Willis Downen 1872-1914
Willis Downen was born on 25 February 1872 in Posey County, Indiana, USA, the son of William Downen and Rutha Maria Gwaltney Downen.
He married Della Cox on 3 August 1893 in Posey County. They had the following children:
Lawrence Addison Downen (1898-1971)
Fred Downen (1901-1976)
Willis first showed up with his father and siblings in the 1880 census in Mount Vernon in Posey County. (census image here)
Willis married Della Cox in 1893 and the two of them were found in the 1900 census in Gallatin County, Illinois, along with son Lawrence. They must have just moved to Gallatin Couny within the last two years because Lawrence's birthplace is listed as Indiana and he was only born in 1898. In addition to Lawrence, Willis's 10 year old niece Christena Utley was living with them. This is a bit strange because she also showed up in the census at the same time with her parents John Henry Utley and Elizabeth Downen Utley. (census image here)
By the 1910 census their son Fred had been born, and Lawrence was still there. Willis's niece Christena did not double dip on the census again, but by this time she was married to John Endicott and living with him elsewhere in Gallatin County. (census image here)
Between 1910 and 1914 the family moved out to California. Unfortunately, the reason it can be dated so precisely is that Willis died on 10 March 1914, apparently in California, and was buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Fresno, California.
Between Willis's death and 1920, Della married John Murdock, and she and John and Fred were found together in the 1920 census in Tulare County, California (right next to Fresno County). Lawrence was still living in Fresno but he too moved to Tulare County between 1920 and 1930.
Della died in December 1933 and is buried next to Willis in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, althrough her headstone reads Della Downen Murdock, which could mislead one into thinking she was Willis's sister and not his wife. It looks as if Lawrence and Fred spent most of the rest of their lives in California; both died there in the 1970s.
Other Links
Willis Downen page at Find A Grave
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