Bessie May Lightfoot ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10}

  General Notes:

For some reason, her sister, Kit Lightfoot, filed an affidavit for a delayed birth certificate on behalf of her sister, Bessie May Lightfoot on 3 Apr 1943 in Los Angeles County, California. She gave Bessie's birth date as 22 May 1879 and her mother's name as Edna Ordway from Bangor, Maine.
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  Birth Notes:

Name: Bessie May Lightfoot
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 22 May 1879
Event Place: Burlington, Des Moines, Iowa
Gender: F
Father's Name: Levi Lightfoot
Mother's Name: Edna Ordway

Citing this Record
"Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q246-QY77 : accessed 8 March 2019), Levi Lightfoot in entry for Bessie May Lightfoot, 22 May 1879, Burlington Township, Des Moines, Iowa, United States; citing reference ID 111869, State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines; FamilySearch digital folder 101713539.
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  Noted events in her life were:

• Birth Image: Image, on 22 May 1879, in Burlington, IA. ⁷

• She appeared on the 1880 US Census in Burlington, IA on 9 June 1880. ⁸

1880 US Census
Page 324A, District 118, Family 124, Roll 0337
Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa
1601 Tenth Street
Bessie Lightfoot..Daughter..1..IA

(Living with parents.)
.

• She appeared on the 1900 US Census in Omaha, NE on 7 June 1900. ²

1900 US Census
Sheet 10B, District 92, Family 198
Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, United States
4327 Charles Street; Home rented
Bessie Ellis..Daughter-in-law..May 1879...21..Iowa..Married 1 year..1/1

(Living with husband and daughter at the home of his parents.)
.

• She appeared on the 1910 US Census in Benson, NE on 29 April 1910. ³

1910 US Census
Sheet 10B, District 95, Family 221, Roll 845
Benson, Douglas County, Nebraska, United States
LeRoy Street; Home owned, with mortgage
Married 11 years
Bessie Ellis..Wife..31..Iowa..2/2

(Living with husband and 2 children.)

NOTE - If her birth date was 22 May 1879, then her age should have been 30 instead of 31.
.

• She appeared on the 1920 US Census in Omaha, NE on 13 January 1920. ⁴

1920 US Census
Sheet 11A, District 123, Family 248, Roll 989
Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, United States
2348 65th Avenue; Home rented
Bessie M. Ellis..Wife..38..Iowa

(Living with husband, 2 children, and 2 other children of unknown relationship.)

NOTE - If her birth date was 22 May 1879, then her age should have been 40 instead of 38.
.

• She appeared on the 1930 US Census in Green River, WY on 2 April 1930. ⁵

1930 US Census
Sheet 1B, District 13, Family 27, Roll 2625
Green River, Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States
242 First Street South; Home rented
Bessie M. Ellis..Wife..51..Ohio..married at age 19

(Living with husband.)

NOTE - If her birth date was 22 May 1879, then her age should have been 50 instead of 51.
.

• She appeared on the 1940 US Census in Green River, WY on 16 April 1940. ⁹

1940 US Census
Sheet 14B and 61B, District 19-15A, Family 302, Roll 4576
Green River, Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States
Virginia Circle; Home rented, $35
Bessie M. Ellis..60..Iowa..Widowed..9th grade (added on supplemental page 61B)

(Living at the home of her married son, Clifford, and his family.)
.

• Death Image: 1 June 1966, in Ogden, UT. ¹⁰

• She was buried after 1 June 1966 in the Riverview Cemetery in Green River, WY.

PLOTSection G, Lot 23
Find a Grave Memorial 75250168
. ¹⁰

Bessie married Albert Paul Ellis, son of William C. Ellis and Carrie S. Haynes, on 20 June 1899 in Fremont, NE.^{1 2 3 4 5} (Albert Paul Ellis was born on 16 January 1881 in , Howard County, NE ^{2 3 5} and died on 24 April 1938 in Rock Springs, WY.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1900 US Census in Omaha, NE on 7 June 1900. ²

