniata Cemetery, Juniata, Nebraska.

James Frederick Morganflash

James Frederick Morganflash,  was born September 6, 1938 at Hastings, Nebraska and was twice married.  He married Patriciah Leah Sims on March 28, 1964 in Belgrade, Nebraska.  Patricia Sims was the daughter of Arthur Patrick and Florence Frances Sims and lived in Utah, Idaho and Nebraska prior to marriage. 

They are the parents of two children:
Michael James Morganflash born January 29, 1966 in Hastings, Nebraska and Michelle Marie Morganflash, born October 29, 1967 in Hastings, Nebraska.

Mrs. Patricia Morganflash was a telephone operator and due to her health did not work much during her married life.   She Patricia (Sims) Morganflash died on September 16, 1987 in Hastings, Nebraska.   Relatives recall that Pat's health wasn't the best from her teens forward.

Widowed, James F. Morganflash, then married Lana Kay Roether on June 6, 1990.   James "Jim" Morganflash passed away on September 16, 2006.   He and his first wife, Patricia, are buried in the Fullerton Cemetery, Fullerton, Nance County, Nebraska.

Richard Joseph "Dick" Morganflash

Richard Joseph "Dick" Morganflash was born February 28, 1941 at Hastings, Nebraska to Joseph Frederick and Evelyn (Livingston) Morganflash.  He was married to Sharon Krieger on November 14, 1966.  Sharon Kae Krieger was born July 27, 1944 at Hastings, Nebraska the daughter of Amon and Fern (Miller) Kreiger.  They were married on November 14, 1966 at the Baptist Church, Grand Island, Nebraska, where they then became members.   

They were the parents of three children: 
Joseph Frederick Morganflash, born February 15, 1967 at Hastings, Nebraska;
Todd William Morganflash, born October 4, 1969 at Hastings, Nebraska and
Angela Kae Morganflash born January 4, 1978 at Hastings, Nebraska.

Dick Morganflash lived in Hastings all his life. He played in the Country Cousins Band and was inducted into the Nebraska Country Hall of Fame. He coached the Hastings Youth Boxing Club.  He was a retired construction worker and mechanic.   Dick Morganflash died on June 18, 2004 and is buried in the Juniata Cemetery, Juniata, Adams County, Nebraska.

Evelyn Jessie Morganflash was born October 17, 1942 has gone by her middle name, Jessie.  She was never married.  She was a welder for Dutton-Lairson Company, and lives in Hastings, Nebraska.

Irene (Morganflash) Radcliff said that Evelyn Jessie Morganflash worked at the K&R Potato and Onion Ring Factory, then at Bruckman Rubber Company, and is still working at the Good Samaritan at 73 years of age in 2015.

Irene Cora Morganflash was born on April 24, 1944 at Hastings, Nebraska where she attended schools.  


Irene Morganflash was first married to Donald Robert Hawkeye on July 6, 1965 at Aurora, Hamilton County, Nebraska.  Donald was born September 3, 1934 at Wenachee, Washington the son of Donald and Edna (Frisky) Hawkeye.  They are members of the Baptist Church. This marriage lasted one year. 

Irene was then married to Elza Glenn Overfield and they were the parents of three children:
Glen Evan Overfield, born April 10, 1969 at Santa Barbara, California;
Gina Evon Overfield, born June 8, 1971 at Santa Barbara, California and
Gigi Evet Overfield born March 19, 1977 at Payson, Utah.

Irene was then married to Darwin Charles Blanchard for five years.  She is now married to Wayne Radcliff and they are celebrating seventeen years of marriage in 2014.  Irene and her husband Wayne Radcliff live in Grand Island, Nebraska.



Ara L. (Plummer) Livingston
Ara L. Plummer was the child of Levi L. and Martha Jane (Corbin) Plummer and was born in September 1895 at their home in Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.  She attended schools in Ayr and was married to Franklin Moses Livingston on September 25, 1913.    The Plummer Sisters Ada and Ara married brothers, Arthur Hartford and Franklin Moses Livingston.

