Robert Lee Dever

          Robert Lee Dever was born 15 Nov 1880 in Ohio County, the son of Henry Clay Dever (1844 – 1934) and Jamima “Mima” J. Wright (1855 – 1912), and died 25 Dec 1957 in Daviess County.  He was one of eleven children and his father, who previously lived in Larue County, was a farmer in the Sulphur Springs area of Ohio County. His father had a previous marriage to Sarah Frances Nicholas and three children were born of that marriage.

          Robert Lee Dever and Martha Jane (Coy) Ewing were married 18 April 1903 in Ohio County.  Martha Jane had previously been married to Jesse Ewing, who died about 1902, and two children were born to that previous union, Ervin Ewing (1894 – 1959) and Allen Ewing (1897 – 1963).

          Martha Jane (Coy), daughter of Nicholas Coy and wife, Elizabeth, was born 20 Oct 1878 in Larue County, KY and died 16 Nov 1910 in Ohio County. 

          Mr. Dever and Martha Jane had two children, Fronia Mae Dever was born about 1905. A second child, Carson Dever, was born 15 Apr 1907 and died 8 Sep 1909 in Ohio County. 

          Here is their wedding announcement for Mr. Dever and Martha Jane:

Hartford Herald, April 22, 1903 Jingo news. Married at the residence of H. C. Dever, last Sunday the 16th, at 2 o’clock, Robert Dever and Mrs. Janie Ewing of LaRue County, Ky.  The groom is the son of H. C. Dever and is very popular.  The bride was a pretty young widow.  They will start to housekeeping at once at Dundee.  May their pathway be strewn with thornless flowers.

          The 1910 census shows the family living in Sulphur Springs and Mr. Dever’s occupation is listed as a farmer.

          Here is the death notice for Martha Jane:

Hartford Herald, May 23, 1910:  Mrs. Dever, wife of Robert Dever, who lives near Sunnydale, died at her home Wednesday morning at 2 o'clock of tuberculosis. She had been sick for several months and her death had been expected for several weeks. She leaves a husband and three children to mourn her loss.

          Mr. & Mrs. Dever lost their son, Carson, in September 1909, and then Mrs. Dever died about a year later, 16 Nov 1910, leaving Mr. Dever with his only  living child, Fronia Mae, who was then about 5 years old, and his two step-sons, Ervin and Allen. 

          Mr. Dever next married Eunice Rock about 1913; she taught school in Ohio County.  They had a son, Earl Preston Dever, that was born 12 Oct 1914 and died 2 Dec 1914. Eunice died during childbirth in May 1918. 

Hartford Herald, May 22, 1918: Mrs. R. L. Dever, wife of Mr. R. L. Dever, the grocer on Union Street, died early Tuesday morning of childbirth, in the family apartment above the grocery. Mrs. Dever was 28 years old and before her marriage was a Miss Rock, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Rock of the Concord neighborhood. She was a member of the Christian church and her funeral will be preached this morning by Rev. Walter Greep at the Midkiff burying ground, near Mt. Vernon, where her remains will be buried.

           By 1918 Mr. Dever was operating a grocery store in Hartford and later operated a transfer service between Hartford and Beaver Dam.

          The 1920 census shows Mr. Dever as a widower.

          In January 1922 Mr. Dever married for the third and last time to Mrs. Lucy Ellen “Ella” (Gardner) Leach of Beaver Dam, the widow of Harney Leslie Leach, who had three children by her deceased husband.  Mr. and Mrs. Dever had one child, a son named Robert Lee Dever, Jr., born 1924.  The family moved to Owensboro and lived on West 11^th Street; Mr. Dever owned a shoe repair shop in Owensboro.

