The Children of John and Susan (Wilson) Campbell

As I wrote earlier this week, John and Susan (Wilson) Campbell disappeared into the ether about 1895. They left four children behind:

Howard Campbell was born on 15 January 1890 in Mystic, Iowa. When the 1895 Iowa state census was taken he lived with his maternal grandparents, Adam and Margaret (Scott) Wilson in Mystic. His grandfather died in 1906 and his grandmother in 1911.

Howard registered for the World War I draft on 5 June 1917. At the time he worked for Lodwick Brothers as a coal miner. The company operated several mines in Mystic and were one of the top coal producers in the state. Howard was drafted on 27 May 1918 and served as a private in Battery F, 337 Field Artillery. His unit was attached to the 163rd Field Artillery Brigade, 88th Division. The division trained at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa. Then transferred to France between 8 August and 9 September 1918. Once in France, the artillery units were sent to Bordeaux for training. On 14 September the 88th division was placed under the command of the 4th French Army and moved by rail to the Hericourt training area near Belfort. On 23 September they relieved the 38th French Division in the center sector of Haute-Alsace. The division held this sector until 2 November when it was placed under the 4th American Corps and moved to the Lagney area as part of the 2nd Army Reserve where it was located when armistice was declared. The division participated in no major operations while in France. Howard was honorably discharged 5 February 1919.

When the 1920 census was enumerated Howard lived in the Cedar Falls precinct of King County, Washington and worked as a laborer at a mine. Howard worked as a construction laborer in 1940 and lived in a rented home on South 8th Avenue with several other men. He died on 7 March 1951 and was interred in Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park in Seattle. He never married.

Howard Campbell headstone; courtesy of Find A Grave
volunteer, Karen Sipe

John Campbell (Crawford) was born on 17 March 1891 in Mystic, Iowa. When the 1900 census was enumerated, he lived in Thurston, Washington, with his father's sister, Mary, and her husband, John Crawford. He and his sister were enumerated as their children and with the Crawford surname. John's aunt died sometime before the 1910 census was taken as her husband lived alone and his marital status was listed as widower.

John, using the Crawford surname as he did for the remainder of his life, boarded at a large rooming house in Tacoma operated by George Miller and worked as a laborer for a railroad. However, the 1911 Olympia city directed listed him at the same address as his uncle.

He married Edith Elizabeth Eggleston on 8 November 1916 in North Yakima. She was the daughter of Thomas Eggleston and Minnie Bombard and had been born in Franklin County, New York. She and her family moved to Washington State between 1910 and 1916. John registered for the World War I draft in 1917. He worked as a mixer for Pacific Coast Gypsum Co. and claimed an exemption from the draft on the grounds that he had a crippled wife to support. John and Edith never had children and moved to Everett, Washington, by 1930. They lived there until their deaths. Edith died on 23 November 1967 and John on 29 December 1968. Both were interred at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Everett.

John Campbell/Crawford headstone; courtesy of Find A Grave volunteer,
Graving with Jenn

Margaret Campbell was born on 8 December 1892 in Mystic, Iowa. When the 1895 Iowa state census was taken she lived with her maternal grandparents, Adam and Margaret (Scott) Wilson in Mystic. Her grandfather died in 1906 and Margaret continued to live with her grandmother until her marriage.

On 17 January 1911 Margaret married Bernhardt Thoms (also known as Benjamin George Thomas) in Mystic. An article published on the same day in the Centerville Daily Citizen, described their marriage:

"Mr. Ben Thomas, formerly a miner at Mystic but now residing in Kansas, came back to Appanoose County and claimed as his bride Miss Margaret Campbell, with whom he became acquainted during his residence at Mystic and the happy couple left for their future home in Kansas. The ceremony was performed by the Esquire R. Henderson at his office. Mrs. Amanda Murray, of Mystic, who accompanied the young couple recalled that Esquire Henderson, when Mayor of Centerville had married herself and her husband, now deceased, eighteen years ago but that as his honor has officiated at more than 1,000 marriages he could not now easily remember the event. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were of prepossessing appearance and doubtless many friends are interested in their happiness."

Margaret and Ben had two children:

1. Leslie Howard Thomas born on 24 October 1911 in Harrington, Kansas.
2. Doris Bernice Thomas born on 2 November 1913 in Marshall, Iowa.

By 1920 Margaret and Ben apparently parted company. She and her daughter, Doris, were living in Seattle with Jack and Louise Allan. She was listed as a sister-in-law of Mr. Allan's, but I have not yet been able to find how Jack and Louise fit into the family group. Meanwhile, on 13 January 1920 Ben Thomas lived in Ames with his widowed mother and son, Leslie. Ben was hired by Northern Pacific Railway on 15 April 1920 as a first class carpenter in Seattle.

On 19 February 1930, Margaret Wilson (Campbell) Thomas married Fred Leonard Campbell in Olympia. He was a divorcee with two teenaged daughters. This marriage lasted less than a decade as Margaret married John William Westcott on 11 December 1939 in Pierce County, Washington. John worked as a crane man for Northern Pacific Railway and was divorced. They remained in Pierce County the rest of their lives. John died on 8 February 1977 and Margaret on 27 February 1983. Both were interred at Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood, Washington.

Margaret Wilson (Campbell) Thomas Campbell Westcott headstone; courtesy
of Find A Grave volunteer, Kathy Stroope Veasey

Marion Campbell (Crawford)

Marion Campbell was born on 22 December 1894 in Mahaska County, Iowa. She was the youngest child of John and Susan (Wilson) Campbell. By 1895 her family had split up and she and her brother, John, were sent to live with their paternal aunt, Mary (Campbell) Crawford and her husband, John. Marion was enumerated in the 1900 census living in Olympia, Washington as the daughter of John and Mary Crawford. She used the Crawford surname as her maiden name for the remainder of her life.

Her aunt died before 1910 and when that decennial census was taken she lived in the home of Harvey and May Bechtel as their ward in Tumwater, Washington.

She married Charles Washington Fowler on 6 March 1918 in Tacoma, Washington. He was the son of William R. and Ola (Odell) Fowler and was born on 14 January 1889 in West Plains, Missouri. In 1920 the couple lived with Charles' parents in Tacoma and Charles worked as a barber while Marion worked at the Mars Candy factory as a dipper helper.

