Guy and Lois Allen as newlyweds. |
Guy Wiley Allen -- my great grandfatherGuy Wiley Allen (1872 - 1908), died when his son (my grandfather) was only seven years old and, until recently, he was just a name to me. Diane Olthuis decided to write a biography of Guy's wife, Lois Hudson Allen, and was kind enough to mail me a copy of Guy's obituary. The obit may suggest he was a Mason, but I have no information about that. |
[From a Fredonia newspaper (which one?) in January 1908.]
``Death of Guy Allen''
``Though the condition of Guy Allen was generally known to be very serious, but few realized it was critical, except relatives and nearby friends; and when last Saturday, the fact of his death at six o'clock that morning became current, the suddenness of it produced a profound shock. The news was quickly communicated throughout the city, causing universal sorrow and regret It was rapidly conveyed to all parts of the county, evoking everywhere the same sense of grief and loss. We do not recall the passing of a young man in Wilson Co. (for being born and reared in the county he seemed young), whose death produced such deep and widespread sorrow as that of Guy Wiley Allen on the bright, beautiful morning of last Saturday, January 18.
``Guy Allen was born December 8, 1872 at Buffalo, Wilson Co., where his father, J. D. Allen, was at that time a merchant; having married Miss Nettie Wiley December 28, 1871. Mr. and Mrs. Allen moved to Fredonia in 1882, Mr. A. entering the Wilson County Bank of which he was the cashier for a number of years. Guy was married to Miss Lois Hudson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Hudson of Fredonia, September 4, 1895. Before attaining his majority Guy became a clerk in the Wilson County Bank, later being chosen assistant cashier, and in the spring of 1905 was elected cashier of the institution, which position he held until his death. He was a modest, unassuming and kindly man, always courteous and accommodating, and in his business career he never disappointed his numerous friends. His integrity was never questioned and his business ability was remarked by all who knew him. His future was filled with great promise, of which his course unto the age of thirty-five years was an earnest, and his early death fell like a funeral pall upon his relatives and all who knew him. It has been the lot of but few men to hold so many personal friends.
``Mr. Allen had been in failing health for a year or more, but he never complained, his most intimate friends little dreaming that the end was so near. After a serious illness of twelve days, during which his devoted wife, relatives and friends did all that could be done, he passed beyond. In response to a telegram sent by Dr. Wiley, uncle of the deceased, Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Allen, the anxious father and mother, hastened half across the continent reaching the bedside of their son and eldest born but three days before the end. Aside from other numerous loving relatives, the deceased leaves a widow and three boys -- Guy Hudson, aged 11 years; James Dow, aged 7, and Frank Wiley, aged 6 -- to mourn him. For their consolation they have the proud memory of a husband and father who left them an unsullied name.
``The funeral services at the home were conducted by Revs. C. R. Creager of Howard, W. K. Estill and J. R. MacFadden of Fredonia. The M. W. A. and Masons marched in a body to the cemetery, where the services by the Masonic fraternity were beautiful and impressive.
``Guy Allen's chapter of life is closed, but his example and splendid character will continue to live.''
My grandfather remembered Guy's mother Annetta Jane Allen nee Wiley, but as far as I know no mementoes or documentation had been preserved, except for his cousin's family records (which we mislaid many years ago and had little or no information on Annetta Wiley anyway). Even her nickname was confused since my grandfather remembered her as ``Grandma Annie.'' The above obituary was the first time I'd seen her name in print, but it provided little new information, beyond the fact that she had a brother, Dr. Wiley.
I have since seen Annetta's name on the Internet thrice: first in a 1882 Kansas history book placed on-line at the University of Kansas website (When I found it the URL was http://www.ukans.edu/carrie/kancoll/books/cutler/wilson/wilson.htm); second in LDS familysearch records submitted by Margaret Wiley Rogers, and finally in the 1870 Wilson Cty. census. (From the first source I learn the brother/doctor was ``Dr. F. M. Wiley,'' from the second source I learn he was ``Frank,'' from the third source I learn Nettie was a schoolteacher and four years older than Frank.)
It was the Kansas history book which unlocked Annetta Wiley for me. The other documents would have been meaningless by themselves: the LDS record mentions ``Annetta Wiley'' with no middle name or husband; the 1870 census shows her as ``N. J. Wiley,'' obviously an abbreviation for ``Nettie Jane.''
Annetta's father James Wiley was Justice of the Peace in Wilson County and warranted a biographical sketch which included the names of his children. Since Annetta was listed as ``Mrs. Annetta J. Allen'' the connection to me was obvious. (Could there have been two different women in 1880 Kansas, both named Annetta J. Allen nee Wiley, and both with doctor brothers named Frank?)
With the names James Wiley and Sarah Alice Holden I searched the usual Internet genealogies and found further information, resulting in a largish pedigree of my great great grandmother, ``Annie Allen.''
The pedigree of Annetta's grandfather Mahlon Chamberlain Holden was hard to find, but fortunately Jane Hodgson is doing an ongoing study of the Holden family and she has identified Mahlon as the son of Alexander C. Holden, who immigrated with his father from England just in time for the Revolutionary War, and became a prominent citizen. (He was a state legislator in Ohio.)
Here is the biographical sketch of Annetta's father which first connected me with her origins. (I've copied this from the afore-mentioned website.)
Excerpted from William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas: Wilson County, Part 3: Biographical Sketches. (This chapter was transcribed during 1996 as part of the EKIS project managed by Bonnie Bunce. Transcribed by students and staff at USD 508, Baxter Springs, Kansas.)
