Parents

Son of Henry Harvey CHRISTIAN & Willy Ida COLEMAN.

Life History

Other facts

Notes

• Matthew Henry Christian's information was given to me by his son, Charles O Christian.  I found that on his WWI Draft Registration, his name is Matthew Christian, but he signs the certificate as H M Christian, as though his name were Henry Matthew Christian.  This order of thenames is supported by the 1910 census, where he is in the household of his father, Henry Harvey Christan, in Mountain View, Oklahoma.  There he is listed as Henry M Christian.  In the 1930 census, however, heis listed as Matthew H Christian.
  
  The date of birth given me by Charles is 10 August 1892.  But his agein the May 1910 census is 18 matches birth in 1891 or the first half of 1892.  On the Draft Registration his birthday is recorded as August10th 1891.  But the age given there, 25, matches a birth year of 1892.  The registration was in June 1917.  The Social Security Death Index also reports his birth date as 10 August 1891.  Death date is givenas January 1972.
  The Draft Registration reports that his occupation in 1917 is "Stockman, Working for Self."  The census in 1930 reports he is a taxi driver.
  In 1910 Matthew is listed as Henry M.
  1910 Federal Census, Kiowa County, Oklahoma, 5 May, District 179, page 9B, Hse/Fam #118
  Christian, Henry H  Head M W 44 Married 23 years TX England -- Farmer[born abt 1866]
  Christian, Willie I  Wife F W 39 Married 23 years  Borne 5 children,3 living  TX AL AL [born abt 1869]
  Christian, Willie N  Son M W 19 Single AR TX TX [born abt 1891]
  Christian, Henry M  Son M W 18 Single TX TX TX [born abt 1892]
  
  This census tells us that Henry M, whom we know as Matthew Henry , was born in Texas.  His son Charles tells me it was in Winfield, Titus County.  Winfield is now on the route of Interstate Highway 30 from Little Rock, Arkansas, through Texarkana, Arkansas-Texas, to Dallas.  Today this is a small stop for gas and refreshments for today's travelers.
  
  In 1920, we find that the Christian family have moved to the southeastern section of Oklahoma, near the Red River and the Arkansas-Texas border.  They are in White Township of McCurtain County, next door to a family named Bledsoe, who have also recently moved there from south ofthe border in Red River County, Texas.  Matthew Christian has been married but is now divorced, and will later marry the Bledsoes' daughterRuth.
  
  1920 Federal Census, McCurtain County, Oklahoma, 12 June, White Township, District 157, page 17A, Hill Street, Hse #257, Fam #360
  Christian, Henry Head M W 50 TX England Miss
  Christian, Ida  F W 47 TX Miss Ala
  Christian, Matthew H  Son M W 25 Divorced TX TX TX  Chauffeur, Service Car
  Christian, H (?)  Son M W 7 Single TX TX TX [born abt 1903]
  (The entry for the second son is scrawled horribly)
  
  It is interesting to note that Mathew's job is Chauffeur.  We also note here that his mother's name is reported as Ida.  This adds information to the previous census which listed here as Willie I.  Matthew's son Charles has given her name to me as Ida Coleman.  So this all fits together.
  
  In 1920 we saw they were living in a township called White.  In 1930,the place where they live is now within the incorporated town of Idabel.  The part of town where they live is called "White Man Addition"!
  
  1930 Federal Census, McCurtain County, Oklahoma, 9 April, Idabel, District 15, page 1B, E 4th St, "White Man Addition," Hse #16, Fam #19
  Christian, Matthew H  Head M W 47 TX TX TX  Taxi Driver
  Christian, Ruth  Wife F W 29 TX TX TX
  Christian, Charles O  Son M W 4yrs 2mos OK TX TX
  Christian, William H  Son M W 2yrs 6mos OK TX TX
  
  Also with them, though given a different number, is Ruth's mother "Ceny."  I found all this information on the Christian and Bledsoe families one evening in January 2008.  This was the first reference I found to Ruth's mother.  Later in the evening I had found her in several censuses, which are now referenced in this genealogy by the time I am writing this before shutting down the same evening.  This is obviously a nickname, but I have not determined what the formal name was.  She is listed as Ceny in every census, except that in 1900 it is spelled Scenie.  Perhaps this is a full name I just have not heard before.
  
  Hse #16, Fam #19
  Bledsoe, Ceny Mother-in-law F W 57 Widow TN TN TN
  
  In 1910, Matthew's age was 18, but now 20 years later, when we would expect him to be 36 or 37, he is reported as age 47!

Sources

• 1. Charles Christian, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, January 2008
• 2. 1920 Federal Census, McCurtain County, Oklahoma
  • 12 June, White Township, District 157, page 17A, Hill Street, Hse #257
• 3. Social Security Death Index
• 4. 1930 Federal Census, McCurtain County, Oklahoma
  • 9 April, Idabel, District 15, page 1B, E 4th St, "White Man Addition,
• 5. 1910 Federal Census, Kiowa County, Oklahoma
  • 5 May, District 179, page 9B, Hse/Fam #118
• 6. U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
  • record for Matthew Christian