Tombstone Tuesday - Adele Denby Pollack

Adele Pollack Denby my paternal Great Grandmother

Adele Pollack Denby was born in Green County Missouri on October 19, 1871. The 1880 US Census finds her living in Cass Township, Greene County, Missouri with her parent Joseph and Martha Elizabeth (Skeen) and her siblings Gabriel, Delinda, Calvin, and Marvin. Also living in the home was her Grandmother Delinda Skeen and a hired hand James Harper. Her baby sister Florence who was born two weeks before the census was not listed.

On June 23, 1897 at the age of 25 she married Claude Denby. Three years later they had their first child Esther Elizabeth and were still living in Cass Township. By the 1910 US Census they had two more girls Irma Marie and my grandmother Jo Helen and are living in Melrose, Curry, New Mexico where Claude's father TBS Denby was a US Commissioner. That accounts for the Denby Ave there which I discovered while researching for Grandma Jo's Tombstone Tuesday post.

By the 1920 US Census they were back in Cass where she remained for the rest of her life. Sometime between 1920 and 1930 they built their own house which still stands today. My Grandma Jo loved that house and said during the hot summers there was always a cool breeze running through it because of they thoughtful way it was built by her parents. Adele was also listed as the post mistress in Cass in 1930.

She died on October 12, 1948 at the age of 76 and is buried at the Cave Springs Memorial Church Cemetery with many, many family members but not her husband who is buried with his parents at the Greenfield Cemetery. There might be another story there...

Edited to add a map of where they are buried in different towns 25 miles apart. Click for map.

Tombstone Tuesday - Esther Elizabeth Denby Kelso

Esther Elizabeth Denby Kelso my paternal Great Aunt

Aunt Esther was born in Missouri on September 7, 1898. The 1900 US Census finds her living in Cass Township, Greene County, Missouri with her parents Claude and Adele (Pollack). Her younger sisters Irma Marie and Jo Helen were yet to be born. When she was 24 she married Arthur Howard Kelso while they were still living in Missouri. By 1930 they were living in Long Beach, California. Esther and Art never had any children of their own but she dearly loved her nephews and their children. She worked in the grocery industry in the deli department. The people who knew her when she was younger said she was a very outgoing social person. I don't remember her being anything but an old woman crippled by gout and arthritis with a slightly off color sense of humor which horrified my Grandma Jo. They lived together for many years after they were both widowed.

Aunt Esther had a secret that only her closest friends knew about... she kept a big bottle of Port under the sink and after dinner every night she would hit the bottle. It's interesting that my fondest memory of her is talking to things in the house as she was shuffling towards her bed. She would touch the faucet and say "Off", touch each stove knob and say "Off", check the door knobs and say "Locked", and then toddle off to her bedroom to call it a night. If I was there I would follow her, tuck her in and she would give me a big hug and tell me how much she love me. She was such a treasure.

Tombstone Tuesday - Dora Isabell Dawson McDaniel

Dora Isabell Dawson McDaniel my maternal great grandmother

Great Grandma McDaniel was born on August 20, 1889 in Texas. The 1900 US Census finds her living in Red River, Texas with her parents George William and Julia Francis (Morrison) and her siblings Rodolph, Gussie, Carrie, Fannie, and Vivan. I don't remember much about her, she was a sturdy woman and bigger than her husband Posey. I have a newspaper clipping from their Golden wedding anniversary part of it says "Mrs. McDaniel says the secret to a her happy marriage lies in the fact that she never takes part in an argument. She waits till her husband "cools off" and then states her case. "It works." she says  "We both do pretty well as we please." she adds."  An interesting thing for her to have said back in 1958.

Treasure Chest Thursday - Grandad Casey's belt buckles and a special treat for Karin

 Here are a few of Grandad Casey's belt buckles that I talked about in Tuesday's post. The one on the top was worn for many years. To Grandad it represented the Appaloosa horse breed he loved and raised. The horse on the buckle looks a lot like Ogallala Chief a Grand Champion stallion born into his hands. The other buckles he made himself while they lived in Arizona as snowbirds, Grandma hated the cold Midwest weather. Silver smithing was a hobby he picked up in Quartzsite along with rock hounding and gold mining. If you look closely in Grandma Vera's jewelry box you can see her buckle that matchs the one on the right. I wonder what happened to the belt with his name on it? I will have to ask my mom.

This picture is for my dear friend Karin, I'll let her explain it!

Tombstone Tuesday - Loyal Edward "Casey" Jones

Loyal Edward "Casey" Jones my maternal Grandad

Grandad Casey was born in Ogallala, Keith County, Nebraska on January 1, 1915. The 1920 US Census finds him in Winter Creek, Scottsbluff, Nebraska with his parents Lewis and Goldie (Skidmore), along with his siblings Arleu and Darline. Grandad was a truck driver, a construction worker, and above all a cowboy to his very soul. He always wore jeans with a sharp crease, a t shirt with a pocket for his cigarettes, the traditional cowboy boots and a belt with a big fancy buckle. If he was "going out" the t shirt was exchanged for a starched western shirt. Driving those trucks served him well, he could back a 35 ft. horse trailer into a single door shop in one smooth motion. Most little girls dreamed of having a pony, I owned one before I was even born. I was his only grandchild, he adored and spoiled me. I adored him right back.

Treasure Chest Thursday - Grandma Jones' Jewelry Box

In addition to a love of dancing Grandma Vera had a fondness for clothing and jewelry. This is one of her jewelry boxes. It's interesting what collects in this type of box. Tucked in the top lining there are sewing needles, a few more are scattered through the compartments along with a plastic bag of buttons and a thimble. A dog's name tag "Bosco", some Mexican coins, a pill box, a souvenir toothpick holder from The School of the Ozarks, jewelry findings and loose stones, a stretchy beaded hat band, and a car key. The jewelry is mostly nicer costume stuff, there are pieces made by my Grandad of turquoise, fire agate, and silver, a few tie tacks she had been safe keeping, two bolo tie slides, four watches, some fancy western shirt collar points, and four belt buckles. I'm so glad I have this box, it still smells like her and her house. When I am missing her I can open it up and take a deep breath and remember.

Tombstone Tuesday - Vera Sybal McDaniel Jones

 Vera Sybal McDaniel Jones my maternal Grandmother

Her death date was not yet engraved on the stone when this photo was taken

 and is October 20, 2007

Vera Sybal McDaniel was born in Eldorado, Jackson, Oklahoma on December 4, 1918. The 1920 US Census finds her still living there with her parent Posey Reed and Dora Isabell (Dawson) along with her siblings Edith, Sidney, and Nicebell. Grandma Vera came from humble beginnings, her family did cotton farming in Oklahoma, Texas, and Colorado. She had many stories of them picking the fields. She was a small feisty woman, in her younger days she road a motorcycle, and drove a long haul truck. She had a life long love of dancing. She met my Grandad when he came into a coffee shop where she was a waitress and after a few meetings he asked her to a dance. I spent a lot of time with these grandparents, there are many more stories to tell!