Sophie M. Stafford

Sophie M. Stafford and George Harvey Gleason

195. Sophie M. Stafford⁵ (William¹ Robert² Andrew³ Daniel⁴) was Clayton's youngest child. She was born February 1880 in Iowa, probably in Warren County.¹ No more information is known about her childhood than is known for her brother, Clayton and older sister, Cora. In fact, nothing at all is known about Cora other than she is listed in the Stafford household in 1880.¹Her father did not own property in Carlisle and was listed on the census as a day laborer. It is unlikely that they had many things while she was young. Sophie was only six years old when her father left for Decatur County, Kansas to obtain a homestead. There was a six year old girl who attended school at the same time Clayton went to the Star School in Decatur County. Her name was listed as Minnie Stafford. It is not known for sure if this is Sophie or if there was another girl that age also with the Stafford surname, who lived in the same part of Decatur County.²This girl did not attend this school after the term ending in July 1889. If this is Sophia M. Stafford, she most likely went to live with her mother, Ella / Ellen Shepard, who had married a man named Millard F. Sheppard and lived in Albia, Monroe County, Iowa.³ The Hebron Journal newspaper notices describing her visit to her brother Clayton Stafford indicate that she still lived in Albia in 1900. ⁴

Shortly after the visit visit Sophie made to Hubbell, Nebraska, she married George Harvey Gleason, who lived with his family in the adjacent county across the Kansas-Nebraska state line. They were married on 01 May 1900 in Republic County, Kansas by a minister named Daniel Smith. The way George and Sophia met is not known. In June 1900 when the census was enumerated they are found living with George's parents.⁶ George and Sophia Gleason lived in Kansas for the next 14-15 years.⁷

When the 1910 census was enumerated they were living in Marshall County, Kansas where George was listed as a farmer, who rented his ground.⁸ By 1918, George and Sophie Gleason were living in Yuma County, Colorado when George registered for the Draft of World War I.⁹ They lived there the rest of their lives.⁷

They were the parents of 8 children listed below. Sophia died on 23 February 1962 and is buried at the Eckley Cemetery in Yuma County, Colorado.^10,11 She was buried next to George, who died shortly before.^11,12

Further research needed:

Land record research
Death certificates for George and Sophia Gleason
Research for each child's line, birth and death records; marriage records, land, etc.

Children of George and Sophia M. nee Stafford:

Documentation for events in Sophia Stafford's life:

Documentation for events in George H. Gleason's life:

Citations for Sophie M. Stafford and George Harvey Gleason

¹	Dan Stafford household, 1880 U.S. Census, Warren County, Iowa, population schedule, City of Carlisle, ED 229, SD 3, page 9, dwelling 49, family 49; National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 368.
²	Starr School District No. 12, Decatur County, Kansas, years 1887-1891; received from Decatur County Recorder’s Office, Oberlin, Kansas.
³	Shepherd – Stafford marriage record (19 June 1883), Monroe County Marriage Book 6:255, Monroe County Clerk’s Office, Albia, Iowa.
⁴	Hubbell Brevities, The Hebron Journal, Friday, 23 March 1900, page 1, column 5.
⁵	Gleason – Stafford marriage record (01 May 1900), Republic County Marriage Ledger E:355; Recorder’s Office, Belleville, Kansas; Kansas State Historical Society microfilm MF83.
⁶	Alexander Gleason household, 1900 U.S. Census, Republic County, Kansas, population schedule, Rose Creek Township, ED 97, SD 5, sheet 2B, dwelling 34, families 35 and 36; National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 497.
⁷	The Gleason’s place of residence is based on the birthplaces of their children.
⁸	George Gleason household, 1910 U.S. Census, Marshall County, Kansas, population schedule, Vermillion Township, ED 79, SD 5, sheet 20A, dwelling 71, family 72; National Archives microfilm publication T624, roll 447.
⁹	George H. and Sophie M. tombstone, Eckley Cemetery, Eckley, Yuma County, Colorado; photographed by Sharlene K. Miller 17 April 2006.
¹⁰	Transcription of Obituary for Sophie M. Gleason by Lee Zion, COGenWeb Yuma County Coordinator citing, Wray Gazette, Friday, 01 March 1962, no page or column cited; received 2004.
¹¹	Transcription of Obituary for George H. Gleason by Lee Zion, COGenWeb Yuma County Coordinator citing, Wray Gazette, Friday, 31 August 1961, no page or column cited; received 2004.
¹²	Lloyd A. and Mary H. Gleason tombstone, Eckley Cemetery, Eckley, Yuma County, Colorado; photographed by Sharlene K. Miller 17 April 2006.
¹³	Wilbur G. and Sonora V. Gleason tombstone, Eckley Cemetery, Eckley, Yuma County, Colorado; photographed by Sharlene K. Miller 17 April 2006.
¹⁴	George H. Gleason household, 1920 U.S. Census, Yuma County, Colorado, population schedule, Eckley, ED 275, SD 2, sheet 10A, dwelling 206, family 208; National Archives microfilm publication T625, roll 173.
¹⁵	George H. Gleason household, 1930 U.S. Census, Yuma County, Colorado, population schedule, Happyville, ED 27, SD 4, sheet 4B, dwelling 79, family 81; National Archives microfilm publication T626, roll 252.
¹⁶	Lyle R. and Marjorie Gleason tombstone, Eckley Cemetery, Eckley, Yuma County, Colorado; photographed by Sharlene K. Miller 17 April 2006.
¹⁷	US – Gleason 646709 land patent (27 August 1918), Yuma County, Colorado; downloaded from Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office website, http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/; downloaded spring 2006.
¹⁸	Zion, Lee, “Township Map Original Land Patents T1S of R45W, Yuma County, Colorado;” downloaded from Yuma County, Colorado COGenWeb website; http://www.rootsweb.com/~coyuma/data/landpat/pt1sr45w.pdf
¹⁹	George H. Gleason World War I Draft Registration Card; downloaded from Ancestry.com citing National Archives and Records Administration, World War I Selective Service Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, M1509.
²⁰	A. S. Gleason household, 1880 U.S. Census Republic County, Kansas, population schedule, Fairview Township, ED 277, SD 3, page 11, dwelling 86, family 93; National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 394.

