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From:
Subject: Civil War Record of Muscatine Veteran
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 14:12:16 EST

Hi Everybody,

While I don't have specific information on this particular individual, I do
want to point out to everyone that, on January 2, 1915, the Department of
Pensions, Bureau of the Interior, in Washington, D.C., sent out an official
questionnaire with the following beginning:

"Sir: Please answer, at your earliest convenience, the questions enumerated
below. The information is requested for future use, and it may be of great
value to your widow or children. Use the inclosed envelope, which requires
no stamp. Very respectfully, "

This record contained my husband's ancestor's birth date and place; his post
office at enlistment; his wife's full name and her maiden name; when, where,
and by whom they were married; that there was no official record of his
marriage; that he had not been previously married, and that he was not
divorced; that she had no previous marriages; that he was living with his
wife in 1915; and the names, birth dates and whether or not his children were
still alive at the time. It is a wonderful record which, as you can see,
contains a lot of useful information on a single page.

You can obtain this record, along with a lot of other information, by
completing the "Order and Billing for Copies of Veteran's Records" GSA Form
6751. [It is a General Services Administration form.] I sent for mine back
in 1978 so I don't know what it costs by now. The important thing is to
check both the Pension and the Military boxes, so you'll receive all of the
records contained in your ancestor's file.

Good luck, and happy ancestor hunting!

Lois VanDeWarker (seeking information on William Kendall WELLS, born 4 July
1840, Muscatine, Iowa; mother, name unknown, died at birth; father, name
unknown, allegedly died in an Indian raid shortly before William's birth;
William married Martha Jane KING 16 Mar 1882 in Cincinnati Township, Harrison
County, Iowa; died 3 Dec 1921 Cincinnati Twp., Harrison County, Iowa; buried
at Rose Hill Cemetery 4 Dec 1921, in Modale, Harrison County, Iowa.

William Kendall had 8 children, including a set of twins, one of whom had the
middle name of his maternal grandfather (Abner), which leads me to think the
other may have been named after his paternal grandfather (Earl). But I can't
prove or disprove this theory, because I can't find anything that shows who
William's father or mother actually were.

He and Martha Jane KING had the following children:

Jessie May WELLS, b. 17 Dec 1882; d. Abt 1891

Bertha WELLS, b. 3 Oct 1884 Missouri Valley, Harrison County, Iowa; md. 30
Aug 1903 David WISECUP, Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa; d. 17 Apr 1952,
Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa, b. 19 Apr 1952, Sioux City, Woodbury
County, Iowa;

*Minnie Frances WELLS (Our Ancestor) b. 11 Apr 1887 Missouri Valley,
Harrison County, Iowa; m. Burley Troy STOKES, 25 Dec 1906, Missouri Valley,
Harrison County, Iowa; d. 23 Feb 1963, Stanton, Orange County, California;
bd. Fullerton, Orange County, California

Clarence L. WELLS, b. 10 Jan 1890, California Junction, Harrison County,
Iowa; m. Abt May 1913 Christina Marie FRANKSEN; d. 4 Sep 1952, Council
Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa; bd. 8 Sep 1952, Council Bluffs,
Pottawattamie County, Iowa

Estella Bell WELLS, b. 9 Dec 1892, Missouri Valley, Harrison County, Iowa;
md. Hans Christian FRANKSEN, Abt 1913; d. 8 Jul 1979, Omaha, Douglas County,
Nebraska; bd. 11 Jul 1979, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa

Alta WELLS, b. 26 Dec 1895, Missouri Valley, Harrison County, Iowa; md.
Sigurt NELSON, 8 Mar 1915, Harrison County, Iowa; d. 28 Feb 1968, Omaha,
Douglas County, Nebraska; bd. 2 Mar 1968, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska

Floyd Earl WELLS, b. 1 Oct 1900, Cincinnati Twp., Harrison County, Iowa; m.
14 Dec 1921 Grace HUDSON (Div) Onawa, Monona County, Iowa; m. Iris Marie SIMS
8 Apr 1937, Custer, Custer County, South Dakota

Lloyd Abner "Todd" WELLS, b. 1 Oct 1900, Cincinnati Twp., Harrison County,
Iowa; d. 22 May 1953, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa; b. 26 May
1953

I would very much appreciate hearing from anyone who would be able to help me
fill in any of the blanks above. I've been looking for William Kendall's
parents for well over 25 years, and I'd like to find them before they find me
(if you know what I mean!).

Lois

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