12 June 2013

Whatever happened to Cleora?

Cleora Kay New married Vera's youngest brother, Martin Taylor, when he was in the military during WWII.  Some of the family didn't regard Cleora very well, thinking she married Martin for the military benefits, so not much more family info could be found regarding what happened to her after Martin went Missing in Action.

Through some online detective work, I've discovered these various documents about Cleora:

1930 Census info confirmation:
SOURCE: ancestry.com
 I located Cleora on the 1930 census, and extracted vital dates and her parents names to help with later identification on future records.

Later marriage record:
SOURCE: familysearch.org
Vol 73, film 1939813, image 379
Some further sleuthing led me to a marriage record of a "Cleora K Taylor" marrying a "Carl B. Stephens" on 26 Aug 1946 in Montana.
This would indicate that after Martin went missing in 1944, Cleora maintained her married name, moved from the midwest out to Walla Walla, WA where she met Mr. Stephens, and married him in Montana 3 years after her marriage to Martin in South Dakota.  Interesting to note that both Cleora and Carl were born in Kansas.

Obituary:
SOURCE: Tri City Herald, 5 Dec 2007
 Washington State Library, email request May 2013
Obituary transcribed:
Cleora K. Stephens
Cleora K. Stephens, 85, of Kennewick, died Dec 3 in Kennewick.
She was born in Norcatur, Kan., and lived in the Tri-Cities for 56 years.
She was a homemaker.
Mueller's Tri-Cities Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

This later evidence concludes that Cleora and Carl Stephens lived out the rest of their lives in Washington, raising a family.  I have found lingering possibilities of descendants of theirs from online sources, but have not as yet had success in contacting them in person.
Still, it's an interesting conclusion to what was once a family mystery as to her whereabouts.

"Martin & Cleora Taylor"
From the personal albums of Cheryl Murray

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