Biography for Edward Markham (Grandfather)
Edward was born on September 25, 1868, in Lawrence, Kansas.[1] He died July 18, 1944, in Joplin, Missouri from stomach cancer.[2] He is buried in Webb City Cemetery, next to his wife Etta (Mary Etta) and he has no headstone.[3]
His parents are Eugene Markham and Sarah Jane Lee. Eugene was born July 22, 1844, in Dayton, New York and died February 25, 1922, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Sarah was born November 30, 1847 in Illinois, and died February 25, 1949, in Chicago, Illinois.
Edward and Maude E. Busby were married on 3 Jan 1892 in Oak Valley, Kansas. They were divorced in Jan 1914 in Elk County, Kansas.[4]
Edward Markham and Maude E. Busby had the following children:
- Hazel Markham, born 23 Jun 1895, Colorado; married Orrin Fannin, 3 Jul 1911, Carthage, Missouri; married George “Frederick” Stevens, 1922, Joplin, MO; died 1969.
- Gladys Markham, born 12 Jan 1897, Kansas; married Delbert J Sullivan, 1912, Kansas; died 8 May 1970, San Diego, California.
- Oscar Lenn Markham, born 10 Sep 1901, N Ns; married Cloyse Flannery, 26 May 1925, Neosho County, Kansas, USA; died 5 Sep 1951, Orange, California.
- Ollie Raymond Markham, born 6 May 1902, Oak Valley, Kansas; died 12 Sep 1961, Joplin, Missouri.
- Rachel Maude Markham, born 6 May 1905, Missouri; married Elmer E Belk, 2 Feb 21, Missouri; died 8 Dec 2003, Joplin, Missouri.
Edward Markham and Etta “Maryetta” Marcum were married on 22 Oct 1914 in Carthage, Missouri.[5]
Edward and Etta had one child:
Theodore Edward (Ed) Marcum, born 28 Feb 1919, Chitwood, MO; married Lucille Jessie Farris, 4 Feb 1939, in Miami, Oklahoma; married Dorothy Maxine Hughes, 29 Apr 1956, in Miami, Oklahoma; died 6 Feb 1987, Topeka, Kansas.
Narrative:
Edward was born in Kansas and lived in Kansas and Missouri his entire life. He could read and write according to census records, but had not attended school. He worked on his dad’s farm when he was young, then after marrying Maude he was a blacksmith. He was a laborer at a cooperage works at a later point and also a farmer, but was his primary occupation during his working life was apparently as a miner (as shown on his death certificate). Most of the mining around Jasper County, MO, was zinc and lead. These are likely the type of mines he worked in. It would have been hard work. After a divorce with Maude, he then was married to Etta. Edward and Etta had Ed (Theodore Edward, my dad).
Life during the Great Depression (1929-1939) must have been difficult. Edward moved his family during this time and was a farmer at least part of the time. The picture of their house above would have been taken during this period and shows that they did not have a lot of money. But there are no mortgage records or any sign of debt. Also, there are no court records which indicates that Edward was a good, law-abiding citizen. He was often renting their home, but did own property on two occasions. They did move around a lot as shown below. No will has been found, so everything would have gone to his surviving wife, Etta.
Edward lived in the following places:
1868 – He was born in Lawrence, KS, according to Ed’s birth certificate. But his parents, Eugene and Sara, lived in Delaware, Leavenworth County, KS, in 1865 and then Prairie, Wyandotte County, KS, in 1870. So, Edward could have been born in one of these places. Or perhaps Eugene and Sara went to Lawrence to have Edward.[6]
1875 – His parents were in Fairmount, Leavenworth County, KS.[7]
1880 – The family was in Longton, Elk County, KS.[8]
1885 – They were in Oak Valley, Elk County, KS.[9] Edward was probably working on his father Eugene’s farm.
