Alonzo Thomas Gunter MCKEEN Marian E MCKEEN Florence A MCKEEN Thomas Gilbert GREEN Mini tree diagram
Delora Alma BLACK

Delora Alma BLACK4,5,6,1,2,3,7

Sep 18981,2,3 - Mar 19774

Life History

Sep 1898

Born in Stonewall County, Texas.1,2,3

12th Mar 1919

Married Alonzo Thomas Gunter MCKEEN in Carlsbad, Eddy, New Mexico.4,5

1st Jan 1920

Birth of daughter Marian E MCKEEN in Ventura County, California.7,13,14,15

26th Dec 1920

Birth of daughter Florence A MCKEEN in Riverside County, California.7,1,13

after 1921

Divorced from Alonzo Thomas Gunter MCKEEN in California.6,1,4

1929

Married Thomas Gilbert GREEN in California.4,1

Deatils are unclear, but in the 1940 census the wife of what appears to be Thomas Gilbert Green (Tom Green) is named Katherine.  Step chidlren named Beeler mentioned in his obit seem to indicate he married again after Delora, and this Katherine is likely the mother of the Clarence and Margaret Beeler.  I have not found a divorce record for Tom and Delora.

before 1940

Divorced from Thomas Gilbert GREEN in Fresno County, California.8

23rd Apr 1968

Death of Thomas Gilbert GREEN in Kerman, Fresno, California.9,10,11,12

Mar 1977

Died in California.4

Notes

  • Delora was enumerated in her first census, at age 1, under her middle name Alma.  All later records refer to her as Delora or Delora A.

    1900 Federal Census, Stonewall County, Texas, 18 June, Justice Precinct 3, District 46, page 2B, Hse/Fam #26
    Black, Hamline Head W M  Jan 1859 41 Married 9 yrs OH OH PA Farmer Rents
    Black, Mary Wife W F May 1872  28 Married 9 yrs 5 children/5 living TX TN TN Farmer
    Black, Ova Dau W F (?) 1891  8 Single TX OH TX
    Black, Elbert Son W M May 1893  7 Single TX OH TX
    Black, May Dau W F May 1895  5 Single TX OH TX
    Black, Pavilie (?) Son W M Oct 1896 3 Single TX OH TX
    Black, Alma Dau W F Sept 1898  1 Single TX OH TX

    Delora's married name from her first marriage was McKeen.  Her maiden name was Black.  As a widow she married Thomas Gilbert Green in Fresno County, California, about 1929.

    The 1930 census reports that Thomas was married for the first time at age 38, and he is 39 in that census.  But Delora was married for the first time at age 20.  Thus she was married the first time about 1919.  Her two daughters from her previous marriage are listed in the Green household in the 1930 census.

    1930 Federal Census, Fresno County, California, 14 April, Township 2, District 11, page 13A, Belmont Avenue, Hse/Fam #4
    Green, Thomas G  Head M W 39 First married at 38 OK GA MS Farmer
    Green, Delora A  Wife F W 31 First married at 20 TX OH TX
    McKeen, Mary [Marian] Stepdaughter F W 10 CA OK TX
    McKeen, Florence Stepdaughter F W 9 CA OK TX

    Mary and Florence McKeen's father is reported born in Oklahoma.  But further investigation indicated that their father was Alonzo Thomas McKeen, born in New Mexico, where Delora also married him.  A genealogy reports that Delora's maiden name was Black.  The California Death Index reports Thomas McKeen's birth in New Mexico as well as his death in San Bernardino County, California, in 1978.  This fact indicates the Thomas and Delora were divorced, then she married Thomas Green in 1929.  They would have divorced after the 1921 city directory.

    The genealogy reports that Delora married Thomas Keen in Eddy County, New Mexico, probably in Carlsbad, the county seat.

    Delora Black
    Birth 1899 in Texas, Death Mar 1977
    Marriage to Alonzo Thomas Gunter McKeen 12 Mar 1919 in Eddy, New Mexico
    Marriage to Tom Gilbert Green 1929 in California
    --  Black-McKeen, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/25319046/person/1635915076

    This genealogy provides a few documents of some of these facts.  A marriage record was also found for Delora's first marriage.

    Western States Marriage Record Index
    Groom A T Gunter McKeen
    Bride Delora Black
    Marriage 12 Mar 1919 Eddy County, New Mexico
    Marriage ID#1514359, Volume 3, Page 109

    Delora and Gunter were reported in the 1920 census as residents in Ventura County, California.

    1920 Federal Census, Ventura County, California, 15 January, Voting Precinct 1, District 273, page 7A, Olive Sands Ranch, Hse #153, Fam #154
    McKeen, Gunter Rents Head F W 22 NM TX AR Ranch Laborer
    McKeen, Delora Wife F W 21 TX TX TX

    "Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 823,318.  The county seat is Ventura.  Ventura County comprises the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA Combined Statistical Area.  It is also considered the southernmost county along the California Central Coast."
    --  "Riverside, California," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventura_County,_California

    In 1921 they were reported in the city directory another nearby county of Riverside, California.

    U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
    Riverside, California, City Directory, 1921, p 190
    McKeen Gunter (Delora) farmer h 273 N Monroe

    "Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, located in the Inland Empire metropolitan area.  Riverside is the county seat of the eponymous county and named for its location beside the Santa Ana River.  It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire as well as Riverside County, and is located approximately 60 miles (97 km) east of Los Angeles."
    --  "Riverside, California," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside,_California

    Gunter's parents, John O and Jennie McKeen, are living next door to them on the Olive Sands Ranch, where both John and Gunter are working as laborers on the ranch.  Both couples are reported as renting their home, though housing may be provided as part of the employment.  Gunter's brother John is also a Ranch laborer.

    The child listed in the 1930 census as Mary McKeen is actually Marian, according to her brith certificate.

    California Birth Index, 1905-1995
    Marian E McKeen
    Birth 1 Jan 1920 Ventura County
    Gender Female
    Mother's Maiden Name Black

Sources

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