When the 1930 census was taken, Charles and Marion lived in a home they owned, valued at $1,200. Charles still worked as a barber, but Marion no longer worked. Their marriage broke up sometime before 1934 as Marion married George Anthony Craig on 9 April 1934 in Pierce County, Washington.

George was born on 11 August 1888 in New Castle, Washington, and was the son of William and Mary J. (Dales) Craig. His father, William, immigrated to the U.S. about 1883 from England. George's first wife, May Curran, died on 27 March 1934, leaving him with a 16-year-old daughter. He worked as a shipping clerk for a grocery wholesaler.

Marion died on 8 February 1937 in Tacoma, Washington, and was interred at Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood, Washington.

Marion (Campbell/Crawford) Fowler Craig headstone; courtesy of Find A
Grave volunteer, Tara Finnie Curley

George Craig married Dora Erma (Colvin) Manwaring Weber on 6 August 1937. She had been widowed twice previously and had a son from each marriage. George Craig died on 14 April 1975 in Pierce County, Washington, and was interred beside his parents at the New Tacoma Cemetery in University Place, Washington.

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What Happened to John and Susan (Wilson) Campbell? 

What Happened to John and Susan (Wilson) Campbell?

Susan Wilson was a great granddaughter of my four times great grandparents, John and Margaret (Grainger) Semple and my second cousin three times removed. She was born on 24 June 1871 at her parents' home on Rankin Street in Carluke, Scotland, one of thirteen children born to Adam Wilson and Margaret Scott. Adam worked as a coal miner. Sometime between 1872 and 1874 Adam moved his family from Carluke to Dalserf, where Susan spent the first decade of her life.

Her brother, Robert, left Scotland in 1880 and made his way to Mystic, Iowa, in Appanoose County. Mystic was in the Walnut Creek area of the county and was described as "one continuous mining camp." Susan's father, Adam, followed his son to Iowa the following year, arriving in New York City on 5 July 1881 aboard the Anchor Line's SS Circassia. Susan, her mother, and siblings followed later in 1881.

At the age of 19, Susan married John Campbell on 31 December 1889 in Mystic. John Campbell was born on 4 January 1859 in Auchinleck, Scotland, to John and Mary (Carlyle) Campbell. His father was a laborer who worked at the bottom of a coal pit, at an ironstone works, and toward the end of his life on a farm. John's sister, Mary Campbell, immigrated to the U.S. sometime between 3 April and 24 December 1881 when she married in Marion County, Iowa. Perhaps, her brother, John, traveled with her?

John and Susan had their first three children in Mystic but sometime between 1892 and 1894 the family moved to Mahaska County, Iowa. Coal mining was the major industry in the county. Their youngest child was born there in 1894. That birth record is the last record I can find for Susan (Wilson) Campbell. The children were:

1. Howard, born 15 January 1890 in Mystic, Iowa
2. John, born 17 March 1891 in Mystic
3. Margaret Wilson, born 8 December 1892 in Mystic
4. Marion, born 22 December 1894 in Mahaska County, Iowa

John was listed in the 1895 Iowa State census as living in Spring Creek, in Mahaska County, but his wife and children no longer lived in the county. It is the last record I have been able to find for him.

We know that in 1895, two of John and Susan's children -- Howard and Margaret -- lived with their maternal grandparents. And two -- John and Marion -- were enumerated in 1900 in Olympia, Washington. They lived with their father's sister, Mary, and her husband, John Crawford and were listed in the census as their children. Were they informally adopted? They continued to use the Crawford surname for the remainder of their lives.

So what happened to John and Susan (Wilson) Campbell? And why were their children split up and living with relatives?

Susan's mother consistently told census enumerators she had 13 children, of which 8 were living in 1900 and 7 were living in 1910. Susan's sister, Jane, died in 1903, which accounts for the change in the number of living children between 1900 and 1910. Since we only know about 11 of those children, it makes impossible to definitively say Susan died before 1900.

The children of Adam and Margaret (Scott) Wilson; created using Microsoft
Excel

My Semple research collaborator and I have two different theories and yet there is probably at least three:

Theory 1: Susan died shortly after her youngest daughter, Marion, was born and the children were split up among their maternal grandparents and paternal aunt and uncle. And John died sometime between 1895 and 1900. The trouble with this theory is those two unknown children Susan's mother consistently said she had. In order for Susan to have died before 1900, they both would have to be living either in Scotland or the U.S. and no record of either of them has been found.

Theory 2: Susan had to be institutionalized for some physical or mental illness after her youngest daughter, Marion, was born and died sometime after 1910. With this theory, the two unknown children died as infants or very young children, which is much easier to explain.

Theory 3: Susan ran off with another man, abandoning her husband and children. And John sent his children to live with relatives so he could continue to work.

We both assume that John Campbell died sometime after the 1895 Iowa State census was enumerated and before 1900. But it is possible that he left Iowa and was enumerated in another state. His name is quite common and we have not eliminated all the possibilities.

What do you think happened to John and Susan (Wilson) Campbell?

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Anchor Line: Scottish Ships for Scottish Passengers
Mining Coal in Appanoose County

William "Fletcher" Claytor or Fletcher Claytor

A couple of days ago, I posted a biographical sketch of the Fletcher Claytor I already had in my family tree. However, as I reviewed my research prior to writing that post, I learned about two other men named Fletcher Claytor, both born in Floyd County. Many public trees have combined these two men into the same person. I began to realize they were different when I noted their birth dates on several records.

William Fletcher Claytor (1879-1955)
William Fletcher Claytor was born on 28 February 1879 in Floyd County, Virginia, to Jackson Claytor and his first wife, Jane Price, daughter of Chester and Clementine Price. He went by "Fletcher," instead of his first name, and his father is thought to be the brother of Fletcher Claytor (1859-1949). William Fletcher married Ida Jane Davis[1], daughter of Isaac and Malinda Davis on 19 September 1901 in Floyd County; they had several children. By 1906 Fletcher lived in West Virginia where he worked as a coal miner. Fletcher died 6 February 1955 in Fayette County.

William Fletcher Claytor's World War II Draft Registration Card; courtesy of
Ancestry.com

Fletcher Claytor (1878-1953)
Fletcher Claytor was born on 8 October 1878 in Floyd County, Virginia, to George Claytor and Serine Wilson. As a young man he made his way to Des Moines, Iowa. In 1925 he was enumerated there with a spouse named Lizzie. Also living with them was his father-in-law, Sam Jackson. However, he married Dorothy Turner, daughter of Arthur Turner and Julia Collins, on 25 May 1929. They had three known sons: Henry, Morris (also known as Ali Muhammad) and Freddie. Dorothy died in 1951 and Fletcher died in 1953.

