Before 1931 Ma Barker was not a nationally known crime figure on the run. Although her four sons, Herman (1893-1927), Lloyd (Abt. 1897-1949), Arthur "Doc" (1899-1939), and Fred (1901-1935) had gotten into increasingly deeper trouble during the years 1910-1927, she herself had never been arrested and her later notoriety as the "mastermind" of the Barker and later the Barker-Karpis Gang was largely created by a self-serving FBI publicity campaign. A former member of the gang, Harvey Bailey, once gave his opinion of Ma Barker's organizational skills. According to him, "The old woman couldn't plan breakfast."
Prior to moving to Tulsa about 1914, the Barker family had lived in Webb City, MO. It was there that Herman first got into difficulty with the police in 1910. The family's strained relations with the police in Webb City may have led to their move to Tulsa, but it is also possible that they moved to Tulsa because Ma Barker's mother and step-father, Reuben Ross McDowell Reynolds and Emaline E. (Parker) Clark Reynolds, had also moved to Tulsa about 1914. Reuben Reynolds may have worked on the Tulsa police force in 1906 and later decided to return to Tulsa.
Ma Barker had been born as Arizona Clark near Ash Grove, Boone Twp., Greene Co., MO, about 20 miles northwest of Springfield. She was born 8 Oct. 1873 to John Clark, a farmer, and Emaline E. Parker. Her father, John Clark, died about 1878 and her mother married as her second husband Reuben R. McD. Reynolds on 8 July 1879 in Greene Co., MO. Ma Barker appears on the 1880 Census of Greene Co., MO, as age 6, with her mother, step-father, brother Jesse, sisters Lecty and Eva, and step-sister Beretta. Arizona Clark may have been named for an older neighbor girl, Arizona Chilcutt, who appears on the same census page. Some researchers say that Arizona's middle name was "Donnie," but there seems to be no evidence of this. There is more evidence that she liked and used the name "Kate" and her preliminary death certificate uses the name "Kate," however that information was probably supplied by the FBI. Her supplementary death certificate was based on information supplied by George E. Barker, her husband, and it gives her name as "Arizona" Barker and her date of birth as 8 Oct. 1877. It is clear from the 1880 census, however, that her year of birth must have been 1873 if she had been born on Oct. 8. The name she used most frequently and for her whole life is "Arrie," a shortened form of Arizona. At age 18 Arrie Clark married George Elias Barker on 14 Sept. 1892 in Lawrence Co., MO.
The Tulsa City Directories show that George E. Barker & "Orrie" (the directory used Orrie, Orie, and Arrie, but most frequently uses "Arrie") were living at 704 Park Ave. in 1914. About 1918, Park Ave. was renamed Trenton Ave., and this plarticular address was on S. Trenton Ave. In 1916 George & Orie were still on Park Ave. ( now Trenton) and George was working for the Crystal Spring Water Co., and he continued to work for them until 1919. In 1919 George & Arrie Barker were living at 702 S. Trenton. In 1923 George & Arrie had moved to 403 N. Cincinnati and he was listed as a night watchman. In 1925 they moved to 401 N. Cincinnati and continued to be listed at that address through the 1928 directory. The 400 block of North Cincinnati is now covered by the I-244 Expressway. All told, George and Arrie Barkier lived in Tulsa for fifteen years.
Some of the Barker boys also appear in the Tulsa City Directory a few times, but they were frequently not listed due to serving time or being on the move. In 1914 Herman Barker was a cook and boarded with his parents at 704 Park (now S. Trenton) Ave. In 1916 he was also a cook, but boarded at 104 Park (now S. Trenton.) Lloyd was a driver in 1916 and boarded at 110 E. Cameron. In 1918 he was a driver for the National Crystal Spring Water Co., - the same company his father worked for - and boarded with his parents at 702 S. Trenton. In 1919 Arthur Barker was listed as a student boarding at 502 S. Trenton. By 1919 Arthur was about twenty and a bit old for a student and the Barker boys were not known to be scholarly. (One wonders if "104" Park could have been an error for "704" Park and "502" S. Trenton and error for "702" S. Trenton, in which case the boys would have been boarding with their parents, but they were probably just boarding in the neighborhood.)
