During my research on our family history, I find that sometime around 1903 Felix Grundy Goodwin had packed up his family and headed to Corning, Arkansas. I have to assume it was in order to find work, since it isn't where he family was located. This is where Felix's daughter, Hester Louise is born on June 16, 1903. His daughter Lottie Mae is born there three years later in 1906. So, we know that our grandfather, John Thomas would be living in this area of the country about the time he was 8 or 9 years old.
Corning, Arkansas is also where Felix's second wife, Nora would die (have not found any records as to her cause of death yet). We know from family accounts that Felix would call his father-in-law and request he come to Arkansas to retrieve his daughter's body as well as the three children. I am told he came by train, so I did some searching and found these pictures of the train and depot in Corning during that time period.
Mr. Shaver (Nora's father) would have traveled over 200 miles from Denver, Tennessee to Corning, Arkansas to claim his 30 year old daughter's body as well as his three young grandchildren (ages 8, 5 and 1 1/2). I can only imagine what a long train ride that must have been for this poor man. This all happened in January of 1908, so I am guessing the weather conditions were not ideal either.
On October 15th, 1910, Felix would marry his third wife, Elizabeth Louise Williams, in Corning, Arkansas. Felix was 44 years old and his new bride had just turned 23 years old. Our grandfather, John Thomas Goodwin, would have been about to turn 15 years old by the time this marriage occurred. Times sure were tough!
No comments:
Post a Comment