Hello, cousins!
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| Lark Robinson's family tree |
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Last week, I reported on my breakthrough finding the rest of the story of Minerva Callin (1834-1895). Of her seven children, I was only able to trace the descendants of one daughter - and according to the
Kansas City Times, that daughter left behind 89 descendants!
Here is where we left off:
VI. Laura "Lark" Robinson (1870–1954) was born on 15 December 1870 in Gridley, Coffey County, Kansas. When her parents divorced, around 1874, she remained with her father, Dana, and her younger brother stayed with their mother, Minerva.
Her name was listed as "Lark" when she appeared in her father's household on the 1880 U.S. Census, the 1875 and 1885 Kansas State Census, and in her daughter Clara's 1957 death record, suggesting that this was the name she went by. Her name appears as "Laura" in all of the other official records I found.
Lark married
Jeremiah Luther Cook (1843–1919) in 1890. He was born on 3 March 1843 in Pendleton County, Virginia (which is now West Virginia) to William Cook and Mary Shaw (or Share). This was his second marriage, his first wife, Martha E Hartman (1859–1886), having died in 1886, leaving him with two children, Mary S., and Isaac Newton Cook.
Lark and Jeremiah lived in Cass, Douglas County, Missouri during the 1900s and 1910s before moving to Lamar, Barton County, Missouri. They had nine children together:
A. Effa May Cook (1891–1979)
B. Clara Belle Cook (1893–1957)
C. Maudie Fay Cook (1895–1964)
D. Martha Etta Cook (1898–1981)
E. Harry Lee Cook (1901–1985)
F. Daina Austin Cook (1905–1965)
G. Willie Walter Cook (1907–1984)
H. Dorothy M Cook (1910–1981)
I. Angeline R Cook (1913–1984)
We'll be spending this week and next week looking at their families.
Jeremiah died in Lamar on 25 October 1919 and was buried in East Side Cemetery in Lamar. Lark remained in Lamar, but died on 1 December 1954 in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, and was buried in Lake Cemetery in Lamar.
A. Effa May Cook (1891–1979) was born on 14 April 1891 in Missouri and married
Elvis E Edwards (1878–1950) around 1908. He was born on 27 February 1878 in Independence Corners, Missouri, to Cornelius Edwards (1841–1928) and Charlotte "Lottie" Waller (1850–1935).
Elvis and Effie lived in Cass, Douglas County, Missouri (1910), Blue, Jackson County, Missouri (1920), and Liberty, Coffey County, Kansas (1925), before settling for a while in Sulphur Springs, Benton County, Arkansas for a few years around 1930 and 1935. They lived in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California, from at least 1935.
Elvis died in Los Angeles on 6 November 1950 and was buried back in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, in the Butler Creek Cemetery. Effie moved back to Missouri and remarried. Her second husband was Welker Lee Vickers (1890–1963). She died in Sulphur Springs in September 1979 and was buried with Welker in Butler Creek Cemetery.
1. Roy Clifford Edwards (1909–1985) was born on 29 May 1909 in Ava, Douglas County, Missouri. He married Lucile B Lang (1914–1985) about 1931. They had three of their four children in Missouri before moving to San Diego, California, in 1937 or 1938.
Roy was a baker. He died in Sacramento, California, on 2 July 1985, and Lucille died in Riverside County, California, just a few months later on 15 November 1985. As far as I know, their son and three daughters are still living.
2. Clara Marie Edwards (1912–2000) was born on 2 February 1912 in Blue, Jackson County, Missouri. She married
Hayden Ralph Yeargain (1911–1981) on 31 March 1931 in Pineville, McDonald County, Missouri. He was born on 2 February 1911 in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, to Charles Joe Yeargain (1884–1940) and Laura H Roughton (1890–1927).
After they married, Clara and Hayden lived in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California, where he worked as a plumbers assistant in 1940. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on 30 December 1942 and served until 18 January 1946.
Hayden died on 18 December 1981 in Redondo Beach, Los Angeles County, California, and was buried in the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside County. Clara was living back in Lanagan, McDonald County, Missouri, in 1991; she died on 4 February 2000 in Gravette, Benton County, Arkansas, and was buried in Butler Creek Cemetery in Sulphur Springs.
