Life History

Notes

• It appears that Travis Dancy had no middle name.  He is always listed in only that way, except for the 1920 census when he is Trav Dancy.  His WWI Draft Registration, which usually has the full three names, has only Travis Dancy, with the space for the middle name blank, and that is how he signs his name.
  
  The earliest information I first find Travis Dancy is in 1910, when he is a single man working his own rented farm in his native state of Indiana.  He lives a little distance from his parents Ozias and Florinda Dancy, in Skelton Township, Warrick County, Indiana.  He is age 27, and according to later reports he marries during the next year.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Warrick County, Indiana, 30 April, Skelton Township, District 176, page 12A, Hse #236, Fam #240
  Dancy, Travis Head M W 27 Single IN KY IN Farmer
  
  This census reports Travis was born in Indiana.  His WWI Draft Registration gives us more information, stating his birth as Spencer County, Indiana.
  
  I later found the marriage information for Travis and Lillie May Ice.  They were married in Warrick County, Indiana, on 24 November 1910.  We learn also from the marriage registry that Travis was born on 1 August 1882.  This correlates with the census reports, if we know his birthday was in November, after the censuses.  This marriage registry also clarified Lillie's name and gives us her maiden name.  The transcriptions of her name are given as Lulu.  The 1920 census entry is scrawled, but does look like Lulu.
  
  With this last name, I then noticed that in 1910 Travis was single for the April census, in the house next to where Travis was boarding was a man named Ehrman Ice, age 28.  This Ehrman is reported as the brother-in-law of the Head of house, George F Williams.  This would seem to mean that his wife Isabella is from the Ice family.  This is such an unusual name, I expect that Isabella and Ehrman are siblings of Lillie May, and this could explain how they met.
  
  Then I found that next door to Travis' parents in Prairie Township, Arkansas County, Arkansas, in 1920, is a George Williams, age 50, who matches Isabella Ice's husband of age 40 in 1910 in Warrick County, Indiana.  But his birth states are different (which is not in itself definitive in the censuses), but he is listed as single. Travis' WWI registration in 1942 shows him married and his address as in care of George Williams, but working for himself.
  
  An excerpt of the wedding announcement and story of their move to Arkansas was found in NewspaperArchive.com.
  
  "Travis Dancy and Miss Lillie Ice were married by Rev. O. P. Ellis at the F. M. parsonage last Thursday morning."
  --  Boonville Standard, Boonville, Indiana, Dec 2 1910, via NewspaperARCHIVE.com
  
  "Miss Lillie M. Ice and Travis Dancy of this place were united in marriage at the home of Rev. Ellis, of Tennyson, November 24. They left, Monday, for DeWitt, Ark.', where they will reside."
  --  Boonville Weekly Enquirer, Boonville, Indiana, Dec 2 1910, via NewspaperArchive.com
  
  In 1920, Travis has married and moved his family to Arkansas.  He and his parents are living in neighboring houses in Prairie Township of Arkansas County, near the town of St Charles on the White River.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 5 February, Prairie Township, District 15, page 5B, Country Road, Hse/Fam #92
  Dancy, Travis Head M W  37  IN IN IN Farmer [b abt 1883]
  Dancy, Lulu Wife F W  37  IN IN IN [b abt 1883]
  Dancy, Hazel Daughter F W  8  IN IN IN [b abt 1912]
  Dancy, Josie Daughter F W  6  IN IN IN [b abt 1914]
  Dancy, Ferna  Daughter F W  4  IN IN IN [b abt 1916]
  
  Before I found the marriage information, it appeared from the birth of the children we can that Travis and Lillie married about 1910-11.  I would think they moved to Arkansas after the birth of the last child, which would be between 1917 and 1919.  The birth state information here is not reliable, since it says everyone in this family and both his parents and their parents were all born in Indiana.  We know this is not true for Travis' father.  His Kentucky marriage record gives his birth as in Wayne County, Kentucky.
  
