Henry Lee Montgomery, Dr.
Birth – 26 Sep 1866, Mississippi
Death – 17 May 1952, Yell, Arkansas

While talking to another online researcher about my Crawley family line (Rick Lawrence), he shared with me some memories from him and his mother about Dr. Lee, who was the area doctor. I enjoyed hearing about them, and he granted me permission to share them on my blog.

Memories of Dr. Lee Montgomery

My mom, who is 74 this month (Sept 2002), recalls that Dr. Tom Montgomery lived in Bluffton, while his brother Dr. Lee lived in Gravelly. Dr. Lee was their family doctor…

She [told] me that my father had the back of his head split open in a sawmill accident in the late 1940′s and that Dr. Lee sewed him up. She said my dad used to imitate Dr. Lee perfectly. If you owed him $3.00 and handed him a five, he would say, “Now son, that should just about cover it” and keep the change.

I thought this morning about Dr. Lee’s house…it’s on the road to the Mulberry area from Gravelly….

Dr. Lee was of course the doctor for that area of the valley. He was treating my mother’s older brother for measles and was getting better when he suddenly got sicker and complained his side was hurting. Dr. Lee was sent for but before he could get there he died. A knot was discovered on his side just before he died so he probably had a ruptured appendix along with his measles. This would have been in the early 1930′s. Mom also told me this morning that Dr. Lee’s wife was a slight or petite woman and suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis. She and another woman, a cousin of mine named Tommy Rhoades had that real bad back then. Anyway, Dr. Lee had a housekeeper who helped care for his wife and of course the general housekeeping chores. She doesn’t remember if the woman lived there or not nor can she remember her name. I asked if she was black or white and of course she was white. For your edification, there were no blacks living in that area of the valley back then as the citizenry would run them off (or worse). Apparently, after the Civil War, what few slaves were in the area did not stay around and went to Little Rock or elsewhere. My uncle lives over in Rover and there is a spot on his family land that is believed to have been the site of a couple of slave graves.

My mom’s brother, Weldon Charles “Uncle Dick ” Parker, remembered that Dr. Lee use to park his car in the driveway of Bill Byrd’s Garage in Gravelly, much to Bill’s chagrin. One day, several of the boys including my uncle, rigged up a smoke bombed on the car. When Dr. Lee got in it, it exploded and of course smoked like he had blown up the engine. Uncle Dick said he was real mad when he found out what the boys had done…and he never parked his car there again.

Mom remembered that her family called Dr. Tom “Uncle Tom” whenever they saw him. Mom always assumed that he must have been an uncle to her mother. Actually, he would have been a cousin by marriage only.

My Uncle Dick Parker, one of the culprits involved in putting the smoke/cherry bombs on Dr. Lee’s car (which, by the way, was a 1940 Plymouth) reminded my mom that Dr. Lee usually prescribed the same medicine for almost everything (that was minor of course). It was some type of cherry red liquid – who knows what – that he would put into a water glass and have you fill up 3/4′s of the way with water and then take a drink every so often. If your throat got dry or your face turned red, then you would wait a little longer before you used it again. Another Uncle Dick, Uncle Dick Jones (he wasn’t actually my uncle…just everyone called him that – he was actually my Uncle Walter Jones’ older brother) accidentally drank the whole concoction one time. He said his throat never did get dry nor did his face turn red so he figured the medicine wasn’t any good and would never you use it again.

My Uncle Dick, also remembered what I had told you earlier about how if he told you that you owed him a couple dollars and you said that all you had was a $5 he would say, “Why, why that ought to just about cover it”. Uncle Dick said Dr. Lee used the term “Why, why” a lot, like someone who would use “You know” or By Gad”, etc. “Why, why” was his “by” word or phrase. He also was not very tall and was a little portly.

The article was published in The Hays Daily News on February 19, 1934.

HAYS FARMER AND TWO SONS FREEZE TO DEATH

Adam A. Pfeifer, 39, and His Sons, William, 15, and Gilbert, 12, Are Found Dead In Snow, In a Field Northwest of Hays

SEEKING SHELTER AFTER CAR GOES INTO A DITCH

Deaths Occur Saturday Night, But Bodies Not Found Until Late Sunday; Trajedy Recalls Similar Fate Which Befell Victim’s Sister-In-Law On Same Date Eight Years Ago; Leaves Widow and Six Small Children

Adam A. Pfeifer, 39-year-old Ellis county farmer, and his two sons, William, 15, and Gilbert, 12, died in the snow-storm which swept this region Saturday night. The frozen bodies of Mr. Pfeifer and the boys were found late Sunday afternoon in the John Denning pasture one-half mile south of the Pfeifer Farm, which is seven and one-half miles northwest of Hays.

