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John Ream |
John Ream was born on April 6, 1846 in Ursina, Somerset County, PA, the son of Levi and Hila (King) Ream. At times the historical record shows him with the middle initial of "H."
As with his younger brother Cleon, he "was of a restless nature," said an Illinois newspaper, learned the carpentry trade early in his life and used that to great advantage. Circa the late 1860s, he went to Texas to trade cattle. Then in about 1870, he and Cleon "found plenty of work on the railroads and at the Indian agencies and Government forts," said the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, Vol. 2, Part 2, authored by Newton Bateman and Paul Selby.
At the conclusion of their work at Fort Laramie each traded a six-shooter for a pony, and started on their travels. At Fort Collins, Colo., they sold their ponies, and, walked to Greeley, after which they took the Denver Pacific Railroad to Denver, thence starting for Texas. The train rain into a terrible snow storm, and for three days, with the other able bodied males they were obliged to shovel their way out.
Continuing their journey, the two brothers took a stagecoach into Texas, and then walked toward the town of Belton, TX.
During their walk across the Texas plains, on which no roads existed, they saw hundreds of wild steers feasting on beans from mesquite trees, and swam in the Brasor River. "They were finally obliged to return to Denver, and the day following their arrival there started east for Vinita, Indian Territory, the terminus of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad," said the Historical Encyclopedia. "After staging for 450 miles, they again struck a section of the railroad which they could use on their way to Austin, Texas, and finally, by alternate walking and riding, reached the State capital and afterward Houston. In this vicinity they were employed at carpentry for about six months, when they returned to Denver...."
At some point the brothers went to Washington State, where they heard about the discovery of gold in Gold Ruby Creek, hired two native guides, traveled the Skadgett River by canoe, found bodies of men who had drowned in the swirling river, and arrived only to find that the water was too deep for effective panning for gold.
Evidence suggests that John was married twice. His first bride, in 1883, was Viola M. Johnson (Oct. 1, 1865-1898), originally from Osceola.
They produced these five known children -- Cleon Dale Ream (born 1885 in Iowa), John Wayne Ream (1887, Iowa), Lenora "Lena" Downer Stone (1889, California), Fay W. ("Stella"?) Ream (1892, Iowa), and Leland Ream (1894, California).
When John ran into "financial difficulties," said the Salina (KS) Evening Journal, his older brother Norman took several of the children into his home until proper arrangements could be made. (More below.)
The couple's final home together was in the Sierra Madre Mountains of California. Sadly, at the age of 32, Viola died on Aug. 6, 1898. The Los Angeles Times published an obituary. Her remains were placed into eternal repose in Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, Los Angeles County, CA. Inscribed on the base of her diamond-shaped grave marker is the phrase "God is my life."
Circa 1900, John relocated from his home in Los Angeles to a farm near Lilly, Tazewell County, IL, or Danvers, McLean County, IL (or both), which he began to cultivate.
John's second spouse in 1899 was Nellie Eva Welcher (Jan. 1875-1928).
The federal census of 1900 shows John and his newlywed bride and his five offspring in Danvers. His father's obituary in 1903 says that John was in Houston, TX.
The second marriage is thought to have ended in divorce. Nellie wed again to Malchi C. Hartzer (1862-1928). She died in Charles Mix County, SD on April 5, 1928 and is buried in the Hartzer plot in Geddes, SD.
But by 1910, John and his 35-year-old eldest son Cleon resided together in Chicago, with John working as an "inventor - drainage," and marked either as "single" or "widowed" (but not "married"). In 1915, when his wealthy younger brother Norman died, John received a $20,000 life trust inheritance, and was named in the New York Times.
Their final homeplace together was in Osceola. The Miami Herald noted that he was an "inventor for more than 40 years..."
Sadly, burdened with heart disease and fluid buildup ("anasarca"), John passed away while in Miami at the age of 86 on April 18, 1932, at the address of 719 Northwest First Street. Rev. Richard E. Downing conducted the funeral service, and the remains were placed into eternal repose in Miami Memorial Park Cemetery. Son Dale, of the same address, was the informant for the official Florida certificate of death. An obituary in the Miami News said he "came here seeking to regain his health last fall and his home was in Oceola, Iowa... [His] sons Dale and Westley ... were at his bedside."
John is named in Iva (Ream) Barkley's 2017 book Ream Riehm, and also in Paul Ryscavage's 2013 book Norman B. Ream: Forgotten Master of Markets.