The records suggest they did not leave any children of their own behind.
3. Ruth May Edwards (1920–1976) was born on 9 January 1920 in Jackson County, Missouri (the Southeast side of Kansas City). She married her first husband on 12 October 1935 in Carthage, Jasper, Missouri, when she was only 15. His name was
William A Brown (born 1908).
Will and Ruth had two sons together before the start of World War II. Without more information about Will, I don't know whether they divorced or he died; it is possible that he enlisted in the Army, as there are several records of men of that name in that area with similar details.
At any rate, Ruth married her second husband,
William Bourbon Puryear (1906–1996), about 1946, and they had a son the following year. They lived in Noel, McDonald County, Missouri, which is about five miles north of Sulphur Springs, across the Arkansas-Missouri state line.
Ruth died at the Medical Center in Gravette, Benton County, Arkansas (another five miles south of Sulphur Springs), on 2 July 1976, and was buried in Butler Creek Cemetery, like her sister and mother. Bill died in Gravette twenty years later on 21 May 1996 and was buried with his wife.
a. Darrell Lee Brown (1936–2014) was born 3 June 1936 in Pittsburg, Kansas. He was an American Airlines mechanic, and lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from at least the late 1950s, when he was married there. Darrell died 9 April 2014, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 77 years.
b. Gerald Dee Brown (1940–1998) was born on 29 February 1940 in Lamar, Barton County, Missouri. Like his older brother, he lived in Tulsa, where he married
Judy Watkins (1940–2008) on 16 August 1958. He died on 10 September 1998 in Bangs, Brown County, Texas, and Judy died there on 3 July 2008.
c. Daniel E Puryear (1947–2011) was born in Noel, Missouri, on 24 July 1947. Daniel was employed as a shipping supervisor for Tyson Foods. He had a passion for photography, playing the banjo, mandolin, and guitar, fishing and restoring cars. He died on 5 August 2011 in Houston, Texas, and was survived by his wife, his two sons, three step-sons, step-daughter, four grandchildren, eight step-grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
B. Clara Belle Cook (1893–1957) was born in Lamar, Barton County, Missouri, on 6 August 1893. She grew up in Cass, Douglas County, and married
William David Henson (1886–1976) there on 21 August 1910.
William was born on 6 January 1886, one of the younger children of James B Henson (1846–1931) and Martha Belle Tuggle (1855–c. 1915). He served in the U.S. Army from 15 August 1905 to 14 August 1908. William work as a laborer in the oil fields of the Pacific Northwest, and the family moved frequently between Cold Springs, Independence, and Lamar in Missouri and Idaho, eventually settling in Washington state.
Clara died on 27 August 1957 in Cashmere, Chelan County, Washington, and was buried in Cashmere Cemetery. William died there on 22 June 1976 and was buried with his wife.
1. Effie Lenora Henson (1911–2010) was born in Cold Springs, Missouri, on 23 June 1911. She married
Drew Leaver Coats (1894–1980) on 25 October 1932 in Libby, Lincoln County, Montana. He was born on 15 September 1894 in Houston, Texas County, Missouri, the son of Andrew Jackson Coats (1854–1918) and Nancy E Farris (1859–1942).
Drew and Lenora lived in McCormick, Lincoln County, Montana, during the 1930s, and were in Moyie Springs, Boundary County, Idaho, in 1942, where they ran a dairy farm. They had four sons and three daughters, all but one of whom are still living. Drew died on 4 January 1980 in Bonner's Ferry, Boundary county, and was buried in Paradise Valley Cemetery.
When she was 93, Lenora attended the University of Idaho where a new ruling called the “Lenora Rule” was passed so that anyone over the age of 85 could attend college without a high school diploma. She earned a 4.0 GPA.