Mr. Pfeifer and his sons left home Saturday afternoon at 5 o’clock to go to Ellis for medicine for Mrs. Pfeifer, who has not been well. As nearly as can be learned, they left Ellis to return home at 9 o’clock that night. They had car trouble and had gone to a garage in Ellis, leaving there at 9 o’clock. The car was found Sunday in a ditch one-half mile northeast of Yocemento.

High Wind Drives Snow
A heavy rain Saturday, accompanied by a high wind, turned to snow at 10 o’clock at night and for a time a terrific storm raged. It is believed the car went into a ditch, and Mr. Pfeifer and the boys, after attempting unsuccessfully to get the machine back into the road, had started to walk home, or at least to find shelter.

At the place where the car was found there were some fence posts and indications were the man and the boys had tried to use them in getting the car out of the ditch.

Bodies Huddled in Blankets
John Denning found the three frozen bodies in his pasture at 4 o’clock Sunday afternoon. The bodies were lying close together and there were blankets around them. Members of the family believe they took blankets from the car to protect them from the wind when they left the car. Apparently the three became exhausted from fighting their way along and succumbed to the cold. Mr. Pfeifer, a brother Anton, said today, had suffered from ill health.

After the bodies were found J.T. Brock, the county coroner, and county officers were called and went to the Denning farm. The bodies were then brought to Hays.

On Anniversary of Tragedy
The deaths of Mr. Pfeifer and his sons occurred on the eight anniversary of the death of another member of the Pfeifer family, Mrs. Alex Pfeifer, who was frozen to death in a snowstorm, Feb. 17, 1925. Mrs. Alex Pfeifer was a sister of the widow of the man who perished Saturday night. Alex Pfeifer and Adam A. Pfeifer were brothers who had married sisters.

Surviving members of the family are Mrs. Pfeifer, the widow, and these children: Arthur Charles, Benigns, Leland, Harold, Adam Jr., and Theresa. Mr. Pfeifer is also survived by these brothers and sisters, Anton A. Pfeifer, Hays, Alex A. Pfeifer, Hays, Andrew A. Pfeifer, Kansas City; Joseph A. Pfeifer, Kansas City; John Pfeifer, Kansas City; Mrs. John Paul, Kansas City; Mrs. Elizabeth Montgomery, Russell and Mrs. Clem Denning, Hays. A sister, Mrs. Anna Karlin, preceded her brother in death.

Mr. Pfeifer was on the relief work list for Ellis county and was to have gone to work this morning.

Funeral services will be at 9 o’clock Tuesday morning at St. Joseph’s church here. Burial will be in Hays.

Front page news of the tragic death of Adam A. Pfeifer (1895-1934)

Martha Azle (Mercer) McCall or “Miss Azle” as I knew her was the second wife of my Great Great Grandfather John Keener McCall (1 Oct 1872) and married him when he already had a large family of 8 kids. They had two more children together. Currently I have no record of who her parents were or what family she came from, but I do have quite a few guesses. I thought I’d write the trail I’ve come across thus far and see if it makes sense.

What I know:
1. I have her obituary: Sublimity – Martha Azle McCall, 99, died Jan. 7, 1992. She was born Dec. 1, 1892 in Danville, Ark. She moved to Stayton in 1938 from Carlsbad, N.M. She settled in Sublimity seven years ago. She married J.K. McCall on Sept. 22, 1918 in Gravely, Ark., he died in 1966. She is survived by her sons, Charles W. of Sublimity and J.B. of Cottage Grove; stepsons, G.D. of Stayton and Troy of Carlsbad; stepdaughter, Prue Sadler of Stayton; several grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Services were held Jan. 10 at Weddle Mortuary, Stayton. Interment followed at Lone Oak Cemetery, Stayton.

2. I know that my Great Grandmother Etoyl (Montgomery) McCall who was married to Azle’s eldest step-son Robert Lee McCall said that they called her Dad “Pappy Mercer”, and she came from a poor, lower-class family. I also have some minor details about her life with her husband that was shared with my sister in a letter from the local historical society where she died.

3. I know she was born 1 December 1892, and died 7 January 1892 and was buried in the Lone Oak Cemetery in Stayton, Oregon on the 10th of January 1992. She married J.K. McCall 22 September 1918 in Gravelly, Yell County, Arkansas when she was 25 years old.