~ Son Cleon "Dale" Ream ~
Son Cleon "Dale" Ream (1884-1972) -- perhaps originally spelled "Cleondale" -- was born in January 1885 or on Sept. 29, 1884 in Osceola, IA.
He relocated to Chicago and in 1910, living with his father on Pale Prairie Avenue, was employed as a decorator in a department store.
The angel of death spirited him away at the age of 88, in Sacramento County, on Nov. 26, 1972.
~ Son John Wayne Ream ~
Son John Wayne Ream (1887-1973) was born on Sept. 10, 1886 or in September 1887 in Osceola, IA.
Census evidence suggests that he joined the Army and in 1910 was stationed at Fort Shafter in Honolulu, HI. Remaining in the military in 1920, he was posted that year at Camp Merritt in Bergen, NJ. He stood 5 feet, 8¾ inches tall and weighed 145 lbs.
In 1923, when he was about 35 years of age, he entered into marriage with Vera Cornelia (Brown/Dalton) Robinson (1896-1968), a native of Wheaton, IL who was divorced from her first husband, Nolen Beard Robinson.
She brought a young stepdaughter into the second union, Evelyn Brown (Robinson) Hayes. The girl also used the maiden name "Dalton" which confirms that she had been raised by her maternal aunt Dora and husband Robert J. Dalton as shown in the 1930 U.S. Census.
The couple together bore at least one child who lived into adulthood, identity not yet known.
John and Vera dwelled in Chicago circa 1932-1940, where he drove a taxicab for a living, and she was an elevator operator at a retail department store. They appear to have been affiliated with the Ravenswood Presbyterian Church. In 1941, when registering for the military draft during World War II, they home was at 4038½ North Ashland, with him continuing to earn his wages with Public Service Taxi Company.
Sadly, Vera died on Jan. 12, 1968, at the age of 71.
John succumbed to the spectre of death in Chicago at the age of 86 on April 4, 1973. His remains were cremated.
Stepdaughter Evelyn Brown Robinson/Dalton (1920-1963) was born in Feb. 1920 in Wheaton, IL. After her parents' divorce, she was taken in by her aunt and uncle, Dora (Brown) and Robert J. Dalton, whom she considered her parents, and used their surname as her maiden name. On Jan. 18, 1941, in Davenport, IA, she was joined in wedlock with 30-year-old painter and Swedish immigrant Carl Axel Granath (1911-1984), a Chicago resident and son of Carl and Hilma (Ahlberg) Granath. News of their marriage license was printed in the Moline (IL) Dispatch. Together, they bore a family of four known daughters -- Madelon "Lynn" Fielding, Barbara Peterson Sanders, Veronica DeJohn and Irene Hildegard Granath. The couple divorced, and on Nov. 1, 1952, he married a second time to Wanda Wright ( ? - ? ). As a single mother, Evelyn must have been overwhelmed with the anxiety of how to raise her daughters. She thus allowed them to be taken in and adopted by others, including Madelon by Frank and Lillian Kavka -- Barbara by Elmer and Barbara Beyers -- and Irene by Victor B. and Charlotte M. Karlang. Death enveloped Evelyn in County Hospital on March 3, 1963. Burial was in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Evanston. Former husband Carl passed away in Chicago on May 3, 1984. His obituary in the Chicago Tribune did not name their daughter Madelon.