Lenora died on 1 March 2010 at the Bonner General Hospital in Sandpoint, Idaho, with memorial services held on 6 March in the LDS Church in Bonner's Ferry. She was survived by 15 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and 10 great-great-grandchildren; one granddaughter and one great-granddaughter preceded her in death.
e. James William Coats was born on Nov. 29, 1940, at the Coats Ranch in the State Line area to Drew and Lenora Coats., and attended Central and Troy schools. James and his brother moved to Leavenworth, Washington, in 1951 to live with another brother. James worked in the orchards and graduated from high school as valedictorian of his senior class.
James enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1959 in San Diego and was sent to Ford and Chrysler Motor College. He served aboard the USS CVA Constellation, USS Forrestal, USS Ranger, and the USS Kitty Hawk, commissioned the USS Enterprise, and commissioned and designed part of the USS Nimitz. James served for five years in Vietnam, both on land and at sea. He was the commanding officer of the first Navy Seal Team and during his years in the service traveled around the world and received numerous awards and medals.
While stationed in Hawaii he married
Alicia Bicoy (1943–2017) on 24 May 1963. She was born on 14 May 1943 on Oahu, Hawaii, to Andres Cinto Bicoy (1896–1971) and Auria Ondo (1910–1973). He retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years and in spring 1978 moved his family from Norfolk, Va., to Bonner's Ferry, Idaho. In 1980 the family moved to the Coats Ranch where he farmed, raised cattle, logged and did private contracting for the Forest Service in Idaho and Montana. He also worked for 15 years as a mechanic at Hubbard's Farm.
James and Alicia divorced, and he remarried in 2001. He died on 8 September 2004, at the age of 63, along with his dog Queenie, from injuries suffered in a car accident at Naples, Idaho. Alicia died in her home in Troy, Lincoln County, Montana, on 17 October 2017. They are survived by their three daughters and six grandchildren.
2. Lloyd James Henson (1914–1995) was born on 11 May 1914 in Pacific, Pierce County, Washington. He married
Mildred Mae Barden (1919–1981) on 2 September 1938 in Cashmere, Chelan County, Washington. She was born on 13 August 1919 in Danbury, Burnett County, Wisconsin, to Hiram Henry Barden (1890–1955) and Maude Eva Cowan (1885–1960).
Lloyd was a carpenter and was a member of Local 2127 U.B.C.J.A. Mildred died on 14 December 1981 in Centralia, Lewis County, Washington, and was buried in Mountain View Memorial Park, Lakewood, Lewis County. Lloyd remarried in spent his last 13 years in Pierce County and died at 80 years of age on 15 March 1995 in Tacoma. He was buried with Mildred in Lakewood.
The couple had five children: three sons and a daughter, still living, and one daughter who died at age 30. They were also survived by six grandchildren.
- Lynda Lark Henson (1948–1978) was born on 10 August 1948 in Wenatchee, Chelan County, Washington, and was married to Forrest W Sorenson (1946–2013). She died at only 30 years of age on 24 September 1978 in Puyallup, Pierce County, Washington. Forrest remarried in 1981 but divorced in 1988. He died on 31 May 2013 in Pierce County, Washington.
3. Lester William Henson (1916–1996) was born on 2 July 1916 in Shoshone, Lincoln County, Idaho. He appeared with his family in Independence, Missouri, on the 1920 Census, and in Center, Greene County, Missouri on the 1930 Census. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on 10 April 1942 in Tacoma, Washington.
According to Idaho marriage records, Lester was married on 16 November 1941 in Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho. I have not been able to find further information about this first wife to know whether she is still living. He later married
Vera Ethel Lee (1915–2002) on 26 December 1947 in Coeur d'Alene and became the step-father to her four children.
Vera was born on 12 March 1915 in Coffee Creek, Fergus County, Montana, to Roy Albert Lee (1890–1963) and Elsie Murray (1899–1980). She was first married to Dale Ralph Hollingsworth (1897–1963), and they had two sons and two daughters before they divorced. She married her second husband, Ted Brusha, on 3 November 1938 in Wenatchee, Chelan County, Washington. They divorced, as well.
Lester died on 17 July 1996 in Kirkland, King County, Washington, and was buried in Acacia Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Seattle. Vera died on 15 April 2002, also in King County, and was buried with Lester.