About 1922 Lloyd Barker was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Herman Barker committed suicide in Sep. 1927 after having murdered a policeman in Newton, KS. About 1928 Ma Barker took up with a local man named in various accounts as Arthur Dunlop, S.W. Dunlop, and Arthur W. Dunlop. He was a "bill poster" or "billboard painter." There is no doubt that the A.W. Dunlap who appears in the 1927 Tulsa City Directory as a sign painter, and in the 1928 Directory as Arthur W. Dunlap, carpenter for Sommers Sign Systems, is the man in question. He was later killed by the gang in Wisc. as a security risk. About 1928 George E. Barker left his wife and returned to MO, having no doubt decided that he had no ability to regulate the behavior of his wife and sons. By 1927 Herman was dead and the other sons all in various prisons. Whether he left on his own accord or was asked to leave by Arrie, he certainly didn't "desert his family."
Miriam Allen deFord in her book "The Real Ma Barker," (1970, Ace Paperback) has Ma Barker living in Tulsa during parts of 1932 and 1933. "This was the period when she settled with some kind of semi-permancy in Tulsa, even buying a house there." I can find no support from the Tulsa City Directories that Arrie Barker was living in Tulsa during the years 1930-1935. That she may have bought a house seems surprising since she had no evident means of support and her living in Tulsa would have been tenuous during those years. It may be that she and George Barker purchased a home in Tulsa during the mid-1920's, it which case it may have been 401 N. Cincinnati. This subject needs further research.
Ma Barker had Relatives on the Tulsa Police Force
Even the famous and notorious have numerous relatives, and those relatives are often put in an awkward light by the antics of their better-known relations. That Ma Barker's step-father and step-brother were both policemen in Tulsa is surprising, if not amusing.
George and Arrie Barker first appeared in theTulsa City Directory in 1914. At about the same time, Arrie's step-father, Reuben R. McD. Reynolds, and her mother, Emaline E. (Parker) Reynolds, also appeared in the 1914 directory. They resided at 809 E. 4th St. and Reuben was listed as a policeman. In 1916 they were living at 238 Kenosha Ave. and Reuben R. Reynolds was listed as a Deputy Sheriff. By 1919 Reuben and Emma were living at 502 S. Xanthus. In 1920 they moved to 419 S. Wheeling, where they apparently stayed until sometime in 1938 or 1939. 1919 was the last year that Reuben was listed as a "deputy sheriff" and in later years his occupation was given as "painter" and "station engineer."
Ma Barker also had a half-brother, Chesley W. Reynolds, who was the son of Reuben R. Reynolds and and Emaline E. (Parker) Clark Reynolds. Chesley W. Reynolds was enumerated twice on the 1920 census of Tulsa and his occupations were given as "carpenter & builder" and "engineer/rock crusher." The 1919 city directory lists his occupation as "patrol driver." A "History of the Tulsa Police Department 1882-1990," by Ronald L. Trekell, lists a C.W. Reynolds as a member of the police department for the years 1930-1932. It also lists R.R. Reynolds (Chesley's father) as being a member of the department in 1906, 1914, 1916, 1919 and 1920. An unidentified Reynolds was also on the force in 1908 and 1911.
It is ironic that Ma Barker had relatives in law enforcement. One can only sympathize with the Reynolds family, who were no doubt on the side of the angels, but at the same time were encumbered and embarrassed by their Barker relations.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Looking for John Clark's Parents
John Clark
We know very little about Arizona (Clark) Barker's father. John Clark suddenly appears in Greene Co., MO, about 1856, but perhaps a few years earlier. He appears on the 1860 and 1870 censuses of Greene Co. and proceeds to die at an early age - about age 46. From the 1860 and 1870 census records we know that he was born 1831-35, presumably in IL. Also from the 1860 census we know that he probably had a sister Sarah who was born about 1838-39 in KY and who married Caleb Tyler on 3 Aug. 1856 in Greene Co. In order to find John and Sarah Clark's parents, we need to rely heavily on the fact that we have information on at least two children in the family.
Before we look for John and Sarah Clark in the 1850 census, we need to take a look at a John Clark who appears on the 1840 census of Greene Co., MO. He would appear to be a good candidate for John and Sarah's father.
1840 Census of Greene Co., MO, No Township Listed, page 284.
John Clark
1 male 5-10 (born 1830-40)
1 male 30-40 (born 1800-10) John
1 female under 5 (born 1835-40)
1 female 20-30 (born 1810-20)
This family would appear to account for a John, born about 1833, and a Sarah, born about 1839.
