The Ancestors and Cousins of Tracy Lynn DeVault

Frances Rutelia Telford was born on 18 March 1847 in Washington Co., Tennessee.² She died on 1 June 1924, at age 77, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., California. She was buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, Los Angeles Co., California.

Frances Rutelia Telford had reference number 51573. Frances is buried next to her sister, Ester Josephine "Josephine" (Telford) Faw.

Citations

[S7449] Genealogy prepared by tildenand (Ancestry.com)
[S2787] Blanche Hannah "Blannie" DeVault

Family Explorer

John Henry Barkley¹

M, #51260

Pedigree Link

BASIC FACTS

John Henry Barkley had reference number 51574.

Citations

[S2787] Blanche Hannah "Blannie" DeVault

Family Explorer

Hugh Winfield Powers^1,2

M, #51261, b. about 1861

Pedigree Link

Family: Lona Reeder

Daughter

Lila Katherine "Katherine" Powers (b. 14 March 1896, d. 21 January 1980)

BASIC FACTS

Hugh Winfield Powers was born about 1861 in Virginia.¹

Hugh Winfield Powers had reference number 51575.

Citations

[S1447] 1920 Census, Tennessee, Sullivan County
[S2666] Birth Certificate - Lila Katherine (Powers) Faw

Family Explorer

Lona Reeder^1,2

F, #51262

Pedigree Link

Family: Hugh Winfield Powers (b. about 1861)

Daughter

Lila Katherine "Katherine" Powers (b. 14 March 1896, d. 21 January 1980)

BASIC FACTS

Lona Reeder had reference number 51576.

Citations

[S1447] 1920 Census, Tennessee, Sullivan County
[S2666] Birth Certificate - Lila Katherine (Powers) Faw

Family Explorer

Mary Tyndall^1,2

F, #51263

Pedigree Link

Family: Edward Scanlon

Son	James Francis Scanlon+ (b. 6 November 1921, d. 12 March 1992)

BASIC FACTS

Mary Tyndall had reference number 51577.

Citations

[S3974] Death Records - California, California Death Index 1940 - 1997 (Ancestry.com)
[S1563] 1930 Census, California, San Mateo County

Family Explorer

Edward Scanlon¹

M, #51264

Pedigree Link

Family: Mary Tyndall

Son	James Francis Scanlon+ (b. 6 November 1921, d. 12 March 1992)

BASIC FACTS

Edward Scanlon had reference number 51578.

Citations

[S1563] 1930 Census, California, San Mateo County

Family Explorer

John D. Pruett¹

M, #51265

Pedigree Link

Family: Cora S. Brantley

Daughter

Nancy Lee Pruett (b. 23 September 1904, d. 23 January 1960)

BASIC FACTS

John D. Pruett had reference number 51579.

Citations

[S5891] Genealogy prepared by elackey68 (Ancestry.com)

Family Explorer

Cora S. Brantley¹

F, #51266

Pedigree Link

Family: John D. Pruett

Daughter

Nancy Lee Pruett (b. 23 September 1904, d. 23 January 1960)

BASIC FACTS

Cora S. Brantley had reference number 51580.

Citations

[S5891] Genealogy prepared by elackey68 (Ancestry.com)

Family Explorer

William A. Raymaker^1,2

M, #51267, b. 1964

Pedigree Link

Family: Orpha A. Katchem

Daughter

Charlotte C. Raymaker (b. 23 February 1901, d. 22 December 2000)

BASIC FACTS

William A. Raymaker was born in 1964 in Michigan.¹

William A. Raymaker had reference number 51581.

Citations

[S734] 1910 Census, California, Los Angeles County
[S6777] Genealogy prepared by mia1926 (Ancestry.com)

Family Explorer

Orpha A. Katchem^1,2

F, #51268

Pedigree Link

Family: William A. Raymaker (b. 1964)

Daughter

Charlotte C. Raymaker (b. 23 February 1901, d. 22 December 2000)

BASIC FACTS

Orpha A. Katchem had reference number 51582.

Citations

[S734] 1910 Census, California, Los Angeles County
[S6777] Genealogy prepared by mia1926 (Ancestry.com)

Family Explorer

James Fleetwood Willis^1,2

M, #51269, b. about 1901

Pedigree Link

Family: Effie Pearl Strickler

Son	Ray Lynn Willis+ (b. 17 December 1931)

BASIC FACTS

James Fleetwood Willis was born about 1901 in Virginia.¹

James Fleetwood Willis had reference number 51583.

