52 Ancestors: Ancestor #7: Pearl Ora Poundstone

March 04, 2014

52 Ancestors: Ancestor #7 Pearl Ora Poundstone I am behind in my blog posts! I am making an attempt to catch up. 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks a blog prompt by Amy Johnson Crow http://www.nostorytoosmall.com/posts/challenge-52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

Pearl Ora Poundstone was born on 13 Sep 1875 in Young America, Cass, Indiana to Richard and Susannah Zeck Poundstone. He was the fifth child of six born to the couple. The household consisted of his parents, three brothers – Josiah Earnest, John Newton, and Otto J., and two sisters Minnie Francis and Daisy B.

Sometime prior to his fifth birthday the family relocated to Illinois. The family appeared in the census on 1 Jun 1880 in Whitmore Township, Macon, Illinois.

By age 21, Ora was living in Carlisle, Arkansas. It was there that he married Stella Adams on 12 February 1897. Edna Bell Poundstone was the first child born to the couple. She was born on 15 Mar 1898 and died 18 Jun 1898. Roughly a year later, Stella gave birth to Vernon Earl Poundstone on 17 Jul 1899 in Marked Tree, Arkansas. Sometimes after Vernon’s birth and prior to June 1900, the family moved to Illinois. The census on 26 Jun 1900 shows the family lived in Cerro Gordo, Piatt, Illinois.

In 1901 The Decatur Review, mentioned under the town of Milmine, reported that “Pearl Poundstone captured a swarm of bees last week. Pearl made himself so attractive to the bees that they "couldn't stay away".”

The couple had eight more children: Herbert in 1902, Ival Ward in 1904, Judson in 1906, Lewis abt 1907, Ruby Pearl in 1908, Virgil in 1911, Susannah Beatrice in 1913 and James in 1917.

Ora and family appeared in the census on 20 Apr 1910 in Bement, Piatt, Illinois, United States. Stella passed away on 25 Oct 1918. I have no idea how Ora cared for his children, both of his parents had passed away by January of 1919.

March of 1920 finds Ora listed in the Decatur Review in an article titled “Seventeen Join Army In Month”. “The first month of the United States Army recruiting drive for recruits in the different branches of the regular army has proved a success in Decatur, the local recruiting station having accepted and forwarded to different parts of the world, seventeen young men from Decatur and nearby towns. The list is as follows: ...Ora P. Poundstone, Bement, Ill., llth, Field Arty…”

I know that Ora goes off to war but who cared for his children is a mystery.

Ora married Mary Blanch Fall (previously married name of McCrary) on 29 August of 1928. Ora appeared in the census on 30 Apr 1930 in Bement, Piatt, Illinois, United States living at 801 N. Morgan Street. Ora listed has occupation as a Drayman at the Bement Grain Company.

Ora died of an obstructed colon, cancer of sigmoid, chronic myocarditis on 24 Jul 1960 the age of 84 at Kirby Hospital, 1111 N. State Street in Monticello, Piatt, Illinois. His obituary was published in the The Bement Register on 24 Jul 1960 in Bement, Piatt, Illinois, United States.

The obituary read:

Ora Pearl Poundstone, 84, resident of Bement since 1904 died Sunday July 24 at 10:00 p.m. in Kirby Hospital where he was taken by ambulance Wednesday of last week. Funeral services were help at 1 p.m.Wednesday in the Roux Funeral Home with Reverend Harold E. Hall officiating. Burial was in the Bement Cemetery.
    Mr. Poundstone was born Sept. 13, 1875 in Young America, Indiana, son of Richard and Susannah Poundstone. He was married to Stella Ann Adams in 1895 at Marked Tree, Arkansas. A few years later they moved to Milmine and in 1904 to Bement where he had since resided. Mrs. Pounstone died in 1918 during the flu epidemic.
    On August 29, 1928 Mr. Poundstone was married in Decatur to Mrs. Mamie McCroy who survives. They had loved in their present home for thirty years.
    Besides his wife he leaves six sons and two daughters by his first marriage: Earl of Bement, Herbert,Judson, and James all of Decatur, Ival of Hotchkiss, Colorado and Virgil of Tacoma, Washington; Mrs. Ruby Clark, Stonington and Mrs. Susannah Despain of Hillsdale. One daughter died in infancy.
    He also leaves 24 grandchildren, a number of great grand children, two stepdaughters Mrs. Chs. Mansfield, Detroit, Michigan; Mrs. Harry Humes,Whittier, California, and two step-sons, H.E. McCrory, LaCrescenta, California and Alfred McCrory, Desare, Ark.

Ora was buried on 27 Jul 1960 at Bement Cemetery in Bement, Piatt, Illinois.