This same family appears on the 1850 census of Greene Co., MO, in Taylor Twp.
John C. Clark, 40, $300 Real Est., KY
Polly Clark, 38, TN
Manon T. Alderson, 21, MO
Olivia Alderson, 15, VA
People who have followed this family feel that these two entries are for the same family. And inasmuch as no John or Sarah are listed with the family of John and Polly Clark, we can feel certain that this is not the family we are looking for. In addition, Taylor Twp. is on the east side of Greene Co. and Boone Twp. is on the west side of the county.
Now we look at the 1850 census records for John Clark and Sarah Clark which might help us locate their parents. We are looking for a John Clark, who probably has no middle initial, who was born between 1831-35, probably in IL, and who has a sister, Sarah, who probably has no middle initial, and who was born 1838-40, probably in KY.
I have looked at all the John Clarks born 1831-35 in KY, IL and MO, and find about 15. It is critical that we assume that John and Sarah are brother and sister; otherwise we are looking for a needle in a haystack.
Of the 15 John Clarks I looked at in 1850, most have no sister Sarah. John Clark of Sagamon Co., IL, had a sister Sarah, but she died in 1852. John L. Clark of Hardin Co., IL, had a sister Sarah of the correct age, but John appears in the 1860 census of Hardin Co., and so could not be ours. A John Clark appears in St. Clair Co., IL, as a laborer and not listed with his parents, but I found no Sarah Clark anywhere in the county for that year.
I find only one Clark family in 1850 which looks like it might be the correct family. It is that of Robert and Delia Clark of Brown Co., IL, Twp. 1 North and Range 4 West, page 176.
Dwelling #1238, Family #1243
Willis Johnson, 30, farmer, $500 Real Est., SC
Martha Johnson, 25, AL (Martha Clark)
Martha Johnson, 1, IL
Dwelling #1239, Family #1244
Robert Clark, 51, Farmer, SC
Delia Clark, 40, SC
Moholda Clark, 22, F, SC
Preston Clark, 21, SC
John Clark, 16, SC
Anis Clark, 14, SC
Archabald Clark, 12, SC
Sarah Clark, 11, KY
Thomas Clark, 9, KY
James Clark, 5, IL
Robert Clark, 3, IL
No one has done much research on this family. The oldest dau., Martha, was born about 1825 in AL, and the census records consistently show her place of birth as AL. I have placed what information I have found about the family on Rootsweb and it can be found by going to http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=batqp4540&id=I1
I think that there are problems with the 1850 census. If the parents are from SC, and if Martha was born in AL, then it is difficult to see how her later siblings could have been born in SC. The two youngsest children were born in IL, and Thomas in KY about 1840-41. The family must have arrived in Brown Co., IL, after 1840 and before 1845. But however you look at it, it appears that this John was not born in IL.
The family of Robert and Delia Clark disintegrates in Brown Co., IL, between 1850 and 1860. Robert Clark's family does not appear on the 1855 census of Brown Co. The 1855 census lists only the head of the household and the rest of the family by age groups. Nor does it show a family headed by Delia Clark. Robert and Delia may have died between 1850 and 1855. It is important that John Clark and Sarah Clark do not appear on the 1860 census of Brown Co., IL, so they had to have gone elsewhere. In addition, Maholda, Preston, Anis, Archibald and Thomas cannot be traced. Perhaps disease (typhus, cholera, a fever, etc.) swept through the family. We know that Martha (Clark) Johnson remained in Brown Co. Sons James and Robert moved to MO and can be found there.
As far as the John Clark of Greene Co., MO, being born in IL, we know that census records are notoriously unreliable. The validity of the information depends on the informant who gave it. Sarah Clark was only about 12 or 13 when her parents died and she may have known little about where her brother was born. It is often the case that census takers speak to the women of the family because the men are absent at work. Similarly, John Clark's wife when visited by the census taker in 1870 may have had little idea where her husband was born. Both Sarah (Clark) Tyler and Emaline (Parker) Clark probably knew that the Clark family had moved to MO from IL, so it wouldn't be surprising that IL was provided as John Clark's state of birth.
Conclusion
Robert and Delia Clark are the most likely candidates for the parents of John and Sarah Clark. This is true because
- John and Sarah are of approximately the correct age.
