Families of Bessie Melvin Staley

BESSIE MELVIN STALEY, daughter of CLARE ELNORA HALL and PRESTON COMMODORE STALEY, was born September 17, 1882 in Waterville, Marshall, Kansas,^{7905, 4532} and died April 12, 1961 in Josephine County, Oregon.⁷⁹⁰⁵

She married (1) ALBERT R. HAVENS on June 29, 1898 in Wilbarger County, Texas.³⁶¹⁶

She married (2) WALTER J. DAMRON on December 19, 1908 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa.³⁴³⁴ He was born in 1885 in Missouri, and died May 29, 1911 in Nebraska.⁶²⁹⁵ He is buried in Wyuka Cemetery, Lincoln, Lancaster, Nebraska.⁶²⁹⁶

She married (3) SHERMAN DELMAR BROWN on June 30, 1914 in Alameda County, California.⁷⁵⁴⁰ He was born April 25, 1888 in Sherwin, Cherokee, Kansas,⁷⁹⁰⁵ and died September 18, 1961 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.⁷⁹⁰⁵

• Descendant Reports
  • George Griswold Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • Nicholas Mason Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • John Linsley Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • Henry James Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • George Hiland Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • Abraham Cruttenden Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • Henry Howard Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • Daniell Broadley Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • George Smith Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • George Page Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • Issac Johnson Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • John Hall Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • Thomas Cooke Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • William Hoadley Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)
  • John Parmalee Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bessie M. Staley)

Children of BESSIE MELVIN STALEY and ALBERT R. HAVENS:

1. ALMA BEATRICE HAVENS, b. May 27, 1900, Texas;⁷⁹⁰⁵ m. (1) MANLEY ALDERSON JOHNSON on June 24, 1918 in Los Angeles County, California³⁵⁴¹, m. (2) ALBERT ISAACS on October 30, 1919 in San Francisco, San Francisco, California⁹⁰⁸⁵, m. (3) WILLIAM ALLEN; d. January 26, 1946, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.⁷⁹⁰⁵

Marriage Announcements and News

Lincoln Evening Star, December 21, 1908⁶²⁹⁴

Norman Damron, aged twenty-five years and Bessie Havens, aged twenty-six were married in Council Bluffs yesterday. The bride was granted a decree of divorce from Albert Havens by District Judge Stewart Friday. She alleged abandonment and non-support.

Marriage Information

• Bessie Melvin Staley and Albert R. Havens were divorced on December 18, 1908 in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.⁶²⁹⁴

• Sherman Delmar Brown and Bessie Melvin Staley were divorced on September 11, 1937 in Josephine County, Oregon.⁹¹⁵⁶

Obituaries

Lincoln Daily Star, May 29, 1911⁶²⁹⁵

Lincoln Railroad Men Are Among the Victims—Trains Collide In Dense Fog—Many Are Injured

McCook, Neb., May 20.—Eighteen killed and an even greater number wounded or scalded by escaping steam comprise the list of injuries received in the wreck which occurred near here this morning on the Burlington. The list of dead is thought to be complete at the number given, but not all the names of the victims are known. The wreck is the most disastrous in the history of the division.

McCook, Neb., May 20.—East and westbound passenger trains 9 and 12, on the Burlington railroad met head on in a fog, nine miles east of McCook, about 8 o'clock this morning.

Nine bodies have already been brought to the morgue in this city. The dead:

The list of injured:

Relief Trains Out.

Two relief trains have gone from McCook carrying every physician in the city.

Both trains were running at high speed when the collision occurred, but the force was apparently felt more by the heavy west bound train, the Colorado limited, which was made up of a baggage and express car, day coa[c]h, diner, two tourist sleepers, a Pullman sleeper and an observation car.

The day coach was reduced to splinters, and in this coach most of the casualties occurred. One of the tourist sleepers containing the members of the Denver Wester league baseball team was thrown on its side and a number of the occupants, including President James McGill, were injured, but none seriously.

The baggage car was also overturned. Both engines were reduced to a mass of twisted steel, in which were the mangled bodies of engineers and firemen.

As soon as news of the wreck reached McCook two relief trains carrying surgeons and nurses were made up and hurried to the scene of the wreck. The dead and injured will be brought here.

It will be several hours before the track can be cleared.

How Wreck Happened.

Burlington train No. 12 left McCook at 6:45 this morning. It had no orders as to the meeting point with No. 9 which was reported 15 minutes late and Engineer Hyder is supposed to have tried to make connections with the other train at Indianola. Engineer Leahy is reported to have had orders to make connections with No. 12 at Red Willow which is between Indianola and McCook. A heavy fog blinded the trainmen and both engines came together at top speed. Only two of the cars of No. 9 remained on the track, the others going into the ditch. The fore cars were smashed into kindling wood.

