Month: April 2017

Hudson Dexter Mead Sr.

fhdiiiLeave a comment

Hudson Dexter Mead Sr. (my great grandfather) was born on August 26, 1868 in Niles, Michigan.  He died sometime in May 1950 in Chadron, Nebraska.Hudson_Mead_Sr

His dad’s name was John Groot Mead and his mother’s maiden was Mary Eliza Dexter, affectionately called “Dan”.

On Sept 16, 1902 he married Nora O’Melia Blake in Carbon, Utah.

They had four children:

            Hudson Dexter Mead II (Gloria’s dad) – b. 11 Sep 1906, d. 18 Mar 1985
            Mary Elizabeth Catherine Mead (Denny) – b. 18 Nov 1910, d. Oct 1984
            Kate Jean Mead (Bristow) – b. 7 Nov 1913, d. 1979
            John Mead (died when 18 months old)

In the 1880 census he was living in Bon Homme, Dakota Territories and in 1900 lived in Dry Creek, Dawes County, Nebraska.  Somewhere along the way he lived in Utah where he met our great Grandma Nora, got married and then ended up in Chadron a few years later where he lived out his days and passed away in 1950, one year before I was born in Chadron. He is buried in Chadron, Nebraska at the Greenwood cemetery.

According to mom (Gloria) he was an only child, but according to my research on Ancestry he had a brother name Arthur J. who was born (also in Niles, Michigan) in 1862.  Arthur did get married and had some children, and I did find a handwritten letter from Arthur to his mom and to Hudson.  (more on this to come)

His occupation according to the census information was as a civil engineer in Chadron.  At one point, he was the water commissioner of Chadron.

Nora O’Melia Blake

fhdiii6 Comments

Nora O’Melia Blake (my great grandmother) was born on Jan 1, 1883 in Maryland.  She died sometime in May 1975 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Her dad’s name was Wesley Blake and her mother’s name was Kate Jean O’Melia.

On Sept 16, 1902 she married Hudson Dexter Mead in Carbon, Utah.

They had four children:

Hudson Dexter Mead II (Gloria’s dad) – b. 11 Sep 1906, d. 18 Mar 1985

Mary Elizabeth Catherine Mead (Denny) – b. 18 Nov 1910, d. Oct 1984

Kate Jean Mead (Bristow) – b. 7 Nov 1913, d. 1979

John Mead (died when 18 months old)

Mary-Nora-Kate
Aunt Mary – Grandma Nora – Aunt Kate
Nora-Grandpa
Grandma Nora and Hudson II (Grandpa)

 

 

In the 1900 census she was living in Uintah Valley Indian Reservation, Uintah, Utah.  At some point she moved to Chadron, Nebraska where Grandpa Mead (Hudson II) was born in 1906.  She lived in Chadron until sometime in the 1950’s and then moved to Omaha, Nebraska.  She passed away in 1979 and is buried in Chadron, Nebraska at the Greenwood cemetery.

The story goes that as a young girl she actually met Chief Sitting Bull (of the battle of Little Big Horn fame).  Sitting Bull was killed in 1890 (at 59 years old) so Nora would have been very young.  Sitting Bull did travel around with an exhibition show, even working with “Buffalo Bill”, until 1885, and then retired to an Indian reservation in the Dakotas, probably not too far from Chadron Nebraska.

Frank H Davenport II – Birth Record

fhdiiiLeave a comment

This is a scan of a birth record book for dad (Frank II) probably filled out by Muriel (Gaga).  It lists all his brothers and sisters with birth places and day of birth.  Still working on getting all the years right.  It includes George Thomas (mickey) who was born 4 years after dad according to mom (Gloria), so that must have been updated later.  The siblings are:

Lois Mary born in Russell (Ontario?), May 5
Olive Annie born in Russell, May 9
Barbara Grey(?) born in Mandan (North Dakota near Bismark), Aug 7
Marian Ethel born in Bismark, ND, May 25
George Thomas born in White Bear Lake, MN, Feb 10

I have found further information on Barbara which has a middle initial of M so not sure about the Grey that was written down.

FrankDavenportII Birth Record1FrankDavenportII Birth Record2