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Mary Jane "Jennie" (Pring) McCollough was born on June 5, 1853 in Cedar Creek Township, Allen County, IN, the daughter of John and Caroline (Minerd) Pring. 

She and her husband were pioneer settlers of Kansas, and later as a widow she went to Oklahoma. They are profiled in a thick book about the history of Kansas.

On Feb. 7, 1878, in Allen County, the 25-year-old Jennie married 27-year-old Remulous McCollough (1851-1913?). He was a native of Holmes County, OH and the son of Ohio pioneers Hudson and Sina (Griffith) McCullough. 

Remulous had a twin brother Romulous, hence the unusual spellings.

The McColloughs together produced a brood of six children -- Margaret "Maggie" Winkler, Nora "Edith" Kennedy, Ella Iona Downs, Caroline Ada "Carrie" Kennedy, Amelia Isophene DeLong and Arthur Delbert McCollough. 

The offspring were born over an 18-year span between 1878 and 1896. 

Within a month of marriage, on March 25, 1878, the McColloughs migrated west to Kansas. They settled near Rossville in Shawnee County, KS. Much of what we know about their rest of their lives is published in William G. Cutler's 1883 book, History of the State of Kansas. The chapter on Shawnee County (Part 45) states that Remulous:

... owns eighty acres, four miles north of Rossville, all under fence; seventy acres under cultivation; thirty acres in corn and twenty acres in wheat; ... Mr. McCullough is a Democrat.

Remulous' older brother Isaac McCullough had come to Kansas earlier, in 1870, and also owned an 80-acre farm four miles north of Rossville. 

In March 1892, the McColloughs made another major decision to take advantage of inexpensive land in the Oklahoma Territory. They took part in what's known as the Land Run of 1892, which opened 3.5 million open acres of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation to settlement by whites. The couple traveled from Kansas with their young children and settled in what became the town of Dale, Pottawatomie County. 

Sadly, after four years in Oklahoma, their son Arthur died in infancy, a little more than five weeks old, on July 17, 1896. That left the parents with five girls to raise.

Tragedy struck the family again the following year. Remulous passed away on Feb. 26, 1897, at the too-young age of 46. The cause of his untimely death is unknown. He was laid to rest in the Dale Cemetery, where several generations of their descendants would later be buried. 

His grave marker was still legible when photographed by descendants in February 2005.

Jennie survived Remulous by more than two decades. The federal census of 1900 shows her heading a household in Bales, Pottawatomie County. That year, 19-year-old daughter Maggie lived under her roof.

She later resided in the town of Shawnee, Pottawatomie County. She lived there at the time of her mother's death in 1911. Her brother John and daughters Nora, Ella and Amelia are known to have lived in Oklahoma over the years, and were her ongoing friends and companions.

Jennie passed away on March 11, 1919. She was laid to rest in the Dale Cemetery. She was age 66.

~ Daughter Edith Nora (McCollough) Ownby Kennedy ~

Daughter Edith Nora McCollough (1878-1971) was born on Nov. 15, 1878 in Rossville, Shawnee County, KS. 

At the age of 14, she and her parents and siblings participated as pioneers in the Run of 1892 whereby they relocated to Oklahoma and settled in the future town of Dale, Pottawatomie County.

Shawnee News-Star, 1971

Edith was first married circa 1897 to 23-year-old Robert Owenby/Ownby ( ? - ? ), when she would have been 19 years of age. He was a native of Georgia and was the son of G.W. and T. (Bristow) Owenby.

They produced one son, John Richard Owenby/Ownby. 

The marriage was troubled. Edith sued for divorce, and it was granted in November 1901, as reported in the County Democrat of Tecumseh, OK. She and her son moved into the home of her widowed mother in Bales, Pottawatomie County.

After a year of single motherhood, on Dec. 11, 1902, in Springville, KS, under the name of "Edith Nora Ownby," she married Charles "Wilson" Kennedy (Feb. 1, 1873-1946), the son of Ransom B. and Sarah Margaret (McKelvey) Kennedy, and stepson of Abraham Lincoln Kennedy. She was age 25, and Wilson 29, at the time.

The McCollough and Kennedy families were close, and Edith's sister Caroline wed Wilson's brother David Ransom Kennedy. Wilson's father was of mixed race, including 50 percent of the Pottawatomie nation of Native Americans. As such, in the term of the day, the father was a "half breed," with his sons thus accorded a 25 percent figure.

Wilson was a native of Silver Lake, KS and had come to Oklahoma as a pioneer during the Run of 1889, initially settling in Dale, Pottawatomie County. He later served as a private with the 32nd United States Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American War.

The four children they bore together were Charles Edward Kennedy, Eva Mae Roberts, Doshia Marie Kennedy and Paul Lowell Kennedy. 

Wilson is known to have served as postmaster of the town of Dale, following in the footsteps of his father and mother, and receiving his appointment on Dec. 18, 1901. Then circa 1909, the city directory for Shawnee shows him employed as a fireman/plugman at the Central Fire Station and their address as 306 South Oklahoma Avenue.  

The family was plunged into grief when daughter Doshia died at age 16 months on Nov. 15, 1909. Death again claimed son Charles (1902-1918) when he succumbed to pneumonia and influenza on Nov. 28, 1918, at the age of 16, following a dozen days of suffering. A newspaper said that Charles "was an energetic and industrious youth," that the "bereaved relatives have the deep sympathy of their many friends, and that "Numerous relatives will attend" the funeral.

The U.S. census of 1910 shows the Kennedys living on East Main Street in Shawnee, Pottawatomie County, OK. 

Over the decade, Wilson's responsibilities with the department increased and he by 1919 became fire chief. He resigned in 1919. 

When the federal census was taken in 1920, Wilson and Edith and their children lived under his parents' roof on Philadelphia Street in Shawnee. Wilson's occupation was stacking flour at a local mill.

Later, they made their home in Okmulgee, Okmulgee County, OK. Their address was 508 West Sixth Street, and they belonged to the Okmulgee Christian Church. At the age of 67 in 1940, Wilson had no occupation.

Wilson died on Dec. 17, 1946, at the age of 73, in Okmulgee. The Shawnee News-Star eulogized him as the town's former fire chief. Funeral services were held at the First Christian Church of Okmulgee, led by Rev. Allen. His pallbearers included W.W. Wicker, C.C. Hawk, A.I. Brown, Charles McGinnis, C.C. Patton and Mike Seikel. Burial was in the Fairview Cemetery in Shawnee. Among his survivors, as named in the News-Star obituary, were brothers David Kennedy of Cushing OK, Walter Kennedy of Winfield, KS, Marion Kennedy of Arizona, Mrs. W.R. Phillips of McAlester, OK and Mrs. Clara Neal of Wichita.

Edith outlived him by a quarter-century, and passed away in an Okmulgee hospital on Aug. 1, 1971. An obituary in the News-Star noted that she "moved to Oklahoma Territory with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Romulus McCollough, March, 1892." Burial was in Fairview Cemetery.

Genealogical records of this family were compiled circa 1990 by Jane E. (Phillips) Rutherford of Shawnee and deposited in the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center in Shawnee. 

Son John Richard Owenby/Ownby (1897-1956) was born on Sept. 17, 1897 in Oklahoma. He was adopted by his step-father and in 1910, at the age of 12, lived under the parents' roof in Shawnee using the name "Kennedy." Circa 1920, he resided with his parents and worked as a manager of a gasoline and oil filling station in Shawnee. John was joined in wedlock with Sarah ( ? - ? ). They became the parents of three -- Lenna Margaret Kennedy, Lynn Pugh and Hamilton Wilson Kennedy. In 1946, their home was in Rolla, MO, where he earned a living with the Missouri Bureau of Mines and also was a farmer. In the mid-1950s, they dwelled in St. James, Phelps County, MO, with John working in maintenance for First Presbyterian Church of Rolla. Stricken with a heart attack at the age of 59, he was admitted to Phelps County Memorial  Hospital in Rolla, where he died a day later on March 15, 1956. Burial of the remains was in Lake Spring Cemetery, Lake Spring, MO. The widowed Sarah lived in Tucson, AZ in 1971. She was swept away by the angel of death at Lake Spring on the Fourth of July 1984.

