Clara Marie (Craig) Ayer (1911 - 2003)

Born 26 Feb 1911 in Downing, Schuyler, Missouri, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Virgil Richard Ayer — married 16 Nov 1929 in Eldora, Hardin County, Iowa, 50627, USA

Descendants

Died 24 Jan 2003 at age 91 in Mercy Hospital, Johnson, Iowa, United States

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Biography

Born 26 Feb 1911 near Downing, Schuyler County, Missouri, USA. ^[1][2]

Clara is born to the farmer James Craig and his wife Anna Carroll Craig.

26 Jan 1920 8-year-old Clara is listed with her parents and younger sister living on a farm in Liberty Township, Schuyler, Missouri.^[3]

• Craig James (head of family, owns a mortgaged farm, male, white, 34 years, married, can write, read and speak English, born in Missouri, father born in Illinois, mother born in Iowa)
• Craig Anna (wife, female, white, 31 years, married, can write, read and speak English, born in Missouri, father born in Kentucky, mother born in Missouri)
• Craig Clara (daughter, female, white, 8 years, single, attends school, can write, read and speak English, born in Missouri, father born in Missouri, mother born in Missouri)
• Craig Ethel (daughter, female, white, 4 years, single, speaks English, born in Missouri, father born in Missouri, mother born in Missouri)

Note: Clara's future husband Virgil Ayer is listed living next door.

16 Nov 1929 At the age of 18 Anna marries the 21-year-old Virgil Ayer in Eldora, Iowa.

The young couple doesn't start their live together right away. It seems both continue earning money working at separate locations in Iowa for a little while longer.

2 Apr 1930 Clara is listed as an employee of the Marmetter family living on their farm in Concord Township, Hardin County, Iowa. Virgil is listed living and working on a farm in Tipton Township, Hardin County. ^[4]

• Ayer Clara (servant, lives on farm, white, female, 19 years, first married at the age of 18, can write and read, born in Missouri, both parents also born in Missouri, speaks English, servant for private family)

In the early 1930ies Clara and Virgil move on a farm in Wyacondah Township, Davis County, Iowa. Their only child Peggy is born 15 Nov 1933.

4 Apr 1940 The young family is listed on the farm in Wyacondah, Davis, Iowa.^[5]

• Ayer Virgil (rents a farm for 60$ a month, white, male, 32 years, married, 8 years of school education, born in Missouri, lived at the same house in 1935, farmer)
• Ayer Clara M. (wife, white, female, 29 years, married, 8 years of school education, born in Missouri, lived at the same house in 1935)
• Ayer Peggy (daughter, white, female, 6 years, single, attends school, 1st grade, born in Missouri, lived at the same house in 1935)

Virgil, Clara and Peggy later move to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Over the next years Clara works for Motorola, Statts Ribbons and the Iowa Wesleyan College.

Clara's husband Virgil dies in 1981. When Clara's daughter Peggy also loses her husband only a year later, Clara moves down south to live with her and to help with Peggy's business the "Barnett Motel" (now a Budget Inn) in Heber Springs, Cleburne County, Arkansas.

In Dec 1999 Peggy dies of Multiple sclerosis and Clara returns to Iowa to live close to her grandson Terry's family.

Died 24 Jan 2003 at the Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa, USA. ^[6][7]

Buried Downing City Cemetery in Downing, Schuyler County, Missouri, USA. ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.peterseimfuneralhome.com/notices/Clara-Ayer
2. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JL25-623 : 19 May 2014), Clara M Ayer, 24 Jan 2003; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRNB-9CPB?cc=1488411&wc=QZJY-XQS%3A1036473201%2C1038918201%2C1036504601%2C1589332319 : 14 December 2015), Missouri > Schuyler > Liberty > image 21 of 24; citing NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RHW-L2H?cc=1810731&wc=QZF3-J1Y%3A648806501%2C649947501%2C648867401%2C1589282415 : 8 December 2015), Iowa > Hardin > Concord > ED 7 > image 1 of 18; citing NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002).
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9M1-NNL3?cc=2000219&wc=QZX1-ZSX%3A790105501%2C792764501%2C792807401%2C792807402 : accessed 27 March 2018), Iowa > Davis > Wyacondah Township > 26-12 Wyacondah Township > image 3 of 24; citing 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.
6. ↑ https://www.peterseimfuneralhome.com/notices/Clara-Ayer
7. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JL25-623 : 19 May 2014), Clara M Ayer, 24 Jan 2003; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 20 August 2020), memorial page for Clara Marie Craig Ayer (26 Feb 1911–24 Jan 2003), Find a Grave Memorial no. 70208928, citing Downing City Cemetery, Downing, Schuyler County, Missouri, USA ; Maintained by NE MO (contributor 46863367) . https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70208928/clara-marie-ayer