``JAMES WILEY, sale and livery stable, was born in England, August 6, 1819. Son of John and Elizabeth Wiley. When only twelve years of age, he came to America, and for about forty years lived in Newark, Ohio. He carried on a feed, sale and livery stable in that place, served as Constable seven years, Justice of the Peace three years and Provost eighteen months, during the early part of the war. He came direct from Newark to Kansas, in the spring of 1869. Farmed in Clifton Township four years, and has since been engaged in the livery business. He has served three years as Police Judge, and about seven years as Justice of the Peace, and is serving in both capacities at the present writing. He was married in Newark, Ohio, in 1839, to Alvira Riley, by whom he had four children, three of whom are living -- Jones R., in Kansas, John and Mrs. Emma Lyman, in Cincinnati. After the death of his first wife he was married a second time in Newark to Sarah A. Holden, by whom he had six children, four of whom are living -- Dr. F. M. Wiley, Mrs. Annetta J. Allen, Herbert J. Wiley and Mrs. Jessie Christman. His second wife died in 1874, and he was married again at Humboldt, Kansas, to Mrs. N. J. Clem, an estimable widow lady, daughter of Thomas and Caroline Brinkley. This union has been blessed with four children -- Paul, Walter T., Bertha and Mary. Mrs. Wiley has two children by her first husband -- Dekalb and Oscar Clem. Mr. Wiley is a man of good judgment and fine principles, a reliable business man and a conscientious official.''
Guy Wiley's father-in-law, T. J. Hudson, was Mayor of Fredonia. You probably knew that already if you've read this much of my website! What you didn't know was that T. J.'s brother Isaac Hudson was also a Mayor of Fredonia and is mentioned in the same history book as James Wiley. That's how I found the on-line history book in the first place: doing a Yahoo search for ``Isaac Hudson.'' (Searches for ``T. J. Hudson'' are frustrating.)
Once I identified Annetta's father, LDS records got me in touch with Annetta's grand-niece Margaret Rogers, who was kind to send me a biographical tribute to James Wiley written by my great-great grandmother (``A.A.'' = Annetta Allen) on the occasion of his 75th birthday:
James WileyJames Wiley whose birth we have met to celebrate was born at Deighton a suburb of York in Yorkshire, England, August 6th, 1819. He was the youngest of 14 children of John Wiley, who with his second wife, Elizabeth or Betty (who was James' mother) came to America in 1832. They stopped at Liverpool that Robert might be married and bring the girl of his choice with them, to try their fortunes in the new world. Thomas had preceded the family. The family group therefore consisted of Robert and new wife, Isabelle, Jane and James, the youngest and therefore the pet of the family, of whom this sketch will treat exclusively.
He came to America at the early age of 13. Being a delicate youth his parents feared that he could not stand hard labor, so they had him learn the tailor's trade. I really believe that altho in his later years he grew stronger, he instinctively avoided hard labor. I have often heard him say that he preferred having horses do the labor then doing it himself. There is no winter in his heart, tis always May. In the springtime of life, being only 19 years old, he married Alvira Riley, who was 14 years old. The family of this union consisted of 4 children - John, Jones, Emma and James. James died in infancy. As he approached the summer of his life he married Sarah Alice Holden, March 23rd 1850. The children of this union were seven - Annetta, Edwin & Evaline, who were twins, Frank, an un-named babe, Jessie and Herbert. Alice the mother died March the 20th 1873.
In the autumn of his life he married Jane Clem Jan 31st 1875. The children are Paul and Walter, Bertha and Mary. Unless my mathematics are out of date James is the actual father of 15 children, doing one better then his father--John and as he is now only in his prime it remains to be revealed what the winter has in store.
His early life was spent in central Ohio, being a resident of Newark nearly 40 years. Since 1870 James Wiley has lived in Wilson County. While having had many disappointments and meeting with many reverses, he had met them bravely: the years having passed leaving him hale and hearty, and straight as an Indian at an age whom many men are bent and depending on a cane for support.
For the rest of us my sincere wish is that if we live to his age we may be as well preserved. And may our reputation bear the same inspection.
A.A.
Fredonia, Kansas
Here's a census listing for the Wiley family, taken just 16
months before Annetta's marriage to James D. Allen:
=========================================================================================================================
Wilson, KS 1870 Federal Census
This Census was transcribed by Amy K. Davis and proofread by
M.Simone Eichelberger for the USGenWeb Census Project,
http://www.usgenweb.org/census.
. . . .
Copyright 2000 by Amy K. Davis
N. J. Wiley is obviously an abbreviation for ``Nettie Jane.'' All these Wiley's were mentioned in the biographical sketch; J. R. and Emma were by James Wiley's first wife. The age shown for James Wiley is presumably a transcription error for ``51.''
Hot off the Presses!!
Gene Ewert of Wilson County was kind enough to do a search of records
after 1870,
and located my 2-great grandfather in at least three places including:
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1885 Kansas Census Wilson County City of Fredonia
Page 37, Line 13
Dwelling 5, Family 5
J.D. Allen 35 m w 1 banker Ind Ind
A.J. Allen 33 f w 1 O O
Guy Allen 12 m w 1 Kans Kans 1
Alice Allen 10 f w 1 Kans Kans 1
Kate Allen 6 f w 1 Kans Kans 1
Lee Allen 4 m w 1 Kans Kans
J.D. Allen Jr 2 m w 1 Kans Kans
Baby Allen 4d f w 1 Kans Kans
=========================================================================================================================
The J. D. Allen, Jr. shown as 2-years old in this 1885 census must be my great-great uncle James Dow Allen (``Uncle Dow'') who never married and had a reputation for being somewhat wild. He was the first James Dow Allen (his father's middle name was Darwin).