4. I know that her future husband John Keener lived with his first wife in Danville – her birthplace as listed on her obituary – in the 1900 Census. (She would have been 7 yrs old) The next census, however, him and his wife are living in the Herring Township.

5. In the 1920 Census, Azle lists her father as born in Mississippi, mother in Arkansas. In 1930, she lists both parents as being born in Arkansas.

What I’ve done:
Since I’m a self-taught amature genealogy researcher, I don’t always know the best place to start to find out what I don’t know on a person or family line. But this is what I’ve done.

1. I assumed that since she was born in Danville, she might have lived there as a child. I went through the entire Danville 1900 US Census for a Mercer family with no luck.

2. I did an open US Census search for a Martha Azle Mercer, and focused the search around Yell County, Arkansas where she was born. I found a Martha A. in Briggsville in the 1910 census, which is just 15 miles from Danville where she was born. Azle should have been 17 when the Census was taken at the end of April 1900. This “Martha A. Merser” was listed as 16, birthplace Arkansas. Her parents are listed as Silas W. (age 40, b. MS) and Martha A. (age 36, b. AR). They were married at 17. She had siblings Dovey, Dewey, Myrtle and grandfather Byrant.

Martha A. Merser - Briggsville US Census, 1910

I saw the difference in age of this Martha, and ended up putting my research to the side. I’ve been trying to focus on primary family lines first, and so I went back to the McCall side. While searching through some WW1 draft papers I ran across a Dewey S. Mercer, who stated that his nearest relative was C.W. Mercer. This sounded familiar, and I was excited to find another Mercer nearby all my McCalls so I started searching again.

The WW1 Registration of Dewey Sampson Mercer.

I decided to see if the family of Silas W. and Martha A. Merser mentioned in the 1910 Census appeared in other US Census records. After a couple frustrating name searches, I ended up going through the Briggsville Census records by hand and was lucky.

3. In the 1900 US Census I found a Wess Messer (age 30, b. MS) and his wife Minnie (age 26, b. AR) living in Briggsville, Arkansas with children named Martha, Dova and Dewey. This Martha is listed with a birthday of December 1893, and age 6. Still one year off from my Martha, but in the right month of December.

Martha Messer - Briggsville US Census, 1900

4. In the 1920 US Census I found Dewey S. (age 21) living with his father W.C. Mercer (age 48, widowed), but not Martha.

Martha's family (No Martha) - Briggsville US Census, 1920

5. I decided to focus on Dewey S. Mercer. After a few searches, I found that he had married Millie Ornduff (b. 1897, Oregon -1979, Oregon) and died in Tillamook, Oregon 17 Jan 1986. Could it be a coincidence that he ended up in Oregon, and met a wife there and died there? Perhaps this is my Martha in these census records, and she convinced her brother to come to Oregon where she was living, and there he married (perhaps a second wife). The local Tillamook historical society had a website where I got his death information, and so I emailed them for his obituary. We’ll see where the trail leads from there.

What’s next:
That’s where I’ve reached thus far. My next step is to keep following up about Dewey S., and to order Martha’s Death Certificate to see if she lists her parent’s names. I also seem to remember that there was an article written in the local paper about her because of her longevity, so that’s another avenue to explore. I’m hoping by putting this research out there, I may find a decedent of this family who’s interested in genealogy.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

Will and Minnie Ingram are buried in Stayton, Oregon in the Lone Oak Cemetery. Other members of my family from Montgomery to McCall are buried here as well.

William “Will” Ingram
Birth – 2 Jul 1887, Canton, Lewis, Missouri
Death – 2 Feb 1963, Salem, Marion, Oregon
Burial – Lone Oak Cem., Stayton, Marion, Oregon

Minnie Bell Nees
Marriage – 10 Nov 1910, Inola, Rogers, Oklahoma
Birth – 6 Sep 1888, Tahlequah, Cherokee, Oklahoma
Death – 11 Apr 1962, Silverton, Marion, Oregon
Burial – 13 Apr 1962, Lone Oak Cem., Stayton, Marion, Oregon

The headstone of William and Minnie (Nees) Ingram, Lone Oak Cemetery, Stayton, Oregon

This is a picture of him with two of his daughters Ola Garner and Orena Jacks. I don’t know the date it was taken.