• Granddaughter Lenna Margaret Kennedy (1927- ? ) -- a.k.a. Lynna May Kennedy -- was born on March 18, 1927. She lived in Rolla in young womanhood. On Oct. 10, 1946, she entered into marriage with Ohio native Robert Lee Arbuckle (1926- ? ). The nuptials were held at the home of Lenna's grandfather H.W. Lenox near Lake Spring, led by the hand of Rev. G. Scott Porter, minister of the local Presbyterian Church. News of their marriage was printed in the Rolla Herald. The couple immediately established their home in Ohio in the town of Conneaut, Ashtabula County, OH. They did not reproduce. Robert is known to have been employed as a truck driver for a radio parts factory in 1950. Robert was deceased by 1992, at which time the widowed Lenna remained in her home at 484 Parker Street, Conneaut.

• Granddaughter Lynn Kennedy (1934- ? ) was born in 1934. She made a home with her parents in 1956 in St. James, MO. Lynn was joined in wedlock with James Pugh ( ? - ? ). Together, they bore a brood of four offspring -- Becky Louise Pugh, Nancy Elizabeth Pugh, David Michael Pugh and Margaret Lynn Pugh. As of 1992, the Pughs lived at 26715 40th Avenue South in Kent, WA. 

• Grandson Hamilton Wilson Kennedy (1939- ? ) was born on Nov. 25, 1939. He resided with his parents in St. James, MO in 1956. Hamilton was united in matrimony with Patricia Zircle ( ? - ? ), daughter of Harold and Georgia Zirkle and stepdaughter of Charles Hooper of McFarland, KS. Three children of this union were Shawn R. Kennedy, Collene/Calleen Sue Kennedy and Kevin Wilson Kennedy. Circa 1978, Hamilton held the rank of lieutenant colonel and was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Papillion, NE. Grief blanketed the family when son Shawn died at age 11 on April 13, 1978, following what the Omaha World-Herald called "a lengthy illness." Burial was in Cedar Dale Cemetery, Papillion. The sadness was compounded the following year when son Kevin passed away in 1979. Circa 2006, the Kennedys made their home in Omaha.

Joe Grant's workplace, the Pittsburgh Plate Glass plant, Henryetta, OK

Daughter Eva Mae Kennedy (1905-1965) was born on April 13, 1905 in Dale, OK. She was twice-married. Her first spouse was Byron Lee Roberts ( ? -1949), the son of B.L. Roberts and a native of Lamont, OK who had grown to manhood in Tonkawa, OK. The pair's only daughter was Kathlyn Ann Reynolds. Byron had attended junior college and was considered an accomplished pianist. The family relocated to Atlanta, GA. Sadly, the 44-year-old Byron succumbed to a heart attack in a hospital in Atlanta on Sept. 26, 1949. His remains were shipped to Tonkawa for a funeral led by Rev. Carl Boyd of the First Christian Church. An obituary was published in the Ponca City (OK) News, which said Byron "was well known here." Eva Mae's second husband was Joseph Heatherington "Joe" Grant (Feb. 4, 1892-1973), a native of Findlay, Hancock County, OH who had migrated to Sapulpa, OK in 1914. The bride was a baker's dozen years younger than the groom. He brought two stepchildren into the second union -- Harold G. Grant and Joseph J. Grant. They did not reproduce. Byron was a U.S. Army veteran of World War I. He was employed for 28 years by Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company in Henryetta, OK. Their address in the mid-1960s was 707 North Prairie in Okmulgee. Joseph held memberships in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Window Glass Cutters League of America and the American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). As her health failed, Eva Mae became a resident of a local nursing home. Sadly, at age 60, she passed into eternity in Okmulgee, OK on Nov. 11, 1965. Interment was in Okmulgee Cemetery following services conducted by her pastor, Rev. William J. Imhoff. Her obituary appeared in the Okmulgee Daily Times. Joseph survived her by almost eight years and married again to Wanda ( ? - ? ). He passed away in Henryetta on April 30, 1973. As he had done eight years earlier, Rev. Imhoff led the funeral service. Pallbearers included Leonard Allen, Raymond Howe Sr., Carl Perkins Sr., Ted Pierson, William Carini and Arnold Castin, as per an obituary in the Daily Times.

Kathlyn Reynolds coaching her Singing Blue Angels 6th graders from Wiley Post Elementary School, performing in the Oklahoma state capitol rotunda, 1982. Oklahoma Times photo by Vince Hennigan, no. 2012.201.B1085.0522, courtesy of The Gateway to Oklahoma History and the Oklahoma Historical Society.

• Kathlyn Reynolds - Daily Oklahoman photo by Bob Albright, no. 2012.201.B1085.0530, courtesy of The Gateway to Oklahoma History and the Oklahoma Historical Society.

  Granddaughter Kathlyn Ann Roberts (1929- ? ) was born on Sept. 21, 1929 in Shawnee, OK. She was a 1946 graduate of Okmulgee High School. She first studied at the Oklahoma College for Women and received her bachelor of music in voice degree from the University of Oklahoma. Later she was awarded a teacher certification and music education from OU. She wed Charles "Robert" Reynolds (Sept. 23, 1925-2012), a native of Wichita, KS and the son of Charles and Embaline (Bowerman) Reynolds. Their marriage endured for an extraordinary 62 years until cleaved apart by death. Two offspring born into this family were Denise Lynn Reynolds and Jeffrey Alan Reynolds. Robert grew up in Oklahoma City and was a graduate of Classen High School. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Air Force for two years. He then graduated from UO, where the pair met.  
  
  Circa 1965-1973, they dwelled in Oklahoma City. Kathlyn was a longtime music teacher in the Putnam City Schools, including at Putnam City Central and Tulakes. In 1972, she was voted "Teacher of the Year" by her fellow faculty members, said the Okmulgee Daily Times, "an annual honor voted in each Putnam City elementary and secondary school." Among her myriad accomplishments by that time were as chair of the Putnam City Music Teachers Association and as a church music teacher. Her civic and community activities included the board of Children's Convalescent Hospital, Children's Memorial Hospital, Oklahoma City Appeals Review Board and the Oklahoma City Women's Symphony. She also volunteered her time with the Junior Hospitality, Cowboy Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, American Red Cross, United Fund and Lyric Theatre. Her musical affiliations included the Women's Symphony Committee, Canterbury Choral Society, Ladies Music Club, Oklahoma City Choral Union, Oklahoma City Vesper Chorale and United Methodist Church of the Seervant Choir. If that all weren't enough, she sang with the Junior Hospitality Follies, Lyric Theatre and Oklahoma City Opera Chorus.
  
  Circa 1972, Robert owned an outdoor advertising company named Reymore Inc. He also was a longtime petroleum landman and did not retire until reaching the age of 80. As time allowed, he liked to fish and go on vacations to Red River, NM. He was active with the Young Men's Club and for 35 years sang in the church choir. Kathlyn went on to teach at Wiley Post Elementary School starting in 1973, where she directed the student chorus invited to perform at the Music Educators National Conference in Chicago. In 1981, she was honored as Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, announced at the opening of the state fair. After 23 years in the Putnam City district, and 45 years as an educator, she retired in 1990. Adding to her honors, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Educators' Hall of Fame in 1994. With fellow teacher Christi Cari Miller, she co-authored the music for Little Donkey's Easter Journey, a musical demonstrating the joy of the Christian holiday through the eyes of animals who witnessed Holy Week in Jerusalem. On Aug. 9, 2004, Kathlyn was featured in the Daily Oklahoman in an article headlined "Longtime Putnam City teacher too busy to dive into retirement." The article quoted her as saying she "was the most miserable retiree ever. I wasn't ready to give up music and children." The family was plunged into mourning at the untimely death of their married son Jeffrey. Sadly, Robert died at the age of 86 on Sept. 9, 2012. In an obituary in the Daily Oklahoman, the family asked that any memorial donations be made to the Church of the Servant Music or Care Ministries and Mercy Hospice.
  