Fletcher Claytor World War II Draft Registration Card; courtesy of Ancestry.com

At first I thought this Fletcher Claytor's father, George, was the third teen-aged boy living with Gloster and Irena Claytor in Floyd County in 1870[2]. However, that George Claytor married Frances Jane Reynolds, a sister of the wife of Fletcher Claytor (1859-1949). I feel sure all of these people are related to each other. I just don't know how yet.

The men named Fletcher Claytor, all born in Floyd County, Virginia;
created using Microsoft PowerPoint

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[1] Ida Jane's death certificate stated that her parents were Stephen and Linda Turner, but I believe her mother married Stephen Turner after Ida Jane was born.

[2] See Fletcher Claytor (1859-1949): Born Enslaved, Died Free

Fletcher Claytor (1859-1949): Born Enslaved, Died Free
In Celebration of Black History Month (or More DNA Discoveries)

52 Ancestors #29: James Muir (1848-1926): Scoundrel

Ancestor Name: James Muir, great great grandfather
Haplogroup: Unknown

James Muir was likely the twelfth child of Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir. No parish church record exists for his birth. His birthday, 13 June, is listed on his death certificate and in my Grandmother's genealogy notebook. The birth year is more confusing. My Grandmother believed it was 1847. James' second wife believed it was 1845. I have settled on 1848. The closest record to his birth is the 1851 Scotland Census. That census was enumerated on the night of 30-31 March, which would make James Muir 2 years old, and that is his age as recorded on the census. He would turn three in June, hence 1848 as his year of birth.

When the 1851 Scotland census was enumerated, he was living with several siblings in Kirkton village, but his parents were not at home the night the census was taken. It is likely his mother had died by this time. We know she died before 1856.

Ten years later, James was living at 2 Birkenshaw in Larkhall with his father and several siblings. He was 13 and already working full-time in the coal mines. His father was no longer working in the mines but his older brothers still living at home were also miners. I have been unable to definitively locate James Muir in the 1871 census.

He married Margaret Semple on 4 Jul 1873 in Swinhill, Dalserf, Lanarkshire. She was the single mother of a young girl named Janet "Jessie" Semple. Margaret was pregnant with their first child at the time of their marriage, and that child was born on 4 October 1873. Their first son was named Robert Muir, after his paternal grandfather. Sadly, little Robert died on 25 January 1874 of hydrocephalus, which is the build up of too much cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. It is commonly called "water on the brain."

Parish church in Dalserf; photograph commissioned by me and taken by
Andrew Scorgie in 2013

My great grandfather also named Robert Muir was born on 16 March 1875. After my great grandfather, six more children were born in Scotland:

• Peter Semple Muir (14 February 1877 -- 23 March 1877)
• Peter Semple Muir (5 July 1878 -- 8 September 1878)
• Peter Muir (12 July 1879 -- 23 July 1879)
• Henrietta Brown Muir (29 July 1882 -- 9 January 1884)
• Margaret "Maggie" Muir (6 May 1884 -- 29 August 1966)
• Peter Semple Muir (3 February 1886 -- 30 October 1947)

Peter Semple was Margaret's father's name and naming a child in his honor was obviously important to her.

On 27 May 1887 James boarded the Anchor Line steamship Ethiopia in Glasgow and sailed to the United States. He arrived in New York City on the 6th of June and traveled to Streator, Illinois. Because the 1890 census was destroyed by fire, I do not know if he had relatives or friends who had already immigrated and settled in Streator or if he saw advertisements for Streator at the train station. 

James' wife, Margaret, and the living children followed him to Illinois, arriving in the U.S. on 30 September 1887. Margaret's daughter, Jessie, also traveled with her mother and half-siblings.  Margaret and James had two more children in Illinois: Alexander Muir (13 May 1889 -- 6 May 1957) and Jane "Janie" Muir (29 November 1894 -- 23 January 1990).

In 1900 James was living in Mystic, Iowa, a lodger at the home of Mrs. Margaret Greenbank. Appanoose was described as "one continuous mining camp" when James arrived. He claimed he was divorced. His wife, Margaret (Semple) Muir, however, was living in Reading, Illinois. According to her census records, she still believed she was married.

James married Margaret (McIntosh) Greenbank on 9 January 1913 in Princeton, Missouri. Princeton is in Mercer County, Missouri, which borders Iowa. I am left wondering after looking at the map, if Mercer County was a "Gretna Green" county, meaning it was possible to get a quickie marriage. Or perhaps county officials didn't look too closely at your documentation. I've found no evidence that James Muir actually divorced his first wife, nor can I find any evidence that Margaret Greenbank was divorced from her husband, Thomas, who was still alive, though living in the Mount Pleasant Hospital for the Insane.

Proximity of Appanoose County to Mercer County; image courtesy of
FamilySearch.org

I have not found James in the 1910 census. When the 1915 Iowa state census was taken, James claimed he had lived in Iowa since 1895. If that is true, then he left his first wife when their youngest child was barely a year old. In 1920 he lived in Nineveh, Missouri, and was a boarder in the home of Mrs. Ida Logsdon. Her home was very close to the home James' first wife and the home of their daughter, Maggie, and her husband, Robert Caswell.

The 1925 Iowa state census indicated James was still married and back in Mystic, Iowa, and lived with his second wife. At the time two of Margaret's sons by her first husband also lived in the home as well as 11-year-old Robert H. Muir, who was listed as a grandson. I believe he was actually the son of Ethel Greenbank, one of Margaret's daughters by her first husband. James Muir did have a grandson named Robert Muir, Jr. He was born in 1912 so it is possible he was living with his grandfather in 1925 though I do not know why this would be.

James Muir died on 18 March 1926 at his home in Mystic of arteo-sclerosis and chronic bronchitis at the ripe old age of 81. He was miner, retired from the Egypt Coal Company. He was interred in Highland Cemetery in Mystic on 20 March 1926. His second wife was the informant listed on the death certificate. She is also buried in Highland Cemetery.

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. The theme for this week was "Music," which I did not follow.