4. Leona "Mattie" Henson (1918–1920) was born in Lamar, Barton County, Missouri, on 3 November 1918 and died on 4 February 1920 in Independence, Missouri, when she was just over a year old. She is buried in a public plot in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Independence.
5. Violet Lobelia Henson (1921–2002) was born on 24 March 1921 most likely in Bonner's Ferry, Boundary County, Idaho. Her records give some conflicting information on her birthplace, and her family was in Greene County, Missouri according to the 1930 Census.
She married
Henry Leroy Pressley (1915–1949) on 26 October 1939 in Chelan County, Washington. Henry was born on 8 April 1915 in Hardin, Calhoun County, Illinois, to George William Pressley (1880–1967) and Clarabelle Mcdonald (1887–1918). He enlisted in the U.S. Army on 25 January 1944 and was honorably discharged after the end of the war on 12 November 1945, having served in the antitank company of the 473rd Infantry Regiment.
Henry was killed on 21 October 1949 near East Wenatchee, Washington, by a blast from a 12-gauge shotgun accidentally discharged by a hunting companion, James Nelson. Nelson and two other hunting companions rushed Pressley to a physician, but he was dead on arrival. He was survived by his widow and three daughters, one of whom is still living.
Violet remarried on 9 May 1952 in Chelan County, Washington; her second husband was
Bruce Gilbert Grimes (1912–1997). He was the son of Clarence Procter Grimes (1879–1939) and Della Deakins (1884–1964), born on 26 December 1912 in Cashmere, Chelan County.
Bruce and Violet lived in Cashmere. Bruce died on 16 April 1997 in Wenatchee, Chelan County. Violet died in Okanogan, Okanogan County, Washington on 20 October 2002, and was buried in Cashmere Cemetery.
a. Patricia M Pressley Hendrix (1941–2006) was born on 3 February 1941 in Chicago while her family was staying with her grandparents in Jerseyville, Jersey County, Illinois. She married her first husband when she was 15, on 23 September 1956 in Kootenai County, Idaho. She married a second time on 4 February 1967 also in Kootenai County, Idaho. She died in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, on 3 August 2006.
b. Carolyn Lee Pressley Hankey (1942–2004) was born in Bonner's Ferry, Boundary County, Idaho, on 4 July 1942. She graduated from Cashmere High School in Chelan County, Washington. Carolyn died on 18 November 2004 in Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana.
C. Maudie Fay Cook (1895–1964) was born in Lamar, Barton County, Missouri, on 10 October 1895. She grew up in Cass, Douglas County, Missouri, and married her first husband
Willard Leslie Pyle (1886–1918) in Lamar on 29 February 1916. She appears to have been his second wife, and they had two sons before Willard's death in 1918.
She married her second husband, the Reverend Ora Clayton Keller (1889–1942) of the Free Will Baptist Church, sometime after 1920. They had a son and a daughter together and raised them in Missouri.
Ora was only 52 when he died in Norwood, Wright County, Missouri in August 1942. He was buried in Denlow Cemetery in Douglas County, Missouri. Maudie moved to San Bernardino, California, to be closer to her daughter. She died there on 17 March 1964. At some point, she married again, as her obituary and her record in the
California, Death Index, 1940-1997 give her name as "Maudie Faye McCullough." She was brought back to Mountain Grove, Wright County, Missouri, for burial.
Maudie was survived by her three sons, her daughter (who still survives), six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
1. Jerry Alfred Pyle (1916–1998) was born in Pittsburg, Crawford County, Kansas, on 23 November 1916. He married
Ruth Ann Irvin (1917–2012) about 1938. Ruth was born on 10 December 1917 in Oklahoma to William Norman Irvin (1879–1959) and Sarah E Smith (1884–1959).
Ruth and Jerry lived in Mountain Grove, Wright County, Missouri for many years. Jerry died in Guntersville, Marshall County, Alabama, on 19 September 1998. Ruth died while living at the Marshall Manor Nursing Home in Marshall County on 12 October 2012. They had three sons, two of whom are still living, and were survived by six grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
a. Ralph Eugene "Gene" Pyle (1939–2002) was born on 12 August 1939 in Norwood, Wright County, Missouri. Records show he was enlisted in the U.S. Army from 25 April 1973 through 31 January 1977, but his obituary says he retired from "the Army and civil service."
