Clare Elnora Hall and Preston Commodore Staley

PRESTON COMMODORE STALEY was born February 9, 1850 in Marion, Marion, Ohio,¹²⁶⁴⁷ and died September 14, 1935 in Vernon, Wilbarger, Texas.¹⁴⁸⁶ He is buried in Keefover Cemetery, Waterville, Marshall, Kansas.⁴⁵⁶

He married CLARE ELNORA HALL on May 15, 1873 in Waterville, Marshall, Kansas,^{3337, 6287} daughter of EMILY PRINCE and AMOS HALL. She was born January 10, 1853 in East Randolph, Cattaraugus, New York,⁴¹¹⁵ and died May 26, 1887 in Waterville, Marshall, Kansas.⁴¹¹⁵ She is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Waterville, Marshall, Kansas.⁴¹¹⁵

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

Children of CLARE ELNORA HALL and PRESTON COMMODORE STALEY:

1. EDWARD H. STALEY, b. July 16, 1874, Kansas;⁸⁴³ m. ANNA B. in 1894 in Waterville, Marshall, Kansas⁴⁴⁴³; d. November 16, 1934, Vernon, Wilbarger, Texas.⁸⁴³
2. EVA ELECTRA STALEY, b. March 18, 1877, Kansas;⁸⁴³ m. EMMETT GRAVES WHATLEY on May 26, 1897 in Wilbarger County, Texas³⁶¹⁶; d. August 20, 1956, Amarillo, Potter, Texas.⁸⁴³
3. WALTER B. STALEY, b. 1878, Kansas; d. July 6, 1889, Waterville, Marshall, Kansas.⁴¹²¹
4. BESSIE MELVIN STALEY, b. September 17, 1882, Waterville, Marshall, Kansas;^{7905, 4532} m. (1) ALBERT R. HAVENS on June 29, 1898 in Wilbarger County, Texas³⁶¹⁶, m. (2) WALTER J. DAMRON on December 19, 1908 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa³⁴³⁴, m. (3) SHERMAN DELMAR BROWN on June 30, 1914 in Alameda County, California⁷⁵⁴⁰; d. April 12, 1961, Josephine County, Oregon.⁷⁹⁰⁵
5. CHARLES ROSWELL STALEY, b. December 27, 1883, Waterville, Marshall, Kansas;⁸⁴³ m. FLEETA GREEN on April 30, 1905 in Wilbarger County, Texas⁶⁷³⁹; d. November 10, 1953, Vernon, Wilbarger, Texas.^{4126, 843}
6. CLARENCE STALEY, b. May, 1887;⁶²⁸⁶ d. July 14, 1887, Powhattan, Brown, Kansas.⁶²⁸⁶

Marriage Announcements and News

Republican-Journal, May 28, 1873⁶²⁸⁷

STALEY—HALL.—At Waterville, Kas., May 15, 1873, at the residence of Mr. S. H. Barrett, one mile south of Waterville, Mr. P. C. Staley and Miss C. N. Hall, both of Waterville.

Newspaper Articles

Waterville Telegraph, January 16, 1880⁶²⁸⁸

A pleasant surprise was given Mrs. P. C. Staley on Saturday evening it being the anniversary of her birthday. The surprise was complete, as Mrs. Staley was at one of the neighbor's, at the time of the arrival of the party at her house. She was sent for, and all enjoyed a pleasant evening.

Salina Independent, September 5, 1885⁶²⁸⁹

Waterville Telegraph: Mrs. P. C. Staley and her four sisters are together for the first time in eighteen years. Mrs. Brown, of Hoyt, near Topeka, and Mrs. Powers, of Netawaka, arrived here last week, and with Mrs. Beals and Mrs. Gifforth, making the circle complete.

Council Grove Republican, September 11, 1885⁴¹¹⁸

Waterville Telegraph: Mrs. P. C. Staley and her four sisters are together for the first time in eighteen years. Mrs. Brown, of Hoyt, near Topeka, and Mrs. Powers, of Netawaka, arrived here last week, and with Mrs. Beals and Mrs. Gifforth, making the circle complete.

Obituaries

Daily Brown County World, June 17, 1887⁴¹¹⁵

Obituary.

Died, in the city of Waterville, Kan., Thursday morning, May 26, 1887 at 2 o'clock a. m. Clara N. wife of P. C. Staley, aged 34 years, 4 months and 16 days.