Using the Ancestral Reference Numbering System, James Muir, is Ancestor number 20 on my family tree:

20 James Muir born 13 June 1848 in East Kilbride, Scotland; died 18 March 1926 in Mystic, Iowa; married 1) Margaret Semple, daughter of Peter Semple and Janet Torrance, on 4 July 1873 in Dalserf, Scotland, and 2) Margaret (McIntosh) Greenbank, daughter of William Keir McIntosh and Christian Brown and wife of Thomas Greenbank, on 9 January 1913 in Princeton, Missouri. Interred at Highland Cemetery in Mystic, Iowa.

20.1 Robert Muir born 4 October 1873 in Dalserf, Scotland; died 25 January 1874 in Dalserf.

10 Robert Muir born 16 March 1875 in Dalserf, Scotland; died 23 September 1956 in Richlands, Virginia; married 1) Ida Mae Riggin, daughter of John Wesley Riggin and Clementine Wells, on 12 October 1902 in Collinsville, Illinois, and 2) Elizabeth Fausz, daughter of Peter Fausz and Margaret Dietrich on 26 September 1911 in St. Louis, Missouri (divorced between 1930 and 1940).

20.2 Peter Semple Muir born 14 February 1877 in Dalserf, Scotland; died 23 March 1877 in Dalserf.

20.3 Peter Semple Muir born 5 July 1878 in Dalserf, Scotland; died 8 September 1878 in Lesmahagow, Scotland

20.4 Peter Muir born 12 July 1879 in Lesmahagow, Scotland; died 23 July 1879 in Lesmahagow.

20.5 Henrietta Brown Muir born 29 July 1882 in Dalserf, Scotland; died 9 January 1884 in Dalserf.

20.6 Margaret "Maggie" Muir born 6 May 1884 in Dalserf, Scotland; died 29 August 1966 likely in Vermilion County, Illinois; married Robert Caswell, son of John Caswell and Elizabeth Russell, on 3 August 1902 in St. Joseph, Michigan.

20.7 Peter Semple Muir born 3 February 1886 in Dalserf, Scotlankd; died 30 October 1947 in Detroit, Michigan; married Mame Zebio, daughter of Louis Zebio and Mary Frey, on 1 July 1908, according to my grandmother's genealogy notebook.

20.8 Alexander Muir born 13 May 1889 in Streator, Illinois; died 6 May 1957 in Seattle, Washington; married Bertha I. Cloren, daughter of John Patrick Cloren and Janet Ann Milnes on 13 June 1914 in Adair County, Missouri.

20.9 Jane "Janie" Muir born 29 November 1894 in Reading, Illinois; died 23 January 1990 in Centralia, Washington; married Herbert Bartist Beck, son of John B. Beck and Christina Beyerle, on 20 Jun 1912, according to my grandmother's genealogy notebook.

Margaret Semple had a daughter, whose father is unknown, before she marred James Muir. Jessie was raised as part of the Muir family.

20.10 Janet "Jessie" Semple born 25 November 1871 in Dalserf, Scotland; died 23 February 1942 in Adair County, Missouri; married Alexander Hutchison, son of Alexander Hutchison and Lilias Ewings, on 2 January 1889 in Streator, Illinois.

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Sources:

Alice (Muir) Jennings Genealogy Notebook, undated, personal collection
'Dalserf Parish Church,' personal collection
'Iowa and Missouri Counties' map, FamilySearch
1851 Scotland Census, Parish: East Kilbride; ED: 15; Page: 17; Line: 2; Roll: CSSCT1851_152
1851 Scotland Census, 30/03/1851 Muir, Elisabeth (Census 1851 643/00 015/00 016)
1861 Scotland Census, Parish: Dalserf; ED: 6; Page: 34; Line: 18; Roll: CSSCT1861_95
1861 Scotland Census, 07/04/1861 Muir, Robert (Census 1861 638/01 006/00 034)
1900 U.S. Federal Census, Census Place: Mystic, Appanoose, Iowa; Roll: 416; Page: 18A; Enumeration District: 0024; FHL microfilm: 1240416
1920 U.S. Federal Census, Census Place: Nineveh, Adair, Missouri; Roll: T625_902; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 17; Image 329
Global, Find A Grave, 144021172
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, 1873 Muir, James (father)
Scotland, Select Marriages, 1561-1910, 1873 Muir, James - Semple, Margaret
Scotland, Statutory Registrations, 1855-2013, 1873 Muir, James - Semple, Margaret (Statutory Marriages 638/02 0011)
U.S., Iowa Gazetteer, Appanoose County, page 93
U.S., Iowa Select Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990, 4-1537
U.S., Iowa Census Collection, 1836-1925, 1925 Muir, James
U.S., Iowa Census Collection, 1836-1925, Card No. A239
U.S., Iowa, Certificate of Death, 1926, Muir, James, 4-1537
U.S., Missouri Marriage License, 1913, Muir, James - Greenbank, Margaret, 4850
U.S., Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002, License No. 4850
U.S., New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1857, Year 1887, Muir, James
U.S., Washington, Select Death Certificates, 1907-1960, Muir, James (father)

Harry Evans, Margaret McCully and the Marriage that Wasn’t

A few months ago I was contacted by someone about the Frew, Wilson, Bowie, and Ross families in Appanoose County, Iowa. I looked in my family tree and found Anna Frew and her husband William Bowie. In my family tree, they were the parents of Harry Evans, who married Margaret McMully on 1 February 1906 in Appanoose County, Iowa. What? Why does Harry have a different surname than his father.

After looking at Harry and Margaret's facts pages in my family tree, it got more weird.  Margaret had married John Bowie on the same date. He was also a son of William Bowie and Anna Frew. Which one was correct?

Harry Evans

Further research indicated Harry was Henry "Harry" George Evans born on 30 March 1883 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Henry Evans and Alice Yeels.[1] Both his parents emigrated from England about the time of their marriage.  By the time Harry was 17 years old his family lived in Wayne County, Iowa, and he, his father and old brother worked as coal miners. Harry married Robena Bowie, daughter of William Bowie and Anna Frew, on 30 April 1905 in Appanoose County. They settled in Seymour, Iowa, and Harry worked as a miner for the Prairie Black Coal Company. By 1920 they moved to Centreville, Iowa, and Harry continued working as a miner. By 1930 Harry and his family lived in Milwaukee and he worked for a railroad as a mechanic's helper. He died on 18 February 1938 at the age of 54. His obituary was printed in the Milwaukee Sentinel the same day. He was interred at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Cincinnati, Iowa. Harry and Robena had two daughters, Lorene and Charlotte.