- Granddaughter Madelon "Lynn" Granath (1938-2020) was born on Dec. 12, 1938 in Chicago. She grew up in Dolton, IL, and possibly under the roof of a couple she considered as parents -- Frank and Lillian Kavka. Yet she carried the maiden name of "Dalton." Madelon was active in her church youth group and as a young woman was employed by Gately's Department Store. On Jan. 19, 1957, she wed Richard Fielding ( ? -2020), son of William and Irene Fielding. Originally from St. Clairsville, OH, they at a high school basketball game. Their union held firm over the course of an extraordinary 64 years together. Three offspring in their brood were Richard Fielding, Donna Goubeaux and Terri Fielding. The Fieldings were named in the 1968 Chicago Tribune obituary of Madelon's grandmother Vera Ream. They planted themselves in Hammond, IN. Madelon "continued to work in accounting throughout her life," said an obituary. Richard spent six decades in the fabricating and machining industry. They "owned and ran Fielding Industrial Products and Services for almost 30 years. She loved working alongside her husband as his secretary, and Richard sent her flowers each Secretary's Day. They were active in church where she taught Sunday School, led the Awana fellowship and served as treasurer of the congregation. She and Richard were regular supporters of missionaries in Central Asia. A self-trained pianist, she sang in the church choir and always attended her grandchildren's concerts and musicals. She prayed for each of her grandchildren, opened their home to pastors and missionaries and often fed them on Sunday afternoons. In his own right, Richard grew up learning the game of golf, caddied at Calumet Country Club as a teen and loved to play the Oglebay golf course with his son Richard in Wheeling, WV. Said the Hammond Times, "Throughout his adult life, Richard served the Lord in many ways; he preached at the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, taught Sunday School for adults and children, served as a deacon, served in Awana clubs, and three years ago accompanied his church to West Virginia to help flood victims rebuild their homes. Richard never knew a stranger [and] talked to anyone and made everyone feel welcome and important. He helped anyone and everyone who had a need or a problem and fed every squirrel and bird in his neighborhood." Sadly, husband and wife died 19 days apart, him at age 83 on Nov. 28, 2020, and her at the age of 82 on Dec. 17, 2020. Her memorial service was held at Suburban Bible Church.
Great-grandson Richard Fielding ( ? - ? ) married Linda.
Great-granddaughter Donna Fielding ( ? - ? ) first entered into marriage with Vincent Barnes ( ? - ? ), son of Ronald and Barbara Barnes. Their children include Christopher William Barnes and possibly also Aaron Barnes, Joel Barnes, Jordan Barnes and Elisabeth Hileman. After a divorce, Donna tied the knot with Glenn Goubeaux ( ? - ? ), son of Lowell J. and Leila M. (Hansen) Goubeaux. They are believed to together serve on the staff of Mission Bible Church in Highland, IN, her as office manager and him as facilities manager. They were plunged into grief when, at age 40, grandson Christopher William Barnes (Oct. 19, 1984-2025) died on Aug. 6, 2025. Christopher was a 2003 graduate of Munster High School, where he played hockey and enjoyed the piano, and was the father of five -- Cameron Barnes, Kylee Barnes, Cayden Barnes, Ever Barnes and Aurora Barnes.
Great-granddaughter Terri Fielding ( ? - ? )
- Granddaughter Barbara Granath (1943-2016) was born on May 13, 1943 in Chicago. She was young when her parents divorced, and she was taken in and later adopted by Elmer and Barbara Beyers. In August 1961, at the age of 18, Barbara first married Ernest A. Peterson Jr. (1924-1998). The groom was 19 years older than the bride, and they stayed together for 37 years until cleaved apart by death. Together they produced a family of six -- Tamara Thomas, Candace Trejo, Barbara Lattyak, Ernest A. Peterson III, Daniel Peterson and Veronica Vyas. Barbara sold Avon products for many years and was active with the Galilee Baptist Church and the Awana Clubs. After 45 years in Chicago, the pair moved in retirement to Hillsdale, MI, where she spent her remaining 29 years. Sadness cascaded over the family when Ernest died in 1998. Circa 2002, she married Larry A. Sanders (May 29, 1946-2016), son of Bert and Dorothy (Buck) Sanders of Coldwater, MI. Their union lasted for 14 years until his demise on April 7, 2016. Said an obituary, "Barbara had a big heart for helping others, opening her home to anyone who was in need of a place to stay or even just a meal... Piano playing was her first love from early on [and she] could play anything from hymns and show tunes to nursery rhymes, mostly by memory. She loved a good mystery too [and whether] watching Perry Mason on TV or reading a book by Mary Higgins Clark, she really enjoyed them." Among her favorite games were Scrabble and Skipbo. In his own right, said an obituary, An obituary said that "Larry was a Junior Trooper for the Michigan State Police Department. He loved people and enjoyed to be outdoors. He participated in the Special Olympics and earned several medals and was also an honorary member of the Hillsdale Kiwanis Club." For the final years of their lives, Barbara and Larry were residents of Hillsdale County Medical Center. She passed away at the age of 73 on July 11, 2016. Her memorial service was conducted in the Fayette Street Church of Christ. The headcount of her survivors included 20 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Great-granddaughter Tamara Peterson married Daniel Thomas.