- The Robert Clark family dispersed from Brown Co., IL, after 1850 and perhaps before 1855, and this fits the time period when John and Sarah Clark appeared in Greene Co., MO.
- The family was living in IL and there would seem to be a connection of John Clark of Greene Co., MO, and the State of IL, based on the 1860 and 1870 census records.
- Work needs to be done on the Robert Clark family of Brown Co., IL, to determine if either land or court records show that John and Sarah had moved to Greene Co., MO. The land records of Brown Co., IL, have not been microfilmed by the LDS Church. The estate records of Brown Co. have been microfilmed. (There is another and much larger Clark family in Brown Co.)
We know very little about Arizona (Clark) Barker's father. John Clark suddenly appears in Greene Co., MO, about 1856, but perhaps a few years earlier. He appears on the 1860 and 1870 censuses of Greene Co. and proceeds to die at an early age - about age 46. From the 1860 and 1870 census records we know that he was born 1831-35, presumably in IL. Also from the 1860 census we know that he probably had a sister Sarah who was born about 1838-39 in KY and who married Caleb Tyler on 3 Aug. 1856 in Greene Co. In order to find John and Sarah Clark's parents, we need to rely heavily on the fact that we have information on at least two children in the family.
Before we look for John and Sarah Clark in the 1850 census, we need to take a look at a John Clark who appears on the 1840 census of Greene Co., MO. He would appear to be a good candidate for John and Sarah's father.
1840 Census of Greene Co., MO, No Township Listed, page 284.
John Clark
1 male 5-10 (born 1830-40)
1 male 30-40 (born 1800-10) John
1 female under 5 (born 1835-40)
1 female 20-30 (born 1810-20)
This family would appear to account for a John, born about 1833, and a Sarah, born about 1839.
This same family appears on the 1850 census of Greene Co., MO, in Taylor Twp.
John C. Clark, 40, $300 Real Est., KY
Polly Clark, 38, TN
Manon T. Alderson, 21, MO
Olivia Alderson, 15, VA
People who have followed this family feel that these two entries are for the same family. And inasmuch as no John or Sarah are listed with the family of John and Polly Clark, we can feel certain that this is not the family we are looking for. In addition, Taylor Twp. is on the east side of Greene Co. and Boone Twp. is on the west side of the county.
Now we look at the 1850 census records for John Clark and Sarah Clark which might help us locate their parents. We are looking for a John Clark, who probably has no middle initial, who was born between 1831-35, probably in IL, and who has a sister, Sarah, who probably has no middle initial, and who was born 1838-40, probably in KY.
I have looked at all the John Clarks born 1831-35 in KY, IL and MO, and find about 15. It is critical that we assume that John and Sarah are brother and sister; otherwise we are looking for a needle in a haystack.
Of the 15 John Clarks I looked at in 1850, most have no sister Sarah. John Clark of Sagamon Co., IL, had a sister Sarah, but she died in 1852. John L. Clark of Hardin Co., IL, had a sister Sarah of the correct age, but John appears in the 1860 census of Hardin Co., and so could not be ours. A John Clark appears in St. Clair Co., IL, as a laborer and not listed with his parents, but I found no Sarah Clark anywhere in the county for that year.
I find only one Clark family in 1850 which looks like it might be the correct family. It is that of Robert and Delia Clark of Brown Co., IL, Twp. 1 North and Range 4 West, page 176.
Dwelling #1238, Family #1243
Willis Johnson, 30, farmer, $500 Real Est., SC
Martha Johnson, 25, AL (Martha Clark)
Martha Johnson, 1, IL
Dwelling #1239, Family #1244
Robert Clark, 51, Farmer, SC
Delia Clark, 40, SC
Moholda Clark, 22, F, SC
Preston Clark, 21, SC
John Clark, 16, SC
Anis Clark, 14, SC
Archabald Clark, 12, SC
Sarah Clark, 11, KY
Thomas Clark, 9, KY
James Clark, 5, IL
Robert Clark, 3, IL
No one has done much research on this family. The oldest dau., Martha, was born about 1825 in AL, and the census records consistently show her place of birth as AL. I have placed what information I have found about the family on Rootsweb and it can be found by going to http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=batqp4540&id=I1
I think that there are problems with the 1850 census. If the parents are from SC, and if Martha was born in AL, then it is difficult to see how her later siblings could have been born in SC. The two youngsest children were born in IL, and Thomas in KY about 1840-41. The family must have arrived in Brown Co., IL, after 1840 and before 1845. But however you look at it, it appears that this John was not born in IL.