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i.	Verna Elma Gleason	b. about 1907 in Kansas;⁷ d. before 18 January 1971; m. Mr. Ward
ii.	Lloyd A. Gleason	b. 13 August 1908;¹² d. 02 December 1989 in Colorado;¹² bur. Eckley Cemetery, Yuma County, Colorado¹³
iii.	George Wilbur Gleason	b. 1910;¹⁴ d. 1996; bur. Eckley Cemetery, Yuma County, Colorado¹⁴
iv.	Roy E. Gleason	b. 1914;¹⁵ d. ??
v.	Marie "Mamie" E. Gleason	b. March 1917;¹⁵ d. ??; m. Mr. Forsythe¹²
vi.	William "Carlton" Gleason	b. February 1919;¹⁵ d. ??
vii.	Lila M. Gleason	b. 1921;¹⁶ d. ??
viii.	Lyle R. Gleason	b. 29 October 1922;^16,17 d. 14 January 1971; bur. Eckley Cemetery, Yuma County, Colorado;¹⁷ m. Marjorie Noffsinger

Sophia Stafford
Photo of George and Sophie Gleason	This photo shows George and Sophie Gleason nee Stafford with their mules and horses infront of their farm house. It is not known for sure where this picture was taken, but they did live for a time in Republic County, Kansas and in Eckley, Yuma County, Colorado.	Photo courtesy of Sherry Burkhardt and Marcy Volny.
Census Records:	1880 - Carlisle, Warren County, Iowa¹ 1900 - Rose Creek Township, Republic County, Kansas⁶ 1910 - Vermillion Township, Marshall County, Kansas⁸ 1920 - Eckley, Yuma County, Colorado¹⁵ 1930 - Happyville Precinct, Yuma County, Colorado¹⁶
School Records: (Available upon request)	Decatur County, Kansas - Starr School District No. 12 for the years 1887-1889
Marriage Records:	Gleason-Stafford marriage record (01 May 1900), Republic County, Kansas. (Top of record and (bottom of record.)⁵
Death:	23 February 1962²⁰ Do not have death certificate; should be available from State of Colorado
Burial	Eckley, Yuma County, Colorado²⁰	George & Sophie Gleason Tombstone
Obituary:	Obituary: Wray Gazette - Friday, March 1, 1962 summarized by Lee Zion, Yuma County Coordinator, COGenWeb Project hosted by Rootsweb; received 2004.¹⁰ Services were held Monday afternoon at the Lockwood Mortuary for Mrs. George Gleason who died Friday at Cedardale Nursing Home in Wray. Mr. Gleason died about a year ago. She was a lifelong resident of this community. Burial following the service was in the Eckley Cemetery. [Note: Since the Gazette was published on Thursdays, Monday would have been February 26th and Friday would be Feb 23.]

George Gleason
Census Records:	1880 - Fairview Township, Republic County, Kansas²⁰ 1900 - Rose Creek Township, Republic County, Kansas⁵ 1910 - Vermillion Township, Marshall County, Kansas⁷ 1920 - Eckley, Yuma County, Colorado¹⁵ 1930 - Happyville Precinct, Yuma County, Colorado¹⁶
Marriage Records:	Gleason-Stafford marriage record ( 01 May 1900), Republic County, Kansas. (Top of record and (bottom of record.)⁵
Land Patent	U.S. to George H. Gleason - 27 Aug 1918, in Section 31, Township 1 S of Range 45 W of 6th Principal Meridian, Colorado¹⁸ Map of Yuma County Land Patents in Township 1 S of Range 45 West of 6th Principal Meridian, Colorado¹⁸
World War I Draft Registration	Draft Registration - 11 Sep 1918, Yuma County, Colorado¹⁹
Land Records: (Available upon request)	No Research not done on land records for George H. Gleason
Death Certificate	Died 22 Aug 1961²⁰ Research not done
Burial:	Eckley, Yuma County, Colora²⁰	George & Sophie Gleason Tombstone
Obituary:	Obituary: Wray Gazette, Friday, August 31, 1961, summarized by Lee Zion, Yuma County Coordinator, COGenWeb Project hosted by Rootsweb; received 2004.¹¹ Services for George Henry Gleason, long-time resident of this community, were held Saturday August 26 at the Wray Nazarene Church. Burial was in the Eckley Cemetery. Mr. Gleason died August 22 at the age of 81 years, 5 months and 7 days. He was born March 15, 1880. Surviving are his wife of Snyder; seven children, Verna Ward of Michigan, Lloyd Gleason of Littleton, Wilber Gleason of Fort Morgan, Roy Gleason of Oregon, Marie Forsythe of Holyoke, Carlton Gleason of California, Lila Foster of Fort Morgan, and Lyle Gleason of Snyder; one brother, Nathan C. Gleason of Nevada; two sisters; Elizabeth Coffman of Eckley and Maude Rominger of Jewell, Kansas, and 24 grandchildren.