hoguead@bp.com wrote: >Surnames: RISLEY, OSBURN, FRIEND, STUBBS >Classification: Query > >I know this is a long shot, but I thought I would give it a try and hopefully someone can help. Anyhow, my Grandmother Mae Marie Risley was born in Sparta, MO on Jan. 3, 1919. Her parents were Robert Clyde Risely and Lecia Osburn Risley. Mae also had a sister named Maude who was born in November of 1920. Mae passed away in June of 1974 before of cancer before I was born. Maude passed away in April of 2002. Mae moved to Indiana sometime in her early twenties. Maude took over the family home and land and resided there until her death. I never had the opportunity to meet any family on my father's side in Missouri until after my father passed in Sept. 2002. My stepmother recently gave me some belongings of my Grandmother Mae Risley. Something she gave me that must have been very special to my Grandmother was a photo album. It was given to her by a women named Geneva. No last name is given. There is also a photo of Geneva with a gentlemen named Ross. I am not sure i! f the two ever married, but it seemed they were a couple from the photos. I have seen a few photos from my cousin in MO., that also have Geneva's picture in them, but we were not sure of her name at the time. My Grandmother Mae's Uncle by marriage was Vern L. Beamon. He lived on Hwy. 14 in Sparta and was the mail carrier. Of course he passed several years back. There are some photos of Geneva with Mae at Vern's home, but this is also where Mae resided when she attended Sparta High School. The walk from her house was too far. They lived south of where the Fairview Church is today off PP Highway. I was wondering if anyone has a Geneva in the families of Christian County they were researching. I figure her age to be very close to my Grandmother's age who as I mentioned was born in 1919. The photo album was given to Mae in 1938 when she would have been nineteen years old. I thought this may of been a school mate also. My Grandmother attended Fairview for elementary! school and then graduated from Sparta High School. The copy of the r eport card I received from the high school shows Mae graduating in 1939. Mae would have been twenty years old at the time. I also wanted to know if that was normal for back then? I know that Maude never attended school again after the eighth grade. She stayed home to help her mother with their cattle farm. I am sure most children did not continue on to the high school at that time. Anyone who can answer who Geneva may be and if it was normal to not graduate until twenty years of age your input in appreciated. Thank you for your time. > > > These are not very close to your grandmother's age, but they are a couple named Ross and Geneva who are buried in Sparta Cemetery. I don't have much on these people, not even her maiden name. I did find his obit. It said he spent most of his life in Illinois, lived in Ozark 11 years and the Sparta Senior Citizen's housing for three years before his death, and that survivors included just Geneva and several cousins. Buried beside Ross and Geneva are John C. & Lucinda (Beamon) Bralley. They are the age to be Ross's parents, but I don't know for certain that they are. Lucinda 1 Oct 1869 - 15 May 1905 was the daughter of Lyons Ross & Nancy J. (Bruton) Beamon. Her brother was Lyons Vernon "Vern" Beamon 1 Mar 1875 - 18 Apr 1955. So, if Ross Bralley was John and Lucinda's son, that would have made Lyons Vernon "Vern" Ross' uncle by blood and Maude's and Mae's uncle by marriage. Even though Geneva is eleven years older than Mae, it sounds like a likely candidate for the person you are seeking. John & Lucinda were in Benton Township of Douglas County, Missouri on 1900 census. Lucinda had died befroe 1910, but I don't find John or Ross Bralley anywhere on 1910 or 1920 census. He was living in Kansas City in 1930, still single. GENEVA BRALLEY 26 Jan 1908 - 19 Aug 2002 Sparta IOOF and husband ROSS L. BRALLEY 12 Oct 1900 - 28 Feb 1985 Sparta IOOF

Mabel G. Phillips wrote: > hoguead@bp.com wrote: > These are not very close to your grandmother's age, but they are a > couple named Ross and Geneva who are buried in Sparta Cemetery. I > don't have much on these people, not even her maiden name. I did find > his obit. It said he spent most of his life in Illinois, lived in > Ozark 11 years and the Sparta Senior Citizen's housing for three years > before his death, and that survivors included just Geneva and several > cousins. Buried beside Ross and Geneva are John C. & Lucinda (Beamon) > Bralley. They are the age to be Ross's parents, but I don't know for > certain that they are. Lucinda 1 Oct 1869 - 15 May 1905 was the > daughter of Lyons Ross & Nancy J. (Bruton) Beamon. Her brother was > Lyons Vernon "Vern" Beamon 1 Mar 1875 - 18 Apr 1955. So, if Ross > Bralley was John and Lucinda's son, that would have made Lyons Vernon > "Vern" Ross' uncle by blood and Maude's and Mae's uncle by marriage. > Even though Geneva is eleven years older than Mae, it sounds like a > likely candidate for the person you are seeking. John & Lucinda were > in Benton Township of Douglas County, Missouri on 1900 census. Lucinda > had died befroe 1910, but I don't find John or Ross Bralley anywhere > on 1910 or 1920 census. He was living in Kansas City in 1930, still > single. > > GENEVA BRALLEY 26 Jan 1908 - 19 Aug 2002 Sparta IOOF and > husband ROSS L. BRALLEY 12 Oct 1900 - 28 Feb 1985 Sparta IOOF > If the the couple you are seeking is indeed Vern Beamon's orphaned nephew Ross L. Bralley and his wife Geneva and if this Geneva was from Christian County, I would guess that she would be: Geneva Shipman , daughter of Matthew and Malinda (McDaniel) Shipman, listed with parents and older siblings in Household 148 of North Marion Township on 1910 census. Sure enough, when I looked at the Shipman file, there was a note beside, Geneva Shipman, in the summary of Matthew and Malinda (McDaniel) Shipman's family, saying "married Ross Bralley". So my best guess is that you are looking for Ross L. & Geneva (Shipman) Bralley. Their marriage record is not in Christian County. But Geneva Bralley is mentioned as a daughter in Matthew's obit: Shipman, Mathew 10 Sep 1870 - 4 Jan 1967 CCR 5 Jan 1967 p1 [Note: Son of James William & Elizabeth (Scrivner) Shipman; married Malinda McDaniel 4 Feb 1875 - 22 Jul 1944] Mathew Shipman, 96, died at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday in Bilyeu Nursing Home here. He was a retired farmer and lifelong resident of Chadwick. Mr. Shipman is survived by one son, Raymond of Ava; four daughters, Mrs. Elva Smith, Ozark; Mrs. Geneva Bralley, Galesburg, Ill., Mrs. Thelma Rozelle, Sparta, Mrs. Irene Richardson, Kansas City and 19 grandchildren. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Harris Chapel here with the Rev. Roy Shipman and the Rev., Ivan Tatum officiating, Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery near Sparta.