Citations

[S1944] 1930 Census, Tennessee, Sullivan County
[S7496] Genealogy prepared by unikornfairy1 (Ancestry.com)

Family Explorer

Effie Pearl Strickler^1,2

F, #51270

Pedigree Link

Family: James Fleetwood Willis (b. about 1901)

Son	Ray Lynn Willis+ (b. 17 December 1931)

Citations

[S1944] 1930 Census, Tennessee, Sullivan County
[S7496] Genealogy prepared by unikornfairy1 (Ancestry.com)

Family Explorer

Lotus Emigene Thomas^1,2

F, #51271, b. 26 August 1918, d. 9 August 2007

Parents

Father	Elmer Otis Thomas
Mother	Lotus Rodine Farley

Pedigree Link

Family: Robert Thomas Reeves (b. 31 July 1915, d. 6 May 1976)

Son	Gary Robert Reeves+ (b. 25 March 1938, d. 11 July 2009)

BASIC FACTS

Lotus Emigene Thomas was born on 26 August 1918 in Richmond, Contra Costa Co., California.^1,3 She died on 9 August 2007, at age 88, in Irvine, Orange Co., California.³ She was buried in Suisun-Fairfield Cemetery, Fairfield, Solano Co., California.⁴

Lotus Emigene Thomas had reference number 51585. She was enumerated on the census in Los Angeles County, California (1940.) Lotus married Robert H. McCallum in 1941.

Excerpt from a diary written by Lotus Emigene (Thomas) Reeves-McCallum. Scans of several diary pages were given to me by her son, Mike "Mac" McCallum.

Eagle Rock (1)

. . . Weekends were spent at the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, the Palladium in Los Angeles, the Rendezvous in Balboa and any other available place. This was the era of the "Big Bands." It seems at this time in my life I need some direction, but this never occurred. I was so naive. Home was not a place I wanted to be and I was rebellious. No respect. I walked to school every day (in high-heels) about three miles. I guess I was popular. I was class secretary in my senior year. Easter break, 1937, my good and dear friend, Marguerita Mays, invited me for the week at Hermosa Beach. It was here I met Bob Reeves (2) . I graduated in June of that year. After graduation, I spent [time] with Bob Daniels, he had a new car, a graduation present. We still talk about the good time we had. After graduation I was seeing Bob Reeves a lot. He was from Glendale and had a nice group of friends. I recall going to Los Angeles to the Paramount Theater, in those days they always featured vaudeville acts plus the movie. The Rite Spot, a drive-in, was the place to go after the theater, it was in Glendale. After graduation, I wanted to continue my education, perhaps Business School. Art (3) gave me a very firm "No" go to work. The only job I had ever had was in 1936, Christmas, at a Five and Ten Store at First and Broadway in Los Angeles. Not much experience! But I was fortunate to have as my good friend, Jeanne Beauchamp (her father owned Dr. Beauchamp Credit Dentists (4)). She was working in Los Angeles at the office at Fifth and Broadway. They hired me to work. I went, at twelve dollars a week (6 days) and two dollars taken out for my uniform (nurses) each week. By the end June, 1937 -- I was pregnant. What a terrible situation. Bob Reeves was the father and didn't want to admit to anything. I didn't have anyone to turn to, especially my mother. So I suffered and prayed. Of course she finally realized what a predicament I was in. After much discussion with the Reeves family, he consented to marry me. I was definitely against an abortion. We drove to Santa Barbara with another couple. Me in a black dress, trying to disguise my condition. We were married at City Hall in Santa Barbara by a judge. We went back to Engle Rock and lived with my mother and Art. Which didn't last too long. Art said "Get out." No money, no place to go. I ended up with his grandparents (5) in Glendale and Bob R. went home with his parents. I was miserable. My mother never contacted me. I don't believe she ever knew where I was. The baby was getting close, we needed a place to live. With some effort I persuaded him to look for a place. We found a very small one bedroom house, on Colorado Blvd. in Glendale. It was in the back yard of a front house. Twenty-five dollars a month, no furniture, (one chair) and holes in the floor where you could see the ground. At least it had a roof. Bob R.'s sister (6) and I became very close. She watched after me and became part of my life. She was God Sent. Helped me through many difficulties. My mother finally came around and found us. Then insisted I go to Dr. Stewart in South Gate, a long way to go for the baby's delivery. Gary (7) was born in South Gate, March 25, 1938. When Gary was about six months old, we moved to Eagle Rock. First in a place near Yosemite then to a flat on Los Robles. Bob R. started spending more time away from home, working late he said. I don't know when I found out (or did he tell me) he had a girl friend. I was so stupid -- she said she was pregnant and I invited her to dinner. What a cozy little group, Bob R., his girl friend, Gary and me. Mary, my sister-in-law was very supportive, she thought her brother crazy. I had a notion I didn't want my son to have a step-father, so I tried to disregard the problem. Hoping things would get better, but it only got worse. I finally left him. Rented an apartment on Colorado Blvd. over a cleaners. Went back to work at Dr. Beauchamp Credit Dentist in Los Angeles. This meant I had to have a baby-sitter for Gary. My schedule was a little hectic. I had to get Gary up, feed and dressed him. Get on a street car for a few miles -- get off and walk a few blocks to the baby sitter's house. Then back on the street car heading for Fifth and Broadway. After work it was the same schedule, only in reverse. This was a very down time in my life. I was so depressed. I felt no one would ever be interested in me. I had been married and had a child! Making thing more difficult, ten dollars a week was not enough to make things come together. The only alternative was to live with my mother and Art. They were living on Hartwick Street. My mother consented to watch Gary for me. This was a decision I have regretted all my life, but it was the only way out at that time.
Backing up a little -- for many years I had wondered about my father (8) and had tried to locate him, to no avail. I had always been told I was just like my father, "No good." It seems it was soon after my eighteenth birthday, my mother showed me a letter from my father. He wrote he would like a picture of me. I was "of age" so he was not responsible for child support anymore. There was an address and I was delighted. Immediately I said "I will go see him." Bob R. drove me to the address in Los Angeles. I was very brave and went up the walk, to the front door and rang the door bell. A man opened the front door and I said, "Are you Elmer Thomas?" He said, "Yes." I replied, "I am your daughter." He must have been rather startled, but he invited me in. I met his wife, Laura. I don't recall the conversation. I started seeing them regularly and told them they had a grandson. Laura worked in Los Angeles, we saw each other often, when I was working at Dr. Beauchamp's. They seemed to accept Gary and me and we had Christmas 1938 with them.
Living with Art and my mother was depressing. But the Lord is good and my life was about to change. [Lotus goes on to describe meeting and marrying Bob McCallum.]