Information about Harry G. Evans (groom) on the marriage registration record
for the marriage between he and Robena Bowie; courtesy of Ancestry.com

Information about Robena Bowie on the marriage registration record for the
marriage between she and Harry G. Evans; courtesy of Ancestry.com

Margaret McCully

Margaret McCully was my 3rd cousin twice removed. Her great grandmother, Margaret (Semple) Scott, was an aunt of my great great grandmother, Margaret (Semple) Muir. Margaret McCully was born on 27 Nov 1883 in Oskaloosa, Iowa to Robert McCully and Margaret Wilson. Her father had emigrated from Ireland and her mother from Scotland before they married in Illinois the year before Margaret's birth. By the time Margaret was 12 years old her family moved to Appanoose County. Her father was also a coal miner. She married John Stuart Bowie on 1 February 1906 in Centreville, Iowa. John worked as a miner in Appanoose County until sometime before 1930. When that census was enumerated, they lived in Des Moines, and John worked as a watchman for a motor plant. Margaret died on 26 June 1954 and was interred at Glendale Cemetery. Her obituary was published in the Centerville Iowegian and Citizen on 30 June 1954.

Index entry for John Bowie and Margaret McCully marriage registration;
courtesy of FamilySearch

Suspect Marriage Record

On Ancestry.com there is a marriage registration record for the marriage of Harry Evans and Margaret McCully which took place on the same day as the marriage between John Bowie and Margaret McCully. And there is no marriage register record for that latter marriage. The only record of it I could find was an index record on FamilySearch (shown above).

Information about the groom who married Margaret McCully. He should be
John Bowie; courtesy of Ancestry.com

Information about Margaret McCully on marriage register; courtesy of
Ancestry.com

If you look closely at the witnesses on the above image about Margaret McCully, you will notice one of the witnesses was Mrs. Harry G. Evans. Several pages of the register before and after this entry are written in the same hand. I believe the compiler simply made an error regarding the groom's name. Everything else, including the names of his parents and place of birth would be correct if the groom's name were John Bowie, not Harry Evans. I have seen many marriage records with incorrect information; however, this is the first time I have seen the wrong groom! I call it the marriage that wasn't.

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[1] Alice's maiden name was variously spelled Jill, Yuls, Yilde in the source documents.

DNA Discoveries: Rediscovering John Muir (1905-1978)

John Muir was born on 24 November 1905 in Hamilton, Scotland, to James Muir and his first wife, Janet Lees Syme. James was a coal miner and grandson of my three times great grandfather, Robert Muir (c1800-1869). James and Janet had two more sons -- Hugh Syme in 1908 and Thomas in 1910.

When Thomas was three months old, the family boarded the Allan Line's RMS Pretorian on 31 December 1910 in Glasgow and arrived in Boston, Massachusetts, on 11 January 1911. Their destination was Mystic, Iowa, to join James' brother, John, and his uncle, also named James Muir, who was my great great grandfather. Mystic was in the Walnut Valley area of Appanoose County and was described as "one continuous mining camp." The Mystic coal seam was on the surface and drift mines were opened and abandoned so often the place looked like a honeycomb.

Mystic, Iowa, in 1909; photograph source unknown

Less than two years after the family's arrival in Mystic, James' wife, Janet died on 29 September 1912. She was buried in a local cemetery two days later. James decided to return to Scotland and traveled to New York with his three young sons, boarding the Anchor Line's SS Cameronia bound for Glasgow. They arrived in Scotland on 11 May 1913.

James joined the Gordon Highlanders regiment in 1914 but was released within 90 days. He remarried in 1927 and died in 1967. His eldest son, John, returned to the United States at the age of 20, arriving in New York on 16 January 1926. He was an iron molder and was headed to Detroit for work. On 19 January 1926 he declared his intention to become a U.S. citizen at the district court in Detroit.

He must have traveled back to Scotland some time after settling in Michigan because on 20 October 1928 he and his brother, Hugh, boarded the Anchor Line's RMS Transylvania in Glasgow.[1] He returned to Scotland the next year as well, returning aboard the Anchor-Donaldson Line's SS Leticia. He arrived in Quebec on 31 August 1929 and crossed the U.S. border on 3 September. His appearance was described as being 5' 7" tall, of medium build with brown hair and green eyes. He lived at the YMCA in Detroit and worked as a clerk.

Detroit skyline as seen from Windsor, Canada, in 1929; photograph courtesy
of the National Photo Collection held by the Library of Congress

When the 1930 census was enumerated, John lived at 80 Vernon Street in Mount Clemens, Michigan. He rented a room from the Alore family and worked as a laborer in a refrigerator factory.

On 4 February 1933 John married Roselyn K. Malcolm in Detroit. She was the daughter of William and Margaret (McCartney) Malcolm, and was a bookkeeper. She was born in Queens, New York, to Scottish immigrants. The year after their marriage, the couple lived in Buffalo, New York, at 995 Lafayette Avenue. Eventually, they settled in Hamburg, New York.

John Muir died in April 1978; Roselyn died on 8 August 1989. They had two sons.

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I rediscovered John Muir because of a DNA match who had two people in his family tree -- himself and his father, who was deceased. Using the death date and place of the father, I was able to find an obituary, which included his parents' names and then an obituary for his father's mother, Roselyn K. (Malcolm) Muir. Once I knew her maiden name, I found the marriage license and realized I already had her husband, John Muir (1905-1978), in my tree but had had not yet spent time researching him after he returned to Scotland with his father and brothers in 1913.

[1] I am suspicious about this UK outward bound passenger record as his brother Hugh's age is listed as being older than John rather than being three years younger.

"Not Likely to Become an Efficient Soldier"
Anchor Line: Scottish Ships for Scottish Passenger

James Muir (1848-1926)

James Muir was likely the twelfth child of Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir. No parish church record exists for his birth. His birth date, 13 June, is listed on his death certificate and in my Grandmother's genealogy notebook. The birth year is more confusing. My Grandmother believed it was 1847. James' second wife believed it was 1845. I have settled on 1848. The closest record to his birth is the 1851 Scotland Census. That census was enumerated on the night of 30-31 March, which would make James Muir 2 years old, and that is his age as recorded on the census. He would turn three in June, hence 1848 as his year of birth.

