Life History

Notes

• Genealogies of the Lynch family give the birth date of John H Lynch as 21 December 1874.  This date is documented also by his WWI Draft Registration.  His death certificate also gives this as his birth date.  His census age in 1920 matches this 1874 birth, but others indicate birth in 1876.
  
  Some family sources indicate that John was born in Smith County, Texas.  But the place of birth on his death certificate is Tyler County, Texas.  This certificate, along with John and Sallie's obituaries, were sent to me by Buck Lynch, their nephew.  We had been working together trying to clarify the details of this family.
  
  Buck told me he had an old paper in family documents that reported that John was born in Tyler, Texas.  The town of Tyler is in Smith County.  But perhaps the note meant Tyler County, instead of Tyler town.  Buck has spent some considerable time and effort to discover missing details about the Lynch family.
  
  He reports on this matter:
  "We did go Smith County court house and searched for his birth certificate, but found nothing. I'm concerned that maybe he truly was born in Tyler County, Tx. and not the city of Tyler, TX.  My wife and I did go to Navarro County clerk's office to look for his birth certificate without any luck.  The lady there told us that 3 record books are missing before the 1890s."
  
  His obit does report he was born in Tyler County, Texas.
  
  John's nephew Buck Linsten Lynch (son of John's brother Arthur) tells me that John grew up in the city of Blooming Grove, Navarro County, Texas.  The census of 1880 reports him with his parents in Navarro County, but does not tell us which location in the county.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Navarro County, Texas, 16 June, Subdivision 11, page 38B, Hse #331, Fam #337
  Lynch, Grief  W M 37 Farmer AL GA GA
  Lynch, Mollie W F 22 Wife  Keeping House  TX MS GA
  Lynch, John H W M 6 Son  TX AL TX
  Lynch, Samuel L  W M 1 Son TX AL TX
  
  In the 1880 census, we find John's wife-to-be Sarah (Sallie) L Watson with her family in Gwinnett County, Georgia, in the Atlanta area.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Gwinnett County, Georgia, 16 June, Harbins District, Enumeration District 125, page 29A, Hse/Fam #Unreadable (Faded)
  Watson, John D W M 24 Farmer GA GA GA
  Watson, Nancy W F 24  Wife  Keeping House  GA GA GA
  Watson, Sarah L W F 2 Dau  GA GA GA
  Watson, Infant W F 1mo Dau  GA GA GA
  
  1900 Federal Census, Navarro County, Texas, 20 June, Precinct 3, District 103, Page 17A, Hse #266, Fam #269
  Lynch, John H  Head  W M  Sept 1876  23 TX TX  Don't Know  Farmer
  Lynch, Sallie  Wife W F  May 1879  21 GA GA GA
  Lynch, Berta  Dau W F  Mar 1897  3 TX TX GA
  Lynch, Rubie  Dau W F  Jan 1898  2 TX TX GA
  Lynch, William J B  Son W M  Mar 1900  3mos TX TX GA
  
  From the age of their first child, this census indicates a marriage in about 1886.  This is confirmed in the 1910 census, when we are told they have been married 14 years.  Family soruces and public records tell us they married 26 August 1894 in Barry, Navarro County, Texas.
  
  John was unclear on the birth states of his parents, reporting Texas for his father, while in 1920 he reported Georgia, which matches genealogy information.  He reports that he could not remember his mother's state of birth.
  
  The birth dates that are recorded in the 1900 census are always a real excursion.  Here John Henry's birth date is given as 1876.  But as noted above, his draft registration and genealogy give the date 21 December 1874.  Then again, the ages reported in the 1900 and 1910 censuses match the 1876 birth, while the 1920 census matches an 1874 birth.
  
  By 1910 John and Sarah have moved to Oklahoma.  They are in the Oakdale Community, Washita County, where members of the Christian family in this genealogy also have moved from Texas.  Their grandson Buck Lynch tells me they moved to Oklahoma in 1905.  It was still Indian Territory then, two years before the various Indian Nations and the small Oklahoma Territory combined to become the next US state of Oklahoma in 1907.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma, 17 May, Oakdale Township, District 263, Page 19B, Hse #285, Fam #366
  Lynch, John H  Head  M W 34  Married 14 years  TX GA TX  Farmer  Rents Home
  Lynch, Sallie L  Wife F W 31  Married 14 years  GA GA GA
  Lynch, Bertie  Dau  F W 13 TX TX GA
  Lynch, Ruby  Dau  F W 11 TX TX GA
  Lynch, Horce [Horace]  Son M W 10 TX TX GA
  Lynch, Guy Son M W 6 TX TX GA
  Lynch, Allie Son M W 4 TX TX GA
  Lynch, Clarice  Dau F W 4 months  OK TX GA
  
  The child named Allie here is identified in the Carter genealogy as son Ted Allie.  The child reported in 1910 as Horace matches the child in reported 1900 under the name William J B.  I cannot resolve this great difference in name.
  