          This is the obituary for Mr. Dever from the Messenger-Enquirer 26 Dec 1957:

          

          This is a photo of the Dever family from his first marriage showing Ervin and Allen Ewing in the back row; Mr. Dever and Martha Jane in the middle row; and Fronia and Carson in the front row (since Carson died Sept 1909 this photo was probably made during the summer of 1909):

  

          The following photo is of Robert L. Dever and Lucy Ellen “Ella” (Gardner) Leach Dever, my grandmother, and I guess the photo was made in the 1950’s:

        

          Mr. Dever chose to be buried next to his second wife, Eunice, in the Midkiff Cemetery, Ohio County:

          Mrs. Dever chose to be buried next to her first husband, Leslie, in the Sunnyside Cemetery, Ohio County:    

   
         As to Fronia Mae Dever, the daughter of Mr. Dever’s marriage to his first wife, Martha Janie (Coy) Ewing, I found mention of her in the local paper in 1918 and it suggests that she was living in the Bennett’s community and was called Miss Fronie Dever in the article.  She is shown in the 1920 census living with her father on Union Street in Hartford – probably an apartment above the grocery. Later she married Guildford Donald Sawyer in Indiana on 21 April 1926.  Mr. Sawyer was born 21 Nov 1907 and died 31 Mar 1990 in Los Angeles, California.  His WWII draft registration in 1942 shows Fronia May as his wife.  They had one child, Guilford D. Sawyer, Jr., who was born in 1927.  Fronia died in March 1998 in Joliet, Will County, Illinois.

ROBERT LEE DEVER

ROBERT LEE DEVER

            Robert Lee Dever was born 15 Nov 1880 in the Sulphur Springs community of Ohio County, the son of Henry Clay Dever (1844-1934) and Jamima J. Wright (1855-1912). Robert was the second of nine children: Belle, Robert Lee, Mary, Charles L., Eugene Wayne, Myrtle, Frank, Cecil R., and Richard L.  The father, Henry Clay, was a farmer.

            First marriage:  On 18 April 1903 Robert Lee Dever married Martha Janie (Coy) Ewing, a widow from Larue County, KY who was about two years older than Robert. Martha had been married to Jesse Ewing and they had two sons, Ervin Ewing, born 12 Feb 1894, and Allen Ross Ewing, born 10 Sept 1897.

Hartford Herald, April 22, 1903 Jingo news. Married at the residence of H. C. Dever, last Sunday the 16th, at 2 o’clock Robert Dever and Mrs. Janie Ewing of LaRue County, Ky.  The groom is the son of H. C. Dever and is very popular.  The bride was a pretty young widow.  They will start to housekeeping at once at Dundee.  May their pathway be strewn with thornless flowers.

                So, at age 22, Robert Lee Dever started his married life with a bride and two step-sons about age 7 and 5.  A third child, Fronia Mae Dever, was born in 1905, and a fourth child, Carson Dever, was born 15 April 1907. Carson died 8 Sept 1909.

1910 census:  Name:  Robert L. Dever; Age in 1910: 29; Birth Year: abt 1881; Birthplace: Kentucky; Home in 1910: Sulpher Springs, Ohio, Kentucky; Race: White; Gender: Male; Relation to Head of House: Head; Marital Status: Married; Spouse's Name: Martha J. Dever; Father's Birthplace: Kentucky; Mother's Birthplace: Kentucky; Occupation: Farmer; Home Owned or Rented: Rent; Years Married: 6; Household Members: Name /Age - Robert L. Dever 29, Martha J. Dever 31, Fronie M. Dever 5, Ervin Ewing15 (step-son), Allen Ewing 13 (step-son), Wayne Dever 22 (brother)

            Martha Janie, now the mother of three living children, died of tuberculosis 16 Nov 1910.

Hartford Herald, May 23, 1910:  Mrs. Dever, wife of Robert Dever, who lives near Sunnydale, died at her home Wednesday morning at 2 o'clock of tuberculosis. She had been sick for several months and her death had been expected for several weeks. She leaves a husband and three children to mourn her loss.

The death of Martha Janie left Robert, now age 30, responsible for a five year old daughter and two step-sons.

