Smith, Medora Viola

Birth Name Smith, Medora Viola
Also Known As Viola Medora
Gender female
Age at Death 71 years, 4 days

Narrative

Details on Viola from the "Lewis Family Tree" by lewisok1 on ancestry.com

Burial at Forest Hill Cemetery, Kansas City, Mo. from wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com (cannot confirm tho)

Her descendants from here - http://awtc.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=*v104t1662&id=I256
by ggggrandson Keith Reynolds.

Events

Event Date Place Description Sources
Birth 1838-04-06 Arkwright, Chautauqua, NY    
Cause Of Death     abcess on hip  
Death 1909-04-10 Kansas City, Jackson, MO   1a
Burial   Kansas City, Jackson, MO Forest Hill Cemetery  

Parents

Relation to main person Name Birth date Death date Relation within this family (if not by birth)
Father Smith, Andrew J.about 1817after 1880
Mother Harrington, Harriet1817after 1860
    Sister     Smith, Elvira 1837-05-31 1866-08-07
         Smith, Medora Viola 1838-04-06 1909-04-10

Families

Family of Cochran, Thomas W and Smith, Medora Viola
Married Husband Cochran, Thomas W ( * 1828-12-22 + 1904-01-31 )
   
Event Date Place Description Sources
Marriage 1857-05-24 Sandusky, OH marriage of "Thomas W Cochran" and "Medosa V Smith" 2
Divorce 1869-04-05 Sandusky, OH    
Event Note

From a clipping of a newspaper, it reads "Thomas W. Cochran filed for divorce from Medora April 5, 1869". We do know they were divorced and he later remarried and did have children from this marriage, therefore Flora did have half brothers and sisters. These children were raised in Ohio and were not in contact with children by the first marriage.

  Narrative

1860 United States Federal Census > Ohio > Sandusky > Ballville
-> living with Susan Orton and Harriet Harrington - Harriet the right age for Viola's mother.
, also a Margaret Cochran , b.1790 lives a few doors away.
1870 United States Federal Census > Ohio > Sandusky > Ballville
-> separated. Thomas living with a Mary J Cochran age 18
Viola and daughters live alone. Harriet missing.

  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
Cochran, Vinnie May1861-06-221914-02-10
Cochran, Hattie Leora1864-05-181944-03-23
Cochran, Flora Olive1867-07-071943-04-20

Family of Chapman, Lionel and Smith, Medora Viola
Married Husband Chapman, Lionel ( * 1840-07-00 + 1910-01-29 )
   
Event Date Place Description Sources
Marriage about 1873      
Divorce 1895-02-00 Kansas City, Jackson, MO    
Event Note

from Kansas City Daily Journal Feb.17, 1895 -
"Medora V Chapman vs. Lionel Chapman; divorce; motion for new trial sustained"
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86063624/1895-02-17/ed-1/seq-2/;words=Mo+mo+Medora+Chapman

  Narrative

1875 > Nemaha > Capioma (Kansas State Census Collection)
1880 United States Federal Census > Kansas > Republic > Scandia > District 280
(living in W W Dickinson's hh with daughters)
~1890 Kansas City, MO
1900 United States Federal Census > Missouri > Jackson > Kansas City Ward 3 > District 28
(living with daughter "Minnie May Reed") 1231 Walnut St.
(verified no one still there in 1910 census)

When the son was one year old, Lionel left to go to Leadville, Colorado to work in the silver mines. In order for him to have resources to make the trip, he mortgaged Medora's farm. He was never heard from again. After some years had passed, presuming him dead, she applied for his war pension and found out through the pension department that he was well, married and drawing his pension. Clipping from a newspaper says at age 60, Medora Chapman was granted a divorce from Lionel Chapman who deserted her, after mortgaging her farm, and was later found married to a woman in Benson County, Minnesota.

  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
Chapman, George William1874-03-24after 1900

Source References

  1. Missouri Death Certificates Online, 1910 – 1956
      • Source Reference Note:

        pre-1910 collection. http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/birthdeath/deaths.asp?BirthId=40050
        says "Madora V Chapman" was a widow and residing at 840 W 40, KC, MO (home of her daughter, Hattie)

  2. various county records: Ohio Marriages, 1803-1900