Adams County Cousins - Leoda May Smalley

It may seem hard to believe, but I was wrong twice in a row. Lafe Smalley's first cousin, Leoda (or Leaoda) May Smalley was not born in Adams County Ohio. She was the daughter of Isaac and Mary (Dimmitt) Smalley. Isaac and Mary were married 11 Nov 1874 in Fulton County Illinois. By the 1880 census the family was living in Leesville, Henry County, Missouri. Since according to her Find A Grave memorial Leaoda was born 20 Dec 1878 in Missouri, it is likely she was born in Henry County.

During the next 20 years the family moved to Oklahoma Territory. It could have been that Isaac participated in the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 since the land opened for settlement included Logan and Payne Counties, which is where Isaac and his family ended up. Isaac received a homestead patent in Payne County dated 7 Jan 1897. At first I was concerned that this might not be the Isaac Smalley who was Lafe's uncle. However in the Goodland Kansas newspaper on the Library of Congress website, it had a notice in 1892 that Isaac Smalley had returned to Oklahoma and in 1903 Mrs. Isaac Smalley of Coyle, Oklahoma (which was the correct area) had come to Goodland to visit. So I was confident I had the right individual.

It was in Payne County on 15 Nov 1894 when Leoda Smalley married John D. McCamey. So by the 1900 census John and Leoda and 2 children, Loyde born Aug 1896 and Isaac born Aug 1898, were enumerated in Stillwater, Payne County Oklahoma. Another son was born 23 Feb 1906, Vernie or Verna, and he was included in the 1910 census in Paradise Township, Payne County. On that census taken in May of 1910, Leaoda was the head of the household, marked as a widow, with the 3 boys and a boarder, Mr. Clarence Graham. It was the next month, on 21 Jun 1910 when 31 year old Leoda was married to 43 year old Clarence. There is one little complication. John D. McCamey was not dead, as he lived until 1933. Did Leoda get a divorce? It appears I need to do some more research.

It appears that Clarence had been married twice before and had 2 sons over 18 when he married Leoda. He and Leoda were listed in Coyle, Logan County Oklahoma on the 1920, 1930 and 1940 censuses. Sometimes I found Coyle shown in Payne County and sometimes Logan County. From the map it appears it was at the border of the two counties. Clarence died 12 May 1944 and was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Perkins, Payne County Oklahoma. When Leoda died 8 Aug 1951 in Oklahoma City, she was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery, where her parents were also buried.