New Wells/Murphy Family Tree Branch

Sarah Caroline (Wells) Murphy is a newly discovered three times great aunt, who I learned about when I found the probate records for my three times great grandfather, James M. Wells. On that document, she was listed only by the name of Caroline. When her mother's will was probated in 1883, I learned her married name.

Snippet of petition to probate; courtesy of Ancestry.com

Sarah was born on 5 November 1939 in Illinois, likely in Madison County, to James M. Wells and Mary Hearelson. She was their second eldest child. On 4 November 1855 John Henderson Murphy, son of Hugh P. and Annie Murphy, and Sarah applied for a marriage license in Madison County. She and her husband owned a farm valued at $8,680 and personal property valued at $300 dollars. Within the first five years of their marriage, they had three children.

When the 1870 census was enumerated their farm was valued at $3,000 and their personal property at $1,500. One more child had been born between 1860 and 1870. Some time between 1875 and 1880 the family moved to Minneha, Kansas, where John farmed and his two oldest sons helped out as farm hands. Three more children were born between 1870 and 1880, with the youngest the only child born in Kansas.

Township map of Sedgwick County Kansas; courtesy of Wikipedia

Sarah's husband, John, died in 1892 in Wichita, Kansas, and was interred at the Seitzer Cemetery in Wichita. In 1900, Sarah continued to live on the family farm in Minneha. Two children still lived with her and her son worked the farm.

By 1906 Sarah had moved to Witchita where she lived until her death on 29 Jun 1924. She was also interred at the Seitzer Cemetery in the of her death.

Headstone of John Henderson and Sarah Caroline (Wells) Murphy; courtesy of
Find A Grave volunteer Mike Maxton

Children of John Henderson Murphy and Sarah Caroline Wells:

1. James Edward Murphy, born 13 May in Madison County, Illinois; died 11 November 1906 in Witchita, Kansas; married Catherine Rose Gasser, who had been married twice previously
2. Henry Tyler Murphy, born 30 April 1859 in Madison County; died 11 November 1903 in Wichita
3. Mary Elizabeth Murphy, born 1 September 1861 in Madison County; died 17 April 1928 in Wichita; married George William Corn
4. Alice Julia Murphy, born 17 March 1868 in Madison County; died 6 January 1923; married Henry C. Roof
5. Cora Belle Murphy, born 1 June 1872 in Madison County; died 23 January 1949 in Anthony, Kansas; married Charles Reeves
6. Lillie Emma Murphy, born 12 February 1875; died 7 October 1950 in Wichita; married William A. Howard
7. Stephen Walter Murphy, born 30 January 1880 in Sedgwick County, Kansas; died 31 March 1964 in Wichita.

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Squabbling Siblings

The Wells Spinsters

New Wells Family Tree Branch

It should be noted that the 1900 indicated Sarah had 8 children and 7 were still living. However, the 1910 census indicated she had 7 children born alive with 4 still living, which does not make sense as only James and Henry had died by 1910. So there may be another child who died young that I do now know about.

52 Ancestors #16: 106th Birthday "Girls"

Ancestor Names: Minnie Hazel (GORDON) Greenlee (1885-1992), Ruth Marion (SCHULTZ) Falkenberg (1881-1987), Susana Bertha Amelia (TALMON) Amsberry (1892-1998)

The person who lived the longest in my tree was Henry Roy Tucker. He lived to be 107 years old and was the fourth cousin twice removed of my sister-in-law. I've written about him before. So I decided to write about the next oldest person. It turns out there are three women who share the honor. Without getting into months and days, let's just say they all lived long enough to see their 106th birthday and leave it at that.

Minne Hazel (Gordon) Greenlee

Minnie was the wife of my fourth cousin twice removed, William Francis Greenlee. She was born on 28 November 1885 in St. Paul, Nebraska, which is located in the Loup valley. St. Paul was established by two surveyors, struck by the beauty of the land, in 1871. Minnie married William Greenlee at the age of 19 in her hometown. They had eight children who lived to adulthood. Her husband became the editor of the newspaper in Oshkosh, Nebraska. He died in 1968 and Minnie died in 1992. They are buried at Oshkosh Cemetery.

Grave site of William and Minnie (Gordon) Amsberry; photograph by
Find a Grave member Debbie McGinley

Ruth Marion (Schultz) Falkenberg

All I know about Ruth comes from a book, Our Schalin Family, by Lucille Fillenberg Effa. Ruth was born on 2 June 1881 and died on 25 August 1987. She married Rudolph Falkenberg, my first cousin twice removed. They had three known children. Rudolph emigrated from the Volyn region of Ukraine (at the time part of the Russian Empire) on 9 May 1893 aboard the S/S Stubbenhuk. His family traveled with a group of other German Baptists to the Fredericksheim area of Alberta, Canada. Rudolph died on 29 August 1940 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. He was a truck driver at the time of his death and was buried at Beechmount Cemetery, also located in Edmonton. Ruth died forty-seven years later on 25 August 1987.