  Great-granddaughter Denise Lynn Reynolds (1953- ? ) was born in 1953. She studied at Oklahoma University in 1972. In July 1975, she married John Loman "Jack" Leonard ( ? - ? ). The couple's three children were Jennifer Mae Andrews, Jessica Margaret Huffman and James Cedric "J.C." Leonard.

  Great-grandson Jeffrey Alan Reynolds (1958-2010) was born in 1958. He was an alumnus of Oklahoma State University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in hotel and restaurant management. He entered into marriage with Kirstin ( ? - ? ). Their one known son was Jeffrey "Blake" Reynolds, born in 1987. Jeffrey founded Crown Construction Inc., a company with a specialty of fine home building and remodeling. Said the Daily Oklahoman, "Jeff's guiding values in his personal and professional lives were integrity and excellence. He loved life and lived it to the fullest..." A wave of great grief swept over the family when Jeffrey passed away on April 22, 2010.  Funeral services were conducted in the Church of the Servant.

• Step-grandson Harold G. Grant lived at 1616 Glennan Drive in 1965 and in Houston, TX in 1973. 

• Step-grandson Joseph J. Grant dwelled at 1806 East 11th Street in the mid-1960s and was in Okmulgee in 1973.

Mid-Continent oil refinery, Tulsa, Paul Kennedy's employer

Son Paul Lowell Kennedy (1911-1986) was born on July 14, 1911 in Shawnee, OK. He joined the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II and in 1942 was stationed with a coastal artillery unit at Inglewood, CA. On Dec. 19, 1942, at the age of 31, he entered into marriage with Lucille "Arlene" Leigh ( ? - ? ), daughter of Volney N. and Rose Leigh of 3 South Wheeling Street in Tulsa. The wedding was officiated by Rev. Dr. Golder Lawrence at the First Methodist Church and announced on the pages of the Tulsa World, which said that she "wore a light blue crepe ensemble with black accessories. Her corsage was of American Beauty roses. Her only jewelry was a cameo locket, a ghift from the groom." The couple's only son was Lowell Wilson Kennedy. When named in the Shawnee News-Star obituary of his father in 1946, his home was in Tulsa and in 1956 in Mounds, OK. He earned a living over 31 years with Mid-Continent Refinery, becoming part of Sun Oil Company, retiring in 1976. By 1971, with Paul remaining in Tulsa, his wife 's residence was in Tucson, AZ. He retired in 1976. He was a member of the Sapulpa lodge of the Masons and the Mounds Christian Church. He died on April 12, 1986, at age 74, as a patient in Oklahoma Osteopathic Hospital. Rev. Edwin Yarger led the funeral service, with an obituary appearing in the Sapulpa Daily Herald. Burial was in Mounds Cemetery. Circa 1990, Arlene made her home at 1617 South Indianapolis Street in Tulsa.

• Grandson Lowell Wilson Kennedy (1945- ? ) was born in 1945 in Tulsa. He graduated in 1968 from Oklahoma State University. Lowell resided in Tulsa in young manhood and worked as a material planner for Unit Rig and Equipment Company. On May 12, 1979, in nuptials held in the Church of the Madalene in Tulsa, he was joined in wedlock with Marianne "Cecile" McKenna ( ? - ? ), daughter of John Thomas McKenna of Tulsa. Officiating was Rev. Christopher P. Daigle. The marriage was announced in the Sapulpa Daily Herald. At the time, Cecile worked as a personnel consultant for Dunhill in Tulsa. The Kennedys begat three children -- David Matthew Kennedy, Elizabeth Diane Kennedy and Maureen Michelle Kennedy. They lived in Tulsa in 1986-1991.

~ Daughter Margaret "Maggie" (McCollough) Winkler ~

Daughter Margaret E. "Maggie" McCollough (1880-1965) was born on June 25, 1880 in Kansas. 

She grew up in Pottawatomie County, OK after her parents relocated there during the Land Run of 1892.

She married Lucius Vinson Winkler (March 11, 1875-1975), a native of Missouri and the son of Tabitha Winkler. 

They did not reproduce. 

Census records for 1910 list the couple living in Edmond, Oklahoma County, on West Third Street. Lucius worked as a bookkeeper for a retail lumber company. That year, residing under their roof were Lucius' widowed mother and single brothers Felix and Thomas.

At the age of 43, living in Edmond, Lucius was required to register for the military draft. At the time, he was employed by Frank E. Buell Lumber Company.

The pair pulled up stakes and by 1935 relocated to California. Their home in 1935-1940 was in Santa Clara, Santa Clara County. There, he was an overseer of a farm and Margaret a dried fruit laborer. 

Margaret died in Santa Clara County on May 17, 1965, at the age of 85.

Lucius survived his wife by a decade. He passed away in Los Gatos, Santa Clara County on Jan. 23, 1975, just a few months before his 100th birthday.  

~ Daughter Caroline Ada "Carrie" (McCollough) Kennedy ~

Dale Cemetery

Daughter Caroline Ada "Carrie" McCollough (1883-1974) was born on Nov. 20, 1883 in Kansas.

At the age of 19, on July 19, 1903, Carrie was united in wedlock with 19-year-old David Ransom Kennedy (March 21, 1884-1954), a Kansas native and the son of Ransom B. and Sarah Margaret (McKelvey) Kennedy and stepson of Abraham Lincoln Kennedy. Officiating was Rev. J.A. Johnston, of the Baptist Church of Dale, OK, in his residence. On their marriage license application, she was listed as white and he as Indian.

Their union endured for a remarkable 51 years.

The McCollough and Kennedy families were close, and Caroline's sister Edith Nora wed David's brother Charles "Wilson" Kennedy. 

David was a native of Silver Lake, KS and had come to Oklahoma at the age of five, settling with his parents in Shawnee. He is known to have attended the Indian School, known as St. Benedict's Contract School at Sacred Heart in 1890.

Their six children, all born in Oklahoma, were Howard Ransom Kennedy, Frank Oren Kennedy, Hazel Elsie Altman Robb, Jesse Burns Kennedy, and twins Jack O'Neal Kennedy and Wanda Beth Kennedy. Sadly, daughter Wanda died on Nov. 23, 1923, at the tender age of about three months. Her remains were placed at rest in the Dale Cemetery.

When the federal census was taken in 1910, the Kennedys made their home on a farm in Bales, Pottawatomie County, OK. At that time, they had been married for seven years and had produced their four eldest children. The 1912 city directory for Shawnee lists their address as 320 East 10th Street.

The United States Census of 1920 finds the family in Chelsea, Rogers County, OK, with David employed as a stationary engineer, meaning he operated industrial machinery or equipment.

Carrie and David again pulled up stakes during the 1920s and migrated to Arkansas. As of 1930-1940, they dwelled on a farm in Lees Creek, Washington County, AR. In 1930, only sons Jessie and Jack were in the household. By 1940, son Howard and his wife Iva had come to reside under their roof.

Census records for 1950 list the Kennedys near Sapulpa and Cushing, Payne County, OK. He worked at the time, at age 66, as a repairman operating his own radiator shop. At their golden wedding anniversary, in 1953, a party was held at their daughter Hazel's residence, with husband wife receiving matching wedding bands.

After a decade in Cushing, they moved to their daughter Hazel Altman's home in Tulsa in February 1954. With him dying, the pair marked their 51st wedding anniversary on July 19, 1954.

Less than a week later, he died at age 70 after a cancer illness of five weeks' duration on July 25, 1954. An obituary in the Tulsa Tribune called him a "pioneer Oklahoman." Burial was in Dale Cemetery

Carrie outlived him by more than two decades, and she passed away on Sept. 16, 1974.

