Harvey Brooks Gleason, son of Nathaniel, was born on April 5, 1856 at Brocksville, Ontario, Canada. He died at the age of sixty-seven from acute dilation of the heart on September 23, 1924 at Omaha, Nebraska. He was buried on September 25, 1924 in West Lawn Cemetery at Omaha, Nebraska. Harvey died intestate. His estate, which was valued at about $1,150, was probated in December of 1925. At various times during his life, Harvey was a paperhanger, painter and mechanic. The 1895 Iowa State census reported that Harvey was a farmer. It is reported that he was blind in one eye as the result of an accident.
The 1860, 1870 and 1910 United States census returns indicate that Harvey was born in the State of New York. The information given above is than from his death certificate. The 1910 United States census return showed Harvey and his family living in Orlando Township, Cheyenne County, Kansas. His occupation is given as that of farming.
Harvey first married on October 30, 1895 at Audubon, Iowa to Grace Reeves, née Curtis, daughter of Samuel Rhodes Curtis and Bersheba Heflin. Grace was born on September 4, 1876 at Avoca, Iowa. She died from acute cardiac dilation on January 23, 1928 at Wood River, Nebraska and was buried on January 25, 1928 in the Wood River Cemetery.
Harvey and Grace had four children.
Harvey filed for a divorce from Grace on February 29, 1904. However, Harvey did not pursue the petition for divorce and it was dismissed without prejudice on October 6, 1905. In his petition for divorce Harvey stated:
"that he has ever since conducted himself toward the said defendant as a faithful and obedient husband, yet your petitioner avers that the said defendant disregarding her duties as a wife toward you petitioner, did on March 15, 1903 and on diverse occasions at Audubon, IA. commit adultery with one Geo. Muschrush, at the home of said defendant. And your petitioner further alleges that the said defendant cruelly and wantonly did abandon him, and that she is now living at Shelton, Neb. Your petitioner further says that the said defendant has wantonly and cruelly neglected her minor children, and that the said defendant while in Omaha mingled and associated with lewd woman and bad men, and did say and do things which would scandalize said minor children."
On December 15, 1905, Grace filed for a divorce from Harvey. In her petition for divorce Grace stated:
"that plaintiff has ever since conducted herself towards the said plaintiff, Harvery B. Gleason as a faithful, chaste and obedient wife. That notwithstanding the defendant's marital duties defendant has, at divers times been guilty of extreme cruelty towards the plaintiff. That on or about the 12th day of November 1903, and at divers times thereafter the defendant, without cause or provocation, struck, beat and bruised the plaintiff and called the plaintiff vile and opprobrious names, to-wit: a damned old bitch and threatened to take the life of the plaintiff. Plaintiff further alleges that the said defendant Harvery B. Gleason, is a man of about forty six years of age and in good health and is by occupation a painter. That the said Harvey B. Gleason has for the period of over two years cruelly and wantonly failed to contribute anything toward the plaintiff's support and maintenance, or toward the support and maintenance of their minor child Edna Gleason, although being of sufficient ability to do so."
Harvey married a second time on 12 October 12, 1904 at Omaha, Nebraska to Jessie Annette Coffey, née Ryan. She was born on April 10, 1885 in the State of Kansas. She died on April 11, 1964 at Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She is buried in a cemetery near to Valley Force, Pennsylvania. However, to date, no concrete proof has been found concerning the place of Jessie's death. There is some indication that she might have died at Acadia, California. Jessie worked in a cookie factory.
I believe that Jessie’s parents were Charles E. Ryan and Lillie Margaret Riegal. Charles was born in February of 1860 in the State of Ohio. Lillie was born on August 31, 1862 in Clark County, Ohio. I believe that Jessie had one sister, Mable, and four brothers, Clifford, Yule, Mark and Harry. Lillie M. Riegal may have died on July 16, 1900 at Cedar Bluffs, Kansas from Bright’s disease.
Harvey and Jessie had four children.
Lillie married on May 28, 1932 to Dean Duncan Maddux, son of John Espy Maddux and Bertha M. Anderson. Dean was born on January 18, 1912 at Omaha, Nebraska. He died on June 20, 1985 at Thousand Oaks, California. At the age of seventeen, Dean began to work for Dun & Bradstreet. He retired in 1971 or 1972. He was a Vice President and Regional Manager for the Chicago region. Dean was a member of the Master Masons and the Shrine Al Malacka Temple.
Lillie and Dean had two children:
Harvey and Jessie lived at the following addresses in Omaha, Nebraska:
Jessie was first married to Mr. Coffey. Presently, nothing is known about this marriage. Jessie had one child by Mr. Coffey.
She married at Omaha, Nebraska on 10 November 1920 to Orien Ambrose Benton, son of William Ambrose Benton and Eva Belle Weiss. Orien was a butcher by trade. Orien was born on August 4, 1898 in Nocona, Texas. He died on January 22, 1992 in Forth Worth, Texas.
Orien's World War I draft registration card, which was dated September 12, 1918, tells us that he was born on the date cited above. He was a self-employed farmer. Orien was tall and board of build. He had grey eyes and brown hair.
Sources
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