Susana "Susie" Bertha Amelia (Talmon) Amsberry

Susana was born on 18 April 1892 in Cheyenne County, Kansas. Her father was a farmer, who had immigrated from Germany. Susie married Alfred Lee Andrew Amsberry on 2 August 1909 in Benkelman, Nebraska. He was my fourth cousin twice removed. They had twelve children with eight surviving childhood. Alfred was a truck driver in 1940. He died in 1965; Susie, in 1998. Both are buried at Benkelman Cemetery in Benkelman, Nebraska.

Susie (Talmon) Amsberrty and her husband, Alfred, and some of their
children; photograph courtesy of Ancestry.com member igoodwin165.
Susie and Alfred are on the far right.

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

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Celebrating a Centenarian: Henry Roy Tucker
Sunday's Obituary: Kathreen Estelle (Gibson) Hecker Huntley Glatfelder
Honoring a Centenarian

52 Ancestors #13: How Much Tragedy Can a Woman Endure?

Ancestor Name: Lefa Marie (Amsberry) Connett Zeller Hall

Lefa Marie Amsberry was born on 19 April 1895 in Cass County, Kansas. At the age of 18 she married Vernon Andrew Connett, who was only 20 at the time of their marriage. Ten months later their son, Archie Vernon Connett was born. Lefa apparently suffered from what we now know as postpartum depression after Archie's birth. Her doctor suggested the young family take a trip so she could spend time in fresh air.

Lefa Marie Amsberry and her siblings; courtesy of Ancestory.com member cfm1151

Vernon, Lefa, and baby Archie left Kansas to visit relatives in Nebraska in an horse-drawn wagon. When they stopped in North Platte, they met Roy Roberts. The men stuck up a friendship and decided to look for work in North Platte and Vernon took Lefa and Archie to the train station to continue on to their relatives. He would join her later after making some extra money. Lefa never saw Vernon again. At 19 she was a widow, only she didn't know it right away. Roy Roberts, Vernon's new "friend" killed him so he could steal the team of horses and wagon. Eventually, Roy Roberts was brought to trial and convicted of murder.

As published in the Beatrice Daily Sun 6 Febuary 1917

Vernon Connett's body was eventually found along the banks of the South Platte River. Vernon's father and brother traveled to Nebraska to claim the body and take it back to Kansas for burial at the Sheridan Cemetery in Auburn. By that time Lefa had married again to John Victor Zeller. She had a daughter, Clara Mavis Zeller, in 1923 and by 1937 the family had moved to Denver, Colorado while her son Archie completed his post-graduate work.

Clara married early -- very early at the age of 14 -- to Ernest Clifton Manchester. By 1948 Clara and Ernest had three children and were living in Tekoa, Washington. In the early morning hours of 2 March 1948, their house became engulfed in flames. The house was destroyed and the parents burned trying to save their children. Unfortunately, only one, the infant was saved. Their sons, 8-year-old Jerry Ivan Manchester and 6-year-old Lyle Ernest Manchester, died in the fire. Lefa, their grandmother, had just lost two beloved grandchildren at the same time. But more tragedy was to follow four years later.

As published in the Walla Walla Union Bulletin on 2 March 1948

By 1952, her son, Archie, had married Wynona Gottlieb and had three children. He and his wife separated and he had threatened violence several times. On 23 December 1952, he became enraged and slashed his estranged wife's throat. She was able to escape. Archie then turned his rage on his children and held them by their feet and bashed their heads against the wall, killing 4-year-old Michael Stephen Connett, 2-year-old Theresa Anne Connett, and 4-month-old Carl Paul Connett. They were buried the day after Christmas at Mission City Memorial Park, Santa Clara, California. Their Gottlieb grandparents made the arrangements and attended the funeral as their mother, Wynona, was still hospitalized in serious condition. She was only told of their deaths on Christmas Day.

As published in the Oakland Tribune on 24 December 1952

Lefa attended every day of Archie's month-long trial and testified on his behalf. He was convicted of three counts of second degree murder and one count of attempted murder and served 15 years. He was released in 1968.  During the trial it was revealed that Archie and his step-father John Victor Zeller, had a very rocky relationship; their fights sometimes ending in fisticuffs. Lefa eventually divorced Zeller and married for the third time to Jack Huntington Hall. She died on 11 May 1969.

I hope she was eventually able to find happiness.

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

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Lefa Marie Amsberry was born on 19 April 1895 at Cass County, Kansas, to Floyd Murton and Rosa Ella (Comer) Amsberry. Lefa was my fourth cousin twice removed. She married Vernon Andrew Connett on 20 May 1913 at St Francis, Kansas. She next married John Victor Zeller on 16 Jun 1917 at Bayard, Nebraska. They likely divorced sometime before 1940, although I am not sure. She then married John Huntington Hall sometime before 1953. She died on 11 May 1969 at Fresno, California. During her lifetime her first husband was murdered, two grandchildren died in a fire, and her son murdered three of her grandchildren and served 15 years in California prisons. He was released the year before her death.