Genealogical records of this family were compiled circa 1990 by Jane E. (Phillips) Rutherford of Shawnee and deposited in the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center in Shawnee. 

Son Howard Ransom Kennedy (1904-1982) was born on July 29, 1904 in Dale Township, Ellis County, OK. In a wedding held in Fayetteville, AR, he was united in matrimony with Iva I. (1916- ? ). She was 11 years younger than her spouse. One son born to this union died in infancy. They are known to have lived in Washington County, AR in 1935 and then by 1940 moved in with his parents in nearby Lees Creek, AR. By 1954, they had migrated to Denver, where he earned a living with the Southern Pacific Railway. Their address in Denver was 1551 Shoshone. Howard died in Denver Federal Heights on July 8, 1982. His remains were brought back to his native state for burial in Flynn Memorial Cemetery southwest of Cushing, OK. Iva survived for many years and moved to Cimarron, KS.

Son Frank Oren Kennedy (1906-1996) was born on Jan. 22, 1906 in Dale Township, Ellis County, OK. On Jan. 5, 1936, at the age of 29, he entered into marriage with 24-year-old Ada Alene Kendall (April 14, 1911-1999). Church of the Nazarene pastor Rev. J.E. Burkett officiated. Three known children born to the couple were Janice LaJune Howard, Carol Jean Hull Maxwell  and Dale F. Kennedy. Their home in 1945 was at 224 North Wade Street, Cushing, OK. When the federal census enumeration was made in 1950, the couple dwelled in Black Dog, Osage County, OK, where Frank labored in maintenance for an oil pipeline. The couple's residence in 1954 was in Elk City, Beckham County, OK. Frank is known to have retired from Shell Oil. He passed away in Oklahoma City at the age of 90 on Sept. 28, 1996. Burial was in Flynn Cemetery following funeral services held at the Trinity Church of the Nazarene. A brief death notice was published in the Daily Oklahoman. Ada outlived him by three years. Death swept her away a week before Christmas 1999.

• Granddaughter Janice LaJune Kennedy (1937- ? ) was born in 1937 in Cushing, OK. She was a 1955 graduate of Elk City High School. She lived in Oklahoma City as a young woman, employed in the Oklahoma Department of Public Welfare. On Sept. 18, 1960, she wed Eldon Gerald Howard (1937- ? ), son of Ruby Faye Howard, in nuptials held in the Nazarene Church in Elk City, Beckham County, OK, officiated by Rev. Charles Tryon. Their marriage license was announced in the Sayre (OK) Sun., and their wedding portrait published in the Elk City Journal. Eldon was a 1955 alumnus of Canute High School and, at the time of their nuptials,Eldon was stationed at Fort Riley, KS with the U.S. Army. Two offspring in this family are Lonnie Gerald Howard and Nena Carol Howard. The family dwelled in Oklahoma City in 1961 and later in Hammon, OK.

  Great-grandson Lonnie Gerald Howard (1962- ? ) was born in 1962 in Elk City, Beckham County, OK. On June 25, 1988, he wed Rhonda Michelle Williams ( ? - ? ). Their known son is Chase Gerald Howard.

  Great-granddaughter Nena Carol Howard (1969- ? ) was born in 1969 in Sayre, Beckham County, OK.

• Granddaughter Carol Jean Kennedy (1939- ? ) was born in 1939 in Cushing, OK. She was a 1957 graduate of Elk City High School. Afterward, she attended Draughon's School of Business in Oklahoma City and accepted a position with Maryland County Insurance Company of Oklahoma City. She has been twice-married. Her first spouse was Tommy Max Hull ( ? - ? ). Their wedding, held on March 11, 1961, was led by Rev. Dr. Kenneth Rice in the First Nazarene Church of Oklahoma City. The Elk City (OK) Daily News reported that she "wore a ballerina length gown of white silk taffeta featuring a scooped neckline, full skirt and elbow length sleeves. Her shoulder length veil was attached to a tiara of seed pearls. She carried a bouquet of pink and white carnations atop a white satin Bible." Tommy was a 1964 graduate of Capitol Hill High School and, at the time of marriage, worked for an oil well drilling company. Together, they bore Kimberly Dawn Hull and Max Kevin Hull. The pair divorced in August 1977. Then on May 1, 1982, she was joined in wedlock with Louis Donald Maxwell ( ? - ? ). They put down roots in Oklahoma City.

  Great-granddaughter Kimberly Dawn Hull (1962- ? ) 

  Great-grandson Max Kevin Hull (1968- ? )

• Grandson Dale Frank Kennedy (1948- ? ) was born in 1948 in Cushing, OK. His first wife was Dr. Connie Sue Rowley ( ? - ? ), daughter of Eldon and Clara Mae Rowley. The pair produced daughters Leslie Jill Kennedy and Courtney Erin Kennedy. The marriage ended in divorce in Tulsa in June 1975, and Connie married a second time to Alvin W. Roberts. Dale wed a second time to Rhonda Gayle Eddie ( ? - ? ). Twins born to the couple are Joshua Oren Kennedy and Jessica Kennedy. The family was plunged into grief when daughter Leslie died on Aug. 3, 1994. Her ashes were laid to rest in Fairland, OK. Dale made his residence in Tennessee in 1994.

  Great-granddaughter Leslie Jill Kennedy (1969-1994) was born three days after Christmas 1969 in Bartlesville, OK. She made a home in Broken Arrow, OK in the mid-1990s. Sadly, at the age of 24, she died on Aug. 3, 1994. Her remains were cremated and placed into eternal repose in Fairland Cemetery, OK. An obituary appearedin the Picher (OK) Tri-State Tribune. An epitaph on her grave marker reads "Forever young, forever loved."

  Great-granddaughter Courtney Erin Kennedy (1974- ? ) was born in 1974. She lived in Tulsa in 1994.

  Great-grandson Joshua Oren Kennedy (1980- ? ) was born in 1980, a twin with his sister Jessica.

  Great-granddaughter Jessica Kennedy (1980- ? ) was born in 1980, a twin with her brother Joshua.

Tulsa skyline

Daughter Hazel Elsie Kennedy (1908-1997) was born on Feb. 22, 1908 in Dale Township, Ellis County, OK. She is said to have attended grade school in Dale until sixth grade when the family then relocated to Missouri. She first wed Frank L. Altman ( ? - ? ). Offspring born to this union were George F. Altman and Patricia Louise Komyathy. The couple divorced, with F.L. moving to San Antonio, TX. Hazel's home in 1948-1954 was in Tulsa at the address of 3508/3509 East Third Street. She married once more, when both were age 48, to Willie "Randall" Robb ( ? - ? ). He had been married before and brought two stepdaughters into the union -- Glyndoris Hopper and Mary L. Rands. This couple lived at 1040 East 6th Street in Cushing, OK in the 1950s and later moved to St. Louis. Hazel died in St. Louis on Sept. 30, 1997, with an obituary published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Her burial occurred in Oklahoma. She was survived by eight grandchildren. 

• Grandson George Frank Altman (1928-1986) was born on Jan. 30, 1928 in Ada, OK. He was a graduate of Will Rogers High School. George was a lifelong bachelor. In August 1946, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and in 1948 was posted to the naval ammunition depot at Pearl Harbor. Circa 1954, he was trained in submarine escape procedures at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. In 1956, he was stationed in Japan with the Marine Aircraft Group 11 of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. He died in Longwood, FL on Nov. 9, 1986. A memorial service was held in Cushing, OK, by the hand of Rev. Dr. James Reynolds of the local First Baptist Church.

