I have the obit for Joel (Jody) Stratton, younger bro to Lee Stratton. He was born 8/16/1917 in Leachville, AR and died 2/18/2002 in Kennett, Dunklin Co., MO. He was the son of Charlie and Josephine Bride (should be Bright) Stratton. Joel married Bertha Lavern Shearer on 7/6/1946 in Clay County, AR.
Homer E. and Maxine Boswell married in Sept. 1937 in Piggot, AR (per their daughter, no record found yet).
The only electronic data I have found that I'm sure fits my Stratton's is the Marriage record for Oliver Lee Stratton and Maud Johnson. The Soc. Sec. Death Index probably is for my Lee Stratton, because of the geographic location. Will request a death certificate. The Charlie and Lee living in Carpenter, Clay Co, AR are probably mine, the ages and location are good. I am trying to find a husband, record of marriage, etc. for Ara C. Stead, Charlie's sister and head of the house in 1910.
The only real thing I have learned in researching this family is that I have more questions than ever.

You may have found some of this already:

1930 United States Federal Census

Name: John L Steel
Home in 1930: Mountain, Cleburne, Arkansas
View Map
Age: 37
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1893
Birthplace: Missouri
Relation to Head of House: Head
Mother's Name: Artie C
Spouse's Name: Ruth
Race: White
Household Members: Name Age
John L Steel 37
Ruth Steel 36
Tommie B Steel 1 6/12
Artie C Steel 63
Ora Steel 33 (sister)

1920 United States Federal Census

Name: John L Steel
Home in 1920: Mountain, Cleburne, Arkansas
Age: 27 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1893
Birthplace: Missouri
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: Indiana
Mother's Name: Artie C
Mother's Birth Place: Tennessee
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Own
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Household Members: Name Age
John L Steel 27
Artie C Steel 52
Ethel Steel 22

World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

Name: John Leslie Steele
County: Cleburne
State: Arkansas
Birthplace: Missouri;United States of America
Birth Date: 10 Oct 1893
Race: Caucasian (White)

1900 United States Federal Census

Name: John W Steel
Home in 1900: Kelley, Ripley, Missouri
Age: 7
Birth Date: Oct 1892
Birthplace: Missouri
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Gender: Male
Relationship to Head of House: Son
Father's Name: William
Father's Birthplace: Indiana
Mother's Name: Arta C
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Marital Status: Single
Residence : Kelly & Pine Townships, Ripley, Missouri
Household Members: Name Age
William Steel 38
Arta C Steel 37
Sarah P Steel 11
John W Steel 7
Gracy L Steel 5
Ora E Steel 2
George W Baker 27

Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002

Name: William Steel
Age: 21
Birth Date: abt 1866
Marriage Date: 30 Nov 1887
Marriage Location: Butler, Missouri
Marriage County: Butler
Spouse Name: Miss. A O Stratten
Spouse Age: 18
Spouse Birth Date: abt 1869

Missouri Death records:

Artie C Steel
b) 25 May 1866 IN
d) 24 Feb 1936 Ripley Co MO
father: James Stratton, born TN

I had not seen this information. I will try to track down some of these people/records and see if I can make a connection. Thank you so much for the response.

This is what I have found/surmised so far with James Charles, Oliver Lee Stratton:

1880 James C. Stratton b. abt. 1867 TN-Orphan is in Bollinger County MO with Eli Barks, Margaret E. Barks, b. abt. 1848 in MO, and Ephraim E. Barks
(Death Cert. for Peircilla Stratton b. Bollinger Co., MO 10/17/1858, F. Joseph B. Stephens, M. Hannah Barks, b 10/17/1858, Bollinger Co., MO d. 9/25/1934 in Carter Co., MO (Elsinore). There appears to be other Stratton connections to Barks.

1887 A G Stratton age 19 dob abt. 1869 married William Steel age 21 dob abt. 1866. Marriage date 11/30/1867, marriage location Butler Co., MO (I found their names in Index Book 2, but I did not find the record in Book 2).

1889 James Charles Stratton married Mary Condra (or Condray) 2/11/1889 in Carter Co., MO

1896 Oliver Lee Stratton born in Elsinore, Carter Co, MO, F. Charles Stratton (See Draft Registration) Death Certif. has dob 12/26/1894.

