Life never ceases to give surprises. Tonight I just had another. I found Thomas Elijah Ford and Mable Maud (Lavely) Ford in the Cedar Vale Cemetery. The Ford family had lived in Marshfield, Mo since at least 1844, they had come from North Carolina.
You are thinking, there is a story behind this. Yes, there is. Though genealogy work, my cousin Russell Ford found me. Our grandparents were brother and sister. Not long after we started e-mailing each other and sharing information, he and another cousin, Chuck Ford came to visit me. Russell and I live about 4 hours apart, both of us in GA. While discussing family history, I learned that Chuck had stories of Cedar Vale, his grandfather lived in Cedar Vale and his Dad was born there. His father was born close to where Nellie’s house is. I was shocked. Small world.
The family had moved to Oklahoma by the 1920's. Thomas and Mabel both died in OK. Tonight I got on findagrave.com and I found them. Evidently, the family had them buried. Mabel was born in Cedar Vale, I have not looked for her parents’ graves yet.
My Grandmother’s brother, Thomas Elijah Ford lived in Chautauqua Co. He and his family were listed int the 1910 & 1920 Federal census, taken in Harrison, Chautauqua Co. The Kansas State census of 1905 had them listed in Jefferson, Chautauqua, Co. His wife, Mable Maud Lavely was born in Chautauqua Co to Jacob & Susan Lavely in 1882.
Thomas and Mable had 3 children born to them at that time. The oldest, Maita born 1905, may have gone to School with Nellie. I do not know where the schools were located in the County then, and no idea where Harrison and Jefferson would have been. They had 2 sons born in Cedar Vale; Thomas Wayne born in 1909, Lyle in 1915.
In 1917, Doss Floyd Ford, born in 1898, was in living in Cedar Vale, R 3, per his WWI Draft Registration Card. He was farming for R A Williamson. Is that name familiar to anyone? I have not found a 1920 census with for Doss. He was a nephew of Thomas.
But, my ‘historical’ connection to CedarVale does not end there. I found Thompson, on my mother’s side, in CedarVale. I will have to look them up again.
So now, I have another connection, I have relatives buried in Cedar Vale. I was fascinated when Chuck and Russell told me of their fathers living there. The fact that they are buried there, really gets to me. I am one of those people who likes to tread through cemeteries reading headstones. I walked through the Cedar Vale Cemetery once, had no idea my great uncle was there.
Does the name Lavely ring a bell with anyone? Where would R3 be and Jefferson and Harrison?
You are thinking, there is a story behind this. Yes, there is. Though genealogy work, my cousin Russell Ford found me. Our grandparents were brother and sister. Not long after we started e-mailing each other and sharing information, he and another cousin, Chuck Ford came to visit me. Russell and I live about 4 hours apart, both of us in GA. While discussing family history, I learned that Chuck had stories of Cedar Vale, his grandfather lived in Cedar Vale and his Dad was born there. His father was born close to where Nellie’s house is. I was shocked. Small world.
The family had moved to Oklahoma by the 1920's. Thomas and Mabel both died in OK. Tonight I got on findagrave.com and I found them. Evidently, the family had them buried. Mabel was born in Cedar Vale, I have not looked for her parents’ graves yet.
My Grandmother’s brother, Thomas Elijah Ford lived in Chautauqua Co. He and his family were listed int the 1910 & 1920 Federal census, taken in Harrison, Chautauqua Co. The Kansas State census of 1905 had them listed in Jefferson, Chautauqua, Co. His wife, Mable Maud Lavely was born in Chautauqua Co to Jacob & Susan Lavely in 1882.
Thomas and Mable had 3 children born to them at that time. The oldest, Maita born 1905, may have gone to School with Nellie. I do not know where the schools were located in the County then, and no idea where Harrison and Jefferson would have been. They had 2 sons born in Cedar Vale; Thomas Wayne born in 1909, Lyle in 1915.
In 1917, Doss Floyd Ford, born in 1898, was in living in Cedar Vale, R 3, per his WWI Draft Registration Card. He was farming for R A Williamson. Is that name familiar to anyone? I have not found a 1920 census with for Doss. He was a nephew of Thomas.
But, my ‘historical’ connection to CedarVale does not end there. I found Thompson, on my mother’s side, in CedarVale. I will have to look them up again.
So now, I have another connection, I have relatives buried in Cedar Vale. I was fascinated when Chuck and Russell told me of their fathers living there. The fact that they are buried there, really gets to me. I am one of those people who likes to tread through cemeteries reading headstones. I walked through the Cedar Vale Cemetery once, had no idea my great uncle was there.
Does the name Lavely ring a bell with anyone? Where would R3 be and Jefferson and Harrison?
My Daddy never knew this. Wish I could share it with him.
5 comments:
Yes, Owen Lavely was the man who delivered ice to all the oldstyle "iceboxes" in town. I remember him making the rounds in the 30s and 40s. He surely is related. Harrison is the township in which Hewins is found--south of Cedar Vale. Jefferson is the township of Cedar Vale--the next twonship north of Harrison.
If you wish to see a blog entry in which Owen Lavely is mentioned, check the older entries and find the one about THE GOOD DOCTOR.
Iris, the entry I mentioned is from Sept 8th 2007 entitled--Rmembering a Good Doctor.
Granted that it be only hearsay; it could be true that in those days at least 26.9% of the babies born might claim the ice man as their father. If this is accurate, Cousin Iris ... you are possibly the relative (genealogy speaking) of scores of folks considering the many layers of marriages since the 30s/40s and the resulting rumored procreation of same.
It may be appropriate to have a family reunion and picnic while many of us are still alive. The problem would seem to be in finding a suitable (sizable) venue for such a gathering.
I am a descendant of an Owen Lavely and Electa Morlan. They had a son Burl D. Lavely who died in 1950 in a aircraft accident while in the military.
I spent summers in Cedarvale, KS with my aunt Coba Morlan.
Does anyone have info on this family?
Thanks
Debra
Debra, I just saw your post. I would love to hear from you, you can mail me at irisgallion@hotmail.com
Iris
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