Great-granddaughter Candace Peterson was joined in matrimony with Rudy Trejo.
Great-granddaughter Barbara Peterson was united in wedlock with Mark Lattyak.
Great-grandson Ernest A. Peterson III wed Abigail.
Great-grandson Daniel Peterson tied the marital cord with Hollie.
Great-granddaughter Veronica Peterson exchanged vows of marriage with Pat Vyas.
- Granddaughter Irene Hildegard Granath (1945-1996) was born on Oct. 26, 1945 in Chicago. She was very young at her parents' divorce, and by 1950 she was brought into the Chicago home of foster parents Victor Bjorn and Charlotte M. (Loacker) Karlaug, the father a soup factory worker. She eventually migrated to Southern California and made a home in Westchester (in 1976) and South Pasadena (1993). Irene was spirited away by the angel of death in Los Angeles on Aug. 14, 1996.
- Granddaughter Veronica "Roni" Granath (1947-1993) was born in April 1947 or on Sept. 6, 1947 in Dearborn, MI. We are looking into whether she was raised and possibly adopted by James M. and Lillian (Jakovec) Sucha of Chicago. Veronica exchanged marital vows with William DeJohn (1946-2025). She may have been the mother of Beverly and William DeJohn Jr. and in the late 1980s and early 1990s served as vice president of the Dearborn School Board. While on the board, she is believed to have been a member of the Building and Site Committee which undertook a $96 million capital campaign for improvements. She also was elected president of the Dearborn Schools' parent-teacher association council in 1984, serving for two years and on 10 major curricula committees, and in 1988 received the PTA's Distinguished Service Award. As well, she held a seat on the Henry Ford Community College board of trustees. She passed away into the arms of the heavenly host on May 13, 1993. Interment was in Our Lady of Hope Cemetery in Southgate, with an obituary appearing in the Detroit Free Press.
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Osceola's railroad depot, early 1900s |
~ Daughter Lenora Viola (Ream) Downer Stone ~
Daughter Lenora Viola "Lena" Ream (1889-1963) was born on Sept. 11, 1888 or 1889 in Sacramento, CA.
She and her father and siblings returned to Iowa where in 1900 they lived in Danvers, McLean County. When her father struggled financially in the mid-to-late 1910s, she was taken in by her multi-millionnaire uncle Norman Bruce Ream and then placed into the care of John C. and Elizabeth Headlee in Osceola, Clarke County, IA.
At the age of 19, in about 1907, Lenora suffered the amputation of her hand in an accident on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (of which her uncle was a major shareholder), and she was awarded $2,500 in damages, with the promise that the uncle would provide for her during the remainder of her lifetime.
Circa 1910, census records show her in two places, suggesting that she moved back and forth -- in Osceola, as a ward of the Headlees -- and in Neligh, Antelope County, NE with her sister Stella in the home of their widowed aunt Samantha (Ream) Johnson.
On Aug. 19, 1911, at the age of 21, and under the name "Lena," she was joined in marriage with 24-year-old Frank Mott Downer, Jr. (Jan. 6, 1887- ? ), a native of Longmont, CO. Their nuptials took place in Colorado Springs, CO by the hand of Rev. James M. Magruder. The groom stood 6 feet tall, weighed 150 lbs. and sported blue eyes and brown hair.
Frank's father was a man of public affairs, serving as superintendent of the U.S. Mint in Denver and before that mayor of Longmont.
The Downers' marriage ended with a divorce by 1917. It's said that he left her after learning she was not to inherit anything from the wealthy Uncle Norman. Francis declared himself single in 1917 when registering for the military draft during World War I. He wed again in 1926 to Arlette Marguerite "Smokey" Laignel (1905-1995). He died in San Diego at the age of 58 on Jan. 25, 1945.
Now back in Osceola in 1922, she sued Uncle Norman's estate for what she claimed was her rightful $100,000 share. In doing so, her photograph was published in newspapers such as the Sacramento Union and Salina (KS) Evening Journal. While the news made national headlines, nothing further appeared in print.
Evidence suggests that in 1930, Lenora roomed in Chicago in a hotel on Dakin Street, with no occupation. She is known to have resided in Bloomington, IL in 1932. Within a few years she migrated to Burbank, CA.