'Tis said that death loves a shining mark, and surely the "fell destroyer" could not have selected a lovlier victim. Amiable, gentle and affectionate, she was the idol of her husband and children and the admiration of a large circle of friends and acquaintances; for none knew her but to praise. A few brief years ago she was united to him who now mourns his early and irreparable loss.

Clara N. Hall, daughter of Amos and Emily Hall, was born in East Randolph, Cattaraugus county, N. Y., Jan. 10th, 1853. She came to Kansas in the spring of 1872. She was a sister of Mrs. Chas. Brown, of Jackson county, Kan., formerly of Nemaha, Mrs. Edward Beals, of Otsego county N. Y., and Mrs. Walter Powers of Brown Co., Kan. She was the wife of P. C. Staley, a prominent business man of Waterville. There was siad to be the most in attendance at her funeral of any funeral ever held in Waterville. There were friends from Atchison, Washington, Greenleaf, Barnes, Irving, Blue Rapids, and Netewaka, besides most of the Waterville people. The hearse from Marysville conveyed the beautiful casket and flowers, in which her remains rested, to the Riverside Cemetery, where it was interred.

Wichita Falls Record News, September 16, 1935¹²⁶⁴⁷

P. C. STALEY RITES HELD

Services Held for Pioneer Vernon Cotton Buyer

VERNON, Texas, Sept. 15.—Funeral services for P. C. Staley, 85, a pioneer resident of Wilbarger county, who died at 7 a. m. Saturday, at the home of a son, C. R. Staley, were conducted at 3 p. m. Sunday at the Underwood chapel. Rev. G. T. Reaves, pastor of the Central Christian church, officiated.

The body was sent to Waterville, Kan., for burial. Brief funeral services will be held in Waterville Monday.

Mr. Staley had resided in this county since 1889, and was a cotton buyer in this city for a number of years prior to his retirement. He was born in Marion, Ohio, Feb. 9, 1850, but resided in Waterville, Kan., for 25 years before moving to Vernon 46 years ago.

Upon coming to this county in 1889, Mr. Staley settled northeast of Oklaunion. He purchased several sections of land and planting the land in wheat and cotton for the first time. He is well known among cotton buyers and oil men and at one time was reported as purchasing nearly all of the cotton raised in this county for two straight years.

From large cotton holdings, Mr. Staley turned to the oil business, investing heavily in the Burkburnett field and also in the Wilbarger county fields. He moved to New Orleans, La., in 1920, to trade in wheat markets. He resided there for 14 years, before returning to Vernon about two years ago.

Surviving are six children: C. R. Staley of Vernon; Mrs. Eva Whatley of Pecos, Texas; Mr. s. D. Brown of Portland, Ore.; Preston Staley of Valparaiso, Ind.; Miss Phoebe Staley of Ephrata, Wash., and Miss Grace Staley of Grants Pass, Ore.

Wetmore Spectator, July 29, 1887⁶²⁸⁶

Died.

In east Powhattan, on Thursday July 14, 1887, of cholera infantum, Clarence, infant son of P. C. and Clara N. Staley of Waterville, aged 7 weeks.

Darling little Clarence has gone to dwell with his dear mother who left us such a little time ago. Again we are called to mourn the loss of a loved one. Again our hears are burning with sorrow. Five times within the last year have we stood beside our beloved dead, to say our last farewell. Just a year ago the 18 of July, we laid our dear sister, Mrs. George Titcomb, of Waterville, to rest; one year ago the 8th of August, our precious little babe Hazel Powers; the 26 of last May, another very dear sister Mrs. P. C. Staley, of Waterville; the 14 of July Little Clarence Staley our sister child; and the 18 of July, Mr. Charles Borwn, of Hoyt, our brother in law, making five deaths to a day. Oh, Our Father, we feel that ours has been a year of sadness.

Mrs. Walter Powers.

Census Records

Date	Location	Enumerated Names
July 18, 18603285	Randolph, Cattaraugus, New York	Amos Hall Emily Prince Clare Elnora Hall Emma R. Hall Ruth Ann Hall Mary Elizabeth Hall Frances Hall Mary Parmalee
March 1, 18754119	Waterville, Marshall, Kansas	Clare Elnora Hall Preston Commodore Staley Edward H. Staley
June 23, 18804116	Blue Rapids, Marshall, Kansas	Preston Commodore Staley Clare Elnora Hall Edward H. Staley Eva Electra Staley Walter B. Staley
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