Near Miss and a Coincidence

I was recently contacted by a lovely gentlemen through Ancestry.com's message system. His wife's great great grand aunt was the sister of the first wife of my great grandfather. (I descend from his second wife.) Charles Edward Jennings' first wife was also his first cousin once removed, but honestly it's too confusing to figure how else I may be related to my new contact's wife. As we shared information about the common people in our trees, he mentioned he had a book about the Miller and Duff families of Virginia, which included a chapter entitled Jennings connections, as the families had so intermarried.

I have been using the information in that chapter to verify what my father had in his tree, source, and extend it using records available now, which were not at the time he did his research. Along the way, I've met many interesting ancestors. One of which is Arline Vivian Goff.

Arline was born on 6 May 1925 in Lynchburg, Virginia, to William Thomas and Viola (Martin) Goff. In 1940, Viola was living alone with her children and claimed to a widow. However, her husband, William Goff, had married Cora Cash Timmons by 1939, so I suspect he had left or abandoned his first family. William and Cora moved to Norfolk, Virginia, some time after 1940. Cora was given an absolute divorce decree in 1947 due to adultery on William's part. William apparently hung himself with his belt, or was killed by another prisoner, in a police station in Norfolk the next year.

Virginia Death Record for William Goff; image courtesy of Ancestry.com

But back to William's daughter, Arline...

In 1944 Arline lived at 310 West 25th Street in Norfolk. This address was listed as her father's usual residence on his death certificate. She and Frank Beasley, an aviation mechanic likely with the Navy, applied for a marriage license on 14 January 1944. He was born in Kentucky, but lived in Los Angeles at the time. He was a World War I veteran and had re-enlisted in 1942. He had also been married previously and had a child, though he claimed never to have been married when he and Arline applied for the license.

Virginia Marriage Record for Frank Beasley and Arline Goff; image courtesy
of Ancestry.com

Something happened to their relationship, however, as a note on their marriage record where the minister certifies the marriage took place said, "Rescinded not executed 22 May 1945." Perhaps she found out about Frank's previous marital history or one of them simply got cold feet.

She was back in her hometown of Lynchburg when she and Lee Hall Beasley married there on 13 February 1948. Lee Hall Beasley was the son of Robert Parker and Willie (McConville) Beasley. He was also my third cousin once removed. Lee had been married previously and had a daughter. He and his first wife were divorced in 1940. At the time Lee and Arline applied for their marriage license neither were working.

Virginia Marriage Record for Lee Beasley and Arline Goff; image courtesy
of Ancestry.com

In 1949 Lee was a trainee at Brown-Morrison, a shoe store or factory, and the following year, he worked there as a salesman. When he died in 1960, he was retired from the U.S. Post Office, where he had sorted mail. Arline died on 30 August 2009 at the age of  84. Lee and Arline were interred Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg.

I have not found any familial relationship between Arline's "almost" husband, Frank Beasley, and her husband, Lee Hall Beasley. But what a coincidence that the two men she considered marrying had the same surname!

I am just loving the new Virginia vital records on Ancestry and the stories they are revealing!

52 Ancestors #39: For the Love of the Game

Ancestor Name: Lester "Les" Evans Willis (1908-1982)

Lester Evans Willis was born on 17 January 1908 in Nacogdoches, Texas, to Elijah David and Mary Cordelia Ford. Two years later the family lived in Walker County, Texas, where Lester's father worked at a saw mill. Les attended East Texas Baptist University in Marshall for two years where he likely played on the school's baseball team. When he left school, he lived with his sister and brother-in-law, Ovie and Ruth Pevoto in Beaumont, Texas, and worked as a pumper at an oil refinery.

Five years later he was playing minor league baseball. He spent 12 years in the minors as a left-handed pitcher. In 1932 he played for Shreveport-Tyler Sports. The next year he played for the Baton Rouge Solons and the Jackson Senators. He started the 1934 season with the Joplin Miners and was traded to the El Dorado Lions where he remained for part of the 1935 season. He ended that season with the Fort Worth Cats. He pitched for the Pine Bluff Judges for the next two seasons. In 1938 he was with the Louisville Colonels and in 1939, the Milwaukee Brewers, an AA club. In 1940 through 1942 he played with the Memphis Chickasaws, another AA club. I'm not sure exactly if he played in 1943-1945 seasons. If he did, there is no record of it.  Les ended his minor league career with the Chickasaws where he won 18 out of 25 games.

Lester Evan Willis, 1947 Cleveland Indians pitcher; photograph courtesy of FAG
volunteer Gordon Brett Echols

During the winter meeting of major league general managers, the Rule 5 Draft is held. The rule aims to prevent major league teams from stockpiling their minor league teams with too many young players. The team with the worst record the previous season drafts first and can draft eligible players from any other teams' minor leagues. Les Willis was chosen by the Cleveland Indians during the 1946 Rule 5 Draft. He played with them for the 1947 season, which was his last in professional baseball, and worked in 22 games, starting twice.

He married Minnie Edith Stringer, my fourth cousin, sometime before 1940. When the census was enumerated that year, they lived in Jasper, Texas, and had one son, Lester Evans Willis, Jr. They owned their own home, which was valued at $1,200. Les' occupation was listed as professional baseball player for the Southern Association. He had worked 52 weeks the previous year, 48 hours each week, and made $2,000.

Minnie died 30 May 1966 at a hospital in Beaumont, Texas. Her residence was listed as 404 West. Collier Street, Jasper, Texas. Sometime after that Les married Emma Jetta Bowen. Les died on 22 January 1982. He stilled lived at the West Collier Street address at the time of his death. He was interred at Memorial Park Cemetery in Jasper. Both his wives were interred there as well.

I first learned Les was a professional baseball player when this hint was provided by Ancestry.com:

Les Willis' record from Ancestry.com's Professional Baseball
Players, 1876-2004, database

It was an unusual source about which I had never before known.

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge optional theme Unusual.

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The title of a Kevin Costner movie was used as the title of this post.