Melvin Purdy Custer (1858 - 1912)

Born May 1858 in Highland, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Diantha (Landess) Custer — married 3 Mar 1881 in Highland, Ohio, United States

Husband of Celia Grace (Overholtzer) Burnham — married 20 Jun 1901 in Covina, Los Angeles, California, United States

Died 31 Aug 1912 at age 54 in Glenn, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Deborah Head [send private message] and Robin Fehser [send private message]

Biography

Melvin was born in 1858. He was the son of Samuel Custer and Ann Purdy. He passed away in 1912.

Melvin was born in Ohio, in 1853, to Samuel and Marie Purdy Custer. He married Diantha Landess in Ohio, in 1881. The couple had five children. Diantha died in December 1899, and by the time of the 1900 census (six months later) he and the five children had moved to Covina, California. He married Celia Overholtzer, in 1901, in Covina and shortly thereafter, they relocated to Codora, California. (Codora was a small community forming in central California whose name was a mix of Covina and neighboring town Glendora.) They had two sons, the second of whom died at less than 6 months old. Sadly Melvin died of what the coroner identified as a self-inflicted gun shot, and died at the age of 59.

Sources

"United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M62K-Y3L : 12 April 2016), Samuel Custer, Ohio, United States; citing p. 17, family 137, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,721.

Name: Melvin P. Custer Event Type: Marriage Event Date: 3 Mar 1881 Event Place: Highland, Ohio, United States Event Place (Original): Highland, Ohio, United States Gender: Male Spouse's Name: Diantha M. Landess Spouse's Gender: Female Spouse's Age: 16 Spouse's Marital Status: Single Spouse's Birth Date: Jul Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1865 Spouse's Father's Name: S.m. Landess

Citing this Record "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZZT8-3DW2 : 1 January 2021), Melvin P. Custer and Diantha M. Landess, 1881.

Name: Melvin P Custer Event Type: Marriage Event Date: 20 Jun 1901 Event Place: Los Angeles, California, United States Gender: Male Age: 43 Birth Year (Estimated): 1858 Spouse's Name: Celia G Overholtzer Spouse's Age: 28 Spouse's Gender: Female Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1873

Citing this Record "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLW2-7JG : 8 December 2017), Melvin P Custer and Celia G Overholtzer, 20 Jun 1901; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 1,033,146.

Name: Melvin Purdy Custer Event Type: Burial Event Date: 2 Sep 1912 Event Place: Covina, Los Angeles, California, United States Event Place (Original): Covina, L.A. Co., Cal Gender: Male Age: 54 Marital Status: Married Ethnicity: American Race: White Occupation: Farmer Birth Date: 26 Mar 1858 Birthplace: Ohio Death Date: 31 Aug 1912 Death Place: Butte City, Glenn, Ca Funeral Home: X Father's Name: Samuel Custer Mother's Name: Maria Purdy

Reference ID: p 162 cn 48 Source Reference: Volumes 1-3 GS Film Number: 1786660 Digital Folder Number: 005587469

Citing this Record "California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HK3F-KMT2 : 4 February 2020), Maria Purdy in entry for Melvin Purdy Custer, 1912.

• US Census 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910;

Ohio Births and Christenings Index, 1774-1973; Ohio County Marriage Records, 1774-1993; California County Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1849-1980; Social Security Applications and Claims Index; Find a Grave memorial #129061458