Both train crews were instantly killed. All of the passengers killed were on the through train. Several of them were roasted to death by escaping steam. The full list of dead is not yet known. Thirteen bodies have been taken to McCook and four are still at Indianola. The list of known dead numbers eighteen in all, and it is believed that all bodies save one have been recovered. Of the injured, few are thought to be seriously hurt.

Hyder Well Known.

Engineer John Hyder was one of the best known train men in Lincoln. He was prominent among his fellow workers and took an active part in political work. He recently purchased a home at 2209 B street for his family, where they now reside. He leaves a wife Mrs. Nettie Hyder, and three children, Miss Verna, a student in the state university, Harry and Ralph. Mr. Hyder was 48 years old. He had worked thirty years for the Burlington.

Fireman Walter J. Damron resided at 121 South Fourteenth street. He leaves a wife, Mrs. Bessie Damron and daughter Alma. He was 26 years of age. Mrs. Damron is the proprietor of the Sterling hotel.

Engineer Leahy a Veteran.

Engineer Leahy has been in the service of the road for over thirty years. He was a devout man and made it a habit during his life to never climb into his cab or to dismount without prayer. In the thirty years that he has pulled the throttle he never before was in an accident and never received a hurt.

There are four boys in the family, one at home, and one married daughter, Mrs. A. P. Brian. Joseph W., is a traveling salesman; John, a clerk in the postoffice; Lawrence, a stenographer; and William, a student in the university.

Michael Morgan, who rooms at the home of John Leahy, was the regular fireman with Mr. Leahy. He laid off just the day before to go to Ireland, where over a year ago he left his newly married wife to care for her mother who was seriously ill. He had gone to the old country to marry the girl and had intended to bring her back but for the sudden illness.

The families of the men whose lives were lost in the terrible accident are prostrated with grief. The unexpectedness of the deaths of their husbands, sons and fathers has stunned them.

A special train carrying General Manager G. W. Holdrege, Superintendent E. Bignell and other officials left Lincoln at 11 o'clock for the wreck. The track was cleared, and it was thought the run could be made in five hours. No physician was carried, as the wounded had all been cared for by nearby surgeons.

The victims are to be brought to Lincoln on No. 10, reaching Lincoln at 11:40 p. m. Three of them are members of the local order of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

Rumor is Unfounded.

Reports were circulated in Lincoln that the members of the Lincoln ball club were with the Pueblo club on the train and that twenty-three of the ball players had been killed. Senator H. H. Bartling of Nebraska City called up the baseball headquarters and inquired as to the truth of the rumor, which had reached that city. The Lincoln team is in Sioux City and no members of either the Omaha or Pueblo clubs, which were in the wreck have been reported killed.

Two brothers of Walter J. Damron, Oscar and Herbert Damron, reside in Lincoln. Damron also leaves a sister, Miss Florence Damron of this city. Funeral arrangements will be announced later. Interment will be in Wyuka.

Firemen Bowers, Flint and Grigsby, who were reported killed in the dispatches, are not known to Master Mechanic Julius Dietrich of the Burlington. Engineer Albert W. Flint, of 1020 H street was at first supposed to be the man but inquiry disclosed the fact that Mr. Flint was in Lincoln. The three men in question are supposed to have been connected with the McCook division and it is thought that they were probably "dead-heading."

McCook Tribune, June 6, 1911⁶²⁹⁶

Funeral of W. J. Damron.

The funeral of W. J. Damron, the fireman on train No. 12 was held Thursday afternoon at 2:20 at the family home, 121 South Fourteenth street, Rev. H. H. Harmon of First Christian church officiated. Members of the brotherhood of the locomotive firemen and enginemen attended in a body. They were in charge of the services both at home and at the cemetery. Interment was in Wyuka.—Lincoln Star

Census Records

Date	Location	Enumerated Names
March 1, 18854120	Waterville, Marshall, Kansas	Clare Elnora Hall Preston Commodore Staley Edward H. Staley Eva Electra Staley Walter B. Staley Bessie Melvin Staley Charles Roswell Staley
June 20, 19004139	Raton, Colfax, New Mexico	Albert R. Havens Bessie Melvin Staley Alma Beatrice Havens
1905499	Newton, Harvey, Kansas	Albert R. Havens Alma Beatrice Havens
April 25, 1910176	Lincoln, Lancaster, Nebraska	Bessie Melvin Staley Walter J. Damron Alma Beatrice Havens
April 11, 19402798	Ferry, Josephine, Oregon	Alma Beatrice Havens Bessie Melvin Staley