• Granddaughter Patricia Louise "Pat" Altman (1931- ? ) was born on Aug. 3, 1931. As a young woman, she was a music student at Oklahoma A&M College, today known as Oklahoma State University at Stillwater. On June 28, 1952, in nuptials held at the First Baptist Church of Stillwater, she was united in matrimony with Joseph Charles Komyathy ( ? - ? ), a New York City native and son of Josephine Komyathy. Officiating was Rev. Kermit E. Whiteaker, with the wedding announced with Patricia's bridal portrait in the Tulsa World. At the time of marriage, Joseph had graduated with a bachelor of science from City College of New York and a master of science from Purdue University, and was pursuing his doctorate in chemistry from Oklahoma A&M. Together, they bore two children -- David Komyathy and Karen Komyathy. The couple divorced. Patricia wed again to Charles T. Baker Jr. ( ? - ? ). One daughter of the second marriage was Cecelia Baker. Evidence hints that Patricia and her niece Mary Rands sung at the funeral of Patricia's brother George in 1986. As of 1992, Patricia made her residence in Brewster, NY.
  
  Former husband Joseph circa 1972 lived in Poughkeepsie, NY and served on the Wappingers School District Board of Education. He was a controversial member using combative language and tactics to get his way, with his activity frequently covered on the pages of the Poughkeepsie Journal. Today, a memorial fund in Joseph's name is administered by the Community Foundation of Dutchess County and the Ulster County Community Foundation in Poughkeepsie, NY.

• Granddaughter Glyndoris Robb entered into marriage with William Hopper. Her home in 2018 was in Tulsa.

• Step-granddaughter Mary L. Robb (1930-2018) was born on Aug. 21, 1930 in Galena Park, TX. She was a 1948 graduate of Will Rogers High School in Tulsa and in 1951 of St. John's School of Nursing, also of Tulsa. Mary was united in matrimony with David G. Rands ( ? - ? ). Their union endured for 46 years until the separation of death. The trio of offspring born to the couple were Mary Frances Collins, David W. Rands and Carolyn Williams. They established a residence in St. Louis. For many years, she was employed at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis on the neuromedicine floor. Said an obituary, "Some of her favorite activities were singing, gardening, painting, sewing, knitting, feeding the birds and taking care of everyone. She would do anything for anyone who needed her, whether they were family or not. There are people all over the world who will remember her kindness forever. In her later years, she would always leave a can of Pepsi for the postal and sanitation workers." She passed away at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in O'Fallon, IL on Dec. 28, 2018. In an obituary, the family asked that any memorial donations be made to Doctors Without Borders or the American Refugee Committee.

  Step-great-granddaughter Mary Frances Rands is believed to have sung at the funeral of her uncle George Altman in 1986. She wed James Collins. They dwelled in 2018 in Collinsville, IL.

  Step-great-grandson David W. Rands married Lynda. Their home has been in Glen Carbon, IL.

  Step-great-granddaughter Carolyn Rands was joined in wedlock with Gary Williams. They put down roots in Collinsville, IL.

Son Jesse Burns "Jess" Kennedy (1910-1983) was born on April 12, 1910 in Dale Township, Ellis County, OK. At the age of 27, on Aug. 29, 1937, he was united in matrimony with Jo "Ellen" Purser (April 14, 1915-1982). A trio of offspring borne by the couple included Barbara Darline Holliday, Daniel Bruce "Danny" Kennedy and Darrell Wade Kennedy. The family dwelled in Denver, CO, where Jesse earned a living through his work for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Their Denver address was 3225 Zuni Street. In 1949, Jesse wrote to the Western Oklahoma Consolidated Agency of Anadarko, OK, saying he was already enrolled in the Pottawatomie Indian Tribe and would sought similar recognition for his children. A reply from the agency stated that Jesse's name on the rolls was no. 1291 and that he held a 1/8 degree of Pottawatomie blood. Sadly, Ellen passed away in the mile high city in Aug. 1982. Jesse only outlived her by a year. He died in May 1983, also in Denver.

• Granddaughter Barbara "Darline" Kennedy (1939- ? ) was born on Nov. 23, 1939. On Nov. 19, 1988, when she was 49 years of age, she entered into marriage with widower Lester Mason Holliday (June 15, 1924-1995), a native of Ava, MO. He and his first wife, Janie Frances (Cain) Holliday, were the parents of seven -- Kay Holliday, Terry Holliday (stillborn), Lester Holliday, Ray Holliday, Kathy Smith, Tony W. Holliday and Mike Holliday. Darline and Lester were 15 years apart in age and did not reproduce. They lived in Pleasanton, IA, where Lester was a member of the board of the Pleasanton Methodist Church. Lester died at home at the age of 71 on June 5, 1995. The Bethany (MO) Republican-Clipper published an obituary which said he was survived by 20 grandchildren. His remains were interred in Leon (IA) Cemetery.

• Grandson Daniel Bruce "Danny" Kennedy (1940-1990) was born on Dec. 12, 1940. In August 1962, at the age of 22, he married Sharon Lee Stevens (April 29, 1944- ? ). The four children born into this family were Triss LaRay Schneider, Scott Wade Kennedy, Tamara Lynn Kennedy and Darrin Charles Kennedy. Grief cascaded over the family when son Scott died in infancy and again when Daniel surrendered to death on Jan. 6, 1990.

  Great-granddaughter Triss LaRay Kennedy (1963- ? ) was born in 1963. She was joined in wedlock in February 1983 with Scott Schneider ( ? - ? ).

  Great-granddaughter Tamara Lynn Kennedy (1970- ? )

  Great-grandson Darrin Charles Kennedy (1974- ? )

• Grandson Darrell Wade Kennedy (1947- ? ) was born in 1947. He tied the knot with Patricia Miller (1948- ? ). Four children of this couple were Erick Kennedy, twins Nickalis Kennedy and Nathan Kennedy, and Brandon Kennedy. Darrell and Patricia eventually divorced. As of 1992, he made his home in Connecticut.

  Great-grandson Erick Kennedy (1974- ? ) was born in 1974.

  Great-grandson Nickalis Kennedy (1982- ? ) was born in 1982, a twin with his brother Nathan.

  Great-grandson Nathan Kennedy (1982- ? ) was born in 1982, a twin with his brother Nickalis.

  Great-grandson Brandon Kennedy (1983- ? ) was born in 1983.

Son Jack O'Neal Kennedy (1923-2010) was born on Aug. 25, 1923 in Belle, MO. He was a twin with his sister Wanda Beth. Sadly, the sister died at age three months. Jack grew up in a farming household in Lees Creek, AR. A damaged eardrum prevented him from military service during World War II. He moved to Denver and was in the mile high city in 1954. He entered into marriage with Helen ( ? -1992). The pair did not reproduce. For 36 years, he was employed by the Denver Wallpaper and Paint Company where he stocked and delivered products. Sadly, Helen died in Denver in February 1992. Jack outlived his bride by 18 years. On Jan. 23, 1993, in Denver, he wed again to Denise Hiebert ( ? - ? ), whom he had met while working in the kitchen of a local assisted living facility. He was named in the 1997 St. Louis Post-Dispatch obituary of his sister, Hazel Robb. His and Denise's final years were spent in Battlement Mesa, CO. Said the Glenwood Springs Post-Independent, "Jack was well known in the area as 'The #1 Dishwasher of Battlement Mesa,' having performed that job in various restaurants with great efficiency until well into his eighties. His reliability, positive attitude and stellar work ethic endeared him to all who were privileged to work with him. Jack’s smile bettered the day of everyone he met in his daily life."Death enveloped hmi in the E. Dene Moore Care Center on Aug. 18, 2010, a week shy of what would have been his 87th birthday. His funeral was held at the Grace Bible Church led by Pastor Lois Smith.

~ Daughter Amelia Isophene (McCollough) DeLong ~

Daughter Amelia Isophene McCollough (1886-1975) was born on Feb. 11, 1886 in Kansas. Her first name has been misspelled as "Emaline."

At the age of 20, Amelia married 31-year-old Jacob Mathis DeLong (1875-1940), a native of Ohio and the son of William and Jane (Barbier) DeLong. The ceremony took place in Tecumseh, OK on June 25, 1906. Their wedding portrait is seen here. 