Second marriage:  On 15 Feb 1913, Robert Lee Dever married Eunice Rock, a native of Rockport, Ohio County, who was born 10 Feb 1889, the daughter of Luther Rock and Amanthus Elliott. She was also called Unica by her friends and family. To this marriage a son was born 12 Oct 1914, Earl Preston Dever. Sadly, Earl Preston died 2 Dec 1914.

Hartford Herald, 9 Dec 1914: The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Dever, Union Street, died Monday of last week and the remains were interred Wednesday at the Midkiff burying grounds near Sulphur Springs. The little fellow had been ill since birth, seven weeks ago.

Four years later, during the birth of her second child, on 21 May 1918, both Eunice and the child died.

Hartford Herald, May 22, 1918: Mrs. R. L. Dever, wife of Mr. R. L. Dever, the grocer on Union Street, died early Tuesday morning of childbirth, in the family apartment above the grocery. Mrs. Dever was 28 years old and before her marriage was a Miss Rock, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Rock of the Concord neighborhood. She was a member of the Christian church and her funeral will be preached this morning by Rev. Walter Greep at the Midkiff burying ground, near Mt. Vernon, where her remains will be buried.

Hartford Herald. May 29, 1918. Obit.  Mrs. R. L. Dever passed into the better world on Tuesday, May 21st. Though her life was short her career was useful and she was loved by all who knew her. She was born at Rockport, Ky., Feb. 10, 1889, and was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Rock. Her mother still survives but her father preceded her by a little more than a month. For six years she was a popular teacher in the Ohio County schools and leaves a host of former pupils to mourn her untimely death. She was married to Mr. R. L. Dever, a Hartford businessman, five years ago and resided in this city till the time of her death. She united with the Church of Christ in 1915 and lived a devoted Christian till she was called up higher to brighter fields of endeavor. Mrs. Deaver leaves her husband, her mother, Mrs. Luther Rock of Concord, and three brothers, Jesse Rock of Chicago, O. N. Rock of Cool Springs, Ky., and Wayne S. Rock of Concord, besides hundreds of friends through out the country. She was gentle in disposition, kind in manner, and an earnest follower of the Redeemer, Her loss to earth is Heaven's gain.

As mentioned in the above obituary, at some point between 1910 and 1920 Robert had moved to Hartford and started a grocery business on Union Street. By 1920 the two step-sons, now ages 26 and 22, had moved from Ohio County and were married. (In 1920 Ervin Ewing lived in Hopkins County and Allen Ewing lived in Webster County). The 1920 census shows that Robert Lee Dever and his daughter, Fronia Mae, lived in an apartment above the grocery.    

1920 census: Name: Richard (sic) L. Dever [Robert L. Dever]; Age: 39; Birth Year: abt 1881; Birthplace: Kentucky; Home in 1920: Hartford, Ohio, Kentucky; Street: Union Street; Race:  White; Gender: Male; Relation to Head of House: Head; Marital Status: Widowed; Father's Birthplace: Kentucky; Mother's Birthplace: Kentucky; Occupation: Groceryman; Household Members: Name –Age Richard (sic) L. Dever 39, Fronia M. Dever14

           

Third marriage:  On 18 January 1922 Robert married Lucy Ellen (Gardner) Leach, a widow with three children ages 13, 13, and 8 (the first two children, Otis and Ersa were twins).  The third child, Samuel Leslie, was my father. Lucy’s nickname was Ella and she had previously been married to Harney Leslie Leach, who died from the flu epidemic 1 Nov 1918. Harney had served in the U.S. Army in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War and had operated a shoe repair business in Hartford. Note that over 300,000 Kentuckians suffered from the flu during 1918 and more than 13,000 died.  The flu hit western Kentucky harder than any other section of the state.

