Barber County Kansas

Murray Austin Davis & Elsie (Wesley) Davis

Murray Austin Davis.

Photo courtesy of Carol (Lake) Rogers.

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Murray Austin Davis
Photo courtesy of Carol (Lake) Rogers.
Embossed on the original photo mat is: "Mrs. O'Neal, St. John, Ks.
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E-mail from Kim Fowles to Jerry Ferrin, 5 Mar 2006:

You will note the guest book entry by Linda (Davis) McDowell which mentions that Murray Davis is her grandfather. When I saw her entry I emailed her because I wanted more information on Mr. Davis since he is connected to Lake City and I am very interested in Lake City.

Mr. Davis was the son of Elizabeth Matilda Lester & E.K. Davis. His mother, Elizabeth married a 2nd time to John Durfee. You have John & Elizabeth Durfee's photo on your site. Elizabeth Lester came with her parents to Syracuse, KS, from New York as part of the original colony. That is interesting in itself and I intend to further research the Syracuse colony.

This is part of the email from Linda McDowell:

According to the information I have, Murray Davis and Elsie Wesley were married in 1899. She was from Canada, at least that is what I was told. She had a brother by the name of Ray Wesley.

Murray and Elsie had 6 children: Helen Gertrude Davis 1900, Murray Lester Davis 1906, Oliver Wesley Davis 1908, LeRoy Davis 1910 (my father), Cecil Ray Davis 1916 and Shirley Mary (it could be May) Davis (she married James,(Jack)Hammond and lived in Pratt) and I don't have her birth year.

Lester had 3 girls: Vada, Velma, Vicky. He lived in Tulsa, Ok.

Oliver and Edna had a daughter Marilyn and a son Gary Oliver. check Sun or Lake City for grave.

LeRoy had 2 girls and 1 son: Jacklyn Cornish (Enid, Ok) Linda McDowell (Burleson, Tx) Terry Davis (Choctaw, Ok).

Cecil had a son Raymond Lee, daughter Joan and a little girl that died very young. He lived in Medicine Lodge.

Shirley had 2 daughters and 1 son: Carolyn Sue, James and Elsie.

I have no information on Helen.

Linda McDowell


Murray Austin Davis.

Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.
Murray Austin Davis
Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.

Elsie Wesley, about 16 years old.

She later married Murray A. Davis

Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.
Elsie Wesley, about 16 years old.
Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.

Obituary: Elsie (Wesley) Davis

Elsie E. Wesley, daughter of Geo. and Eliza Welsey was born at Toolsborro, Iowa, August 8th, 1880. She passed from this life March 19th, 1936, at Halstead, Kansas, at the age of 55 years, 7 months and 19 days. While she was young her parents passed away and in 1898 she came to Kansas and made her home with her half sister, Mrs. Fager. She was united in marriage to Murray A. Davis on May 1, 1899, and their home has been in Lake City or vicinity ever since.

Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Davis: Helen G., Lester, Oliver Wesley, Leroy, Cecil Lee, and Shirley May. Helen G. passed away at Alma, Kansas, at the age of 30 years. The rest mourn the loss of this good mother. She leaves beside these children, six brothers, Charley, Albert, Chester, Oliver, George Ray, and Paul, and also nine grand children. In the many years which she lived in this community she made many friends who extend their sympathy and mourn the loss of this mother and friend.

Mrs. Davis' father and mother were members of the Methodist church and she was reared under the influence of that church. When the Church of God was organized in Lake City she united with that church and was a member in good standing in that church at the time of her passing.

Funeral services were held in the M.E. Church by Rev. T.J. Davis, of Lake City, assisted by Rev. Kolb, of Sun City. Interment was in the Lake City Cemetery.

-- undated newspaper clipping, name of newspaper not noted, from the collection of Carol Lake Rogers, courtesy of Kim Hoagland Fowles.


Family photo of Murray
& Elsie (Wesley) Davis and Children.

Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.
Family photo of Murray & Elsie (Wesley) Davis and Children
Murray, Oliver, Lester, Elsie, LeRoy in lap, Helen.
Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.

Murray Davis, Trapper.

Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.
Murray Davis with pelts from animals he trapped.
Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.

LeRoy Davis, in back row with asterick by his head, Lake City School, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.
LeRoy Davis (back row with asterick by his head) Lake City School, Barber County, Kansas.
Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.

Elsie Wesley as an infant.  She married Murray Austin Davis.

Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.
Elsie Wesley as an infant
Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.

Cecil Davis.

Photo courtesy of Linda McDowell.
Cecil Davis, son of Murray & Elsie (Murray) Davis
Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.

LeRoy Davis.

Photo courtesy of Linda  (Davis) McDowell.
LeRoy Davis, born 1910, son of Murray & Elsie (Wesley) Davis
Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.

Helen (Davis) Hull, daughter of Murray and Elsie Davis, with her daughter Marjorie Hull.

Photo courtesy of Carol (Lake) Rogers.

CLICK HERE to view larger image.
Helen (Davis) Hull with her daughter Marjorie.
Helen was the daughter of Murray and Elsie (Wesley) Davis.
Photo courtesy of Carol (Lake) Rogers.

The Wesley Family.

Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.
The Wesley Family
Photo courtesy of Linda (Davis) McDowell.


Murray Austin Davis and Elsie (Wesley) Davis are buried in the Lake City Cemetery.

Lake City Plot Map, Barber County, Kansas
From Standard Atlas of Barber County, Kansas, 1905.


Thanks to Linda (Davis) McDowell for contributing the above photographs to this web site, to Carol (Lake) Rogers for contributing two photos on this page and to Kim Fowles for arranging the contributions.




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