The DeLongs resided in Shawnee, where they raised their nine children -- Clyde Richard DeLong, George William DeLong, Harold Leroy DeLong, Margaret L. Walker, Lou Ella Mae Clemons, James E. DeLong, Marvin "Eugene" DeLong, Virgil Allen DeLong and Dale E. DeLong. 

In 1910, the DeLongs lived in a house on South Oklahoma Street. That year, Jacob earned a living as a cook in a local restaurant. Residing next door was Amelia's widowed mother and 20-year-old single sister Ella.

Ten year later, in 1920, they dwelled in Davis, Pottawatomie County, with Jacob's widowed father and Amelia's married sister and brother in law, Ella and Oscar Downs, living under their roof.

Jacob "was a contractor for sheet and metal work," said the Shawnee News-Star. The 1920 federal census labeled him as a "tinner" for a rail road shop.

He died at age 64 on June 20, 1940.

Five of the DeLongs' sons served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, and they were featured in a 1945 article in the News-Star. Said the article, "When the DeLong sons walk into 627 North Bell and hang up their uniforms, it will be a great day for Mrs. Amelia DeLong..." Son George was "one of the first Americans to enter Cherbourg where more than 6,000 Germans were taken prisoner... He landed in France on D-day plus eight." Son Clyde was an amphibious engineer who fought in the battle of Corregidor and was wounded in the invasion of the Philippines, recovering in a general hospital in New Guinea. Son James "spent eight months in New Georgia and the Solomon Islands..." Son Harold was with "the service squadron of the air corps, [and] is now somewhere in Belgium," the article said. Son Eugene served with the US Navy and was stationed at Norman (OK) Naval Airport and at Astoria, OR.

As a widow, Amelia "made her home in this area, living in Shawnee since 1904," said the News-Star. She outlived her husband by a quarter-century and "was a charter Member of St. Mark's United Methodist Church." 

She entered eternity on Jan. 31, 1975. They are buried in Fairview Cemetery.

Son Clyde Richard DeLong (1907-1987) was born on Feb. 17, 1907 in Shawnee. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army. On June 29, 1935, in nuptials held in Shawnee, Clyde was united in holy matrimony with Doris Irene Davies (July 27, 1912-1989), a native of Bartlesville, OK and the daughter of Smith and Nettie (Brendal) Davies. The couple did not reproduce. Doris had moved to Shawnee at the age of 18, where she earned a living as a beauty operator and clerk. Clyde spent his career in the grocery business. Over the years, the couple resided in Chandler, AZ; Woodward, OK; Amarillo, TX; and Denver, where he owned several stores. After retirement in 1965, the DeLongs relocated to Casa Grande, AZ. Sadly, Clyde died on July 30, 1987, at the age of 80. Doris survived him by two years and during that time relocated to Montana with her husband's brother and wife, James and Helen (Shenefelt ) DeLong. Her home in 1988-1989 was in Fortine, MT. She passed away at the age of 76 on Feb. 27, 1989 in a hospital in Whitefish, MT. Her obituary was published in the Missoula (MT) Missoulian and Great Falls (MT) Tribune, which said she was survived by a brother and sister The remains were transported to Arizona for interment in the Valley of the Sun Memorial Parkin Chandler. [Find-a-Grave]

Son George William DeLong (1912-1964) was born on Oct. 4, 1912 in Shawnee. He wed Ava "Marjorie" Day (Feb. 1, 1917-2006), a native of Canneyville, KY and the daughter of Alfonso Taylor and Neoma (Armes) Day.  One daughter borne by the pair was Marjorie Louise "Margie" Watson Suder. They established a home in Louisville, KY at the address of 516 West Oak Street (circa 1950) and later at 32 Nichols Drive. George was employed as a salesman for Donaldson Baking Company in Louisville. He held a membership in the Robinson lodge of the Masons. Sadly, George passed away at home at the age of 51 on Aug. 2, 1964. His obituary in the Louisville Courier-Journal said that a coroner ruled that death was due to natural causes. Interment of the remains was in Louisville Memorial Gardens. Marjorie outlived her husband by more than four decades. She passed away in New Albany, IN on Oct. 7, 2006.

• Granddaughter Marjorie Louise "Margie" DeLong (1944- ? ) was born in about 1944. She suffered from rheumatic fever as a child and was pictured in a 1950 Louisville Courier-Journal receiving the gift of a doll by members of the Women's Fellowship Circle of First Christian Church. In 1963, when both were age 18, she married Dennis Michael Watson ( ? - ? ). Their marriage license was publicized in the Courier-Journal. At the time, Dennis was serving in the U.S. Army in Ocala, FL. They bore one son, Dennis "Denny" Watson. The marriage ended, with Margie making a home at 2714 Seventh Street. Circa 1968, the 23-year-old Margie wed a second time to 25-year-old Joseph Suder ( ? - ? ), a tow motor operator living at 32 Nichols Drive. Their marriage license also was announced on the pages of the Courier-Journal. The pair's only daughter was Ava Ross.

  Great-granddaughter Ava Suder ( ? - ? ) was wed to (?) Ross. 

Son Harold Leroy DeLong (1915-2002) was born on Sept. 5, 1915 in Shawnee. A lifelong bachelor, he worked for the postal service prior to his World War II service as a private first class in the U.S. Air Force. Upon his return, he rejoined the post office, and worked there until his retirement in January 1974. He loved to golf and belonged to the Elks Club and American Legion in Shawnee. He passed away on Nov. 16, 2002, at the age of 87. Burial was in Fairview Cemetery, with an obituary published in the Shawnee News Star.

Son James E. DeLong (1923-2010) was born on May 16, 1923 in Shawnee. During World War II, he joined the U.S. Navy and in 1943-1944 saw two tours of South Pacific duty. After the war, he returned home and obtained employment helping to construct power lines to fuel the nation's growing need for electricity in more rural areas. One of his assignments as a lineman took him to Montana and to the town of Eureka. While there, he met and fell for Helen Shenefelt (1928-2007), daughter of Francis Miles and Eva (Baillargion) Shenefelt. They were married in 1951 and produced four children -- Virginia Renee Randall, Thomas DeLong, Dennis DeLong and Kevin DeLong. Over the years, James' work caused them to move throughout the West, with an estimated 230 different postal addresses. An avid golfer, he was a member of the Meadow Lake Country Club and worked there as greens-keeper. Later, when in his 80s, he coached the golf team of Eureka High School.

Reported the Daily Inter Lake newspaper, Helen grew up with a mother who cooked for logging camps in Montana, and Helen attended country schools. Said the Inter Lake: "Helen worked all her life, starting as a teenager at the Eureka Drugstore and the Standard Grocery in Eureka. After leaving Eureka she worked as a cook and waitress in many restaurants. She also worked in retail. Helen and her sister, Myrtle, had their own restaurant in Whitefish. She later worked for Costco." Upon retirement, she became a foster grandmother, enjoying knitting, cards and the Red Hat Society. 

Helen's book

In 1998, Helen authored an autobiographical, 148-page book, Sisters Three of Montana. (An original copy is preserved in the Minerd.com Archives.) James and Helen, seen here in a portrait taken circa 1991, provided information for this biography. Helen died at age 78 on Oct. 14, 2007, just six months after her last email to the founder of this website. James survived her by three years. he passed into eternity at the age of 87 on May 21, 2010. Burial was in Eureka's Tobacco Valley Cemetery, with an obituary published in the Inter Lake.

• Granddaughter Virginia Renee DeLong (1950-1997) was born on July 29, 1950 in Whitefish, MT. She married William J. Randall. They produced two sons -- Wayne Randall and Yuri Randall. Following graduation from Gallaudet College, Virginia was employed for 23 years by the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, DC. They resided in Maryland and belonged to the Calvary Lutheran Church of Silver Spring, MD. Sadly, Virginia died at the age of 46 on June 13, 1997. 

• Grandson Thomas DeLong resided in Kalispell, MT. He wed Annette.

• Grandson Dennis DeLong made his home in Eureka, MT. He married Susan.

• Grandson Kevin DeLong dwelled in Whitefish, MT.