  In 1920 Travis and his wife are both reported as born in Indiana, and we now know that they married there, had their three children, then moved with his parents to Arkansas.
  
  In 1930 they are living in what appears to be the same location in Prairie Township.  Travis' mother Flora is now a widow.  We learn for the Arkansas Death Index that his father Ozias passed away in June 1928.  Flora is living alone next door to Travis and his family.
  
  1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 14 April, Prairie Township, Public Road, District 7, page 4B, Hse #68, Fam #69
  Dancy, Travis Head M W  47  first married at age 28  IN KY IN Cotton Farmer [b abt 1883]
  Dancy, Lillie Wife F W  43  first married at age 24  IN WV IL [b abt 1891]
  Dancy, Hazel Daughter F W  18  AR IN IN [b abt 1912]
  Dancy, Josie Daughter F W  16  AR IN IN [b abt 1914]
  Dancy, Fernie Daughter F W  14  AR IN IN [b abt 1916]
  Dancy, Ada May Daughter F W  3(?)  AR IN IN [b abt 1927]
  
  The age for Ada May looks like a 3 that has had a line drawn through it, and a smaller figure, perhaps an 8, placed to the left of the 3.  But her known birthday was in September 1926, which would mean in 1930 she was 3, until her 4th birthday in September.  I am recording her age here as 3.
  
  This census indicates that Travis was 28 when he first married.  He was age 27 in the 1910 census, when he was single. Now form the marriage registry we know that he had his birthday in August and they married in November of 1910.  The birth states of Travis and his parents match the 1910 census, where he is reported as born in Indiana.
  
  Now in this census, all four girls are reported as born in Arkansas.  In 1920 we were told that the first three had been born in Indiana.  If the 1830 census is correct, then Travis and Lulu moved soon after they were married, at no later than early 1912, before Hazel was born.
  
  Travis' mother is living next door to them, as a widow in her own household, with no occupation.
  
  1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 14 April, Prairie Township, Public Road, District 7, page 4B, Hse #70, Fam #71
  Dancy, Flora Head F W  65  Widow IN IN IN
  
  In 1940, they are stil lin the same houses.
  
  1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 22 April, Prairie Township, District 1-24, page 9A, Btwn Road 1 and 146, Hse #132, Rents $2
  Dancy, Travis Head M W 57 Grade 8 b Indiana same house in 1935 Cotton Farmer
  Dancy, Lillie Wife F W 53 Grade 8 b Indiana same house in 1935
  Dancy, Ada May Dau F W 13 Single Grade 8 b Ark same house in 1935
  
  1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 22 April, Prairie Township, District 1-24, page 9A, Btwn Road 1 and 146, Hse #133, Owns $250
  Dancy, Flora Head F W 73 Widow Grade 5 b Indiana same house in 1935
  
  No death record has been found, but genealogies report his death as 10 Jun 1958 in Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas.

Sources

• 1. 1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 5 February, Prairie Township, District 15, page 5B, Country Road, Hse/Fam #92
• 2. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
  • 1942, residence Van, Arkansas, Arkansas; on farm of George Williams but working for self; born 1 August 1882
• 3. 1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 22 April, Prairie Township, District 1-24, page 9A, Btwn Road 1 and 146, Hse #132, Rents $2
• 4. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 14 April, Prairie Township, District 7, page 4B, Public Road, Hse #69, Fam #70
• 5. Gravestones of Mt Pleasant Cemetery
• 6. Essex Funeral Home Registry
  • Location: http://www.argenweb.net/arkansas/essex_funeral_home_records.htm;
  • BOOK XI -- August 1957 - November 1959, p 63
• 7. 1910 Federal Census, Warrick County, Indiana
  • 30 April, Skelton Township, District 176, page 12A, Hse #236, Fam #240
• 8. NewspaperArchive.com
• 9. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 10. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• 11. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• 12. SSDI Broderbund Archive #110, Vol. 1, Ed. 6
• 13. Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941