A Wilson Family Tree
Notes for David Richard (Rich) Allen
Notes from Rebecca Betz:
John decided at some point he could not take care of Grandpa and Loize anymore so he sent them to the Wilsons. Grandpa was about 8 or 9. The Wilsons truly felt Lizzie had married below her station and disliked John greatly. He was a drifter (according to Uncle DR) and never settled in one place long. Additionally, he fought on the Confederate side in the war and Lizzie's folks were Union supporters. You have to remember, Missouri was a border state and families were ripped apart because brothers would go into the war on different sides. Grandpa lived with the Wilsons and they tried to "clean him up" and send him to school. Again according to Uncle DR they would have sent him to any school he wanted to attend but he decided to hit the road instead! I have always been told that he left when he was 11 and moved into the Kelley Boarding House at about 19 or 20. That would be where he and Grandma met. Grandpa must have had some schooling because he loved crossword puzzles and could do math in his head with no effort. Also, if you look at some of the houses and buildings he built in Hannibal and Vandalia which are still standing, he had some knowledge beyond basic carpentry.
An additional note from Denise Crumpton:
My grandfather said that he was offered an opportunity to go to school and be educated, but it was all too constricting for him, so he left at age 11 to go on his own. Let me say here that Grandpa Allen possessed a brilliant mind and could do anything. He built many of the buildings in Hannibal, MO and could sit down with a crossword puzzle and knock it out in no time. However, being tied down inside a building never thrilled him!
On Rich's marriage record from 1900 (from Ancestry.com), J.W. Wilson is listed as his guardian.
Newspaper article (obtained from McCauley Family Tree at http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/62925788/person/46114641005/photo):
Mr. And Mrs. Allen To Have Anniversary Celebration Sunday
Mr. and Mrs. D. R. Allen, Sr., will celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary on Sunday, August 13, with a family dinner in their home, 1248a Market street.
They were married at Perry on August 14, 1900, by the Rev. Collin A. McPhethers, a Presbyterian minister. Mrs. Allen was formerly Ida Kelly and lived at Perry many years, having moved there at the age of eight years.
Mr. Allen, nephew of Dr. J. W. Wilson, was reared in his home and lived for a time at Rensselaer, later moving to Madisonville when Dr. Wilson established his practice there.
Mr. and Mrs. Allen have lived for 26 years in Hannibal where he has been a carpenter and contractor.
They are the parents of six living children, Russell of Waukegan, Ill., Mrs. Hazel Davis of Los Angeles, Calif., Mrs. R. T. Cole of Huntington Park, Calif., Rev. D. R. Allen, Jr., of Hannibal, Melvin and William of Battle Creek, Mich. One child died in infancy. They also have nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Expected here for the celebration are Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Allen and daughter of Battle Creek; Russel Allen, a grandson, Richard Allen and Mrs. Allen, and a granddaughter, Mrs. William Coburn and her husband, all of Waukegan; and Mr. and Mrs. York Dolbearer and two children of New Canton, Ill.
The name on his death certificate is Daivd [sic] Richard Wilson. Cause of death was acute cardiac failure due to arteriosclerosis and senile changes (?). Also, had Parkinson's disease. Died at home (1300 A Market St); had lived there three years.
Note: Some of the information in these pages is uncertain. Please let me know of errors or omissions using the email link above. ...Mike Wilson
Page generated on 14 September 2024