Automated Reply from <[email protected]> Re: Our New Audio Series at www.randywillis.org Taped letter to me from Dr. Greene Strother (Side A) Download Real Audio Player free to hear all our new audio series: Taped letter to me from Dr. Greene Strother (Side B) http://realguide.real.com/welcome/?p=std If you have trouble downloading this e-mail me and I will walk you through it. The Rev. Elmer Perkins interview and Pastor J. D. Scott interviews will be uploaded next! ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2000 7:43 AM Subject: [LARAPIDE] One CROOKS Family > Hello Rapides Reseachers... > > I have come across a family of CROOKS and have not yet been able to connect > the father to other earlier generations. Can You Help ? > Thanks, Houston > > Valsin CROOKS appears only on the 1870 U.S. Census of Rapides Parish, LA as > being "Vulsam" Crooks, age 18, born in LA. He and Polly Crooks, age 19 > appear in the household of Jason Wilson, age 40, a carpenter, born in TN and > Lucinda Wilson, age 40, born in LA and their apparent child, Jason Wilson > Jr., age 3, born in LA. By the names of the neighbors, they are residents of > the Village of Pineville. > My first thought... is that Lucinda is Polly & Valsin's mother and she has > remarried in the last 4-5 years. But not finding this family in 1860 under > the CROOKS name, has me baffled. > > Conveyance Book M, page 30, dated 4 May 1889 Valsin Crooks bought 80 acres of > land from Lewis Smith in Ward 10, being the west half of the northwest > quarter of Section 17, Township 5 North, Range 1 West. > > 1880, Rapides Parish, LA, Village of Pineville, head of household, mother, > Mary Price, age 45; a servant, Mary Peterman, age 24; son, Jefferson, age 20; > son, Rice Price, age 11; orphan, Thomas Crooks, age 2. All born in LA. > Where is Valsin Crooks ? I know he won't be on the Soundex, since there are > no minor children, unless he is in a household of a different surname. But I > certainly expected to find him in Verda Ruff's Central Louisiana Families in > 1880, but he is not shown. > > 1900, Rapides Parish, LA, Ward 10, head of household, Louise Crooks, a widow, > age 39, born Dec 1860 in LA, has bore 3 children and all are living (See > Probate # 4666 below), sons: Steve Crooks, age 12, born Aug 1887 and > "Volsance", age 10, born May 1890 (so their father, Valsin, must have died in > 1890, not 1889. See Probates below). Also in this household, mother, > Ocelena Venus, age 70, widowed, born in 1830 in LA, month unknown, has bore 5 > children and 2 are living. > > Here is what I have found in the Rapides Parish Clerk of Court's Office in > Alexandria... > > Probate # 582, petition dated 19 Jun 1890. Petitioner, Mrs. Louisa Crooks > shows that her husband, "Valson" Crooks died 17 May 1890 (see other dates > below), leaving five children: Lela, Louisa, Stephen, Volsan, Louisa (name > appears twice), the oldest being 7 years of age and one child, Thomas, age > 13, issue of his first wife. Louisa is appointed by the Court, as Natural > Tutrix of her children had by Volsan. > Probate # 585, petition dated 9 Jul 1890. Petitioner, Jason J. Wilson shows > that the minor, Thomas J. Crooks, age 13 years, is without a tutor or > undertutor, his mother and father both being dead. Petitioner shows that he > is the paternal Uncle of said minor (how? by the 1870 census above, Jason > appears to be a step-grandfather) and Hypolite Crooks, also a paternal Uncle > apply to be appointed to those positions. Represented by Jas. Andrews, Atty. > The order placing them in those positions was signed by Judge W.F. Blackman. > Probate # 4666, petition dated 29 Nov 1937. Petitioner, Mrs. Frances Smith > Crooks, shows that "Valsin" Crooks was a resident of your parish for many > years prior to his death on 17 May 1889 (or was 1890? no tombstone found), he > was twice married, first to Lizzie Ussery about the year 1876 (Marriage Book > C-5, page 243, license issued 12 Feb 1876, Bondsmen, Valsin Crooks and Victor > Reeves. Valsin Crooks and Elizabeth "Ursery" were married 17 Feb 1876 at the > residence of Stephen Venus by H.M. Labat, JP. Witnesses: John Reeves, Joseph > Spotten, A.F. Rassard ?) and 2nd about the year 1882 to Louise Venus > (Marriage Book C-6, page 73, license issued 26 Nov 1881, Bondsmen were Valsin > and Stephen Crooks, Married 28 Nov 1881 by J.M. Jenkins, JP at the Bride's > residence. Witnesses: J.W. Jackson, B.W. Langford, R.W. L???s, both bride and > groom made their mark to sign their name) > Of the 1st marriage, one child was born, Thomas Crooks, who is still living. > Of the 2nd marriage, four children were born: Lela Crooks, now wife of > William C. LaCroix; Steve Crooks; Valsin Crooks died 19 Nov 1912 and he never > married and left no descendents; Clarence Crooks predeceased his father at > the age of 12 and left no descendents (although he is shown to be of the 2nd > marriage, he must actually be the child of the 1st marriage, since Valsin and > Louisa were only married 8-9 years before Valsin died). > Petitioner, Frances Smith Crooks has purchased from the widow and heirs 13.5 > acres of the above land on 17 May 1932 filed in Conveyance Book 185, page 282 > and that it is necessary and the petitioner desires that the heirs of Valsin > Crooks be recognized as such and be sent into possession of the properties > left by the decedent. > Affiants: Mrs. Ellen Reeves, age 84 and Hillary L. Walker, age 69, attest > that they knew Valsin Crooks and his wife, Lizzie "Ussery" Crooks and that > they know his 2nd wife, Mrs. Louise "Venies" Crooks and the facts as set > forth in the foregoing petition, as to death and heirship are true and > correct. > Mrs. Reeves made her mark to sign her name. > >