Her final spouse, in 1937, was Carl Frank Stone (1893-1957) of Glendale, CA. News of their marriage license was printed in the Sacramento Bee. An obituary said he "was a parttime resident of Sedco Hills for eight years... He was a real estate salesman employed by the La Mirada tract in the Los Angeles area." The U.S. Census of 1940 lists the pair in Glendale, with him selling gas regulators.
Evidence suggests that the marriage dissolved in divorce, as he wed again to Olive Nyberg ( ? - ? ), and they made a home in Sedco Hills. Carl died at the age of 63 on Feb. 8, 1957. Burial was under the sod of Crestlawn Memorial Park in Riverside, CA. He was survived by a son Herbert Stone and daughter Jeannette Hamilton.
Claiming to be widowed, Lenora lived in Burbank in 1950, and had no occupation but kept two lodgers to help generate income.
Her final address was 403-B West Alameda in Burbank. She passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 74 on Aug. 26, 1963. Her remains sleep in the crypts of Grand View Memorial Park in Glendale, CA. A short obituary in the North Hollywood Valley Times said that she was survived by her brothers F. Wesley of Burbank and John of Chicago.
~ Son Fay "Wesley" Ream ~
Son Fay "Wesley" Ream (1892-1971) was born on Nov. 14, 1892 in Osceola, IA, although some thought his birthplace was in California. His middle name also has been spelled "Westley."
With their father unable to provide for their support, Fay and his siblings Leland and Lena were placed as wards in the home of John C. and Elizabeth A. Headlee in Osceola, IA, circa 1910. Also in 1910, a census-taker recorded him as living with his sister Lenora in the dwelling of their widowed aunt Samantha (Ream) Johnson in Neligh, Antelope County, NE.
Fay was a graduate of Chetopa (KS) High School in May 1913. He is believed to have traveled with W.E. Headlee to Parsons, KS in October 1913, as reported in the Chetopa (KS) Advance. Later that year, in December, the Advance noted that he was leaving to go to New York and thence to Worcester, MA "where he has a position in his uncle's steel plant." While in Worcester, in 1917, his occupation was "electrician" and he joined the Montacute lodge of the Masons.
Fay was named in a February 1915 Advance obituary of his wealthy uncle, Norman Bruce Ream, saying that Fay and his brother Leland "have made their home here with Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Headlee, and of Mrs. F.M. Downer, jr., who is now visiting here with the Headlees. Fay Ream has been East for the past year, where he has a position in one of his uncle's steel mills."
Fay soonafter was transferred to Philadelphia, where he worked in an office of United States Steel Corporation, where the uncle was a board director. After the outbreak of World War I, Fay joined the U.S. Navy Airship Service and was stationed at Pensacola, FL. He sent letters and postcards back home to Chetopa, informing his foster parents and friends of his whereabouts. He reputedly was deployed overseas.
Upon his return to civilian life, Fay became employed as the southern representative for American Steel and Wire Company, a subsidiary of U.S. Steel, and where his first cousin Louis Marshall Ream Sr. was a vice president. With American Steel headquartered in Worchester, MA and New York, said a newspaper, he was "popular in the business and social circles, being a member of several social clubs in the east." His home in the early 1920s was considered New York and Thompson, CT.
On Oct. 19, 1922, he was joined in wedlock with his first bride, Mary Charlotte Nelson (1900-1977), daughter of Henry Philip and Charlotte (Ely) Nelson of Atlanta. Mary's engagement portrait was published in the Atlanta Journal, which said that the announcement "will be of cordial interest throughout the south and east, owing to the prominence of the two families." The article mentioned that the groom was the nephew of the late Norman B. Ream and said that the bride
...is a granddaughter of the late Mr. Jesse Ely, of Nashville, Tenn., and a descendant of General Evan Shelby, of Revolutionary fame. Her kinsmen were James Robinson and Thomas C. Whiteside, prominent and beloved pioneer citizens of Tennessee. She is also a descendant of the D'Artors, distinguished French family. Miss Nelson is a beautiful young woman of the brunette type and since making her debut in 1918 has been a feted belle, in the social life here, as well as in Pittsburg, New York and other eastern cities where she has been a frequent visitor.
