Through the decades, I’ve been searching for information on my three great aunts. They were my Grandfather’s Leo’s sister. What have I discovered about them ?
Photo of the LANKFARD Sister’s: from left to right Anna Alice Lula Mae and Isabella V.
The three daughters of Robert and Charlotta (Dade) Lankford / Lankfard. The year of the photo is unknown. ( There was another sister who was still born in May of 1893.)
Miss Anna Alice Lankford was born on Monday, May 31, 1886 in Canton Missouri. At an early young she moved to St. Joseph, with her family around 1888. She attended Bartlett Grammar School and in 1904, she graduated from Bartlett High School in St. Joseph, Missouri. She was perhaps the first of her 11 siblings to graduate from high school.
Anna went by her middle name Alice most of her life. Miss Annie Alice Lankford married Christopher Columbus Smith on Wednesday, April 12, 1911 in St. Joseph, Missouri. In her lifetime she was a cateress, house keeper, maid, seamstress. She didn’t have children.
On Wednesday. July 13, 1966, Alice became ill and, she was admitted into the hospital in St. Joseph, Missouri. Sadly she passed twelve days later on July 25, 1966 at the age of 80. Anna resided in Canton, Missouri, St. Joseph, Missouri, Denver Colorado, and Kansas City Missouri.
On my search for Anna , she was hard to track down because there were many Alice Anna Smiths and Anna Alice Smiths. It wasn’t until I her death record became public when I found out her death date and her first name.
Photo of Mrs. Christopher Columbus Smith.
This was a cropped photo of Anna Alice Smith in New York with some relatives and friends. The year is unknown. Maybe between the 1940’s and no later than 1963. Three of Anna’s Lankfard brothers were in the photo. Frederick “Fred” , Louis “Add” and Nymadula “Nym” Lankfard.
Photo: Mrs. William Emanuel Madison Sr.
Cropped photo of Lula Madison at her brother, Leo’s home in St. Joseph in Dec 1952. It was the celebration day for the wedding of Leo’s son, Addison to Pearl Smiley.
Miss Lula Mae Lankford was born on Monday, Oct 11, 1875 in Canton Missouri. Her first name spelled Lulu at times. And her surname had been spelled LANGFORD, LANKFORD and LANKFARD as well.
Miss Lula Lankford married William Emanuel Madison on Wednesday. May 27, 1896 in St. Joseph, Missouri. She was 20 and William was 28. From this union came eight children; their first and middle names. Louis Edward, Joshua Randolph, Charlotte M. her, twin, Robert Lankford, William Emanuel Jr. Lula Neal and an unknown Madison child. They all carried the Madison surname.
Lula worked for private family, She was a laundress. In 1936, she was a member of a Republican committee. In 1940 she lead the singing at Ebenezer AME Church during a Christmas program.. In 1941 she did the Missionary Benediction.
One milestone came in 1956. On Sunday, May 27, 1956 , William and Lula celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary. They celebrated their anniversary in St. Joseph. Lula was a member of the Ebenezer AME Church. The church was near by where they lived at 106 South 22nd.
Lula made her hone in St. Joseph for 72 years. She passed on Tuesday, Sept 26, 1961 at the age of 85. Her husband William passed seven days before on Wednesday, August 2, 1961. He was 93. They were married 65 years.
Photo was of the future Mrs. Ezekiel Watson Nickerson.
This cropped photo of Isabella as a young woman; more so a teenager.
The year of photo is unknown. She was with her brother, Charles and the family dog.
Miss Isabella V. Lankford was born in September between the years of 1898 or 1900 in St. Joseph, Missouri. However, her birth wasn’t record in the St. Joseph, Missouri birth records. (There was one sibling born after Isabella. That name is unknown.)
Isabella attended Bartlett Grammar School in St Joseph, Missouri. I came across an article listed her with the senior class in a program. I don’t know if she graduated from Bartlett High School in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Isabella moved to Denver, Colorado, perhaps with her parents around 1918. She was listed living in St. Joseph, on the 1920 census. However, she later married Ezekiel Nickerson on Monday, August 16, 1920 in Denver. Isabella was 20 and Ezekiel was 24.
From this union there were nine children: Their first and middle names were Nathan Welcome, Vivian Virginia, Lankford James, Betina “Betty” Q, Robert Eugene, Doris Laverne, Lydia, twins, Freddie and his twin, name unknown.
Some Facts and Thoughts:
As I began searching more on Isabella and her sisters, I came across information about them. Isabella and her sister Anna Alice, (her husband, C.C) came to live with Isabella (and her husband Ezekiel ) around 1934 and 1935. Anna was living in Denver from 1920 up to 1940 are so. Anna’s husband, C.C. was a chef and they traveled.
Anna could have been in Denver to help out with Isabella with her family. Isabella passed on Thursday, September 15, 1938 due to complications to child birth to twins. Isabella and one infant twin were buried in the same coffin. (The other twin Freddie, passed in Fort Worth Texas on Wednesday, April 9, 1941 due to the measles at age 2 years and 7 months. old.
Isabella’s husband Ezekiel was unable to care for the children. The younger children were cared for by Ezekiel’s sister Ruth Nickerson White who lived e in Fort Worth, Texas. The younger children where listed on the 1940 census in Texas.
Interesting things I’ve discovered about the sisters.
Anna Alice and Isabella were living in Denver and lived in with one another.
Lula and Isabella both had twins.
Isabella was the first sister to passed.
Anna moved back to St. Joseph and was the last of the sister to passed.
R.I.P.
Great Aunt Anna, Great Aunt Lula and Great Aunt Isabella
Thanks for reading.
The Lankford Sisters ~ Week 13
God bless
S.A. Blakley
Week 13 ~ Amy Johnson Crow ~ Generations Café via facebook #52 Ancestors 52 Weeks
“Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters…” Any families made up of lots of sisters? Now is a great time to tell their story!
-
Join 214 other subscribers
Blog Stats
- 11,541 hits
-
Recent Posts
- How Am I Preserving My Family History? #52Ancestors In Week 19
- Mrs. Mattie White and Daughter, Miss Oressia Connections With Mrs. Grace Hayes
- William and Lula Mae (Lankfard) Madison Sr. ~ 65 Years Of Love And Marriage #52Ancestors In Week 18
- Mrs. Emma Brown: Who Were Rachel, Milly and Lotty? ~ #52Ancestor In Week 17
- Which Miss Mary Blakely Or Miss Mary Blakley Was Which? ~ #52Ancestors In Weeks 16
SusanAnnBlakley on Twitter
Tweets by SusanAnnBlakleyRecent Comments
Archives
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
Your great aunts sound like strong women, and all three are very beautiful in the photos, too. I wonder what became of Isabella’s other children, did the older ones stay with their father? Are any still living? Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Barb for your question. You’re welcome! I’m not sure about the older children. I haven’t located where the three older children where. I need to look into that.
I see that in 1939, the oldest child was in high school. Sad to say, that the next child was in trouble with the law, she was an inmate on the 1940 census. And the next child enlisted into the military. Their father was sick and was unable to care for the younger ones.
The last sibling passed in 2016. I have located some of Isabella’s descendants. And we have DNA matches.
LikeLiked by 1 person