When the 1851 Scotland census was enumerated, he was living with several siblings in Kirkton village, but his parents were not at home the night the census was taken. It is likely his mother had died by this time. We know she died before 1856.

Ten years later, James was living at 2 Birkenshaw in Larkhall with his father and several siblings. He was 13 and already working full-time in the coal mines. His father was no longer working in the mines but his older brothers still living at home were also miners. I have been unable to definitively locate James Muir in the 1871 census.

He married Margaret Semple on 4 Jul 1873 in Swinhill, Dalserf, Lanarkshire. She was the single mother of a young girl named Janet "Jessie" Semple. Margaret was pregnant with their first child at the time of their marriage, and that child was born on 4 October 1873. Their first son was named Robert Muir, after his paternal grandfather. Sadly, little Robert died on 25 January 1874 of hydrocephalus, which is the build up of too much cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. It is commonly called "water on the brain."

Parish church in Dalserf; photograph commissioned by me and taken by
Andrew Scorgie in 2013

My great grandfather also named Robert Muir was born on 16 March 1875. After my great grandfather, six more children were born in Scotland:

• Peter Semple Muir (14 February 1877 -- 23 March 1877)
• Peter Semple Muir (5 July 1878 -- 8 September 1878)
• Peter Muir (12 July 1879 -- 23 July 1879)
• Henrietta Brown Muir (29 July 1882 -- 9 January 1884)
• Margaret "Maggie" Muir (6 May 1884 -- 29 August 1966)
• Peter Semple Muir (3 February 1886 -- 30 October 1947)

Peter Semple was Margaret's father's name and naming a child in his honor was obviously important to her.

On 27 May 1887 James boarded the Anchor Line steamship Ethiopia in Glasgow and sailed to the United States. He arrived in New York City on the 6th of June and traveled to Streator, Illinois. Because the 1890 census was destroyed by fire, I do not know if he had relatives or friends who had already immigrated and settled in Streator or if he saw advertisements for Streator at the train station. 

James' wife, Margaret, and the living children followed him to Illinois, arriving in the U.S. on 30 September 1887. Margaret's daughter, Jessie, also traveled with her mother and half-siblings.  Margaret and James had two more children in Illinois: Alexander Muir (13 May 1889 -- 6 May 1957) and Jane "Janie" Muir (29 November 1894 -- 23 January 1990).

In 1900 James was living in Mystic, Iowa, a lodger at the home of Mrs. Margaret Greenbank. Appanoose was described as "one continuous mining camp" when James arrived. He claimed he was divorced. His wife, Margaret (Semple) Muir, however, was living in Reading, Illinois. According to her census records, she still believed she was married.

James married Margaret (McIntosh) Greenbank on 9 January 1913 in Princeton, Missouri. Princeton is in Mercer County, Missouri, which borders Iowa. I am left wondering after looking at the map, if Mercer County was a "Gretna Green" county, meaning it was possible to get a quickie marriage. Or perhaps county officials didn't look too closely at your documentation. I've found no evidence that James Muir actually divorced his first wife, nor can I find any evidence that Margaret Greenbank was divorced from her husband, Thomas, who was still alive, though living in the Mount Pleasant Hospital for the Insane.

Proximity of Appanoose County to Mercer County; image courtesy of
FamilySearch.org

I have not found James in the 1910 census. When the 1915 Iowa state census was taken, James claimed he had lived in Iowa since 1895. If that is true, then he left his first wife when their youngest child was barely a year old. In 1920 he lived in Nineveh, Missouri, and was a boarder in the home of Mrs. Ida Logsdon. Her home was very close to the home James' first wife and the home of their daughter, Maggie, and her husband, Robert Caswell.

The 1925 Iowa state census indicated James was still married and back in Mystic, Iowa, and lived with his second wife. At the time two of Margaret's sons by her first husband also lived in the home as well as 11-year-old Robert H. Muir, who was listed as a grandson. I believe he was actually the son of Ethel Greenbank, one of Margaret's daughters by her first husband. James Muir did have a grandson named Robert Muir, Jr. He was born in 1912 so it is possible he was living with his grandfather in 1925 though I do not know why this would be.

James Muir died on 18 March 1926 at his home in Mystic of arteo-sclerosis and chronic bronchitis at the ripe old age of 81. He was miner, retired from the Egypt Coal Company. He was interred in Highland Cemetery in Mystic on 20 March 1926. His second wife was the informant listed on the death certificate. She is also buried in Highland Cemetery.

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James Muir was my great great grandfather.

52 Ancestors #34: James Muir, Scoundrel

Ancestor Name: James MUIR (1844-1926)

James Muir was one of my paternal great great grandfathers. The Muir family is the only "recent" immigrant family in Dad's tree. His other greats were all from families whose ancestors arrived in the American Colonies before the Revolutionary War. When Dad was actively researching his family history, he was unable to do much with the Muir family because most of his research was conducted before the Internet and he did not have access to Scottish records.

Genealogy and my research are one of the few topics that keeps Dad's attention for a long time and makes it easier to talk to him after he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in late 2012 and can no longer speak. My New Year's resolution was to concentrate on the Muir family after discovering the ScotlandsPeople website. Eight months later, I've learned James Muir had 78 known nieces and nephews!

James Muir was born on 2 August 1844 in East Kilbride parish in Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was baptized in the local parish church on the 22nd of the same month. When the 1851 Scotland census was enumerated, he was living with several siblings in Kirkton Village, but his parents were not at home the night the census was taken.

Ten years later, James was living at 2 Birkenshaw in Larkhall with his father and several siblings. He was 17 and already working full-time in the coal mines. His father was no longer working in the mines but his older brothers still living at home were also miners. His mother, Henrietta (Brown) Muir had died, likely before 1856.

In 1871 James Muir's father had been dead two years and his siblings had scattered in all directions. James was a lodger in the home of Daniel Lyle, another coal miner, on 39 Stewarton Street in Cambusnethan. Two years later he married Margaret Semple on 4 Jul 1873 in Swinhill, Dalserf, Lanarkshire. She was the single mother of a young girl named Janet "Jessie" Semple. Margaret was pregnant with their first child at the time of their marriage, who was born on 4 October 1873. Their first son was named Robert Muir, after his paternal grandfather. Sadly, little Robert died on 25 January 1874 of hydrocephalus, which is the build up of too much cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. It is commonly called "water on the brain."