Ara and Frank Livingston were the parents of seven children born between 1914 and 1933.   They are:  Lucille Jane born February 5, 1914 Frances Rachel born June 11, 1916; a set of twins  Caroline Louise born July 12, 1917 and died October 6, 1917 and Charles Moses born July 12, 1917 and died November 26, 1917; Ann Alice born October 10, 1919; Chester Frank born January 18, 1922; James Richard born February 6, 1924; John Elwood born March 8, 1926 and died November 17, 1927, Ruth Ilene born February 15, 1929, Arlene Bell born May 18, 1932 and Robert Kenwood born July 11, 1933 and Eliza Eveline born Feburary 20, 1935.  All of the children were all born in Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska while the last three children were all born in Denver, Denver County, Colorado.



                            The Children of Frank and Ara (Plummer) Livingston

There seems to be conflicting information about when the family moved from Nebraska to Colorado.  Birth records indicate the last three children were born in Colorado between 1932 and 1935.   U. S. Census Records show the family continuing to live in Hastings, Nebraska at least through 1930.   The 1940 U. S. Census does record the family living in Denver, Colorado and indicates they were also living in Denver, Colorado in 1935.

Although I was not able to find burial records for either Frank M. or Ara L. (Plummer) Livingston, family records indicate that Frank died  in 1950 and is buried in Denver, Colorado and Ara L. Livingston died in May 1985 and is buried in Denver, Colorado.


Lucille Jane Livingston   I have not been able to find any information regarding Lucille Jane Livingston other than her birth, which was February 5, 1914 in Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska and her death which occurred January 1, 1967, location unknown.

Frances Rachel Livingston was born June 11, 1916 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska to Frank and Ara (Plummer) Livingston.  She grew up in Hastings and attended schools there.  About 1934, she was married to Ross Leland Beauchamp.   

Ross was born October 10, 1913 in Red Cloud, Webster County, Nebraska the son of Ernest and Laura Beauchamp.  The Denver City Directory indicates that Ernest, Laura and their family had moved there from Nebraska, as many Great Depression Era families did in search of work.  That is likely how Ross L. and Frances Rachel Livingston met.   No marriage date is known for certain, but the 1934 Denver City Directory records the newly wed couple living in the Colorado capital city where Ross was employed in a greenhouse.

Ross and Frances Beauchamp were the parents of four children:  Barbara Jean Beauchamp born in 1936 and Ronald Lee Beauchamp born in 1939, Beverly Jean Beauchamp and Robin Beauchamp.

Barbara Jean Beauchamp married Robert Erwine McKay, who was a Colorado native.  She died on March 16, 1958 and is buried in Shawnee, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma.

Ronald Lee Beauchamp was born on July 15, 1938 to Ross and Frances Beauchamp in Denver, Colorado.   Public records indicate he was twice married.  His first marriage was to Ruby F. Squyres on February 24, 1960 in San Diego, San Diego County, California and to Gwendolyn R. Livingston on November 13, 1971 in San Diego, San Diego County, California. He was living in Jefferson, Colorado in 1993.  No further information is known.

Beverly June Beauchamp was born July 10, 1946 at Denver, Colorado to Frank and Ara (Plummer) Livingston.  She was married to Douglas Jacob Allen Null, who was born July 15, 1945 at Elkton, Cecil County, Maryland.  Both Douglas and Beverly had been previously married.   Douglas was married to Betty Frances Steel and they were the parents of two children:  Douglas Allen Null, Jr., McCheal Elaine Null, and Eric Lee Null.   Beverly June Beauchamp had previously been married to Thomas Leslie McKinney and they were the parents of Thomas Leslie and Timothy Brian McKinney.

Together, Douglas Jacob Allen and Bevery June (Beauchamp) Null were the parents of three children:   Anita Rose Null born in 1967, Michael Wayne Null born in 1968 and Connie Ann Null born in 1969.   All of the children were born in Elkton, Cecil County, Maryland.

Douglas J. A. Null suffered from chronic kidney disease.  He died in April of 1984 and is buried in Elkton, Maryland.