NOTE: I told the story of Vernon Andrew Connett's murder in more detail in Week #11 of 52 Ancestors.

I blogged about Archie Vernon Connett several times and wrote an article about his committing infanticide for Your Family Tree magazine. If you are interesting in learning more about this terrible tragedy, links are provided below:

• Connett Family Tragedy
• Connett Family Tragedy Continued
• Wordless Wednesday: Archie Vernon Connett
• Archie Connett in His Own Words: The Crime
• Archie Connett in His Own Words:  The Trial and Prison
• Archie Connett in His Own Words:  Parole

The Bailey Girls

William Judkins (1880-1955) and Lilly Manson (Bradley) Bailey (1884-1949) had eight children of which three were girls -- Elizabeth Lucille (1912-1971), Sylvia Ruth (1915-2000) and Joanna (1921-2010. According to her brother, Maxwell, Joanna changed her name to Joan Evelyn in a special birth certificate issued by then Secretary of State, Cordell Hull. She was my Aunt Joan.

Elizabeth was her parents' fourth child and first daughter. She was born on the family farm in Saline, Michigan.  Sylvia was born three year later also in Saline.  In 1918 the family moved to Anderson, Indiana, where their father likely attended the Anderson Bible School and Seminary Training School. Anderson was also the headquarters of the Church of God's Missionary Board. William Bailey wanted to become a missionary and go to Africa.

In 1920 they drove to New York, and boarded the Cunard Line's RMS Aquitania. The family arrived in Southampton England on 3 Sep. They traveled by ferry to France and by train to Marseilles, crossing the Mediterranean by boat to Cairo and then onto Africa. The family landed in Mombasa and took a train to the Kenyan highlands where William Bailey began his missionary work in then British East Africa.  Joan was born at the Kijabe Mission Station in 1921.

The parents, Elizabeth, Sylvia, Thomas, Maxwell and Joan traveled back to the U.S. in 1929 via India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and Vancouver, arriving in Seattle, Washington, on 6 Nov 1929 aboard the cargo ship S/S Paris Maru. Maxwell said the journey took approximately six months.

Osaka Line's cargo ship S/S Paris Maru 

In 1930 the family was living in Troy Township, Ohio. In 1932, William and Lilly Bailey went to Africa again. Another family was asked to move in with the children, but they soon moved away, leaving Elizabeth in charge of her younger brothers and sisters.  Their parents returned in 1934 and divorced soon after.

Elizabeth married later in life to Ted Clayton Glatfelder and moved to Palmer Alaska in the early 1950s.  She ran an orphanage there and Ted worked as a sanitation engineer at Ft Richardson. In 1971 there was a terrible flood in Palmer, and Evelyn and Ted worked hard for days on end to clean up the debris. 

Matanuska River Flood, Palmer, Alaska, 1971. Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Anchorage

Elizabeth had high blood pressure and got a nose bleed that wouldn't stop.  She died six days later in Providence Hospital in Anchorage.  She is buried at Valley Memorial Park in Palmer.  Ted later married Kathreen Estelle Gibson. She came to Alaska in the late 1930s, was 29 years older than Ted and lived to be 100 years old.  He was her third husband. He then married Tiodora Rodriguez and died in 1995. He is also buried in Valley Memorial Park.

Sylvia left Troy, Ohio between 1935 and by 1940 was married to Raymond Speake. They lived in Marbury, Maryland, all their adult lives. Raymond worked at a powder factory, which I assume is the nearby Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indian Head, Maryland. In the 1940s, it was known as the Naval Powder Factory.  In 1949, Sylvia's mother came to live with them.  She died a few weeks later.  All three are buried in Park Hill Cemetery in Marbury.

Joan attended Strayer Business College before marrying Arnold Richard Lange in 1942. 

Arnold and Joan Evelyn (Bailey) Lange, 1942

They lived in Washington, DC and had a daughter.  Then they moved to Lawrence, Kansas. Arnold worked for the Hercules Powder Company's Sunflower Ordnance Works in Sunflower. Hercules was a major producer of smokeless powder for warfare.

Hercules Power Company's Sunflower Ordnance Works in 1945. Photo courtesy of the Kansas Historical Society.

By 1950 they were back on the East Coast and built a home on Arnold's parents' farm. They had a son the same year. Arnold retired from the Naval Research Laboratory in 1987. By 1990, Arnold and Joan were living in New Oxford, Pennsylvania. Arnold died on Christmas Day 2003 and Joan died on 27 Jul 2010. Both donated their bodies to science.

I wrote this post because I got interested in the family history due to the differences in what the documentation said and family stories. I wrote about that here and here. I wrote about the Baily sons here and will be writing a future post about the parents.