Henry Lee Montgomery, Dr.
Birth – 26 Sep 1866, Mississippi
Death – 17 May 1952, Yell, Arkansas
Spouse (1) – Lucy E. Herring
Marriage – 12 Aug 1887
Spouse (2) – Allie Lou Caviness
Marriage – 14 Jul 1901

Dr. Lee Montgomery and his daughters Ola and Orena.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

The following are two published histories of Dr. Lee Montgomery, the first published in the History of Yell County, the second as part of The Goodspeed Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Western Arkansas. The second is similar, but more detailed than the first, though is does mistakenly use “Hessing” as his wife’s maiden name, which was “Herring”.

DR. H. L. MONTGOMERY A popular physician of Herring Township, was born in Mississippi on 29 September 1865, and is the son of John M. and Martha Strickland Montgomery who were natives of McNairy County, Tennessee and Marshall County Mississippi respectively. To this Mississippi family were born 13 children son of a Methodist Minister, this family emigrated to Arkansas in 1879 first locating in Faulkner County. The doctor received the greater part of his education in 1880 and began practice in 1881 on the Arkansas bottoms, thence South Bush in 1883-1884, and attended lectures in Little Rock, in 1885-1886. On 12 August 1887 he was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Herring who was born in this county 28 December 1867. Her parents Bright W. and Arah Ivey Herring were natives of Haywood County Tennessee and were born 8 January 1832 and 9 May 1836. Her father was captain of Co. F of the 3rd Arkansas Regiment of Cavalry, and belonged to the Masonic order. The doctor and wife were parents of two children: Lawrence E. and Ohma. In religion he and wife were Methodist Episcopal Church South. As a medical advisor the Doctor was held in high esteem by his patients and honored throughout his community.

Dr. H. L. Montgomery, the popular physician of Herring Township, was born in Mississippi on September 29, 1865, and is a son of John M. and Martha (Strickland) Montgomery, who were natives of McNairy County, Tenn., and Marshall County, Miss., respectively, and were married in the latter State, and to them were born a family of thirteen children. His father a Methodist minister for many years, and a member of the Masonic fraternity, emigrated to Arkansas in 1879, locating in Faulkner County, and himself and wife worship as members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The Doctor received the greater part of his education at Oxford, Miss., and began his medical studies in 1880 and commenced practice in 1881 on the Arkansas bottoms, thence South Bush in 1883-84, and attended lectures at Little Rock in 1885-86, and on August 12, of the next year, was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Hessing, who was born in this county December 28, 1867. Her parents, Bright W. and Sara (Ivey) Hessing, were natives of Haywood County, Tenn., and were born January 8, 1832, and May 9, 1836, and were the parents of ten children. Her father was captain of Company F, of Third Arkansas Regiment of Cavalry and belonged to the Masonic order. The Doctor and wife are the happy parents of two children: Lawrence E. and Ohma. In religion he and wife worship with the same denomination as did their deceased parents – Methodist Episcopal Church South. As a medical adviser the Doctor is held in high esteem by his many patients, and is honored throughout his community for his courteous and gentlemanly dealing with his fellow-men. Mrs. Mongomery is the owner of a fourth interest in a 213-acre tract of land in this county.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

The links that are located below their names are to the individual blog posts I’ve made. Since I’ve been focusing primarily on the paternal sides of every family, you’ll typically only find links for them.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

Thomas Marion Montgomery, Dr.
Birth – 9 Sep 1873, Harmontown, Lafayette, Mississippi
Death – 24 Dec 1961, Stayton, Marion, Oregon
Burial – Lone Oak Cem., Stayton, Marion, Oregon

Levicia Ellen Crawley
Marriage – 22 Nov 1892, Gravelly Hill, Yell County, Arkansas
Birth – 9 Mar 1874, Gravelly, Yell, Arkansas
Death – 8 Jan 1961, Stayton, Marion, Oregon
Burial – 11 Jan 1961, Lone Oak Cem., Stayton, Marion, Oregon

The headstone of Dr. Tom and Ellen (Crawley) Montgomery

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

The links that are located below their names are to the individual blog posts I’ve made. Since I’ve been focusing primarily on the paternal sides of every family, you’ll typically only find links for them.

The biggest hole in the ancestors of my Great Grandpa McCall are his mother’s parents. I only have sparse records of who they may be or where they may have come from. I hope to focus on this mystery again in the near future and document what I find. (Which hopefully is a lot!)

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

Here’s a timeline I’ve put together for his life, to try to get a sense of the major events that happened while he was living. I hope to add more to it as I gather more information about him.

Historical Timelines: Robert Lee “Bob” McCall

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.