Gilliam In-Laws: The Hildreths, Part 4

NOTE: At this point in the Hildreth family genealogy, we are moving into the early Twentieth Century. Many of the lives of the family members discussed in this post overlapped the lives of family members who are still living. My research is focused on details that are available in the public record. However, many of you will have clear memories of the family members discussed here and will have details that fill in the blanks in the public record. I'd love to hear from anyone who has any information that supports, contradicts or supplements the information I have found. Please feel free to comment to this (or any other post) or drop me an email at tdesoto276@gmail.com. I'll share your information in the blog only if you provide me your permission to do so. Thanks!

Gilliam In-Laws: The Hildreths, Part 4

There is not much documentation of the shared lives of Rees Hildreth and Rachel Belzer Hildreth, my generation’s second great-grandparents, We have a copy of the record from their July 20, 1874 marriage in Sullivan County, Missouri, but nothing until Rachel appears in a federal census in Oklahoma after Rees' death there in 1894. Census records indicate that some Hildreth and Belzer cousins lived in Linn and Sullivan County, Missouri. Various genealogists have assigned Rees and Rachel's children birthplaces in Adair, Clay or Sullivan Counties in Missouri. One daughter, Viola, claimed in later documents to have been born in Iowa. Their son, Lester Reese Hildreth claimed a Kansas birthplace on his draft registration. However, they do not appear in any of the censuses taken in 1870 or 1880, in those states or others.

Based on the difficulty of making a long-distance move and the family history of making multi-family, multi-generational moves, I think it is highly likely that Rees and Rachel Belzer Hildreth migrated across Missouri and Oklahoma with extended family members. Rachel's older sister, Rebecca Belzer Abercrombie Baker, moved to Oklahoma in time to appear in the 1890 territorial census. Rebecca's roots were likely attractive to Rees and Rachel and would have prompted a final move to Oklahoma.

We can put together a rough estimate of their migration through the lower Midwest by tracing their children's lives:

Charles Harvey Hildreth - Census records indicate only that he was born in Missouri in 1875. He married Mary Ann Baker and moved to Yakima, Washington before 1920. He died there in 1962. The had two daughters, Nellie and Leona.

Henry Monroe Hildreth - Census records indicate only that he was born in Missouri in 1875. He married Kjeston Moss and they had one daughter, Alice Louise. He lived in Oklahoma City most of his life and died there in 1940.

Oscar Hildreth - According to his World War II draft card, he was born in Jasper County, Missouri in 1879. He never married. He lost his eyesight in his early adulthood and lived with other family members throughout his life. He died in Rush Springs, Oklahoma in 1951.

Viola Hildreth - Census records indicate she was born in Iowa or Missouri in 1881. She was married two or three times. From her marriage to Monroe Mitchell, she had three daughters (Sallie, Iva and Blanche) and one son (Frank). She died in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma in 1935.

Annie Lily Hildreth - With twin sister Maggie, she was born on November 20, 1882. Some genealogists place their birth in Kirksville, Missouri, but I have found no records to support that location. She married John Calhoun Gilliam and they lived in and around Caddo County, Oklahoma the rest of their lives. John died there in 1943; she died there in 1975. Their children were: Lemuel Hardy, Maude Irene, Joseph Douglas, John William, Dora Mae, Frank James, Thelma Omega, Lola Belle, and Vila Jean.

Martha Margaret Hildreth - Maggie married John Calhoun Gilliam's brother, Samuel. They farmed in Doyle Township, Caddo County for the rest of their lives. Sam died in 1948; Maggie died in 1971. Their children were: Bertha Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Mattie Viana, Samuel Earl, Anna Marguerite, Alice Pauline, Charles Monroe, Gladys Moloa, and Billy Eugene.

Stella Hildreth - Born in 1885 in (probably) Missouri. She died in 1905, shortly after her marriage to Warren Gilbreath.

Laura Jane Hildreth - Born in 1886 in (probably) Missouri. Her first marriage ended when her husband, James Snyder, died in a domestic violence incident described in an newspaper article below (most likely not completely factual). She married Warren Gilbreath (the same Warren Gilbreath who had been married to Stella Hildreth) and they had children Cleo Francis, Harry, Katie, Stella Ruth, Ruby Lee, Warren Thomas and Gerald Horace. She died in 1983.

William Roy Hildreth - Born 1890 in Missouri (probably). He died in 1971.

Lester Reese Hildreth - His World War II draft card states he was born in Salina, Kansas. He married Adeline Lewis. Their children were: Velma, Dorothy Mae, Leona, Marion, Lester Reese, Jr., Carrie Lou, Lloyd Franklin, Howard Hampton, Elwanda and Lowma. Lester Reese Sr. died in California in 1968.

Thankfully, we do have some photographic evidence of their lives together and some of their children

Rees and Rachel are pictured below, within the year or two before his death in 1894:

Rachel's portrait here is probably taken around 1910:

This photograph was probably taken around 1896, within a year or two of Rees' death. Seated left to right are Laura, Lester Reese, Rachel, William Roy and Stella. Standing left to right are Viola, Annie, John Calhoun Gilliam, and Oscar: