I, too, am searching for Della's father's name, but I've had no luck. Mary Christine Ellis was my great-grandmother (mother to James Arthur Massey). She married Henry Parks in 1891 (she was 14), then she married Mr. Stever and gave birth to Mr. Stever. She married F.H. Ward in 1899 (listed as Mrs. Mary Stever on the marriage license). Mr. Ward died in 1900, and she married John Albert Massey in 1904.

If you find any information on Mr. Stever, please let me know. I've searched everywhere!