Daughter Lou Ella M. DeLong (1921-2015) was born on May 29, 1921. On July 16, 1950, in nuptials held in Riverside, CA, the 29-year-old LouElla was joined in wedlock with 31-year-old Willard E. "Bud" Clemons (July 27, 1918-2001). The couple's only daughter was Deborah Jean Clemons. Sadly, Willard surrendered to the angel of death in Riverside on Feb. 11, 2001. His remains were cremated, without a funeral service, and no obituary was published. LouElla outlived her spouse by 14 years and remained in Riverside. She passed away on Feb. 3, 2015, at the age of 93. Similarly, there was no obituary or funeral service for her.

• Granddaughter Deborah Jean Clemons ( ? - ? ) 

Son Marvin "Eugene" DeLong (1925-1992) was born on March 31, 1925 in Shawnee. On Sept. 6, 1947, in Shawnee, he wed Delora Fay Hembree (Dec. 20, 1928- ? ), a native of Washington, OK. Two children born to this union were Richard Eugene DeLong and Verna Mae Roberts. Eugene married a second time on Feb. 19, 1965, in Shawnee, to Betty Sue Steward ( ? - ? ). The pair did not reproduce.

• Grandson Richard Eugene DeLong ( ? - ? )

• Granddaughter Verna Mae DeLong ( ? - ? ) entered into marriage with (?) Roberts ( ? - ? ). They became the parents of three -- Austin Roberts, Blake Roberts and Catie Roberts.

Son Virgil Allen DeLong (1927-2011) was born on June 9, 1927. During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Air Force. He entered into marriage with Margarete Ellen Wieland (May 19, 1928-2017), a native of Buffalo, NY. Together, they produced two offspring, Janet DeLong and Allen DeLong. They resided in 2002 in Golden, CO. He died on Feb. 19, 2011, with burial in Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver. Margarete survived for six years as a widow. She passed away in Denver on April 1, 2017.

• Granddaughter Janet DeLong ( ? - ? )

• Grandson Allen DeLong ( ? - ? )

Son Dale Elmer DeLong (1929-2012) was born on Nov. 24, 1929 in Shawnee. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War era. Later, he returned home and received his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University. Said the Houston Chronicle, "Most of his career was spent as an oil and gas executive, and he owned the patents to many inventions used in the field. He had a wicked sense of humor and was the first to laugh at a good joke, particularly an Aggie joke." On Dec. 18, 1955, at the age of 26, he married Mary Lou Snell (Aug. 28, 1928- ? ). Their wedding was held in Lafayette, LA. The couple remained together for 57 years. Their three daughters were Laurie Kane, Janis Horvath and Rebecca Aydelotte. The DeLongs lived in Houston, TX. Dale died at the age of 82 on Sept. 12, 2012, with his wife and daughters at bedside. An obituary was published in the Chronicle, and a private memorial service was held at Texas A&M's Aggie Field of Honor.

• Granddaughter Laurie DeLong married Richard Kane.

• Granddaughter Janis DeLong wed Rockne Horvath.

• Granddaughter Rebecca DeLong married Roderick Aydelotte.

Max and Elga Walker

Daughter Margaret Louise DeLong (1919-1993) was born on Jan. 7, 1919. On Dec. 12, 1939, when she was age 20, Margaret entered into marriage with 27-year-old Shawnee resident Ottis T. Walker (Sept. 20, 1912-1982). Rev. W.R. White, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, performed the nuptials. The couple made their permanent home in Shawnee. They bore a family of three sons, among them Max Allen Walker, Darold Gene "Touch" Walker and Robert Gary Walker. The federal census enumeration of 1950 shows Ottis employed as a railroad brakeman. Sadly, Ottis surrendered to the angel of death on March 19, 1982, at the age of 69. Margaret outlived her husband by almost 11 years. She passed away at the age of 74 on Jan. 26, 1993. Her remains were placed into eternal repose in Fairview Cemetery, Shawnee.

• Grandson Max Allen Walker (1941-living) was born in about 1941. On Sept. 15, 1979, he wed Elga Harrell (April 1, 1958-living), daughter of Elgan Lyle and Patricia Gail Harrell Jr. One daughter born into this marriage is Brandi Nicole Thompson. Elga attended Rose State College and the Health Coach Institute. Max spent his working career as an industrial mechanic at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. For more than 11 years, Elga was employed at Tinker in federal civil service. Their home in recent years has been in Bristow, OK, with Elga working as a wellness and home business expert.

  Great-granddaughter Brandi Nicole Walker was joined in wedlock with Gary Thompson. Their trio of children are Mitchell Thompson, Sebastion Thompson and Peyton Thompson.    

• Grandson Darold Gene "Touch" Walker (1942-2012) was born on Jan. 25, 1942. Darold was employed by the U.S. Air Force. Over the years he drove tour buses and, as an artist, liked to paint and carve wood. On Valentine's Day 1990, in Arizona, the 48-year-old Darold was united in matrimony with Barbara Bates (June 27, 1944-2018). The pair did not reproduce. The angel of death spirited him away in Chandler, AZ on Nov. 13, 2012. Barbara joined him in eternity in Mankato, MN on the Fourth of July 2018.

• Grandson Robert Gary Walker (1945-living) was born on June 4, 1945 in Shawnee. He received his degree from the University of Colorado. When he was 20 years of age, on Nov. 19, 1965, in a ceremony conducted in Boise, ID, he wed Judy May Hammond ( ? - ? ), a Boulder resident. News of their marriage license was printed in the Boise Idaho Statesman. The pair bore two children -- Derek Robert Walker and Carrie Jane Ball. Robert married a second time to Valeri Wilson ( ? - ? ). Their only son is Michael Walker.

  Great-grandson Derek Robert Walker ( ? - ? )

  Great-granddaughter Carrie Jane Ball ( ? - ? )

  Great-grandson Michael Walker ( ? - ? ) 

~ Daughter Ella Iona (McCollough) Downs ~

Daughter Ella Iona McCollough (1889-1971) was born on July 25, 1889 (or 1890) in Kansas.

Unmarried at the age of 20, in 1910, she lived at home with her widowed mother in Shawnee and earned income as a seamstress.

She eventually married Oscar Downs (1882-1921), a native of Iowa whose parents also were Iowans. He was eight years older than his bride.

They produced five children -- Vola Mae Bourns, Ethel Pauline Bush, Edward Russell Downs, Ralph E. Downs and Rheba Marie Ricciotti.

Circa 1913, Oscar was working away from home in Chickasha, OK. At year-end 1913, Ella traveled from Shawnee to see him, first stopping for a visit with sister Margaret Winkler in Edmond, OK, which rated a mention in the gossip columns of the Shawnee Daily News-Herald. The couple made their home in Chickasha in 1915.

Then in 1920, when the federal census was enumerated, the Downses lived under the roof of Ella's sister and brother in law, Amelia and Jacob DeLong, in Davis, Pottawatomie County. That year, Oscar was employed as a salesman for an oil company.

Oscar passed away circa 1921. The cause behind his untimely passing it not yet known but will be added here when discovered.

Ella survived for another half century. In 1930, nine years after her husband's death, Ella resided with her children along West 4th Avenue in Marietta, Love County, OK. 

She died on Aug. 6, 1971, just five days after the passing of her sister Edith. They are buried in the Little Cemetery east of Shawnee.

