William Webster Malone (1862 - 1923)

Born 22 Feb 1862 in Portland, Ionia, Michigan, United States [uncertain]

Husband of Margaret Elvira (Couch) Malone — married 16 Nov 1890 (to 11 Dec 1923) in Missoula, Montana, United States

Descendants

Died 11 Dec 1923 at age 61 in Woodside, Ravalli, Montana, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Roxanna Malone [send private message] and Sean Dorval [send private message]

Biography

W.W. Malone was probably born in Michigan to Thomas Malone and Mary Horne (see research notes). He moved to the Bitterroot Valley, Ravalli County, Montana, in the late 1880s. He and Margaret Elvira "Maggie" Couch were married in the Grantsdale Church on 16 Nov 1890 - according to family history, theirs was the first wedding to occur at the newly built church building. The family purchased land northwest of Hamilton near Woodside in 1900^[1] where they farmed produce and raised nine children. W.W. Malone passed away in 1923. ^[2]

Research Notes

The life of W.W. Malone from the time to his marriage in 1890 to his death in 1923 is well documented. However, no solid documentation of his existence or that of his parents has been found prior to his marriage in Montana, and details of his early life relies solely on information provided on later documents.

Birth Location

The birth location for William Webster Malone is listed differently in different places. I used the location on his marriage certificate, which I consider most likely because it is the only document listing a specific hometown that W.W. Malone likely provided himself. In it, he stated his place of birth as Portland, Ionia County, Michigan.^[3] The following additional documents support this:

• An article in the Western News on 30 Sep 1910 stated that W.W. Malone would be leaving for Chicago soon with a load of apples, and that "before returning Mr. Malone expects to visit his old house at Portland, Mich., which he left 20 years ago."^[4]
• The 1920 Census lists "Michigan" as the birth location.^[5]
• Several newspaper notices of his death indicated he was a native of Michigan.
• A delayed birth certificate for daughter Edith, issued in Montana 23 Nov 1942 indicated her father's birthplace was "nr. Lansing, Michigan" - Portland is about 20 miles from Lansing, so near Lansing would be a logical answer if the name of the specific town couldn't be recalled.
• A delayed birth certificate for son Eddie issued in Montana 5 May 1942 also indicated Lansing, Michigan as his father's birthplace.
• W.W. Malone's death certificate indicates birthplace as Michigan.^[6]

Documents that contradict the Portland, Michigan birthplace:

• Both the 1900 and 1910 Census entries indicate W.W. Malone was born in New York.^{[7] [8]}
• A delayed birth certificate for son Earl issued in Montana15 May 1958 indicated his father was born in East Jordan, Michigan. East Jordan is over 200 miles northwest of Portland, on the shores of Lake Michigan.
• A delayed birth certificate for daughter Cora issued in Montana 13 Sep 1968, also lists East Jordan as her father's birthplace. The father's birth year and birthplace on this document are written with different ink and handwriting than the rest of the information, speculating that it may have been copied after the fact from her brother's document.

Parents

The only document located that provides the names of W.W. Malone's parents is his marriage certificate. The copy is clear and the handwriting readable, and the names are Thomas Malone (born Ireland) and Mary Horne (born in NY). I have been unable to find any marriage record for a Thomas Malone and Mary Horne (or Horn, Hearne, Van Horn, Horner, Horan, or anything close) in New York or Michigan, or anywhere else. I have also looked extensively and not found reference to these names as a couple in any birth records, death records, or anywhere other than the marriage certificate for W.W. Malone. No census records in Michigan list a Thomas and Mary Malone with a son named William in the right age range. The following individuals have been researched forward and eliminated as possible matches for William Webster Malone:

• William H. Malone, of the right age living with parents Michael and Mary Malone in nearby Kent county has been traced forward and eliminated.
• William Malone, born @1852 to Thomas and Margaret (O'Neal) Malone of Kent County appears to have died in the state hospital at Kalamazoo in 1927 and is therefore eliminated. (I still think there is possibly some connection to this family)
• William Malone, b. 1866, son of Peter Malone of Grand Rapids, has also been traced forward and eliminated.

Family Legend

It was widely agreed upon by his descendants that William Webster Malone left home at a relatively young age and had little, if any, subsequent contact with his family. One version of this story was that his mother had passed away, his father remarried, and he did not get along with the step-mother. Another family legend was that he had been adopted and his records sealed, although an alternate version of that story was that he had a younger brother who was put up for adoption after their mother's death and the sealed records prevented him from ever finding that brother. None of these stories have been substantiated, other than him having little or no contact with family.

Sources

1. ↑ Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Washington D.C., USA; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes found at https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/cdi/default.aspx?doc_id=330897&sid=uain3hsv.3lo
2. ↑ Obituary as published in The Missoulian (Missoula, Montana) on 15 Dec 1923, page 8.
3. ↑ "Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F34C-THH : 21 May 2019), W. W. Malone and Maggie Couch, 16 Nov 1890; citing Marriage, Missoula, , Montana, various county courthouses, Montana; FHL microfilm 1,888,747.
4. ↑ The Western News, Stevensville, Montana; 30 Sep 1910, Fri • Page 1 found at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73339896/ww-malone-visits-chicago-michigan/?xid=865
5. ↑ Year: 1920; Census Place: Woodside, Ravalli, Montana; Roll: T625_975; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 184; Image: 132 Title 1920 United States Federal Census Author Ancestry.com Publisher Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Publisher Date 2010 Publisher Location Provo, UT, USA
6. ↑ "Montana Death Index, 1860-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VHZ3-W57 : 9 December 2014), William Malone, 11 Dec 1923; from "Montana Death Index, 1868-2011," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2009); citing State of Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Office of Vital Statistics, Helena.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MM5Z-G4P : accessed 17 February 2022), William W Malone, Township 6 & 7 west of Bitter Root River, Ravalli, Montana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 82, sheet 2A, family 33, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,914.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLCC-Q7S : accessed 17 February 2022), William W Malone, Ward Township, Ravalli, Montana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 85, sheet 3B, family 27, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 833; FHL microfilm 1,374,846.