Notes:
1) Eagle Rock is a neighborhood east of Glendale and northeast of Los Angeles in the San Rafael Hills, Los Angeles County, California. Eagle Rock is named after a large rock outcropping, resembling a profile of an eagle's head.
2) Robert Thomas Reeves (1915 - 1976).
3) Arthur Jules "Art" Leroux (1887 - 1960), Lotus' step-father.
4) In the 40s and 50s, radio, bill boards, newspapers and later television commercials advertised "Dr. Beauchamp Credit Dentist" all over the Los Angeles area.
5) This must have been Bob's maternal grandparents, Tom and Mary (maiden name unknown) Lewis. His paternal grandparents never left Tennessee.
6) Mary F. (Reeves) Conrad (1916 - 1994).
7) Gary Robert Reeves (1938 - 2009).
8) Elmer Otis Thomas (1898 - 1985).

Citations

[S2032] 1940 Census, California, Los Angeles County
[S4711] Email from Mike "Mac" McCullum dated July 15, 2014
[S6497] Genealogy prepared by kevstod (Ancestry.com)
[S4980] Find A Grave (Internet), Source Medium: Book

Family Explorer

Gary Robert Reeves^1,2

M, #51272, b. 25 March 1938, d. 11 July 2009

Parents

Father	Robert Thomas Reeves (b. 31 July 1915, d. 6 May 1976)
Mother	Lotus Emigene Thomas (b. 26 August 1918, d. 9 August 2007)

Pedigree Link

Family: Rose Yacabellis

Daughter

Mary A. Reeves

BASIC FACTS

Gary Robert Reeves was born on 25 March 1938 in Los Angeles Co., California.^1,2 He died on 11 July 2009, at age 71.³ He was buried in Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, Riverside Co., California.⁴

Gary Robert Reeves had reference number 51586. He was enumerated on the census in Los Angeles County, California (1940.) U.S. Marine Corps.⁴

Citations

[S2032] 1940 Census, California, Los Angeles County
[S2722] Birth Records - California, California Birth Index 1905 - 1995 (Ancestry.Com)
[S12398] Social Security Death Index, Source Medium: Book
[S4980] Find A Grave (Internet), Source Medium: Book

Family Explorer

Unknown Ray¹

M, #51273

Pedigree Link

Citations

[S11249] Obituary - Mary F. (Reeves) Conrad-Bradley

Family Explorer

Unknown Pietronigro¹

M, #51274

Pedigree Link

Citations

[S11249] Obituary - Mary F. (Reeves) Conrad-Bradley

Family Explorer

Unknown Noyer¹

M, #51275

Pedigree Link

Citations

[S11249] Obituary - Mary F. (Reeves) Conrad-Bradley