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WILLIAM CLYNTON BROWN

RUFIE STRAUSS

William Clynton Brown, my mother's father, died when she was very young. What little is
known about him is given below. I've purposely left out names and information on his
children. Any information about William would be most appreciated.

EVENT: prob before 1860 William's Father, ______ Brown, born in Pennsylvania
SOURCE: 1920 census

EVENT: prob before 1860 William's Mother, ___________, born in Pennsylvania.


SOURCE: 1920 census

EVENT: 1874, 17 Aug William Clynton Brown born in Pennsylvania


SOURCE: Date and place from WW I Draft Registration Card (1917?). (Delayed birth
certificate for one of his children filed 6 Dec 1941 says Kansas. Date on tombstone is
1873.)
COMMENT: According to tradition, family may originally have been of
Norwegian/Scandinavian extraction. Had 2 sisters who lived in Oklahoma City?

EVENT: 1880
SOURCE: 1880 census
COMMENT: Would have been 5 years old if census taken before August 17. No listing
for a William Clynton or William C Brown. There are perhaps a dozen possibilities in the
Census but I have been unable to identify any of them as my William.

EVENT: 1880/1888 William apprenticed to a cabinet maker


SOURCE: Family tradition
COMMENT: Family tradition has him in Kansas, but this may be confused.

EVENT: abt 1888 Ran away from home at age of 14 because father beat him [or
because the man who apprenticed him beat him]
SOURCE: Family Tradition

EVENT: 1900
SOURCE: 1900 Census
COMMENT: Would have been 26 years old if census taken before August 17. Perhaps
still in Kansas or perhaps in Colorado (family tradition). Using Ancestry, I searched the
1900 Census for all individuals born in Pennsylvania born August 1874 in Pennsylvania
and there are no individuals of any surname matching William.

There is a William C Brown, rms, 1216 Stout, listed in the 1900 Denver City Directory. In
the 1905 Denver City Directory, there are two William C Browns: one a car repairer for
C&S Ry, rents at 1911 Clay; the other is an Afro-American living at 1450 Pennsylvania
Avenue.

EVENT: 1910
SOURCE: 1910 Census
COMMENT: Would have been 36 years old if census taken before August 17. Perhaps
still in Kansas or perhaps in Colorado (family tradition) before 1915. In the 1910 Denver
City Directory, there are again two William C. Browns: one, a carpenter, who rents at
4934 Hooker; the other, an Afro-American porter who rooms at 2800 Arapahoe.

EVENT: 1890-1914 Marries first wife


SOURCE: Family Tradition
COMMENT: Colorado marriage records (courtesy of Colorado Genealogical Society):

* 1890 Sep 10 William C Brown and Katherine O'Brien, Arapahoe County, book 600,
page 392
* 1890 Nov 26 William Brown and Jennie A. Cowen, Morrison, Jefferson Co, #753
* 1892 Aug 25 William Brown (age 23) and Lillie Clark (age 28), Montrose CO, #315
* 1892 Sep 1 William A. Brown and Margaret A. Chilcote, Denver, Marriage Record
Report #13555
* 1892 Sep 7 William Brown and Antonia (Mrs.) Armstrong, Arapahoe County, book
700, page 625, #13584
* 1892 Sep 22? or 28? William Brown and Daisy Wells, Arapahoe County, book 900,
page 25
* 1893 Sep 18 William Brown and Emma Snowden (age 15), Carey Grants, Jefferson
Co, #1106
* 1894 Apr 28 William Brown and Catherine C. Dunn, Arapahoe County, Priest
performed ceremony, book 900, page 618; #16457
* 1894 Sep 23 William Brown and Fannie Walker, Pueblo CO, #3317
* 1902 Aug 12 William C[lark] Brown and Anna F[aith] Kitchin, Colorado Springs,
#1909 [NOT WILLIAM CLYNTON]
* 1903 Aug 12 Wm. C. Brown and May R. Lane, Denver, #31920
* 1903 Nov 19 William Brown and Maggie Burtche, Denver, #32513
* 1904 Jul 21 William Brown (age 29) and Eva Johnson, Denver Co, #34087
* 1905 Dec 6 William Brown (age 33) and Minnie Hammer (age 28), Ft. Collins CO,
#2718
* 1908 Jun 30 William Brown and Margaret Cleary, Leadville CO #5107
* 1909 May 3 William Brown and Edit Eggar, Kiowa CO, Priest performed ceremony,
#274
* 1911 Jan 21 William Brown and Elizabeth E. Milton, Georgetown Co, #1396
* 1912 Jul 17 William Brown and Sarah L. Koehler, Denver County, book 17, page
578
EVENT: 1890-1914 First wife dies of TB in Colorado
SOURCE: Family Tradition

EVENT: c1914 Arrives in Sherman


SOURCE: Family tradition verified by entry in Sherman directory for 1914-1915
(copyright 1914, so I assume the information is current as of that year). Listed in the
Directory as: Brown, Wm C, blksmith WmB Davis, b[order] 222 W Houston

COMMENT: There were 10 other blacksmiths in Sherman in 1914. William B Davis's


shop was at 220 East Houston.

EVENT: 1915, 3 Feb Marries Rufie Maud Strauss, widow of Chris Strauss, born Rufie
Maud Krause
SOURCE: Family Bible and Sherman Democrat (3 February 1915, page 5, column 3)

William C Brown and Mrs. Ruby M Strauss were united in marriage at 10 o'clock this
morning. The ceremony took place at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs.
William Krause, at the Krause Rooming House on West Houston Street, and was
performed by Elder J. H. Baxter. Mr. and Mrs. Brown will reside at no. __30 East
Orange Street.

COMMENT: Unsuccessfully searched two weeks before and after 3 Feburary 1915 to
see if there was any mention of visiting Brown relatives in the Sherman Democrat.

EVENT: 1916 Bold listing in 1916 Sherman City Directory:

Brown, Wm C (Rufie) Blacksmithing, Wood working and General Repairing,


Horseshoeing a Speciality 224 E Houston, New Phone 121, r[esidence] 404 Orange
Avenue

EVENT: 1917/1918 Working for Roberts Electric Company, South Travis, Sherman, TX
as Metal and wood worker ; Living at 224 West Houston Street, Sherman, TX

EVENT: 1920
SOURCE: 1920 FEDERAL CENSUS Grayson Co., TX, Sherman, Justice Precient #1
(Part of). Ward of City 3. 224 West Houston Street
COMMENTS: Verifies that William and parents were all born in Pennsylvania.

EVENT: 1924, 18 March Died.


COMMENT: Unsuccessfully searched for obiturary in Sherman Democrat.

EVENT: 1924, ? March Buried West Hill Cemetery. Tombstone inscribed:


BROWN WILLIAM C 1873 1924
WED RUFIE VIOLA KRAUSE FEBRUARY 03,1915.

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