Lester C Clevenger (1902 - 1923)

Born 19 Jul 1902 in Oregon, United States

Ancestors

Died 21 Feb 1923 at age 20 in Salem, Marion, Oregon, United States

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Biography

Born 19 JUL 1902. Oregon, United States. ^[1][2]

Died 21 FEB 1923. Salem, Marion, Oregon, United States. ^[2]

Lester C Clevenger. Given Name: Lester C. Surname: Clevenger. A Given name was found in addition to a first name in the NAME tag.

Born 19 JUL 1902. Oregon, United States. ^[3][2]

Died 21 FEB 1923. Salem, Marion, Oregon, United States. ^[2]

FSFTID M1XB-FK5.

AMTID 240103455038:1030:113011356.

Cremation: ^[2] Lester's cremated remains were not initlially taken after his death and were available at the Oregon State Hospital to be claimed by anyone who is related. In 2014 they were claimed by a relative. More information is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/amh/osh/pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a documentary by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information. The Oregon Cremains Lists indicates Clevenger as his last name, and says Cleverger may be an alternative spelling. All records found by this researcher shows Clevenger as the spelling of his adopted name. Lester's biological parents were Clifford Wallace Warner (born in Cleveland, Ohio) and Eva Claudia Jaycox (born in Nodaway, Iowa). At the time of the 1885 census Eva was 15, single, and living with Roswell & Ida Clevenger in Osborne County, Kansas. Eva married Clifford Warner in 1894. The couple had three other children: Clara, Ruth and Mildred, all older than Lester. In 1900, Eva Jaycox Warner was head of the household in Calhoun County Michigan living with her mother and first 2 two daughters. Eva was listed as married, but Clifford was not in the home. Eva worked as a nurse in the TB ward of the Battle Creek Sanitarium where Orie Wilber, Clifford Warner's first wife, was one of her patients and where she contracted TB herself. She spent some time at the Portland Adventist Sanitarium, and her health improved to the point that she decided to take a nursing job there. Clara and Ruth went with her and stayed with a family in Portland, while Mildred stayed on with the Clevenger's in Blachly, Oregon. About that time Clifford Warner, whose profession was "railroad engineer," also came West and rejoined his family. He filed on a homestead in the Blachly area and there they made their home. By this time, another baby was on the way, and Eva Warner's health grew worse. When Lester was born they barely saved him. Eva only lived a short time after that. Lester was adopted by Roswell Tremain Clevenger and Ida May (Slayter) Clevenger. Roswell was Lester's great step-uncle. In 1920, Eva's mother was listed as Roswell Clevenger's "sister." Indications are that the families were members of the same Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Clevengers had had no biological children, but adopted several, including Lester's sister Millie. In 1900 the Clevengers were living in Lane County, Oregon. The Warners moved to Oregon. It was there Lester was born and Eva died in July 1902. After Eva's death Clifford remarried on 5/10/1904 and his new wife, Lillis Malvina (Slayter, Eyglesham) Warner, was killed in January 1905 when a tree Clifford was cutting fell on her. Lillie Warner and Ida Clevenger share the same maiden name - Slayter. Clifford Warner returned to his profession of railroad engineer and later remarried a fourth wife, Helen E. Lane (1862-1935). The census of 1910 lists Lester and Mildred as the adopted children of Roswell and Ida Clevenger in Cass County, Texas. It was reported they did not know where Lester's parents were born. In that same census Lester's 2 older sisters Clara and Ruth were living with their maternal grandmother. In the census of January 1920, the Clevenger family was listed in Dorena, Lane County, Oregon. The census indicated Lester was a farm hand on the family farm and could read and write. On 8/2/1920, Lester was admitted to the Oregon State Institution for the Feeble-Minded, a quasi-educational institution charged with educating people with developmental disabilities. In 1933 the facility was renamed Oregon Fairview Home and in 1965 it was renamed Fairview Hospital and Training Center. It was closed in 2000. At the age of 20 Lester died at the institution from a blood clot in his brain. He also had the flu. Lester's father died in Michigan in 1926. Roswell Clevenger died in 1942 (FAG # 54895871) and Ida Clevenger (FAG # 54895905) died in 1961. They are buried in Blachly Lakeview Cemetery along with Lester's biological mother, Eva, and his father's third wife, Lillis. Lester's sister Clara died in 1956, Mildred died in 1982 and Ruth died in 1990. ***A great deal of biographical information was generously provided by Phillip Harris.

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S71 http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1920usfedcen&indiv=try&h=105372824 Page http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1920usfedcen&indiv=try&h=105372824
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Find A Grave: Memorial #159952005
3. ↑ Source: #S71 http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1920usfedcen&indiv=try&h=105372824 Page http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1920usfedcen&indiv=try&h=105372824

• Source: S71 United States Census for 1920 TID 0 Footnote United States Census for 1920 ShortFootnote United States Census for 1920 Bibliography United States Census for 1920.
• Source: S1009 , Find A Grave (N.p.: n.p., n.d.). TID 439 Author Title Find A Grave PubPlace Publisher PubDate
• Source: S71 United States Census for 1920 TID 0 Footnote United States Census for 1920 ShortFootnote United States Census for 1920 Bibliography United States Census for 1920.