1900 Census Carter Co., MO William Steel b Dec 1862(?) IN, Arta Steel b May 1863 TN, with daughter Sarah age 11, son John W. age 7, dau. Gracie age 5, dau. Ora age 2 and George Baker.

1904 William Steel dies and is buried in Macadonia Cemetery (See ref. to 1936 at the bottom of document)

1906 See questions at the bottom of document

1910 Census Carpenter, Clay Co., AR Ara C. Steel, 42 b. TN, TN, TN with son, Leslie 18, Gracie 15, Ethel 13 all b MO, IN, TN and brother, Charles Stratton 37, TN, TN, TN (1873) and nephew, Lee Stratton 15, MO, TN, MO
I need to verify the spelling, it was reported to me as Stead, but the names and ages are same as
Wm Steel family on the 1900 Census.

1911 Charlie Stratton marries Josephine Bright Woods (or Winyn) – family report, no documentation found (Looks like Winyn on Census, but her son is known as Ernest Woods).

1912 Homer Everett Stratton born to Charles and Josephine (Feeney) Stratton.

1914 ABT. Jewel Stratton born to Charles and Josephine Stratton.

1917 Jody L. Stratton born to Charles and Josephine Stratton.

1917 ABT. Oliver Lee Stratton registers for WW1 draft. Age 21, address Morehouse, MO. DOB 12/26/1896. Nearest relative Charles Stratton, Kennett, Dunklin Co., MO

1919 Date family reported Charles Stratton’s died. No documentation found.

1921 Oliver Lee Stratton married Maud Johnson 7/16/1921. Marriage Location: Morehouse, New Madrid, MO. Marriage County: Mississippi. Oliver Lee dob abt. 1897, Maud dob abt. 1893.

1930 Oliver Lee and Maud Stratton in St. Louis, MO Census

1936 Death of Artie C. Steel, Widow of Bill Steel, b TN 5/25/1966 F. Jim Stratton, d 2/24/1936. Informant: Sadie Bates (?). Died at Naylor, Ripley Co., MO, buried at Macadonia Cemetery. Also buried at Macadonia is Wm Steele, husband of A G Steele.

1937 Homer Everett Stratton married Maxine Boswell of Kennett, MO. Marriage location: Piggott, Clay Co., AR

1984 Oliver Lee Stratton died 12/1/1984. No useful info on the death certificate except that he is a widow and dob stated as 12/26/1894.

While I have not found proof positive that Oliver Lee is the son of James Charles Stratton, it is logical to assume since both were in Carter County, James Charles getting married and Oliver Lee born. I have not found a clue to what happened to Mary Condray. There were several Condrays in Carter County and many records of their burial, but I did not find Mary Condra(y) Stratton buried there or anywhere.

It appears that Arta Stratton Steel moved to Clay Co., AR shortly after her husband died in Ripley County, MO. Was Charlie already there? Or were there other family members there? The Steels are on the 1920 and 1930 census records in Cleburne Co., AR with John L. listed as head of the household and Artie C. is included. Why was she living at Naylor, Ripley Co., MO at the time of her death?

1906 I found a record of the marriage of Artie Steel, age 39, and Robert Jacobs, age 37, on 12/30/1906 in Marriages 1881-1907 Clay County, AR. I also found a Robert Jacobs on the 1900 Clay Co., AR Census. He was single, age 30, born MO/TN/TN and was listed in the HH with his brother Thomas, age 38, Laura, age 31, and Andrew J., age 11. I can find no other record of Robert Jacobs. Did Artie Stratton Steel remarry and if so what happened to Robert before the 1910 Census? And why is she buried as Artie C. Steele?

In regard to Artie C. Stratton Steel being listed as "Stead" - that is because whoever indexed the census for Ancestry read the last name as "Stead" vs "Steel".

Have you checked for probate for Carter Co MO, to see if there are any leads there?

I thought I might check to see if there is death notice (aka "obituary") for Oliver Lee Stratton - maybe there are clues there for you. It may be several days tho, before I can get there.