The family of Robert and Delia Clark disintegrates in Brown Co., IL, between 1850 and 1860. Robert Clark's family does not appear on the 1855 census of Brown Co. The 1855 census lists only the head of the household and the rest of the family by age groups. Nor does it show a family headed by Delia Clark. Robert and Delia may have died between 1850 and 1855. It is important that John Clark and Sarah Clark do not appear on the 1860 census of Brown Co., IL, so they had to have gone elsewhere. In addition, Maholda, Preston, Anis, Archibald and Thomas cannot be traced. Perhaps disease (typhus, cholera, a fever, etc.) swept through the family. We know that Martha (Clark) Johnson remained in Brown Co. Sons James and Robert moved to MO and can be found there.
As far as the John Clark of Greene Co., MO, being born in IL, we know that census records are notoriously unreliable. The validity of the information depends on the informant who gave it. Sarah Clark was only about 12 or 13 when her parents died and she may have known little about where her brother was born. It is often the case that census takers speak to the women of the family because the men are absent at work. Similarly, John Clark's wife when visited by the census taker in 1870 may have had little idea where her husband was born. Both Sarah (Clark) Tyler and Emaline (Parker) Clark probably knew that the Clark family had moved to MO from IL, so it wouldn't be surprising that IL was provided as John Clark's state of birth.
Conclusion
Robert and Delia Clark are the most likely candidates for the parents of John and Sarah Clark. This is true because
- John and Sarah are of approximately the correct age.
- The Robert Clark family dispersed from Brown Co., IL, after 1850 and perhaps before 1855, and this fits the time period when John and Sarah Clark appeared in Greene Co., MO.
- The family was living in IL and there would seem to be a connection of John Clark of Greene Co., MO, and the State of IL, based on the 1860 and 1870 census records.
- Work needs to be done on the Robert Clark family of Brown Co., IL, to determine if either land or court records show that John and Sarah had moved to Greene Co., MO. The land records of Brown Co., IL, have not been microfilmed by the LDS Church. The estate records of Brown Co. have been microfilmed. (There is another and much larger Clark family in Brown Co.)
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
John Clark - Father of Arizona (Clark) Barker
John Clark, father of Arizona (Clark) Barker, appears on the 1860 Census of Boone Twp., Greene Co., MO, p. 289.
Dwelling #796, Family #796
John Turner, 51, farmer, $4,200 Real Est., $2,700 Pers. Prop., TN
Nancy B. Turner, 51, KY
Caleb Tyler, 28, farmer, $35 Pers. Prop., MO
Sarah Tyler, 20, KY
Mary A. Tyler, 3, MO
John M. Tyler, 1, MO
Dwelling #800, Family #796 (Dwellings 797-799 Unoccupied)
John Clark, 28, farmer, $850 Real Est., $200 Pers. Prop., IL
All individuals above are listed as a part of family #796. Since Caleb Tyler married Sarah Clark in Greene Co., MO, on 3 Aug. 1856, it is reasonable to assume that Sarah Clark and John Clark were brother and sister.
John Turner married Nancy B. Seward on 7 Dec. 1856 in Lawrence Co., MO. She was his second wife. He first married Miss Nancy Jane Price of Robinson Co., TN, on 6 Nov. 1828. They had three children. Mary Jane, who married Samuel A. Doss; Nancy Fisher, who married J.C. Howard, and James William. John Turner, his daughters and sons-in-law moved to MO in March of 1856 and settled in Greene Co. It is not known if or how John Turner or Nancy Seward might be related to the Clark family. The information on John Turner comes from a biography in an 1883 "History of Greene County."
According to John Turner's biography, "He bought a farm three miles east of Ash Grove (Boone Twp.) from Silas Grantham in 1857." He still owned it in 1883. Granthan had purchased four parcels of 40 acres each from the U.S. Gov't between the years 1850-1857. They were all in Sec. 23 of Twp. 30 in Range 24N. Section 23 is about three miles east of Ash Grove. John Turner bought an addditional 40 acres in Sec. 23 on 1 Jun. 1859.
