Lodema Alwood Travis
My great-grandmother, Lodema Alwood, was born in Fulton, Ohio in 1859. She was the third of seven children, born to Levi Salsbury Alwood and Delilah McQuilling Alwood. They were 34 and 30 years old, both born in Ohio. He was a farmer, lumberman and hotel proprietor, moving several times in Ohio. In 1873, the family moved to Coffee County, TN in the Goose Pond area. They returned to Ohio in June 1897.
According to a retrospective article in the Cass City Chronicle written August 11, 1899, Lodema and her brother David attended school in 1864 in "the township of Elkland, Tuscola Co. Mich., where the section lines cross in what is now Cass City." The article written by teacher Annis Clark Hoyt describes a "little log school house . . . in the midst of forest trees, a few of which had been cut out to make room for the building and a scant playground." The trustees of the school included Levi Alwood and the teacher boarded at Mr. Alwood's home about a half mile from the schoolhouse. The school term was in the summer for three months. Two years later the teacher returned for another term.
In December 1878, at 19 years old, Lodema married Adam Eugene Parker, a Michigan native. They had two daughters born in Tuscola, Michigan. Minnie Myrtle was born in Nov 27, 1879.
In September 1881, Lodema and Adam survived the great Michigan fire that destroyed over one million acres of land in "the Thumb" area of Michigan. They must have been living in the area affected because historic accounts report Adam lost "forage" but no other details. The sudden, devastating fires over the land between Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron killed 284 people, many of them children. The surprising tragedy was due to the swift winds that brought blinding darkness and heat from the fires that many had thought were just smoldering in the distance.
Delilah was born in June 20, 1882.
When they divorced about 1890, probably in Michigan, Minnie stayed with her father and Delilah went with her mother to her parents in Coffee County, TN. Lodema worked as a teacher before her second marriage.
Lodema married Thomas J. Travis January 24, 1892 in Manchester, Coffee County at the home of George Wilson and Nellie Grace Alwood Wilson, Lodema's sister. Their daughter, Alice, was born October 6, 1893 in Coffee County and their son, my grandfather, Thomas Alwood Travis, was born August 8, 1894 in Tullahoma, Coffee County.
By March of 1896, the family was living in Washington, D. C. where Thomas J. was working in the Government Printing Office. He worked there until his death March 11,1912.
Lodema and Thomas, a printer, had a second son, Stanley Edward, born August 22, 1904 in Washington, DC. They were living at 904 4th Street NW, an area populated by clerks, grocers and waiters.
Lodema converted to Catholicism in 1911 after studying several religions. Thomas and Stanley also converted at this time. Social news articles in the Washington Star described parties that she Lodema hosted for both Thomas and Stanley's birthdays when they were young.
In 1912, now living on K Street NW, Lodema became a widow when Thomas died after suffering a week with pneumonia. She still had three children living at home, Alice 19, Thomas 18, and Stanley 8. Her father had died in 1897, just a few weeks after returning to Ohio due to his wife's poor health. Her sister, Nellie Grace and George Wilson had also returned to Ohio either at the same time or shortly before the parents. After Levi Salsbury's death, Lodema's mother, Delilah, was living with Nellie and George and presumably still in poor health. Thomas's parents, Daniel and Jane Travis, had moved to Dallas, Texas along with Thomas's sisters, Mary Susan and Ida Cynthia in 1885. There was no nearby extended family
Alice married Fred Manning about 1914. The 1920 census shows Lodema and two sons living with Alice and Fred. Thomas married Marie Buckley in October 1920 and Stanley married Marian Tubman about 1921.
Lodema died February 4, 1947.
According to a retrospective article in the Cass City Chronicle written August 11, 1899, Lodema and her brother David attended school in 1864 in "the township of Elkland, Tuscola Co. Mich., where the section lines cross in what is now Cass City." The article written by teacher Annis Clark Hoyt describes a "little log school house . . . in the midst of forest trees, a few of which had been cut out to make room for the building and a scant playground." The trustees of the school included Levi Alwood and the teacher boarded at Mr. Alwood's home about a half mile from the schoolhouse. The school term was in the summer for three months. Two years later the teacher returned for another term.
In December 1878, at 19 years old, Lodema married Adam Eugene Parker, a Michigan native. They had two daughters born in Tuscola, Michigan. Minnie Myrtle was born in Nov 27, 1879.
In September 1881, Lodema and Adam survived the great Michigan fire that destroyed over one million acres of land in "the Thumb" area of Michigan. They must have been living in the area affected because historic accounts report Adam lost "forage" but no other details. The sudden, devastating fires over the land between Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron killed 284 people, many of them children. The surprising tragedy was due to the swift winds that brought blinding darkness and heat from the fires that many had thought were just smoldering in the distance.
Delilah was born in June 20, 1882.
When they divorced about 1890, probably in Michigan, Minnie stayed with her father and Delilah went with her mother to her parents in Coffee County, TN. Lodema worked as a teacher before her second marriage.
Lodema married Thomas J. Travis January 24, 1892 in Manchester, Coffee County at the home of George Wilson and Nellie Grace Alwood Wilson, Lodema's sister. Their daughter, Alice, was born October 6, 1893 in Coffee County and their son, my grandfather, Thomas Alwood Travis, was born August 8, 1894 in Tullahoma, Coffee County.
By March of 1896, the family was living in Washington, D. C. where Thomas J. was working in the Government Printing Office. He worked there until his death March 11,1912.
Lodema and Thomas, a printer, had a second son, Stanley Edward, born August 22, 1904 in Washington, DC. They were living at 904 4th Street NW, an area populated by clerks, grocers and waiters.
Lodema converted to Catholicism in 1911 after studying several religions. Thomas and Stanley also converted at this time. Social news articles in the Washington Star described parties that she Lodema hosted for both Thomas and Stanley's birthdays when they were young.
In 1912, now living on K Street NW, Lodema became a widow when Thomas died after suffering a week with pneumonia. She still had three children living at home, Alice 19, Thomas 18, and Stanley 8. Her father had died in 1897, just a few weeks after returning to Ohio due to his wife's poor health. Her sister, Nellie Grace and George Wilson had also returned to Ohio either at the same time or shortly before the parents. After Levi Salsbury's death, Lodema's mother, Delilah, was living with Nellie and George and presumably still in poor health. Thomas's parents, Daniel and Jane Travis, had moved to Dallas, Texas along with Thomas's sisters, Mary Susan and Ida Cynthia in 1885. There was no nearby extended family
Alice married Fred Manning about 1914. The 1920 census shows Lodema and two sons living with Alice and Fred. Thomas married Marie Buckley in October 1920 and Stanley married Marian Tubman about 1921.
Lodema died February 4, 1947.
