HEADLEY Family History

By Gary Burris

I found John C. Headley and family living in Wapello county, Iowa in 1850. Some of his children have attended school during the year. Those include his daughter Elisa and his sons Stephen (who attend only a half year) William, Samuel, Wilson and Isaac. From the census information it appears that Stephen and William were helping their father on the farm.

I find it interesting that they seem to have moved around a lot. Six of the children were born in Ohio. The oldest child, Elisa, was 22 years old in 1850, which seems to indicate that they lived in Ohio in 1830. The 1830 Ohio Census Index shows two John Headley's living there. One living in Belmont County and the other in Monroe County. Isaac was 10 years old in 1850 but there are no John Headley's in Ohio in the 1840 Census. The youngest child, Emily, was born in Missouri and it remains a mystery how that came to pass.

I have found Pension records of Civil War service for both William E. (3 Iordpt Bat Iowa L.A.) and Barzillai J. Headley (3 Iowa Cavalry). Both of these I believe to be the sons of John C. Headley.

The 1880 Census shows Barzillai living in Wells Township, Appanoose County, Iowa, with his wife Ellen (born 1845 in Kentucky) and six children. The census states that both the mother and father of Barzillai were born in Illinois, but I believe that to be in error. It further indicates that Ellen's parents were born in Kentucky. The children were listed as follows: Flora (1867), John (1869), Mary (1871), George (1873), Eliza (1875) and Maggie (1877). All the children except Maggie attended school in 1880.

Isaac Headley joined the Coyville, Kansas, Lodge #57 of the Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons sometime prior to 4 May 1873 as that is the date he was "raised." He was "demitted" on 20 Jan 1875. I found him living in Gould, Greenwood County, Kansas in 1880. Gould later changed it's name to Severy. Living with him on Greenwood Street was Catherine (Johns), his wife, who was born in Illinois in July of 1844. Also, living at home were his daughter Eva C. aged 15 (born 1865 in Iowa), a son George Britton aged 13 (born 16 Aug 1866 in Iowa), and a son Oliver C. aged 3 years (born 1877 in Kansas).

I visited with the City Clerk of Severy in June of 1986 looking for cemetery records and found that Isaac's name appears on City Ordinance #1, signed by him on 10 Apr 1880 as the first City Clerk of Gould, Kansas. City Ordinance #2 says that the City Clerk is to receive a salary of $50 to be paid in quarterly installments out of any fines in the City treasury not otherwise appropriated.

Isaac was found in 1888 living in Wichita, Kansas working as a laborer for the Santa Fe Railroad and living at 321 Pattie. His son George Britton Headley was working as a carpenter and living at 226 South Topeka, Wichita, Kansas in 1887. By 1889, Isaac was listed as an Engineer for the AT&SF and was living at 226 S. 4th Street. George Britton was listed as living at the same address and still working as a carpenter. In 1890 Isaac is listed as a janitor working for the Santa Fe Railroad and living at 337 South Emporia St. George Britton is listed as living at 418 Wichita St. and is still a carpenter. Oliver C. is staying with George Britton and is a student. In 1891 George Britton is listed in the city directory as a Fireman and living at 413 Wichita St.

The turn of the century has Isaac living at 945 S. Lawrence Ave. and is 59 years old. There have been some changes in the Headley household. Catherine (Johns), his wife, is living at home as is her mother Rebecca (79 years old, born March 1821 in Ohio) and her father Oliver (86 years old, born March 1813 in Pennsylvania). Also, living in the Headley home is Delia Bales, an adopted daughter who is 15 years old and was born Dec 1884 in Kansas. George Britton is 33 years old and working as an electrician and living at 435 N. Wichita St. His wife Emma Dean (Kolb) and two sons Ray Britton and Roy Clifford are all living at the same address.

In 1904, Isaac is living at 930 S. Emporia St. and in 1905 he is living at 920 S. Emporia St. I don't know if he moved or there was an error in the city directory. In 1906 Isaac is a flagman working for the AT&SF and living at 105 S. Santa Fe. Oliver C. is working in the lab for the Santa Fe and living at 1140 Lafayette Ave.

Catherine (Johns) Headley died 3 Jul 1908 and was buried in the Charleston Cemetery about 2 miles north of Fall River, Greenwood County, Kansas. The following inscription is on her tombstone:

SHE FOLLOWED VIRTUE AS HER
TRUSTED GUIDE.
LIVED AS A CHRISTIAN, AND AS A
CHRISTIAN DIED.