1895 – Edward was now head of household for where he and Maude lived in Oak Valley. His occupation was blacksmith.[10]
1900 – Edward had moved to Galena, Jasper County, MO. There is no occupation listed on the census. They lived in a house, not on a farm. Whether rented or owned is not indicated.[11]
1902 – They were in Zincite, Jasper County, MO.[12]
1905 – They were back in Elk County, town of Longton.[13]
1910 – Edward had moved to Wichita, Sedgwick County, KS. He is a blacksmith. They are living at 1127 E. Douglas, where they rented their home in a place that apparently had two apartments.[14]
1913 – He was now in Joplin, Jasper County, MO, in apparently what was called Chitwood (Chitwood was a Post Office station in the township of Galena, which was in the west part of the city of Joplin). His occupation was miner.[15]
1914 – Still in Joplin, but at 114 Main.[16]
1919 – According to Ed’s (Theodore) birth certificate, they were in Chitwood. Edward was listed as being a miner.[17]
1920 – They were in Galena township and owned a home. Edward was a laborer at a Cooperage works. They owned a home and did not have a mortgage.[18]
1926 – They had moved to Hockerville, Oklahoma. This was a mining town close to Picher.[19]
1930 – Edward was now in Buffalo, McDonald County, MO. He was a farmer and was renting.[20]
1932 – Their son Ed graduated from 8th grade at Neosho, Newton County, MO.[21] Buffalo township is close to Neosho, their house must have been pretty close for Ed to be able to go to school there.
1935 – They lived in Joplin, Jasper County, MO. This is according to the question on the 1940 census that asked where did you live 5 years ago.[22]
1937 – Edward was in Joplin, Rt. 3.[23]
1940 – Still in Joplin, Galena township on Rt. 3. Edward owned a farm worth $100. His occupation is listed as Old Age. He was 72 at this time.[24]
1941 – Edward was in Joplin, Rt. 3.[25]
1944 – When he died in 1944, they lived at 802 N. Harlem in Joplin, according to his death certificate. His “usual occupation” was listed as miner.
Other suggested reading:
“THE HARD AND DEADLY WORLD OF JOPLIN MINING”; http://www.historicjoplin.org/?p=414
“A History of Jasper County, Missouri, and its people” by Joel Thomas Livingston
“History of Jasper County, Missouri”; Des Moines, Iowa: Mills & Company, 1883.
“The World’s Greatest Zinc and Lead District, as seen through the camera”; Means & Head, Publishers, Joplin, Missouri.
Biography written by Kem & Becky Marcum; September, 2022.
[1] Theodore Edward Markham/Marcum’s birth certificate.
[2] Death certificate for Edward Markham, state file number 24922.
[3] FindaGrave for Edward Markham.
[4] Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[5] Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[6] 1870 United States Federal Census, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[7] 1875 Kansas Census, Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[8] 1880 United States Federal Census, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[9] 1885 Kansas Census, Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[10] 1895 Kansas Census, Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[11] 1900 United States Federal Census, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[12] Hoye’s 1902 Directory of Joplin and Carthage, MO; located in U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[13] 1905 Kansas Census, Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[14] 1910 United States Federal Census, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[15] Dunham’s Joplin, MO, Directory 1913; located in U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[16] Ibid, Dunham’s Joplin, MO, Directory 1914.
[17] Ibid, Theodore Edward Markham/Marcum’s birth certificate.
[18] 1920 United States Federal Census, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[19] This is from Ed’s baby book, in which Etta wrote many things; Hockerville is where Ed was going to school and Etta writes that he was promoted to the first grade there.
[20] 1930 United States Federal Census, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[21] Ed’s 8th grade graduation document dated April 8, 1932, in Neosho, Newton County, MO.
[22] 1940 United States Federal Census, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[23] Polk’s Carthage City Directory, 1937, including Jasper County; located in U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989, accessed on Ancestry.com.
[24] Ibid, 1940 United States Federal Census.
[25] Polk’s Carthage City Directory, 1941, including Jasper County; located in U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989, accessed on Ancestry.com.