  John Henry's Draft Registration for WWI provides some additional information.
  John Henry Lynch
  Residence Carnegie (Caddo), Oklahoma
  Born 21 December 1874
  Farmer, self-employed
  Grey eyes, Brown hair
  Wife Sarah L Lynch
  Registration 12 September 1818, Cordell, Washita County, Oklahoma
  
  In 1920, we find they have moved over into nearby Caddo County, Oklahoma.  Both their obituaries state that they moved there in 1918.  Buck Lynch tells me John and Sallie continued farming but also opened up a cafe in Carnegie, which they ran until retirement in 1943.  These dates are also reported in the obits.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Caddo County, Oklahoma, 6 February, Lathram Township, District 64, Page 6B-7A, Hse #117, Fam #119
  Lynch, John H  Head  Owns Home M W 46 TX GA TX  Salesman, Bakery
  Lynch, Sallie  Wife F W 44 GA GA GA
  Lynch, Horace  Son M W 20 TX TX  GA Laborer, Odd Jobs
  Lynch, Guy Son M W 16 TX TX  GA
  Lynch, Allie M W 15 OK TX GA
  Lynch, Mabel Dau F W 10 OK TX  GA
  Lynch, Ilene [Eyline]  Dau F W 3yrs 5mos OK TX GA
  
  The child Mabel here matches the child reported as Mabel in 1910.  We can guess that her name is Mabel Clarice.  This child is missing from the Carter genealogy.
  
  The the child reported as Horce in 1910 and Horace in 1920 matches the child reported in 1900 as William J B!  This is a fascinating mystery, since none of the initials of W J B make room for any Horace!  The J matches the name John Horace give to me by his cousin, Buck Linsten Lynch, son of Arthur, brother of John Henry.  He is called Horace John by Robert Stephen Carter.
  
  The birthday of WJB Lynch in the 1900 census matches the age of Horace in censuses of 1910 and 1920.  The genealogy by Robert Stephen Carter also gives the birth for Horace John as 11 March 1900.
  
  Note that in the 1920 census, the birth place of John's father is Georgia instead of Alabama, as in the 1880 census.  The family genealogy by Robert Stephen Carter also reports that Grief Linsten Lynch was born in Georgia, on 6 August 1852.  So it would appear the error is in the 1880 census, lacking other sources.  The genealogy does not give its sources, but I later learned from Buck Lynch that he had supplied the Lynch information to the Carter genealogy.
  
  1930 Federal Census, Caddo County, Oklahoma, 16 April, Carnegie, District 15, page 20B, 121 East 3rd St, Hse #444, Fam #454
  Lynch, John H Head Owns $4000 No Radio M W 55 Married at 20 TX GA TX Cafe Proprietor
  Lynch, Sallie L Wife F W 52 Married at 16 GA GA GA Cafe Waitress
  Lynch, Eyline Dau F W 13 OK TX GA
  
  John's nephew Buck LInsten Lynch sent informaton about all the family and their residence locations.
  
  ---------------
  John H. Lynch grew up in city of Blooming Grove, Navarro Co., Tx. and he married to Sallie L. Watson in Barry, Tx. close to Corsicana.  His brothers and sisters were all born in Blooming Grove.  John, Sallie and their children moved to Oklahoma in 1905.  Worked farming and then they owned a cafe business in Carnegie 1918.  When he retired they sold the business in 1943.
  
  Their children are
  1. Birdie Pausy Lynch m. John Colwell - 3 children
  2. Ruby Gaskin Lynch m. Frank R. Mock - 10 children...not sure
  3. John Horace Lynch m. Noma E. Norman - children UNK
  4. Guy Watson Lynch m. Juanita Fulbright - children UNK
  5. Ted Allie Lynch m. Florence Greenshaw - children UNK
  6. Mable C. Lynch m. Jack Garrett - children UNK
  7. Eyline D. Lynch m. Bud Jenkins - children UNK
  --  Buck Lynch, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 28 January 2008
  ---------------
  
  From the 1910 and 1920 censuses we can tell that John and Mollie moved to Oklahoma between 1904 and 1910.  The obituary for each of them, published in the Carnegie, Oklahoma, newspaper, reports that they "came to Carnegie in 1905 and located on a farm in the Union Corner community northwest of town."  This matches the date reported by Buck Linsten for their move to Oklahoma.  The obituaries further tell us that they moved in Carnegie town "in 1918 and engaged in the cafe business, retiring in 1943."
  --  Obituary of John H Lynch, July 1953, and Sallie (Sally) Lynch, October 1953 (name and exact date of paper article uncertain)
  
  In light of this report, it appears that John and Sallie's business referred to in the 1920 census as a bakery was or became the restaurant referred to in the obituaries.  John's occupation in the 1920 census is listed as "Salesman, Bakery."  It might have started out as a bakery, then expanded into a full restaurant.  But it is still strange that he is not listed as the owner.  Maybe he bought it from someone else after that time.
  