Ann Alice Livingston was aborn on October 10, 1919 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska to Franklin Moses and Ara L. (Plummer) Livingston.   Ann was raised and attended schools in Hastings, Nebraska.




Ann Alice Livingston

George Herbert McCutchen, was born Feburary 9, 1911 to John "Jack" and Eva (Baldwin) McCutchen at Enid, Oklahoma.  He and Ann Alice Livingston were married about 1936 in Venice Beach, California.   They spent the first years of their marriage in the Los Angeles, California area.

Two children were born there:
Thomas McCutchen and George Frederick born November 17, 1939 at Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.

George H. Livingston enlisted in the United States Army on April 28, 1945 and was stationed at Ft. Logan, near Denver, Colorado. He was a machinist during his service.  Since Ann's family lived in Denver, it was a good post.

George Herbert McCutchen died on January 20, 1981 and is buried in the Ft. Logan National Cemetery, Denver Colorado.

Ann Alice (Livingston) McCutchen died November 6, 1997 at Ocee, Orange County, Florida.


The top photo is of George H. and Ann Alice (Livingston) McCutcheon as newly weds in Venice Beach, California.   The bottom photograph, L-R:  George McCutchen, Thomas McCutchon, Fred McCutchen and Ann Alice (Livingston) McCutcheon.



This is a photograph (L-R) of Richard Morganflash, George H. McCutchen, Evelyn (Livingston) Morganflash and Ann Alice (Livingston) McCutchen.   The photo was taken in front of the home of Joe and Evelyn (Livingston) Morganflash in Hastings, Nebraska. 


Chester Frank Livingston was born January 18, 1922 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska to Franklin Moses and Ara L. (Plummer) Livingston.  He attended schools in Hastings and with his family, moved to Denver, Colorado in the early 1930s.

He was married to Beryl Ann McMurty, who was born on June 17, 1932 at Hyannis, Grant County, Nebraska to Harry Edgar and Iva O. McMurty.

Chester and Beryl Livingston lived in Denver, where Chester enlisted in the United States Air Force on December 23, 1941 and served until December 23, 1944.

The Livingstons were the parents of at least one children:  Gwendolyn Rose Livingston, born June 25, 1950 at Denver, Denver, Colorado.   Gwendolyn Rose Livingston married her cousin, Ronald Lee Beauchamp on November 13, 1971 at San Diego, San Deigo County, California.  Ross Lee Beauchamp is the son of Frances Rachel and Ross Leleand Beauchamp.   Gwendolyn Rose (Livingston) Beauchamp passed away on May 4, 1995 at Jefferson, Park County, Colorado and is buried in the Como Cemetery there.

Chester Frank Livingston died December 24, 1977 and Beryl Ann (McMurty) Livingston died July 2, 1998.  Both are buried in Hampden Memorial Gardens, Denver, Colorado.

James Ray Livingston was born to Franklin Moses and Ara L. (Plummer) Livingston on February 6, 1924 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska.   James Ray attended school in Hastings and Denver, Colorado where his family moved in the early 1930s.  He enlisted in the United States Army on June 16, 1943 and was honorably discharged on February 1, 1946.

James Ray Livingston was married to Virginia Rae Longacre, daughter of Edward Gaines and Essie (Covert) Longacre.   Virginia was born February 22, 1924 in Nemaha County, Kansas.   This marriage was apparently of short duration and James Ray Livingston apparently never married again.   He died on January 28, 1999 and is buried in the Ft. Logan National Cemetery, Denver, Colorado.

Arlene Bell Livingston was born May 18, 1932 to Ara L. (Plummer) and Franklin Moses Livingston.  Arlene's birthday gives a good indication of about when the Livingston Family moved to Denver, Colorado since she is the first of the children to be born there.

Arlene B. Livingston married Harold D.  Bell, and they have one son, Lloyd K. Barber.   Lloyd has two children, Arlana R. and Kenneth E. Barber.

Arlene B. Barber passed away  on November 5, 2013 at Denver, Denver, Colorado and was survived by her husband, son, two grandchildren, three sisters and one brother.