1900 US Census
Sheet 10B, District 92, Family 198
Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, United States
4327 Charles Street; Home rented
Milian H. Ellis..Head..Mar 1851..49..New York..Married 27 years..Printer
Carrie H. Ellis..Wife..May 1855..45..New York..Married 27 years..7/4
Milie Ellis..Son..Apr 1874..26..Ohio..Printer
Bertha Ellis..Daughter..Apr 1889..21..Ohio..Bookkeeper, Printing
Arthur Ellis..Son..Apr 1876..23..Ohio..Married 4 years..Printer
Nillie Ellis..Daughter-in-law..Jul 1887..22..Iowa..Married 4 years..1/0
Albert Ellis..Son..Jul 1881..19..Nebraska..Married 1 year..Carpenter
Bessie Ellis..Daughter-in-law.May 1879...21..Iowa..Married 1 year..1/1
Lucille Ellis..Granddaughter..Dec 1899..6m..Nebraska

NOTE - Albert and Bessie were living at the home of his parents as was another married brother of Albert's.
.

• They appeared on the 1910 US Census in Benson, NE on 29 April 1910. ³

1910 US Census
Sheet 10B, District 95, Family 221, Roll 845
Benson, Douglas County, Nebraska, United States
LeRoy Street; Home owned, with mortgage
Married 11 years
Albert Ellis..Head..29..Nebraska..Plumber, Plumbing Shop
Bessie Ellis..Wife..31..Iowa..2/2
Lucille M. Ellis..Daughter..10..Nebraska
Clifford P. Ellis..Son..8..Nebraska
.

• They appeared on the 1920 US Census in Omaha, NE on 13 January 1920. ⁴

1920 US Census
Sheet 11A, District 123, Family 248, Roll 989
Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, United States
2348 65th Avenue; Home rented
Bert Ellis..Head..42..Iowa..Plumber
Bessie M. Ellis..Wife..38..Iowa
Lucille Ellis..Daughter..21..Nebraska
Clifford Ellis..Son..19..Nebraska
Robert Ellis..Son..17..Nebraska
Lucy Ellis..Daughter..15..Nebraska

NOTE - There is something very strange about this enumeration. Bessie's name was listed first but listed as "wife" with Bert's name listed second as "Head". Albert's name was listed as "Bert" but his age was incorrectly given as 42 instead of 38.

In addition, this enumeration includes two additional younger children, Robert and Lucy, who don't show on any other census with these parents. If they really were children of Albert and Bessie, then they should have been listed on the previous 1910 US Census when their ages would have been about 7 and 5 but their names are missing from that census. There are no birth records to confirm that they were born to Albert and Bessie. I suspect that they might have been the children of a brother or sister or perhaps temporarily adopted.
.

• They appeared on the 1930 US Census in Green River, WY on 2 April 1930. ⁵

1930 US Census
Sheet 1B, District 13, Family 27, Roll 2625
Green River, Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States
Albert Ellis..Head..49..Nebraska..married at age 17..Plumber, Building
Bessie M. Ellis..Wife..51..Ohio..married at age 19
242 First Street South; Home rented

NOTE - Living next to their married son, Clifford, and his family.
.

  Marriage Notes:

Name: Albert P Ellis
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 20 Jun 1899
Event Place: Fremont, Dodge, Nebraska, United States
Event Place (Original): Fremont
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Birth Year (Estimated): 1877
Father's Name: W C Ellis
Mother's Name: Carrie Hines
Spouse's Name: Bessie Lightfoot
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Age: 19
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1880
Spouse's Father's Name: Levi Lightfoot
Spouse's Mother's Name: Edna Ardway

Citing this Record
"Nebraska Marriages, 1855-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2ZP-PF83 : 28 November 2018), Edna Ardway in entry for Albert P Ellis and Bessie Lightfoot, 20 Jun 1899; citing Marriage, Fremont, Dodge, Nebraska, United States, Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln; FHL microfilm 2,079,552.
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Bessie next married James Gerrard on 4 January 1949 in Clark, NV.⁶ (James Gerrard was born in 1883 and died in 1957.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage Image: 4 January 1949, in Clark, NV. ⁶

  Marriage Notes:

Name: James Gerrard
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 14 Jan 1949
Event Place: Clark, Storey, Nevada, United States
Event Place (Original): Clark
Gender: Male
Spouse's Name: Bessie Ellis
Spouse's Gender: Female

Citing this Record
"Nevada County Marriages, 1862-1993," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL4L-7RXX : 29 November 2018), James Gerrard and Bessie Ellis, 14 Jan 1949; citing Marriage, Clark, Storey, Nevada, United States, Nevada State Museum and Historical Society, Las Vegas; FHL microfilm 005247198.
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