The
Washington State Digital Archives has the marriage certificate of Franklin
Mahan, from the county of St. Louis,
Missouri, marriage to
Della Viola
Johnson, on 25 March 1918 in Yakima. Witnesses were Irene W. Ross and Walter
Lyon.
-----In the 1910 US Census is an Irene W. Ross, age 15, born in
Washington, living in Olympia
Ward 5,
Thurston Co, WA, as daughter of E.W. Ross, age 34, born in Canada; and Willetta A, age 41, born in
Minnesota. She had a brother Kenneth W, age 11, born in
Oregon.
--- Irene W. Ross married George W. Sainsbury on 3/8/1919 in Yakima. Witnesses were Willetta Ross and Leo
Sainsbury (Was hoping one of the witnesses was
Della) The 1920 Census shows Irene and George "Lainshery" (as transcribed) living in Tacoma. WA.
So, this gives the "appearance" this person could be correct as she was living in Yakima in 1919, a year after the marriage of
Della. So, they "could" have been friends, both living in Yakima. In the possibility they were related, I looked for her family tree, without success. But this person "Irene Willetta Ross" was born 11 Jul 1895 in
Cowlitz County, to E.W. Ross and W.A. McCollum. They also might have been about the same age. NO
PROOF HERE....
--The 1910 Census has a Walter
Lyon, age 28, living in Yakima born in
Iowa, married to Beulah, age 24, born in
Missouri. They had a son Walter, age 4, but probably to young to be a witness. The family was still in Yakima in 1920. So, if the correct person, he "could" have been about the same age of Franklin, or someone he worked with. The World War I Draft Registration shows Walter, born 1881, was living in Yakima, working as a Laborer/Mechanic for the City of Yakima.
--** BUT, there is NO
PROOF these are the correct persons serving as witnesses.
The time frame of 1918 is also during the period of World War I. Without speculating, that may or may not have come into play. But, married in March, the war ended in November. Once he is further identified, more research can be done on this aspect.
--The World War I Draft Registration in Yakima has:
Benjamin Frankin
McMurry, born Dec 11, 1879, nearest relative is an "Ella"
McMurry. The closest I could come to the names.
The other "poster" wrote:
> "there is a family tree for Lawrence Franklin "Fats"
Mahan b. 1898,
Missouri and d. 1960, MO."
-----This person married Lula
Belle Jones in 1923 in
Newton,
Missouri.
Another shotgun miss.
It appears that this was a first marriage for your grandmother and it didn't last. So, what happened after the marriage probably isn't much, if any. BUT, for research, what information do you have on your grandmother. A bonifide researcher needs information such as her full date of birth, if you don't have that, a possible year, names of her parents, siblings, where she was born, where she lived, would seriously help in finding records. I'm assuming her maiden name was
Johnson. What was her surname when she died?
As far as this marriage: I see the certificate was all typed, no signatures. This certificate "might" have had a spelling error in his name. He "could" have been
McMahan, etc. So attempts to find him in the 1910 census, the World War I Draft Registration Card Image database, or the 1920 Census, might be difficult. It would be easier to track your Grandmother in 1910 and 1920 census, if you can provide information on her. (The 1910 Census had 765
Della Johnson's) THEN, she might be identified on the WWI draft card as the wife, if he registered in June 1918...."IF" they were still married.
A LOT of "If's". Please post what you know about her. Otherwise about all I can do.
Ron Bestrom
Tacoma, WA