They exchanged their marital vows in the North Avenue Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, by the hand of Rev. Richard Orme Flinn. Fay's best man was his first cousin, Louis Ream. The Atlanta Constitution reported that the bride "presented a charming figure in her wedding robe of white chiffon velvet, the skirt draped on one side, and caught with an exquisite fringed ornament of pearls and crystals. The bodice was fashioned long waisted, and trimmed with pearls and the long velvet train, which hung from the shoulders, was lined with white chiffon. The tulle veil was very full and fastened to her dark hair with a cap of duchess lace, an heirloom, which was caught at the side with orange blossoms and outlined with pearls and orange blossoms." Fay's aunt Caroline (Thompson) Ream and first cousin Louis Marshall Ream Sr. traveled from Connecticut to attend.
Mary Charlotte's father was a pioneering inventor of radio and early television technology in Atlanta. In her own right, Mary Charlotte was an alumna of Holton Arms School in the District of Columbia and at the time of marriage volunteering her time as treasurer of the Atlanta Junior League, previously serving as co-chair of the amusement committee of the Scottish Rite Hospital for Cripple Children.
The newlyweds made their first home on 11th Street in Atlanta. The first year for Mary Charlotte involved hosting informal bridge parties and engagement teas and attending meetings of the Junior League. The couple is known to have traveled to Thompson to visit Fay's widowed aunt Caroline (Putnam) Ream in July 1923.
An only son born to the pair was Nelson Ream.
Mary and her son spent the summer of 1927 with her parents in Asheville and Blowing Rock, NC.
At some point by 1928, the Reams' marriage crumbled in divorce. Mary Charlotte is known to have remained in Atlanta and in the press went by the name "Mary Nelson Ream." Frequently mentioned in local news stories, she was active with the Atlanta Music Club and Georgia Iris Society and held a membership in the North Avenue Presbyterian Church. In 1950, a newspaper noted that she and Nelson had moved from a home on Piedmont Road to an apartment at 1720 Boulevard Northeast. Her final residence was at 155 Avery Drive Northeast. She died on the next-to-last day of 1977, with the Journal reporting that "There are no immediate survivors." Burial was in Westview Cemetery, with Rev. Cook Freeman presiding over the obsequies. Pallbearers were W.A. Flinn, Henry Grady Jr., H.M. Carson, Dr. Raymond Kimbrough, Earnest C. Kuntz Jr., Dr. Zach W. Jackson, John T. Mattison Sr. and Hal E. Hyde.
Fay is known to have been at his dying father's bedside in Miami in April 1932.
His second bride was Elizabeth Joyce "Betty" Krantz (Aug. 2, 1922-1977), originally from Utah. They were wed in about 1938, when he was age 47 and she 16.
They also produced an only child, Sandra Marie Lawrence, born in 1939.
The Reams dwelled in Glendale, CA in 1940 at a home on North Santa Anita. At that time he generated income as a salesman.
Just 17 days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, on Christmas Eve 1941, Fay joined the U.S. Navy and is believed to have served aboard the ship USS Walke, DD-416.
The second marriage also fractured in divorce. Elizabeth went on to wed Eugene C. Moore (1915- ? ) and in 1950 resided in Glendale, CA . Her next spouse was Joseph Ernest Young ( ? - ? ). They resided on Golden Gate Avenue in Corona del Mar circa 1961. Then on Dec. 7, 1974, the 52-year-old Elizabeth married again to 65-year-old Lawrence Edward Lockridge Sr. (1908-1980) and made her home in Los Angeles. At the age of 54, she died on May 15, 1977. Her cremains rest for all time in the columbarium of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.
The U.S. Census of 1950 shows the divorced Fay living in Roger Steel's boarding house in Burbank, near Los Angeles, and working as a real estate broker.
He passed away in Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 1971, with interment in the crypts of the Grand View Memorial Park in Glendale. [Find-a-Grave] No obituary is known to have been printed.