I found Isaac in the 1910 Kansas Census living with Thomas J. Stewart and Eva C. (Headley) Stewart on a farm north of Fall River, Kansas, in Salt Spring Township. The record indicates that Isaac is retired and has been a widower for two years, and hints that his father was born in Kentucky. We know from the 1850 Census that Isaac's father, John C. Headley, was born in Virginia. Isaac is now 72 years old. The Stewart household also has a foster son named Bert Clark age 12 and born in Kansas.

Isaac was a charter member of the Greenwood (Fall River, Kansas) Masonic Lodge #163, and was "demitted" on 5 May 1883. He probably joined the lodge in Fall River shortly after leaving the lodge in Coyville, Kansas. He was "admitted" at the Greenwood Lodge on 24 Nov 1906. The record of the Grand Lodge in Topeka, Kansas, shows various offices held by Isaac. The Grand Lodge gives his death date as 5 Jun 1914.

The City of Eureka, Greenwood, Kansas, had a box of birth and death records from various townships in the county which they gave to the County Clerk. One of these records shows that Isaac Headley died in Moulton, Iowa, on 5 Jun 1914 of "Autointoxication." I made a trip to Moulton, Iowa, in the summer of 1989. The death record in Iowa gives the same cause of death and adds "Senility." His son George Headley provided identification and the record indicates that the body was shipped to Cherryvale, Kansas. I was very confused by this because Cherryvale is in Montgomery County, so why would Greenwood County have a record of his death? A search of newspapers on microfilm at the Kansas State Historical Society helped to resolve the problem. It states in a Cherryvale paper that the body of Isaac Headley arrived from Moulton, Iowa, "where he resided at the time of his death," and there would be a prayer service after which the body would be shipped to Greenwood County for burial. I looked in a medical dictionary for the definition of "Autointoxication" and found the following: "Intoxication by some poison generated within the body." However, I like to tell descendants that he drank himself to death.

George Britton was 44 years old by the time the 1910 Census was taken. He and his wive Emma Dean (Kolb) were living in Cherryvale, Kansas. Ray Britton who was 20 years was listed as living at home with his parents, as is Roy Clifford (age 18), and Eugene (age 7 and born in Kansas). It seems that Emma's father, Adam Kolb, is also living in the household which is located just northwest of town on a farm called Sunny Slope Farm. The farm was still in the possession of the Kolb family in 1989 and the farm is still called Sunny Slope.

George Britton moved again in 1919 or 1920 to Bartlesville, Oklahoma where he was working as a Master Mechanic at Smelter #1. He was living at 507 West 11th with his wive Emma Dean (Kolb), son Albert Eugene and son Roy Clifford and Roy's wife Violet. Albert Eugene works as a Mechanic apprentice at the Union Machine Company and Roy work as the lab in Smelter #1. George's brother Oliver C. and his wive Katie live at 516 East First in Bartlesville, and Oliver works in the lab for Oil Well Supply Company.

In 1921 Clifford and Violet lived at 210 Cheyenne. In 1923 George and Emma lived at 700 Oak, as did Roy C. and his wive Violet M. Also, Ray B. and his wife Lola Mae moved to Bartlesville, probably in 1921, and were living at 713 Oak. George was working at Smelter #3 and so did Ray B.

In 1924 George and Emma were living at 817 Elm and Roy and Violet were living at the same address. Ray and Lola lived at 916 Elm, Ray was working in a lab. Albert Eugene and his wife Florence lived at 812 West 8th, and Eugene worked at Smelter #3.

When 1925 came, George was working at the Union National Bank as a janitor. George is about 59 years old and may have retired from the Smelter. He and Emma were living at 700 Oak Street. Roy C. was living at the same address. Albert's wife Florence is working as an elevator operator at the Union National Bank, and living at 805 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Albert was still working in the lab. In 1927 George was still working at the bank, but now is called an engineer.

The new decade (1930) finds George Britton and Emma Dean still living at 817 Elm. George continues at the bank. Albert and Florence now live at 816 S. Virginia Ave. Ray and Lola live at 908 Elm. and Ray is now a receiving clerk at Montgomery Ward. Ray's son Roy is a messenger and another son George is a student.

Ray Britton Headley and Lola Mae (Stapp) Headley produced the following children: Bonnettia (12 Sep 1910 - 24 Aug 1911), George W., Roy Dean, Lawrence E., Rex Cecil, and Edith Ethelyn.

Ray Britton died at home at the age of 52. He was a sanitary engineer working at the Union National Bank in Bartlesville and died following 3 weeks of serious illness. He had worked at the National Zinc Company until illness forced his retirement sometime prior to his death. Ray was buried at the Fairview cemetery in Cherryvale, Kansas.

Contributed by Gary Burris