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)

Gilberto Cardenas Luebbert

I know very little about my ancestors from Mexico. In this post, we will begin to explore what little bit I do know about them.

I'll start with my grandfather, my most recent connection to Mexico. Gilberto Cardenas Luebbert was born on 8 August 1937 in Mexico. He was the second of four children born to Gilberto Cardenas Ortega and Enriqueta Frida Luebbert Schulz.

Enriqueta was Gilberto Cardenas Ortega's second spouse. His first spouse was a Texan. Her name was Virginia Placida Johnston. Gilberto also married a third time to a woman named Amalia Tristan Vera.

Enriqueta was also married a total of three times. Her other spouses names were Carlos Zolezzi Cavazos and Antenor Buenrostro. I do not know when she was married to either of these men as it does not seem they had any children together.

Through all of his parents' secondary marriages, Gilberto Cardenas Luebbert had four half-siblings. Their names were:

• Theresa Antoneta Cardenas
• Daniel Lawrence Cardenas
• Amalia Cardenas Tristan
• Gilberto Demetri Cardenas Tristan

Perhaps his parents' troubles in staying with one spouse influenced Gilberto in his own relationships as he was married six times in his life.

As far as I know, his first marriage was to my grandmother. In his late twenties, Gilberto Cardenas Luebbert married Barbara Rowena Hitchcock.

Enriqueta Luebbert Schulz, Gilberto Cardenas Luebbert, and Barbara Rowena Hitchcock
at Gilberto and Barbara's wedding reception. Provided by Thomas Cardenas.

Together, they had three children.

• Gil Enrique Cardenas
• Jorge Cardenas
• Krystal Rowena Cardenas

Since I do not know when he married which spouse, I will simply list the remainder of his relationships in no particular order.

Gilberto married Soledad Medina. Together, they had at least one child.

• Enriqueta Cardenas Medina

Gilberto married Hortensia Aguilera. Together, they had at least one child.

• Gabriela Cardenas

Gilberto also married Violeta (last name unknown) and Guadalupe (last name unknown).  He later remarried Hortensia, who remained his wife until he died.

I do not have any photos of Gilberto's other spouses, and I have only seen one or two photos of my dad's Mexican half-siblings. (My dad also has two other half-siblings from my grandmother's second marriage.) I wish I knew more than just some colors and numbers in Spanish so I would feel more comfortable contacting my relatives South of the Border. Until I learn the language though, I leave my brother to do most of the Mexican research.

I only met my grandfather once. We spent a couple of days together in 2010 while on a road trip from North Carolina to Pennsylvania with my aunt (his daughter) and her family. We spent most of those days sharing our love of World Cup Soccer watching it on television in the hotels where we stayed. We did send a few emails back and forth, but I wish I had asked him more about his life and relationships. That aspect of his life and his reasons for marrying/divorcing so many times is probably something I'll never be able to figure out or understand.

Gilberto died the year after I met him on 11 October 2011. He is buried at Jardines del Recuerdo. My brother managed to get this photo from one of Gilberto's brothers, Raul Cardenas Luebbert, last year for me since I needed proof of my grandfather's birth and death dates for my Daughters of the American Revolution application.

Photo of grave of Enriqueta Luebbert Schulz, Gilberto Cardenas Luebbert,
and (currently) three other people. Copyright, 2014

Sources:

• Brittany Jenkins, grandchild
• Gilberto Cardenas Luebbert, self
• Thomas Cardenas, grandchild
• Tombstone photo taken Spring 2014