Son Nelson Ream (1925-1974) was born on Jan. 28, 1925, likely in Atlanta. News of the birth was announced in the local newspapers. In young manhood he stood 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed 180 lbs. He studied at a technical high school and then served for four-and-a-half months in the U.S. Army during World War II, enlisting on July 6, 1943. After being hospitalized at Fort Leonard Wood in October, he received his discharge on Nov. 19, 1943. Nelson does not appear to have married or reproduced. He was pictured in the Atlanta Journal in 1948 after purchasing the first television set in the city, four months before the local WSB-TV was to begin telecasts. He paid $425 for the set and was quoted saying, "I think television will do wonders for family life. Today you have a radio in every part of the house. But at first television sets will be just expensive enough to keep people from having more than one set in their home [and] will bring the family together as a group taking part in group activity." WSB went live on Sept. 29, 1948, with an estimated 2,500 TV sets in use in the city. When the federal census enumeration was made in 1950, the bachelor Nelson worked as a cutter in the box department of a candy company. Nelson earned a living in the early 1970s as a cashier for Five Points Parking, and continued living with his mother at 155 Avery Drive Northeast. Sadly, at the age of 49, he was felled by a heart attack and died in Fulton, GA on April 23, 1974. The Atlanta Constitution carried an obituary naming his cousins as W. Frederick Williams Jr. of Scarsdale, NY; Mrs. Kent C. (Margaret) Smith of Cambridge, MA; and Mrs. William H. (Mildred) Potter of Hingham, MA. Officiating the funeral rites was Rev. Dr. Vernon S. Broyles Jr.
Daughter Sandra Marie Ream (1939-2017) was born on July 7, 1939 in Los Angeles. She was very young when her parents divorced and took the name "Young" after her mother wed again to Joseph Ernest Young. She was educated at Marlborough School for Girls and Fullerton High School. Sandra was a 1961 graduate of the University of the Pacific. On July 22, 1961, the 22-year-old Sandra tied the marital cord with fellow college student Paul Wilbur Lawrence ( ? - ? ). The happy event was held in Orange County, CA. Their union held firm over the ebbs and flows of a remarkable 56 years together. Two daughters in this family were Karen Lawrence and Amy Gordon. Said the Sacramento Bee, "They moved to Sacramento where they raised their family, enjoyed time with friends, and lots of trips to Clear Lake. Sandy was everyone's favorite Blue Bird and Camp Fire Girl Leader. Sandy was extremely artistic and loved to paint watercolor, read, and spend time with family and friends." Sadly, Sandra passed away in their Sacramento residence at the age of 77 on April 6, 2017. The family requested that any memorial contributions be made to the American Heart Association.
- Granddaughter Karen Lawrence ( ? - ? )
- Granddaughter Amy Lawrence ( ? - ? ) tied the knot with (?) Gordon.
~ Daughter Stella Ream ~
Daughter Stella Ream (1892- ? ) was born in 1892 in California.
Nothing more of her story is known.
~ Son Leland L. Ream ~
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Leland's grave, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Lorraine, France |
Son Leland L. Ream (1894-1918) was born in December 1894 in California.
He relocated with his widowed father and older siblings to Iowa where they are shown in the 1900 census of Danvers, McLean County. By 1910, the father financially strapped, Leland and his older brother Fay and sister Lena were "wards" in the home of John and Elizabeth Headlee in Osceola, Clarke County, IA.
Leland enjoyed the outdoors, including catching butterflies and fishing, and in 1914 helped organize the Chetopa High School Athletic Association's basketball teams. Leland and his brother Fay were named in a 1915 Oswego (KS) Independent article about the death of their multi-millionnaire uncle Norman Bruce Ream, stating that they "are said to be heirs to a good portion of an estate left by their uncle ... amounting to something like $75,000,000." At the time, Leland was in Chetopa, while his brother resided in Philadelphia, PA. Newspapers reported that he received a bequest of $75,000.
He joined the U.S. Armed Forces in 1917, as the nation edged ever closer to the inferno of World War I, and was preparing to be shipped to France in October of that year. He contracted a serious case of influenza in the winter of 1918 and spent 42 days confined to a hospital in Camp Doniphan, OK.
Leland was sent overseas again after recovering, as a member of the 137th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division. In December 1918, his friend Ed Frye of the 130th Field Artillery in France sent a letter to his mother, Mrs. C.B. Stephens of Chetopa, saying that Leland had "been severely injured by bullets from a Hun machine gun." Another Chetopa resident, Gertrude Hazen, serving with the Red Cross in France, said that Leland was missing in action, but Dewey Winstead, another local, said he had seen Leland in a hospital having lost a leg.
The matter remained a mystery for months, until June 26, 1919, when the Advance reprinted a Parsons Sun story stating that Leland was a wartime casualty due to an accident. In fact, Leland had been wounded during the Battle of the Meuse Argonne and died on Sept. 28, 1918, at the age of 23. Interment of the remains was in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial in Lorraine, France, where they rest for eternity. [Find-a-Grave]
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Copyright © 2002, 2009, 2012, 2014-2017, 2022, 2026 Mark A. Miner |