Jesse Walker Crosley

Jesse was born in Wisconsin in Beetown Grant County Wisconsin on May 16, 1859. He was the son of Reuben Thompson Crosley and Minerva Ellie Bass.
Just as a side note, I think Jesse "might" have been named after the Methodist Circuit Preacher Jesse Walker. Minerva's Grandmother Susan Zumwalt met him in St. Charles Missouri.

On March 11, 1880 he married Elizabeth Wire Atkinson.

Jesse Walker Crosley & Elizabeth Wire Atkinson Crosley

To this marriage 8 children were born:

Cora Belle b. 1881
Burton Roscoe b. 1884
William Glade b. 1887
Mabel Florence b. 1891
David Elijah b. 1893
ReubenThompson b. 1896
Harriet M. b. 1898
Ruth Gertrude b. 1903 

Jesse and Elizabeth moved around quite a bit. The census shows them going back and forth from Wisconsin to Colorado.





Jesse Walker Crosley died on April 15, 1938 in Lancaster Wisconsin

Here is the obituary:

Wisconsin State Journal
Madison Wisconsin
April 20, 1938
Crosley Services Held at Lancaster
Lancaster - Funeral services for Jesse W. Crosley were held at the Hoskins funeral home Tuesday. Mr. Crosley, a retired farmer, died at his home April 15, at the age of 78. He was born in Beetown May 16, 1859, the son of Reuben and Minerva Bass Crosley. He is survived by two sons, Bert, of California: Reuben, of Lancaster: and two daughters, Mrs. Beryl Bennett, Lancaster: and Mrs. Bert Healy, Chicago. Burial will be at Hillside.

Alta Violet Clinger Heath

Alta Violet Clinger was my Great Grandmother. She was born on April 17, 1882 in Wisconsin. She was the daughter of John Alexander Clinger and Elma J."Ella" McCartney.

She married Charles Henry Heath on March 11, 1897 in Grant County Wisconsin. Her marriage license says her birthplace was Lancaster Wisconsin. It also has her Mother's name as Alma, although I'm pretty sure is was Elma. Other information on the marriage license includes the witness as Dora Oates. And the "person pronouncing marriage" as T.J. Baldwin of Lancaster Wisconsin. 

By the 1900 they were living in Iowa.

I believe that Alta and Charley had 5 children total. The 1900 census lists a child named George. By 1907 there is no record of George. 

The other children were : Archie Ray Heath born in 1899, Clara born in 1902, Albert born in 1905. And Roy, birth year unknown.

December 30, 1907 Alta died. She was only 25. My Aunt Myrtle who was married to Archie "Ray" Heath said that they were living in a house with no windows and she caught cold. I assume she heard this from her husband or his father Charles.

I found this article in the paper that seems to corroborate her story.

I don't have any KNOWN photos of Alta Clinger Heath. I do however have pictures that are unknown, so there is always hope. Two of those photos are on the right.

This is a picture of 3 of Alta and Charley's sons with their wives taken in 1953. On the left is Archie "Ray" Heath and next to him is his wife Myrtle Sprague Heath.  I cannot say for certain who is who with the others

 


 

 Alta is buried in Bellevue Iowa. Some where along the Mississippi River.

Charles Henry Heath

Charles Henry Heath was my Grandmother's Father. He was born in Woodbine Township, JoDaviess County IL in March 1873.
His Mother died shortly after. 
He is the son of George Heath And Harriet Sutton
He and his siblings, along with their father are in the 1880 census living in Iowa with his Maternal Grandparents, Elihu Sutton and Carline Call Sutton.


 Bertha Heath Bentley, Charles Henry Heath, Caroline Heath LaFayette

Charles had an older half-sister Arminda Savage Putman. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of Arminda.


In 1897 he married my Great Grandmother Alta Clinger in Grant County Wisconsin, and they had 5 children, 4 boys and 1 girl, my Grandmother.


In 1907 his wife, my Great Grandmother passed at only 25 years old, leaving him with his 4 surviving children. By this time there is no mention of their son George, I am hoping to find out what happened to him.