Obit.  Hartford Herald 6 Nov 1918.  Leslie Leach died at his home of the flu followed by pneumonia Friday morning.  He is survived by his wife and three children, also father and mother, and three brothers.  He was 41 years old and a member of the Baptist church, a good husband and kind father.  For several years he had been running a shoe store and pressing parlor, was a good business man, always found at the place of business until stricken with the awful disease two weeks ago.  He will be sadly missed by his family and host of other friends.  Interment in Sunnyside cemetery Sunday afternoon.

            Robert and Ella moved to Owensboro after 1922 and bought a home at 1219 West 11^th Street. He went into a partnership with Wayne Rock, brother of his deceased wife, Eunice, in the shoe repair business. Robert and Ella had one child, Robert Lee Dever, Jr., born March 1924.

1930 census: Name: Robert L. Dever; Home in 1930: Owensboro, Daviess, Kentucky; Age: 49 ;Estimated Birth Year: abt 1881; Birthplace: Kentucky; Relation to Head of House: Head; Spouse's Name: Ella; Race: White; Household Members: Name Age R. L. Dever 49,  Ella Dever 46,  Robert Lee Dever 6,  Ersa Mae Leach 20,  Samuel L. Leach 15. 

Note that daughter Fronia Mae does not show in the 1930 or 1940 census.  She is not found in the death records for Kentucky, so we can assume that she married. I have been unable to find her so I am asking for your help in finding information about her.

1940 census: Name: R. L. Dever; Age: 59; Estimated birth year: abt 1881; Gender: Male; Race: White; Birthplace: Kentucky; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head; Home in 1940: Owensboro, Daviess, Kentucky; Street: West 11th Street; House Number: 1219; Occupation: Repair Man Shoe; House Owned or Rented: Owned; Household Members: Name –Age: R. L. Dever 59, Ella Dever 55, Robert Dever 16, Ersa Leach 30.

            Robert and Ella’s son, Robert Lee Dever, Jr. served with honor and distinction in the U.S. Army during WWII. Here is a newspaper article from 1945 from the Owensboro newspaper:

Staff Sergeant R. L. Dever Aids In Capture Of German General - How an Owensboro soldier, Staff Sgt. Robert L. Dever, aided in the capture of a German general was recently revealed by Army officials. Dever is with the Eighth Infantry Division in Germany.  According to information received here, the second platoon of "A" Company, 121st Infantry, was moving through the town of Efferen, Germany, in the 8th Infantry Division's push for the Rhine when they were momentarily halted.  A small German child came running up to Staff Sergeant Dever, of 1219 West llth, Owensboro, Kentucky, 2nd Platoon guide, and Private First Class Robert J. Dutter, of 5433 South Union Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, company aid man.  "Kamerad, kamerad!", he panted.  The two couldn't figure out what was up. Presently a Civilian approached and, speaking a bit of English, explained that a wounded Jerry in a nearby house needed attention.  Inside they found a dignified looking German with two shrapnel wounds in his upper frame. The medico opened his kit and started to work. He attempted to cut the coat from the wounded Jerry. The latter protested, "Nix, nix!"  Pfc. Dutter and Sgt. Dever forcibly helped to remove the coat. Upon doing so their eyes popped wide. The German was a general in the artillery.

Robert Lee Dever, Jr.

Robert, Jr. served from 8 March 1943 till 22 Oct 1945 in combat at St. Lo, Brest, and in the Hurtgen Forest in Germany. He was awarded the Silver Star during the Brest Campaign, plus the Bronze Star and several other awards for valor. Robert, Jr. now lives in Louisville.

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Robert, Sr. and Ella lived out their life in their home at 1219 West 11^th Street, Owensboro.  Robert died first, December 25, 1957, and is buried in the Midkiff Cemetery, Ohio County, next to his second wife, Eunice. 

         Ella died 25 April 1971 and is buried next to her first husband, Harney Leslie Leach, in the Sunnyside Cemetery, Beaver Dam.

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Ella Gardner Leach, about 1908

Robert Lee Dever, Sr., about 1950

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