John Clark made two purchases of land from the U.S. Gov't in 1859. On 1 Jun. 1859 he bought 39.4 acres in Sec. 6, being the west half of lot no. 2, of the north east fractional quarter. On
1 Nov. 1859 he bought 80 acres in Sec. 5, being the east half of the south west quarter. Sections 5 and 6 were also in the same twp. and range as the purchases made by John Turner, but they were about 3.5 miles to the NNW of Ash Grove.
From the above transactions we know that the 1860 census shows the Turner, Tyler and Clark families in Section 23 about 3 miles east of Ash Grove in Boone Twp. John Clark had purchased his two parcels in 1859 and as yet was unmarried and probably had no house on his property. He was probably renting from John Turner. The Tylers had very little money in 1860 and Caleb Tyler was probably working and renting from John Turner.
Identifying John Clark's Ancestry
We know very little about John Clark. We know from two census records that he was born 1831-34, probably in Il. He died about 1878 at roughly age 46. His parents do not appear to have lived in Greene Co., MO. Several Clarks who lived in Greene County and were old enough to be his parents can be eliminated as possibilities. It is very significant that he appears to have a sister, Sarah Clark, who was born in KY. Because the name "John Clark" is so common a name, it may be the information about his sister that enables us to locate him on the 1850 census. I will tackle that subject next.
Dwelling #796, Family #796
John Turner, 51, farmer, $4,200 Real Est., $2,700 Pers. Prop., TN
Nancy B. Turner, 51, KY
Caleb Tyler, 28, farmer, $35 Pers. Prop., MO
Sarah Tyler, 20, KY
Mary A. Tyler, 3, MO
John M. Tyler, 1, MO
Dwelling #800, Family #796 (Dwellings 797-799 Unoccupied)
John Clark, 28, farmer, $850 Real Est., $200 Pers. Prop., IL
All individuals above are listed as a part of family #796. Since Caleb Tyler married Sarah Clark in Greene Co., MO, on 3 Aug. 1856, it is reasonable to assume that Sarah Clark and John Clark were brother and sister.
John Turner married Nancy B. Seward on 7 Dec. 1856 in Lawrence Co., MO. She was his second wife. He first married Miss Nancy Jane Price of Robinson Co., TN, on 6 Nov. 1828. They had three children. Mary Jane, who married Samuel A. Doss; Nancy Fisher, who married J.C. Howard, and James William. John Turner, his daughters and sons-in-law moved to MO in March of 1856 and settled in Greene Co. It is not known if or how John Turner or Nancy Seward might be related to the Clark family. The information on John Turner comes from a biography in an 1883 "History of Greene County."
According to John Turner's biography, "He bought a farm three miles east of Ash Grove (Boone Twp.) from Silas Grantham in 1857." He still owned it in 1883. Granthan had purchased four parcels of 40 acres each from the U.S. Gov't between the years 1850-1857. They were all in Sec. 23 of Twp. 30 in Range 24N. Section 23 is about three miles east of Ash Grove. John Turner bought an addditional 40 acres in Sec. 23 on 1 Jun. 1859.
John Clark made two purchases of land from the U.S. Gov't in 1859. On 1 Jun. 1859 he bought 39.4 acres in Sec. 6, being the west half of lot no. 2, of the north east fractional quarter. On
1 Nov. 1859 he bought 80 acres in Sec. 5, being the east half of the south west quarter. Sections 5 and 6 were also in the same twp. and range as the purchases made by John Turner, but they were about 3.5 miles to the NNW of Ash Grove.
From the above transactions we know that the 1860 census shows the Turner, Tyler and Clark families in Section 23 about 3 miles east of Ash Grove in Boone Twp. John Clark had purchased his two parcels in 1859 and as yet was unmarried and probably had no house on his property. He was probably renting from John Turner. The Tylers had very little money in 1860 and Caleb Tyler was probably working and renting from John Turner.
Identifying John Clark's Ancestry
We know very little about John Clark. We know from two census records that he was born 1831-34, probably in Il. He died about 1878 at roughly age 46. His parents do not appear to have lived in Greene Co., MO. Several Clarks who lived in Greene County and were old enough to be his parents can be eliminated as possibilities. It is very significant that he appears to have a sister, Sarah Clark, who was born in KY. Because the name "John Clark" is so common a name, it may be the information about his sister that enables us to locate him on the 1850 census. I will tackle that subject next.
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