John Thomas Stephens

John Thomas Stephens is one of my brick wall ancestors. I seem to be having an unusually hard time finding him. (I blame the 1890 census!) Following is what I know about him.

I have found conflicting information on his birth so far. The 1900 census lists John's birth as being in July 1866 in Ohio. The 1910 census lists his birth as being in about 1868 in Iowa. The 1910 census for his son, Grover, lists his birthplace as Virginia. The 1920 census lists his birth as being in about 1867 in Iowa. The 1920 and 1930 census for Grover both list his father's birthplace as Missouri. The 1920 census for his son, Charles, lists his birthplace as Indiana. The 1930 census for Charles lists his father's birthplace as Missouri.

I'm leaning towards Iowa as the actual state. It was the most consistent I've found in the early years. (I think Cora thought his birthplace was Iowa too because his children still at home list their father as being born in Iowa in the 1930 census.)

I have found a Thomas Stephens, age 13, living a Norton family in 1880 in Prairie City, Jasper County, Iowa. I don't know if this is John Thomas or not.

Clipping from 1880 Prairie City, IA Census

The census shows Thomas Stephens' parents as being born in Pennsylvania. This is consistent with a few of the other censuses that I have found for John Thomas (1900-1920).

Clipping from 1900 Clear Creek, MO Census

Clipping from 1910 Lebanon, MO Census

Clipping from 1920 Richland, MO Census

John married Maggie Parkhurst. (I got her name from Charles Oliver's death certificate.) Together, they had at least the following children:

• Grover Stephens, born November 1888
• Charlottie Stephens, born October 1889
• Charles Oliver Stephens, born 14 February 1894

Maggie died before the 1900 census, and I haven't found a death certificate yet for her. I saw on Find-A-Grave that there is a Maggie Stephens buried in Fairview Cemetery in New Albany, Floyd County, Indiana. She is recorded as being born in 1859 and dying in 1894. I'm not sure if this is the right person, but it's the closest I have found so far. If she died in 1894, I wonder if it was due to complications of childbirth.

After the death of Maggie, John remarried. He married Cora E. about 1901 according to the 1910 census. Cora was born about 1881 in Missouri. I do not know the names of her parents yet. According to family researchers, Cora's maiden name was Ferguson. I have found a Cora Ferguson listed in Forest City, Holt County, Missouri with her parents James M. and Sarah Ferguson. I'm not sure if this is her though.

Clipping from 1900 Forest City, MO Census

Also, in the 1910 census, Cora is listed as having been the mother of three children, only one of which was still alive in 1910. John is listed as being Cora's first marriage, so these unknown children are assumed to be the children of John and Cora.

Clipping from 1910 Lebanon, MO Census

John and Cora had at least the following children:

• Irven Stephens, born about 1903
• Unknown Stephens, born between 1900 and 1910, died before 1910
• Unknown Stephens, born between 1900 and 1910, died before 1910
• Hornine Stephens, born about 1911
• Edgar Stephens, born about 1914
• Inez Stephens, born about 1918

Clipping of second half of the household from 1920 Richland, MO Census

John died some time before the 1930 census. Cora shows up in Richland, Morgan County, Missouri as a widow living with her two youngest children, Edgar and Inez.

Clipping from 1930 Richland, MO Census

That's about all I know. It seems like a lot at first glance, but everything I know seems to be after his first wife's death. If you descend from this man or know anything about him, I would be very interested in hearing from you! Send me a message or leave a comment on here.

Sources:

• 1880 Prairie City, Jasper County, Iowa U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1900 Clear Creek, Cooper County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1900 Forest City, Holt County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 Clear Creek, Cooper County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 Lebanon, Cooper County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1920 Otterville, Cooper County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Otterville, Cooper County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1920 Richland, Morgan County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Richland, Morgan County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Death Certificate, Charles Oliver Stephens (accessed on Ancestry)
• Find-A-Grave Memorial, Maggie Stephens

Charles O. Stephens and Ethel O. Casto Stephens

I have seen a lot of posts this week from one of the Facebook groups I follow. It's a group centered around one woman's blog about her Casto relatives called Casto Connections. That got me thinking about my own "Casto connection," my great-great-grandmother, Ethel Ona Casto.

Ethel was the sixth (or seventh) of eight children born to Mason Raspburn and Rachel Francis Ferguson Casto. She was born 31 August 1892 in Benton County, Missouri. (I told you I had a lot of Missouri roots!)

She married Charles Oliver Stephens on 4 January 1920 in Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri.

Charles and Ethel's Marriage License

Charles was the son of John Thomas and Maggie Packhurst (or Parkhurst) Stephens. He was born 14 February 1894 (although his death certificate says he was born in November).

Since Ethel is my Casto connection though, I'll mostly focus on her.

The 1900 census is the first time we see Ethel appear. She is surrounded by a bunch of Castos! She's living in Williams, Benton County, Missouri. Her Uncle George Washington Casto is living right next door, and her grandparents, Hiram and Sarah Casto are living next door to them. (Her grandmother Sarah's maiden name was also Casto.)

Clipping from 1900 census

Clipping from 1900 census showing the rest of the kids in Mason's household

In 1910, she's found still living at home with her parents and her sister, Lydia. Her grandparents have also moved into the house with them.

Clipping from 1910 census

*Notice Sally Casto had 12 children! I can't even imagine that!

Charles and Ethel show up together in the 1920 census. They are living in Sedalia, renting a room or apartment from Rosa Hayes. I don't know who this Rosa Hayes is, but one of her sons, Ross is listed as being a "locomotive fireman" and Charles is listed as being a "fireman roundhouse." Then, after their occupations, it says "Katy." I wonder if these two boys worked together on the Katy railroad, which ran from Missouri to Texas.

Clipping from 1920 census showing occupations of people living in Rosa Hayes' house
Rosa Hayes (head), Ross Hayes (son), Lloyd Hayes (son), Ida Shumate (niece), Charley Stevans (head), Ethel Stevans (wife)

As far as I can tell from the census records, Charles never liked to stay in one place. He always rented homes, never buying. He constantly moved to new cities, though he stayed in Missouri most, if not all, of his life. I wonder if Ethel was the one to keep them from leaving the state.

Together, Charles and Ethel had at least four children:

• Joy Decimund Stephens
• Marion Oliver Stephens
• Isabella Rebecca Stephens
• Robert David Stephens

*I've also seen mention amongst other researchers of a child named Ruth Stephens I don't know when Ruth was born. I can't find her in the household in the census and I haven't found a birth or death record for her yet.

I don't know much about Charles or Ethel's married life or their life past the 1940 census. I know Charles fought in World War I, but that particular War is not (yet) an area of expertise for me. I hope I can find some more stories for this side of the family soon.

Charles died 4 February 1957 at the VA Hospital in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri. His cause of death was recorded as brochopneumonia due to multiple liver abscesses and bacteremia.

Clipping from Charles Stephens' death certificate showing cause of death

Ethel died 6 February 1968 in Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri. Cause of death is presently unknown as the death records online only go to 1963.

Charles (and I assume Ethel too) is buried at Union Cemetery in Pettis County, Missouri.

Sources:

• 1900 Williams, Benton County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 Williams, Benton County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1920 Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Mokane, Callaway County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1940 Fulton, Callaway County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Charles O Stephens Death Certificate (accessed on Missouri Digital Heritage)
• Katy Railroad Historical Society
• Marriage License, Charles O Stephens and Ethel Casto (accessed on Ancestry)