Daughter Vola Mae Downs (1912-2001) was born on May 12, 1912 in Edmond, OK and grew to womanhood in the community. On Aug. 18, 1941, when she was 27 years of age, Vola Mae entered into marriage with 31-year-old Riley George "Kal" Bourns (May 18, 1910-1998), a native of DeQueen, AR and a resident at the time of Oklahoma County. The wedding ceremony was held in Kingfisher, OK, by the hand of Rev. G.O. Bell. Their one known daughter was Marilyn Kay Collins. When the federal census enumeration was made in 1950, the pair lived in Waynoka, Wood County, OK, where Riley was employed as a junior high school athletics coach. Then in 1958, Riley was principal of a junior high school in Hominy, OK and a principal at Anderson School near Shell Creek, OK in 1960. Vola Mae was a 4-H leader during their time in Shell Creek. They are known to have relocated to Modesto, CA circa 1975 where they spent the rest of their lives. They were members of the First Christian Church, Modesto. Riley was carried away by the angel of death at age 87, on Feb. 26, 1998, as a patient in Hy-Lond Convalescent Hospital. The Modesto Bee printed an obituary. At the age of 88, on Jan. 13, 2001, Vola Mae passed away at Doctors Medical Center. An obituary was printed in the Bee, in which the family asked that any memorial donations be made to the American Heart Association. 

• Granddaughter Marilyn Kay Bourns entered into marriage with Bob R. Collins (Sept. 4, 1951-2007), son of Joan Turney and a native of Ventura, CA. They were the parents of two. Bob was a longtime mechanic. Marilyn and Bob eventually divorced but remained on good terms over many years. In 2001, Marilyn dwelled in Modesto, CA. Former husband Bob married again to Maria ( ? - ? ) and lived in Amanda Park, Humptulips and Quinault. He died on March 16, 2007.

Daughter Ethel Pauline Downs (1915-2007) was born on Dec. 5, 1915 in Oklahoma. On March 18, 1939, she married Columbus Purdom "Lum" Bush Sr. (April 22, 1915-1995), son of Thadeous and Mary (Lail) Bush. The two children of this family were Mary Ellen St. Louis and Columbus Purdom "Pete" Bush. The couple was in Mississippi in 1940 at the birth of their daughter. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy. Later they put down roots in Mannford, OK and were there in 1993. Sadly, Columbus died on Nov. 6, 1995. The widowed Ethel is known to have lived with her married daughter in Hollister, CA before moving with them to Broken Arrow, OK in 2003. Death enveloped her on Jan. 2, 2007. She and Columbus sleep at each other's side in Little Cemetery in Seminole County, OK. This family is spelled out in the 2006 book Walking in History: Adventures of the George Wrinkle Family, Volume II, authored by Evelyn Wrinkle Caylor Cross.

• Granddaughter Mary Ellen Bush (1940-2020) was born on Oct. 14, 1940 in Canton, MS. She grew up in Tulsa and was a 1958 graduate of East Central High School. When she was 37 years of age, on June 18, 1977, in Reno, NV, she wed Ben Alfred St. Louis (Feb. 12, 1940-2009), a native of Eureka, CA and the son of Ben and Nona (Dexter) St. Louis. The couple did not reproduce. Ben was an alumnus of Campbell (CA) High School and held a bachelor's degree in secondary education from San Jose State University and a master's degree in special education from San Francisco State University. In 1970-1990, he taught in San Benito (CA) High School and then was assigned as a resource specialist at San Andreas Continuation High, an alternative high school. He also was a member of the U.S. Naval Reserves. They dwelled for many years in Hollister, CA, and in 2003 moved back to Broken Arrow, OK. They enjoyed traveling in their recreational vehicle and toured a number of national and state parks. Ben also was a grower of orchids, stamp collector and fan of Southern Gospel music, especially Bill and Gloria Gaither. Sadly, Ben died on Dec. 2, 2009 in Tulsa's Clarehouse at the age of 69. His obituary was printed in the Hollister Free Lance. Mary Ellen outlived her spouse by 11 years. Her favorite television shows were Walker Texas Ranger and religious programs. She also liked trivia games and story-telling. Said an obituary, "Mary had a profound faith in God, she loved people and always found something to smile and be happy about." She died in Tulsa on Oct. 3, 2020,  just 11 days shy of her 80th birthday. Burial was in Little Cemetery in Seminole, OK.

• Grandson Columbus Purdom "Pete" Bush Jr. (1942-1998) was born on Aug. 10, 1942 in Shawnee, OK. He was twice-wed. His first wife was Julia Ann "Judy" Burnham (Aug. 12, 1941-2022), daughter of Arthur S. and Helen Mary (Fairclo) Burnham. They tied the knot on April 27,1962. Two offspring born to this union were Jack Cason Bush and Valarie June Dronberger Rubottom. The couple divorced. His second spouse was Edythe Ann Sanders ( ? - ? ). He lived in the early 1990s in Chouteau, OK. Pete was named in the Daily Oklahoman obituary of his uncle Ralph Ernest Downs in 1993. He died in Mannford, OK at the age of 56 on Nov. 30, 1998. Interment of the remains was in Little Cemetery in Seminole County, OK. Inscribed on his grave marker are the words "Gone fishin'." Former wife Julia Ann married again to (?) Bellerive ( ? - ? ). She was employed by the Department of Human Services of the State of Oklahoma. She also gave of her time with church activity and prison ministry, and adopted pets from local shelters. She passed away on Nov. 29, 2022.

  Great-grandson Jack Cason Bush was thrice-wed. His first bride was Nancy Kircher ( ? - ? ). They may not have reproduced. His second wife was Rhonda Pledger ( ? - ? ). One daughter of the marriage with Rhonda was Taylor Nicole King. Jack's third spouse was Stephanie ( ? - ? ). Their home in 2020 was in Locust Grove, OK.

  Great-granddaughter Valarie June Bush ( ? - ? ) has been wed to Jerry Dronberger ( ? - ? ), Don Rubottom ( ? - ? ) and Gerald Lee Baldwin ( ? - ? ). The Rubottom marriage bore two daughters, Shelby Rae Rubottom and Ashlyn Leigh Rubottom. The Baldwins' home in 2022 was in Pryor, OK.

Son Edward Russell Downs (1916-1986) was born in 1916 in Oklahoma. Evidence suggests that he married Nona ( ? - ? ). The couple relocated to San Jose, Clara County, CA. Sadness blanketed the family when Edward died at the age of 70 on June 6, 1986. His remains sleep for the ages in Oak Hill Memorial Park, San Jose. Nona made her residence in 1993 in Hollister, CA.

Son Ralph Ernest Downs (1918-1993) was born on Sept. 22, 1918 in McAlester, OK. At the age of 10, in 1928, he joined the family in a move to Shawnee, OK, and went on to graduate from Shawnee High School. During World War II, Ralph served in Gen. George Patton's U.S. Army communications division in Europe. Upon his return home he became employed by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company and spent 36 years as a cable splicer and repair service in Duncan, Ardmore and Oklahoma City. Ralph retired in 1981. On Sept. 3, 1962, in Shawnee, he was joined in wedlock with Rosa Belle Salter (Feb. 10, 1920-1983). She brought a stepson to the union, Benjamin "Ben" Salter. The family belonged to the Drexel Boulevard Church of Christ, and Ralph held a membership in the Telephone Pioneers of America. Sadly, Rosa Belle died on July 17, 1983. A brief notice of her death appeared in the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman. Ralph outlived her by almost a decade and resided in Oklahoma City. At the age of 74, he died in Baptist Medical Center on March 22, 1993. An obituary was published in the Daily Oklahoman. His pastor, Rev. Russ Dyer, officiated the funeral. He sleeps for all eternity in Resthaven Memorial Park in Rock Creek Township, Pottawatomie County.

• Step-grandson Benjamin "Ben" Salter wed Alice. They made their home in Shawnee, OK in 1993 and were the parents of Sara Salter and Jon Salter. 

Daughter Rheba Marie Downs (1920-1943) was born in 1920. On June 1, 1942, at the age of 22, Rheba was united in matrimony with 27-year-old Salvatore Ricciotti ( ? - ? ). At the time, Salvatore resided in Shawnee at 501 North Bryan Street. Their nuptials were led by Rev. Benedict J. Ryan of the local Catholic Church. Sadly, she died in 1943 at the age of 23. The cause of her passing is unknown. Her remains were lowered into the sacred soil of Calvary Cemetery in Shawnee. Inscribed at the base of her grave marker is this epitaph: "Safe in the arms of Jesus."