Parish church in Dalserf; photograph commissioned by me

My great grandfather also named Robert Muir was born on 16 March 1875. After my great grandfather, five known children were born in Scotland:

• Peter Semple Muir (14 February 1877 -- 23 March 1877)
• Peter Semple Muir (5 July 1878 -- 8 September 1878)
• Henrietta Brown Muir (29 July 1882 -- 9 January 1884)
• Margaret "Maggie" Muir (6 May 1884 -- 29 August 1966)
• Peter Semple Muir (3 February 1886 -- 30 October 1947)

Peter Semple was Margaret's father and naming a child in his honor was obviously important to her.

On 27 May 1887 James boarded the Anchor Line steamship Ethiopia in Glasgow and sailed to the United States. He arrived in New York City on the 6th of June and traveled to Streator, Illinois. Because the 1890 census was destroyed by fire, I do not know if he had relatives or friends who had already immigrated and settled in Streator or if he saw advertisements for Streator at the train station. 

Anchor Line Steamship Ethiopia, built in Glasgow in 1873

James' wife, Margaret, and the living children followed him to Illinois, arriving in the U.S. on 30 September 1887. Margaret's daughter, Jessie, also traveled with her mother and half-siblings.  Margaret and James had two more children in Illinois: Alexander Muir (13 May 1889 -- 6 May 1957) and Jane "Janie" Muir (29 November 1894 -- 23 January 1990).

In 1900 James was living in Mystic, Iowa, a lodger at the home of Mrs. Margaret Greenbank. Appanoose was described as "one continuous mining camp" when James arrived. He claimed he was divorced. His wife, Margaret (Semple) Muir, however, was living in Reading, Illinois. According to her census records, she still believed she was married.

James married Margaret (McIntosh) Greenbank on 9 January 1913 in Princeton, Missouri. Princeton is in Mercer County, Missouri, which borders Iowa. I am left wondering after looking at the map, if Mercer County was a "Gretna Green" county, meaning it was possible to get a quickie marriage. Or perhaps county officials didn't look too closely at your documentation. I've found no evidence that James Muir actually divorced his first wife, nor can I find any evidence that Margaret Greenbank was divorced from her husband, Thomas, who was still alive, though living in the Mount Pleasant Hospital for the Insane.

Proximity of Appanoose County to Mercer County; image courtesy of
FamilySearch.org

When the 1915 Iowa state census was taken, James claimed he had lived in Iowa since 1895. If that is true, then he left his first wife when her youngest children was barely a year old, which makes him a scoundrel in my book.

James Muir died on 18 March 1926 at his home in Mystic of arteo-sclerosis and chronic bronchitis at the ripe old age of 81. He was miner, retired from the Egypt Coal Company. He was interred in Highland Cemetery in Mystic on 20 March 1926. His second wife was the informant listed on the death certificate. She is also buried in Highland Cemetery.

Margaret "McIntosh" Greenbank Muir as a young woman;
photograph courtesy of Ancestry.com member pattilee3

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

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James Muir was born on 2 August 1844 in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland, to Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir. He married Margaret Semple on 4 July 1873 in Swinehill (now Swinhill), Dalserf, Scotland. She had 11 children born alive and five lived past infancy. I have only discovered ten children and am still searching for the unknown child. She had an illegitimate daughter in 1871. Their living children born in Scotland were Robert, Margaret, and Peter Semple. Alexander and Jane were born in Illinois after the family immigrated in 1887. James Muir left his family between 1895 and 1900 and moved to Mystic, Iowa. On 9 January 1913 he married Margaret (McIntosh) Greenbank in Princeton, Missouri. Both of them had been married previously. James' first wife Margaret (Semple) Muir died on 31 May 1920 in Kirksville, Missouri, and is buried in Novinger Cemetery. James died on 18 March 1926 in Mystic and is buried in Highland Cemetery, which is located in the same city. His second wife died on 19 February 1936 and is also buried in Highland Cemetery.

Scottish Ships for Scottish Passengers
Mining in Appanoose County
Streatorland
I'm Sorry Great Great Grandma
Was Grandma's Grandma a Hussy
Genealogy Fosters Global Friendships

52 Ancestors #26: "Not Likely to Become an Efficient Soldier"

Ancestor Name: James Muir (1882-?)

James Muir was my first cousin three times removed and the son of my great great grandfather's younger brother. He helped me validate that my great great grandfather had moved to Appanoose County, Iowa. James was born on 22 November 1882 to John and Lilias (Weir) Muir in Hamilton, Scotland.  He was born at noon in the family's home on 114 Whitehill Road. By 1901 he was working as a coal miner like his father and grandfather before him.

On 30 December 1904, James married Janet Lees Syme at the St. John's United Free Church Manse on Union Street in Hamilton, Scotland. They were married by George Wallace, minister of the church; their siblings, Archibald Muir and Maggie Syme, were witnesses. James and Janet had three sons -- John born in 1905, Hugh born in 1908, and Thomas born in 1910.

On 31 December 1910, when little Thomas was just three months old,  the young family boarded the Allan Line's S/S Pretorian, traveling in the steerage section of the ship. They arrived in Boston on 11 Jan 1911. Their stated destination was Mystic, Iowa, where James likely got work in a coal mine. His uncle (also named James Muir), had lived in Mystic since 1895. Uncle James' second wife, owned a boarding house; hopefully, there was room for the new immigrants until they could find their own place to live.

S/S Pretorian at Prince's Dock, Glasgow. Photo is courtesy of the Graham
Lappin Collection, publisher unknown

Less than two years after their arrival in Iowa, James' wife, Janet, died at the age of 28 on 29 September 1912. She was buried in Mystic.

Mystic, Iowa in 1909. Photo source unknown.

Six months later, James decided to return to Scotland with his three young boys. They arrived in Glasgow aboard the Anchor Line's S/S Cameronia on 11 May 1913 -- not long before the the start of World War I.

James enlisted on 9 September 1914 in Hamilton, Scotland and was declared medically fit. He was almost 32 years old and was described as 5' 5-1/2" tall with a fresh complexion, gray eyes, and dark brown hair. He was assigned to the Gordon Highlanders. It was a British Army infantry unit, which served on the Western Front and Italy, winning 65 battle honors.

