Leonard S Ayers (abt. 1881 - 1955)

Born about 7 Aug 1881 in Wichita, Sedgwick Co.,Kansas, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Maude Marie Gish — married 7 Aug 1902 (to 1912) in Sedgwick Co., Kansas, USA

Husband of Bessie Elizabeth (Spalding) Stehr — married 29 Jul 1913 (to before 1937) in Jackson Co., Missouri, USA

Died 19 Jun 1955 at about age 73 in Glenns Ferry, Elmore Co., Idaho, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Meghan Dewhurst- Conroy [send private message]

Biography

Leonard Ayers was born in August 1881 in Wichita, Kansas. He is the son of George Ayers and Cynthia Ward.

1885 Kansas Census -- Wichita, Sedgwick Co., Kansas, USA

Sarah Ayers, age 59, female, white, widow, born Ohio, came from Illinois; Wm Ayers, age 21, male, white, single, drayman, born Illinois, came from Illinois; SE Ayers, age 24, single, ironer, born Illinois, came from Illinois; Leonard Ayers, age 3, male, white, born Kansas.^[1]

He married(1) Maude Gish 7 August 1902 in Sedgwick Co., Kansas.^[2]

1905 KS Census -- Wichita, Sedgwick Co., Kansas

C Goodwin, own, age 49, female, born Indiana, came from Indiana; F Goodwin, age 24, male, born Indiana, came from Indiana, machinist; L Ayers, age 23, male, born Kansas, clerk; Maud Ayers, age 22, female, born Kansas^[3]

1905 KS Census -- Wichita, Sedgwick Co., Kansas, USA

Jacob Freedly, age 56, male, born Pennsylvania, came from Pennsylvania, ___ for hogs; Alice Freedly, age 46, female, born Illinois, came from Illinois; LS Freedly, age 23, male, born Kansas, clerk; Forrest Freedly, age 18, male, born Kansas, clerk^[4]

1910 census --Wichita, Sedgwick Co., Kansas, USA

Leonard Ayers, head, male, white, age 29, married 7 years, born Kansas, father born Illinois, mother born Illinois, traveling saleman wholesale ______, own mortgaged house; Maude M Ayers, wife, female, white, age 27, married 7 years, 0 children/0 living, born Illinois, father born Illinois, mother born Virginia.^[5]

He married(2) Bessie Spalding 29 July 1913 in Jackson Co., Missouri.^[6]They divorced about 1936 in Omaha, Nebraska.

He registered for World War I in Hastings, Nebraska in September 1918.^[7]

1920 census -- Hastings, Adams Co., Nebraska, USA

Leonard Ayers, head, rent, male, white, age 37, married, born Kansas, father born Illinois, mother born Illinois, commercial traveler produce; Bess Ayers, wife, female, white, age 28, married, born Missouri, father born Missouri, mother born Missouri, bookkeeper greenhouse; Betti L Ayers, daughter, female, white, age 2 10/12, single, born Nebraska, father born Kansas, mother born Missouri; Jacob Freedly, fatehr-in-law, male, white, age 70, married, Pennsylvania, father born Pennsylvania, mother born Pennsyvlania, manager greenhouse; Syntha A Freedly, mother-in-law, female, white, age 60, married, born Illinois, father born Ohio, mother born Illinois.^[8]

1930 census -- Omaha, Douglas Co., Nebraska, USA

Leonard Ayers, head, rent $50, male, white, age 47, married, first married @29, born Kansas, father born Illinois, mother born Illinois, salesman stock feed; Besse Ayers, wife, female, white, age 37, married, first married @19, born Missouri, father born Missouri, mother born Missouri, proprietoress beauty parlor; Bettie L Ayers, daughter, female, white, age 13, single, attended school, born Nebraska, father born Kansas, mother born Missouri; Alice Freedly, mother-in-law, female, white, age 71, widow, born Illinois, father born Illinois, mother born Illinois; Pauline Stovak, lodger, female, white, age 21, single, born Nebraska, Nebraska, mother born Nebraska, operator beauty parlor^[9]

1940 census -- Omaha, Douglas Co., Nebraska, USA

George Shean, head, rent $33, male, white, age 55, married, 8th grade education, born Illinois, same place 1935, mgr & foreman fish packing; Alma Shean, wife, female, white, age 48, married, 8th grade education, born Nebraska, same place 1935, beauty operator own home; Leonard Ayres, lodger, male, white, age 58, divorced, 8th grade education, born Kansas, same place 1935, ^[10]

He registered for World War II in Omaha, Nebraska in 1942.^[11]

1950 census -- Elmore Co., Idaho, USA

Betty L Wagner, head, white, female, age 33, widow, born Nebraska, OT WK 40 hrs RR crew caller Union Pacific RR; Leonard Ayers, father, white, male, age 63, widow, born Kansas, OT WK 48 hrs janitor work Dustys Tavern^[12]

He died 19 June 1955 in Glenns Ferry, Idaho.^[13] He is buried in Glenn Rest Cemetery in Glenns Ferry, Idaho.^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, Kansas; 1885 Kansas Territory Census; Roll: KS1885_126; Line: 5
2. ↑ Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/Q29Q-M478 : 10 February 2016), Leonard Ayers and Maude M Gish, 07 Aug 1902; citing Marriage, Sedgwick, Kansas, United States, district clerk, court clerk, county clerk and register offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 2,363,975.
3. ↑ Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, Kansas; 1905 Kansas Territory Census; Roll: ks1905_144; Line: 3
4. ↑ Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, Kansas; 1905 Kansas Territory Census; Roll: ks1905_145; Line: 21
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M2ZD-VY6 : accessed 23 Oct 2014), Leonard Ayers, Wichita Ward 1, Sedgwick, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 107, sheet 14A, family 256, NARA microfilm publication T624, FHL microfilm 1374469.
6. ↑ Ancestry.com. Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.
7. ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/29J8-BR9 : accessed 23 Oct 2014), Leonard Ayres, 1917-1918.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MCVH-FK3 : accessed 23 Oct 2014), Leonard Ayers, Hastings Ward 2, Adams, Nebraska, United States; citing sheet 5B, family 127, NARA microfilm publication T625, FHL microfilm 1820979.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XQKD-RTM : accessed 24 Oct 2014), Leonard Ayers, Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0100, sheet 11A, family 158, NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1277.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K99W-TXB : accessed 22 August 2017), Leonard Ayres in household of George Shean, Ward 10, Omaha, Omaha City, Douglas, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 94-153, sheet 3B, line 45, family 57, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2274.
11. ↑ The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) for the State of Nebraska; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926-1975; Record Group Number: 147; Box or Roll Number: 1175
12. ↑ "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XKK-WD4X : Thu Jul 27 12:01:08 UTC 2023), Entry for Betty L Wagner and Leonard Ayers, April 3, 1950.
13. ↑ "Idaho Death Certificates, 1938-1961," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/Q2M1-2G93 : 1 February 2016), Leonard Ayers, 19 Jun 1955; citing Death, Glenns Ferry, Elmore, Idaho, United States, Department of Health and Welfare, Boise..
14. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/174428035/leonard-s-ayers: accessed 17 August 2023), memorial page for Leonard S. “Lew” Ayers (7 Aug 1881–15 Jun 1955),Find A Grave: Memorial #174428035, citing Glenn Rest Cemetery, Glenns Ferry, Elmore County, Idaho, USA; Maintained by R.I.P. (contributor 47339884).