  John's obituary tells us he died at 3:37 AM on Monday, 13 July 1953, in the Carnegie Hospital, after an illness of 3 months.  His death certificate reports he died of prostate cancer ("carcinoma of prostate").  Both the obituary and the death certificate tell us John was buried on 14 July 1953 in the Carnegie Cemetery, Carnegie, Caddo County, Oklahoma.  The funeral ceremony was held in the Carnegie Church of Christ, where John and Sally had been members during their stay in Carnegie.  The service was conducted by Sam Evans of Chickasha (Grady County, Oklahoma).  Pitcher Funeral Home managed the arrangements.
  
  ------------------
  John Henry Lynch
  Birth Dec 21, 1874
  Death Jul 13, 1953
  
  The Carnegie Herald, July 13, 1953 [yet it speaks of the funeral, on the 14th, as having already occurred.  The obit was on the 14th or perhaps the 15th.]
  
  John Lynch Dies After Long Illness; Services Tuesday
  
  J H Lynch, retired Carnegie businessman, died at 3:37 a.m. Monday in the Carnegie hospital after an illness of three months. He had been in failing health for a year and March 1 underwent an operation in a Lawton hospital. He was taken to the hospital here Saturday.
  
  Services were at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Church of Christ and burial was in the Carnegie cemetery. Sam Evans of Chickasha preached the funeral sermon and arrangements were in charge of the Pitcher Funeral Home.
  
  John Henry Lynch was born Dec. 21, 1874, in Tyler county, Texas. He grew up in the Corsicana community. He was married to Sallie Watson Aug. 26, 1894 at Berry, Texas.
  
  Mr. and Mrs. Lynch came to Carnegie in 1905 and located on a farm in the Union Corner community northwest of town.
  
  They came to Carnegie in 1918 and engaged in the cafe business. Mr. Lynch sold his business and retired in 1843. He was a member of the Church of Christ.
  
  Survivors are the wife, Mrs. Sallie Lynch, of the home; three sons, Horace John, Watonga; Guy W., Huston, and Ted, Apache; two daughters, Mrs. Mabel Garrett, Sunnyvale, Calif., and Mrs. Eyline Jenkins, Chickasha; a sister, Mrs. Bertha Holiday, Abilene, Texas, and a brother, Arthur Lynch, Whiteflat, Texas. Also surviving are 17 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.
  
  Father G L Lynch (1852 - 1936)
  Spouse Sallie Watson Lynch (1877 - 1953)
  Children:
  Birdie Pansy Lynch Colwell (1896 - 1918)
  Ruby G Lynch Mock (1898 - 1949)
  Horace John Lynch (1900 - 1991)
  
  Burial Carnegie Cemetery, Carnegie, Caddo County, Oklahoma, Section 5, Lot 18, Space 2
  
  Created by Lillian Nov 10, 2009
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #44152137, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=44152137
  ------------------
  
  Note that the date of the obit is reported here as 13 July 1953.  Yet the obit was after the burial, since it is in the past tense.  The note in his FAG memorial states it was published on July 13, the date of death, a Monday.  But the obit announced the funeral as already occurring on Tuesday, so it had to have been published on the 14th, if not the 15th.

Sources

• 1. Oklahoma Certificate of Death
• 2. RootsWeb Trees
• 3. 1930 Federal Census, Caddo County, Oklahoma
  • 16 April, Carnegie, District 15, page 20B, 121 East 3rd St, Hse #444, Fam #454
• 4. 1900 Federal Census, Navarro County, Texas
  • 20 June, Precinct 3, District 103, Page 17A, Hse #266, Fam #269
• 5. Obituary of John Henry Lynch, Carnegie (Oklahoma) (paper name unknown), 15 July 1953
• 6. 1880 Federal Census, Navarro County, Texas
  • 16 June, Subdivision 11, page 38B, Hse #331, Fam #337
• 7. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
• 8. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 9. 1920 Federal Census, Caddo County, Oklahoma
  • 6 February, Lathram Township, District 64, Page 6B-7A, Hse #117, Fam #119
• 10. 1910 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
  • 17 May, Oakdale Township, District 263, Page 19B, Hse #285, Fam #366
• 11. 1940 Federal Census, Harris County, Texas
  • 27 April, West University Place (town), District 107-35, page 5A, 3815 Poe St, Hse #98, Owns $3000
• 12. Texas, Death Certificates, 1903-1982
• 13. 1930 Federal Census, Noble County, Oklahoma
  • 24 April, Glenrose Township, District 9, page 11B, Hse #244, Fam #345
• 14. 1930 Federal Census, Beckham County, Oklahoma
  • 11 April, Erick, District 8, Page 14A, 100 South Elm St, Hse/Fam #315
• 15. 1940 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
  • 19 April, West Turkey Creek, District 75-30, Page 8B, Hse #151, Owns $1000
• 16. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• 17. Email Sources
• 18. 1940 United States Federal Census
  • 15 April, Oklahoma City Ward 2, District 78-108, page 7B, Hse #201, Rents $23
• 19. Oklahoma Cemeteries