But James saw no fighting during WWI. On 9 October 1914, just a little over a month after enlisting, he was discharged as being medically unfit under King's Regulation 392(iii)c:

392. Cause of Discharge
     (iii) Not being likely to become an efficient soldier
           c. Recruit within three months of enlistment considered
              unfit for further military service

While the Army may have found a medical condition missed during the initial examination, King's Regulation 392(iii)c reads like a way to get rid of recruits that just don't adapt well to Army life. Scottish coal miners were known as a fiercely independent lot who didn't much like authority. Perhaps that why James Muir was discharged so quickly. It's one of the many questions I have that will likely never be answered.

And that's the last record I have for James Muir -- five pages from the British National Archives of James' Army service records. He could have died in Scotland, but without more clues to narrow down the death date, finding his death registration would be an expensive proposition. Or could he have returned to the United States, which is a possibility I have yet to explore.

British Military History Sheet

I hope that anyone with a British soldier among their ancestors can locate their Military History Sheet. It provided yet more documentation that James' wife had died before he entered the Army. I do wonder why all three of his sons are listed as next of kin in number 10, but only the youngest son, Thomas is listed in number 12. John was only 9 years old and Hugh only 6.

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James Muir was born on 22 Nov 1882 in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland, to John and Lilias (Weir) Muir. Like his father and grandfather, he was a coal miner. He married Janet Lees Syme, daughter of Hugh and Isabella (Lindsay) Syme on 30 Dec 1904. They had three sons in 1905, 1908, and 1910. In 1911, the family immigrated to the U.S. and lived in Mystic, Appanoose, Iowa. Jame's wife died on 29 September 1912 and was buried in Mystic. James and his sons returned to Scotland on 11 May 1913. James enlisted in the Gordon Highlanders on 3 September 1914 but was medically declared unfit to serve and discharged under King's Regulation 392(iii)c on 9 October 1914. If anyone has additional information about James Muir after 1914, I would love to hear from you.

On the centenary of World War I, I am writing occasional profiles about the lives of my soldier ancestors, who fought in the Great War. Previous posts include:

Celebrating a Cenetenarian: Henry Roy Tucker
Honoring Those Who Died in the Service of Their Country
Wordless Wednesday: Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery
A Soldier Boy's Creed

Mining Coal in Appanoose County

I first found my wayward great great grandfather in Iowa in the 1900 federal census for Appanoose County, Iowa. He claimed he was divorced, had been in the U.S. since 1888 and was a naturalized citizen. I learned from the 1915 Iowa state census, he had been in Iowa 20 years. During the time he lived in Iowa, he lived in Mystic in the Walnut Creek valley area of the county, which Wikipedia describes as "one continuous mining camp." The Mystic coal seam was exposed on the surface and drifts were opened and abandoned so often the area looked like a honeycomb by the time James Muir arrived. It didn't surprise me to discover him near coal beds for he had been a miner all his life, like his father before him and his son after him.

Townships in Appanoose County. Mystic in is Walnut Township

From the History of Appanoose County, Iowa, published in 1878 by the Western Historical Publishing Company:

The first coal shaft ever sunk in Appanoose County, Iowa, was by B F Kindig, who found the coal bed about sixteen feet below the limestone rock which crops out in the vicinity. This was in 1863 or 1864; but coal had been known to exist in the county long before for it crops out in several places along Shoal Creek and its tributaries, and had been mined for several years for local uses.

At the mine of the Appanoose Coal Company, the coal is mined in rooms, which are 40 feet wide and are run back to a distance of 250 feet, when a room worked from the opposite direction is reached. A body of coal sixteen feet in width is left between each room and is termed a pillar. Each room is operated by two men, who mine the coal, load it on the cars and deliver it at the bottom of the shaft, where it is received and hoisted, together with the car, by steam power, to the top of the shaft, and then emptied into railway cars waiting to receive it. The coal, which is about four feet in thickness, lies 120 feet below the surface. The car-tracks on the bottom of the mine are made of light-weight T rails.

Diagram to explain room and pillar mining from Coal Mining by T C Cantrill, 1914

The price to miners at Watson Mine is now $0.03-1/2 a bushel, which is the price paid at most of the mines. It is stated that miners can dig from 55 to 80 bushels a day.

Sunday's Obituary: Honoring a Centenarian

Every once in awhile, when researching your family genealogy, you come across someone you wish you could have met.  A few weeks ago, I "met" Ruth Mildred (Beard) Fuller, my fifth cousin once removed.

Ruth was the middle child of Henry Clay and Anna (Duncan) Beard. Clay was an attorney, prominent local politician and public servant. His daughter, Ruth, was born on April 6, 1907.

Bernard Aloysius Fuller, Jr. and his wife, Ruth Mildred (Beard) Fuller

Ruth lived to be 100 years old. She died on January 5, 2008, in Davenport, Iowa. Her obituary appeared in The Daily Iowegian a few days later:

Ruth M. Fuller, 100, a resident of Ridgecrest Retirement Village, Davenport, and a former long-time resident of Centerville died peacefully on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008 at Genesis Medical Center West Campus, Davenport.

She was united in marriage to Bernard Aloysius Fuller, Jr. on Aug. 11, 1928 in Iowa City. He preceded her in death on Dec. 31, 1997.

Ruth attended the University of Iowa, Iowa City, which is where she met her future husband, Barney. She was the bookkeeper as well as a partner with her husband in their business established in 1946, Fuller Manufacturing Company of Centerville. They retired to Florida in 1976 where they lived several years in North Ft. Meyers.

Her local memberships include St. Anthony's Catholic Church; PEO. Chapter KU and TTT, Chapter BV. In Centerville she had been a very active member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, PEO. and TTT. She and her husband had also been active in numerous civic affairs in Centerville. She was a member of the Catholic Women's Club and the National Council of Catholic Women since 1928. Ruth was privileged to receive Papal Honors when she was presented the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice for distinguished service to the Roman Catholic Church.

She was a life long Democrat and was a member of the 1944 Democratic National Convention Delegation Committee to nominate President Roosevelt.

Ruth was an adventurous woman, she was the first woman pilot of Appanoose County and during World War II she served as a Sergeant in the Civil Air Patrol.

She was a lifelong sports fan and in early years she was quite an athlete herself. She and Barney were very generous supporters and fans of the University of Iowa. They always enjoyed following their beloved Hawkeyes in various sporting events.

What a life she led!