From the Bellevue Herald Leader

Their Children were: Albert, Roy, Archie (Ray), and Clara.
After their Mothers death the children were separated,  Albert and Roy went to live with James Clinger their Uncle and Roy and Clara went to live with their Grandparents John and Alma Clinger.



 Archie Ray Heath Clara Heath Crosley, Albert or Roy Heath & Charles Henry Heath



Sometime before 1918 he remarried to Rosa Handy. 

Eugene Walter Crosley, Charles Heath, Bertha Bentley Heath,
Clara Heath Crosley, Archie Ray Heath, Myrtle Sprague Heath

According to my Mother he was a grounds keeper at a cemetery in Mt. Hope Wisconsin. And she also says that he is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Lancaster. She says that she had been to the grave site with my Grandmother, and that near the south east fence, but there is no grave marker. I have searched and not found any sign of his grave. Charley died in 1949.

Shade Boling

Melvina Gibbs Boling & Shade Boling

Unfortunately I never met Grandpa Boling either. He died on January 9, 1961. Just two days before my sister Tammy was born. Its sad that he never saw her, because she resembles him more than any of us.

Grandpa Boling was born in Tennessee on May 15th. I have several different years of birth for him ranging from 1886-1888. So I just split the difference and say 1887!

Family legend says that this side of the family has native American blood. Some even speculate about  a relationship to Pocahontas. Who knows? 

I believe Grandpa Boling married my Grandmother Melvina Gibbs (Daughter of Thomas John Gibbs and Martha Branton) sometime before 1907, because my Uncle William Harrison Boling was born in December of 1907.

From what my Mother tells me, her father was kind and gentle. 

I don't know much about him, other than that during World War I he was living in Ohio working at Peters Cartridge Company. And during World War II he was living in Chicago. I think that the family moved around during the depression looking for work. But home base was in Walland Tennessee where my Mother was born. 

                       

My Grandfather used to work in a "Chair Factory" in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. It think  that I remember seeing it when I was young, and it was more of a barn than a factory. My Mother told me that while working there my Grandpa cut off two of his fingers and walked back to the house. I do know that according to the World War I draft registration card he was missing two fingers, so this story sounds accurate. But once I started to do my own Genealogical research I realized that she must have heard the story from someone, because it happened at least 20 years before her birth.
My Aunt Mattie gave my Mother one of the chairs that my Grandpa had made, and she passed it on to me. It is one of my most cherished possessions.      



 Shade Boling

 The only photographs I have of my Grandfather were taken late in his life. If anyone has any of him young I would LOVE to see them!

                                                       

Reuben Thompson Crosley III

I never knew my Grandpa Crosley, he died when I was 9 months old.

I have always been interested in what his life was like.

He was born in Colorado on April 2, 1896. His parents, my Great Grandparents Jesse Walker Crosley and Elizabeth Wire Atkinson seemed to go back and forth from Colorado to Wisconsin. I'm not sure why this was.

At times the family was also in Nebraska.

Grandpa Crosley fought in WWI. After his death, my Grandma Crosley received this document signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

 

                   My Grandparents did not marry until the early 1930's
              They had 2 sons. My Uncle, George Fay born July 11, 1934.

George Fay Crosley

                    And my Dad, Eugene Walter born February 7, 1936


Eugene Walter Crosley

   I don't have too many pictures of my Grandpa Crosley. I think this may have been one of the last ones taken before his death in September 1964.

This is a picture from a family gathering on my Dads side.

I think it was taken in Wisconsin around 1940.

I still haven't been able to find out who everyone is in this picture, but here's what I know. From left to right around the table.. Reuben Thompson Crosley III, he is holding Eugene Walter Crosley, Unknown female (perhaps a Clinger, McCartney or Cook?) Unknown female (same names), Unknown man standing (Same names), Clara Heath Crosley, Charles Henry Heath, Unknown Man standing. Children seated, Kermitt Schaffner, Elinor (Tyke) Heath, George Crosley, Milda Knebel Heath (standing), Delores Heath, Archie Ray Heath, and Myrtle Sprague Heath (sitting). So it seems to be a Heath family gathering. Just a note, if you look closely people are likely to be looking at 2 separate cameras. Half the people are looking one way, and half are looking the other way. Any help would be great.