Gene married
Reba Lavina Orahood (1939–2007), the daughter of William J Orahood (1894–1984) and Lora L Lewis (1902–1966). Lavina was born on 31 January 1939 in Lamar, Barton County, Missouri, and she and Gene were in the same graduating class at Lamar High School.
Gene died on 17 November 2002 in Arab, Marshall County, Alabama, and Lavina died 7 January 2007 in Warrior, Jefferson County, Alabama. They were survived by three sons and a number of grandchildren.
2. Willard Leslie Pyle (1918–1983) was born on 9 August 1918 in Lamar, Barton County, Missouri. He was married on 10 August 1940, and his wife is still living. Willard was a carpenter who was sometimes contracted by Laura Ingalls Wilder. He died on 16 February 1983 in Mansfield, Wright County, Missouri.
a. Willard Leslie Pyle (1941–2011) was born 7 May 1941, in Norwood, Wright County, Missouri. On 25 January 1963, he married
Margie Loraine Crossland (1945–2010) daughter of John and Alta Linder Crossland. Margie was born on 16 April 1945 in Springfield, Missouri.
Willard attended his senior year at Mansfield where he graduated with the Class of 1959. While living in Springfield, he met and married Margie. After she and Willard were married they made their home in Mansfield. Willard was a lifelong carpenter and his work was second to none. He was very particular about his woodworking and anyone who he worked for knew that it would be perfect. Margie was a hard worker and had worked at Tobin-Hamilton Shoe Factory, Ken Ballew Hatchery, Mansfield Nursing Home and was a fourth-grade teacher’s aide in the Mansfield Schools. Her last job was at Mercy Villa in Springfield where she worked for thirteen years.
Margie died on 15 April 2010 in her home near Mansfield, Wright County, Missouri, at the age of sixty-four. Willard died at the age of seventy years on 30 August 2011, also in his home near Mansfield. They were survived by their two sons and eight grandchildren.
b. Lois Marie Pyle (1943–2008) was born on 23 December 1943 in Macomb, Wright County, Missouri. She married
Ferda (Ferd) Hose Kelley (1940–1990), son of Hosea Richard Kelley (1904–1985) and Mary Vietta Hurt (1909–1995).
Ferd was a truck driver, and he died at only 50 years of age on 19 January 1990 and was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Norwood, Wright County, Missouri. Lois died on 12 December 2008 in Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri, and was buried with her husband. They are survived by two sons and four daughters and were preceded in death by one infant daughter, Barbara Jo Kelley (1960).
3. James Samuel Keller (1923–2001) was born on 27 December 1923 in Cold Springs, Missouri. He was a career military man, with his first enlistment beginning 25 June 1943 and his last ended 31 December 1965. When his mother died in March 1964, he was a sergeant stationed in Germany.
I know from his death record in the
Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-2007 database that he was widowed when he died on 14 January 2001 in Hamilton, Ohio, but I have not found an obituary or any other information about his wife. James was buried in Saint Mary Cemetery in Saint Bernard, Hamilton County, Ohio.
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And with that, I need a break! We've only covered three of Lark Robinson Cook's nine children in this post, so we'll continue with the rest in next week's post. If they're all as numerous as this bunch, we may need three weeks to get through them all!
As always, if you've found one or more of your relatives mentioned in this blog, please get in touch. I've had a lot less time to spend looking for descendants of these folks, and I'm certain I've got gaps in my knowledge which some living cousins might be able to fill. If I can't find you, I hope you'll find me!
You can comment below (anonymous comments are usually not as helpful), or email "mightieracorns" at Gmail.com.
We now have more ways to reach out:
a Facebook page -
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a Twitter feed -
https://twitter.com/MightierAcorns
a Ko-Fi cup -
https://ko-fi.com/mightieracorns
...and if you prefer a private group, we still have the
Callin Family History group on Facebook for "cousins only" (there will be a question about how you're related to the family before you can join).
Until next time.... Happy Hunting!
