In any case! I always circle back to Alphus (Grandpa Orville's dad) and his second wife Dora and children. I still havent found out where Alphus died, but I know it was before 1930 as Dora as listed as a widow in the 1930 census.
So circling back, Ancestry has put up their Social Security Death Index.
So something I had to manually send off for is now offered digitally, yay! But this also means that guess who's SSI record popped up? Marie's. I gave it a good look because.. here is what it had:
US social security act index
Name: Myrtle Marie Simmons
[Myrtle Marie Owens]
[Marie Owens]
[Myrtle Marie James]
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birth Date: 6 Nov 1920
Birth Place: Hornesville, Missouri
Father Name: Alphs James
Mother Name: Dora Leonard
Death Date: Aug 1993
Type of Claim: Original SSN.
Notes: Dec 1952: Name listed as MYRTLE MARIE SIMMONS; Apr 1957: Name listed as MYRTLE MARIE OWENS; 08 Sep 199
Note that it has Dora LEONARD as the mother's name, where it should be Dora FITZGERALD. But the birth date, the birth place, and the father's name (Alphus) were all correct. So this led me to think... what if Dora married a second time after Alphus died.
Sure enough she did. On April 6, 1937 she married George LEONARD in Carthage, Jasper, Missouri.
On the 1940 census she and her new husband are living in Webb City, Jasper, MO. But where were Marie, Marvin, and Charles?!
I knew Grandpa was in California in the Army. Aunt Ruby was in Illinois with her husband...
No surprise - couldnt find Charles or Marie. Marvin was living as a lodger elsewhere in Webb City.
Then I thought.. well.. okay I have the husband's name. Is there a death certificate? Yep.
George Leonard b. Sept 11, 1886, died October 29, 1941. So if there was a death certificate..and now I have the date he died... was there an obituary? Yep!
Joplin Globe October 31, 1941
Leonard Funeral Today
Picher, OK - Funeral services for George Elbert Leonard, 55 years old, who died at the tuberculosis hospital in Webb City yesterday morning willbe held at the Cardin Baptist Church at 2:30 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. The Rev. Richard Dearing of Afton will officiate. Burial will be in G.A.R cemetery in Miami under the direction of the Durall fuenral home.
Mr. Leonard is survived by his widow; Mrs. Dora Leonard of Webb City; four daughters, Mrs. Irene Oliphant of Picher, Mrs. Violet Ditson of Treece, Mrs. Kenneth McNutt of Chase, Kansas, and Mrs. A. B. Hall of Borger, Tex; a son, Henry Leonard of Borger; and two step-chidlren Mrs. Mae Hildreth and Marvin James.
Then there is another obituary:
MIami Daily News
October 30, 1941
LEONARD RITES Funeral services for George Elbert Leonard, Who died at a Webb City hospital yesterday morning,, will be held at the Cardin Baptist church at 2:30 Friday afternoon. Burial will be in the G. A. R. cemetery under direction of the Durnil Funeral home. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Dora Leonard; four daughters, Mrs. Irene Oliphant, Picher; Mrs. Violett Ditson, Treece; Mrs. Kenneth McNutt, Chase, Kas.; and Mrs. A. B. Hall, Borger, Tex.; son, Henry Leonard, Borger, Tex., and two stepsons, Mrs. Marie Hedges and Marvin James, Picher
So yes its annoying that one has "Mrs. Mae Hildreth" and one has "Mrs. Marie Hedges" but definitely the same family. By 1941 Marie must have married. I could not find this marriage, nor the marriage to Mr. Simmons.. however! I was able to locate an obituary for her under her last known name Marie Owens:
Joplin Globe August 19, 1993
Marie Owens
ANDERSON, Mo. '97 Marie Owens, 72, Anderson route 1, died at 4:20
a.m. Wednesday at a local nursing home after a long illness.
Mrs. Owens was bom Nov. 6,1920, at Hardenville (s/b Hornersville). She had lived in
Anderson since 1952. She had worked at a Lanagan nursing home and at the former Keystone Laundry in Joplin.She married Melvin Owens on April 2, 1957, at Miami, Okla. He is her only immediate survivor. Arrangements are pending with
Ozark Funeral Home, Anderson.
Joplin Globe August 20, 1993
Marie Owens
ANDERSON, Mo. '97 Graveside services for Marie Owens, 72, Ander-
son route 1, who died Wednesday, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at New
Bethel Cemetery, Anderson.The Rev. Dean Royce will officiate.
Friends may call noon to 8 p.m. today at Ozark Funeral Home, Anderson, where the family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m.
So there is a little bit about Marie.. still working on trying to unravel the mystery of Alphus, more information on Marie and Charles.
Please feel free to comment with ANY information or questions!
Love ya family <3