Robert Kenwood Livingston was born on July 11, 1933 to Ara L. (Plummer) and Franklin Moses Livingston at Denver, Denver County, Colorado.  He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on June 12, 1953 and was honorably discharged on December 31, 1968.

I have not been able to find any record of a marriage for Robert Livingston.  He died on December 31, 1982 at the age of 49 and is buried in the Ft. Logan National Cemetery, Denver Colorado.

                               *************************************************

This completes the information that I have on the descendants of Martha Jane (Corbin) and Levi L. Plummer.




Monday, December 16, 2013

Charles Herman Plummer: Sixth Child of Levi L. and Martha Jane (Corbin) Plummer

Charles Herman "Dick" Plummer was born to Levi L. and Martha Jane (Corbin) Plummer on September 14, 1888 in Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.   Little is known of his childhood.   He attended school in Ayr, Nebraska through the eight grade.

It isn't known how he acquired the nickname "Dick."   He joined the United States Army on October 7, 1917 and was discharged on April 21, 1919, fighting with honor and distinction.  The 1920 U. S. Census records that Charles "Dick" Plummer had moved from Nebraska to San Diego, San Diego County, California where he was a truck driver for a moving company.

Sometime between 1920 and 1930, Charles "Dick" Plummer married Amber Wheeler.   The date is not known, but the 1930 Census records that Charles, Amber and four step children are living in Santa Ana, Orange County, California where he is a construction worker.   Amber Wheeler had earlier been married to Richard Henry Matthews in 1910.   They were the parents of four children: James Wheeler Matthews born in 1913, Richard Peter Matthews born in 1916 and Marie Amber Matthews born in 1918.   It does not appear that Charles "Dick" Plummer adopted any of these children.

By the time the 1940 US Census was taken, Charles and Amber had divorced.   Charles Plummer was again living in San Diego, California while Amber (Wheeler) Matthews Plummer continued to live in Santa Ana, California.   Amber kept the Plummer name for the remainder of her life passing away in 1957.

Charles Wheeler continued to live in San Diego, California for the remainder of his life.   Relatives in Nebraska say that there was little contact between Charles H. Plummer and other members of the family.
Charles H. Plummer died on September 22, 1966 and was buried in Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, Section V, Site 1620 in San Diego, California.

If anyone reading this article has additional information or photographs, please contact me.


Leroy Everett Plummer: Fifth Child of Levi L. and Martha Jane (Corbin) Plummer

As with other Plummer Children, there does not seem to be a great deal of information for Leroy Everett Plummer available.   I will happily provide what I have found and if any relative or anyone else reading this post is able to provide more information or corrections to this information , please contact me.

Leroy Everett "Roy" Plummer was born June 24, 1884 in Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska to Levi Lonzo and Martha Jane (Corbin) Plummer.  He was still living with his parents and siblings in Ayr, Nebraska when the 1900 U. S. Census was taken.   He is listed as 13-years-of-age and attending school.   After his sister and brother-in-law, Anna L. and Spartan Thomas West and their children moved to Montana, "Roy" Plummer and his brother Orey seem to have followed, working as a day laborer on ranches and coal mines.

"Roy" Plummer went further west than other members of the family.   We know this because on December 3, 1907, Leroy Plummer married Elizabeth Ann Hunting in Menan, Jefferson County, Idaho.   He was 20 years old.   Elizabeth Ann Hunting was a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints and there are good records of the events that occurred such as marriages, baptisms and deaths.  Elizabeth Ann was known to family and friends as "Lizzie" Hunting and was born to William and Susan (Cherry) Hunting on November 29, 1887 in Menan, Idaho.

Menan, Jefferson County, Idaho was the first Mormon Settlement in Jefferson County, Idaho and her parents, William and Susan (Cherry) Hunting joined other migrants living in the Salt Lake City, Utah area in a wagon train to settle the area in 1879.




Leroy "Roy" and Elizabeth Ann (Hunting) Plummer were the parents to two children: Elizabeth Luceal Plummer, born September 13, 1908 and and Levi Leroy Plummer born February 9, 1910.   Unfortunately, both of their children died in infancy.  Elisabeth Luceal Plummer died on March 1, 1909 and Levi Leroy Plummer died on March 5, 1911 in Menan, Idaho.    The cause of their deaths is not known but both children are burried in Little Butte Cemetery, Annis, Jefferson County, Idaho.

Again, details are not known, but Elizabeth Ann (Hunting) Plummer sued Leroy "Roy" Plummer for divorce stating that he had abandoned the family and that his whereabouts was not known.  Perhaps the divorce decree was never filed or served but in any case, the couple reconciled and moved back to Adams County, Nebraska, where they had two more children.  The photograph above was taken where both Plummers worked at the Ingleside Hospital for the Insane at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska.

Walter Orey Plummer was born on August 14, 1913 in Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.   Very little is known of Walter Plummer's life.    According to family tradition, he died on January 1, 1933 in Marion County, Oregon suffering from polio.  He is buried in Bethany Pioneer Cemetery, Bethany, Marion County, Oregon.   I have not been able to find him on U. S. Census reports for 1920 or 1930.   It is not known whether or not he married.  As you will read below, his sister, Maude Ann Plummer, was married in Silverton, Marion County, Oregon in 1936 so perhaps the brother and sister moved from Montana to Oregon together.

Maude Ann Plummer was born December 28, 1915 in Roundup, Musselshell County, Montana.   Several of the family members had previously lived in the Roundup community and apparently Roy and Lizzie Plummer moved there from Ayr, Nebraska.   The 1920 U. S. Census records the family living in Harlowtown, Mussellshell, Montana where Leroy "Roy" Plummer is employed as a railroad brakeman.

Maude Ann Plummer married Leo John Nehl on November 6, 1936 in Silverton, Marion County, Oregon.
Leo John Nehl was the son of Florian Henry and Mary (Endres) Nehl and was born April 11, 1912 in Wadena, Minnesota.  He is shown still living with his family in Minnesota on the 1930 U. S. Census, but by 1935, he had moved to Marion County, Oregon.  By the 1940 U. S. Census, the Leo John and Maude Nehl were living in Portland, Oregon


                                                         Maude Ann Plummer



                       The 1936 Wedding Photo of Leo John and Maude Ann (Plummer) Nehl.

John and Maude Nehl were the parents of three daughters.   Beatrice J. Nehl was born about 1937, Leona Jean Nehl was born in October 14, 1938 and Sherry Ann Nehl on October 15, 1945.

I have not found any information concerning Beatrice J. Nehl.

Leona Jean Nehl was married to Ervin Loy Coleman on September 6, 1956 in Portland, Oregon.  They are the parents of one daughter, Carron Elaine Coleman born September 12, 1957 in Portland, Oregon.  Carron Elaine Coleman died December 22, 1998 in Portland, Oregon.   Ervin Coleman died in 2000 in Tillamook County, Oregon and I am assuming that Leona Jean (Nehl) Coleman is still living.

                                                             Ervin Loy Coleman at age 16.

Sheryl Ann Nehl was born October 15, 1945 in Portland, Oregon and was married to a man named Herrington.  I have not been able to find his first name.  She died on December 8, 2006 at Rockaway Beach, Tillamook, Oregon.   I have not been able to find information about whether or not there were children.

I have not been able to find a death date or location for Leroy Everett Plummer.   The last mention of him I have found is the 1920 U. S. Census, when he was living in Harlowtown, Musselshell, Montana.

I also did not find divorce papers for Leroy Everett and Elizabeth Ann (Hunting) Plummer, but a marraige certificate is among public records, stating that Elizabeth Ann (Hunting) was married a second time on May 10, 1920 in Spokane, Washington to Guy Otto Thurston.

Guy Thurston and Elizabeth Ann Hunting-Plummer-Thurston were the parents of three children:
Allen Ray Thurston in 1922, James Edward Thursday in 1925, and Florence I. Thurston in 1929.   While these three children do not have any Corbin ancestry, I have done their genealogy on my www.ancestry.com website.

This is all of the information I have been able to find regarding Leroy Everett "Roy" Plummer and his descendants.    If anyone reading this has more, please let me know.