THOMPSON, Lydia and Goleaneus

LYDIA and GOLENIUS THOMPSON
GRANDMA AND GRANDPA
circa 1890

UPDATE - Goleaneus and Lydia are going home to their great-great-grandchildren!

This beautiful framed photograph was located today at the Palm Beach County Fairgrounds Antique Show. When I saw that it was suitably identified, I could not leave without it, and bargained the price down considerably in order to secure the item.

Once I got it home, I was able to carefully remove the back of the frame and examine the photo in greater detail. The photo is actually a framed cabinet card, which is what I was hoping to find, and contained the name and location of the photographer's studio, which was in Fort Scott, Kansas.

The back contains the inscription "Lydia and Golenius Thompson, Grandma and Grandpa, circa 1890". However, the front contains the date 1892. (The information on the front side of the photo is obscured, when in the frame.)

Armed with names and location, it did not take long to find the couple in the Federal Census. I have determined that Golenius Thompson is also known as James G. Thompson. Daughter "Nida B." is also "Nida Beulah". Son Virgil G. is also "Virgil Golenius". Lydia's maiden name was Stewart.

1900 Census > Kansas > Bourbon County > Fort Scott > 719 Margrave Street
THOMPSON, James, head, May 1870, age 30, born in Tennessee or Maryland and Tenn parents, Clerk at Carpet Company
THOMPSON, Lida, wife, Jan 1872, 28, married 6 yr, 2 children, born in Illinois of Tennessee parents
THOMPSON, Virgil G., son, July 1896, 3, born in Kansas
THOMPSON, Nida B., daughter, Mar 1899, 1, born in Kansas

By 1910, the family had moved to Kansas City, Kansas. This Census describes Golenius as "M" (mulatto) whereas the 1900 Census called him "B".

1910 Census > Kansas > Wyandotte County > Kansas City > 1610 N. 8th Street
THOMPSON, Goleneus J., head, mul, 40, House Painter
THOMPSON, Galia?, wife, mul, 38, married 16 yr, 6 children, all living
THOMPSON, Beulah, daughter, mul, 11, born in Kansas
THOMPSON, Robert, son, mul, 7, born in Missouri
THOMPSON, Lawrence, son, mul, 4, born in Kansas
THOMPSON, Mildred, daughter, mul, 2, born in Kansas
THOMPSON, Alda, daughter, mul, 3mo., born in Kansas

Note - Virgil is missing from the household, and should be 13 years old. Clearly not dead, since Lida reports her 6 children are all living. Perhaps working and living someplace else?

In an effort to detemine Golenius' parents, I looked back into the 1880 Census, and found a potentially correct family living in Wyandotte Township, Wyandotte County, KS.

1880 Census > Kansas > Wyandotte > Wyandotte
THOMPSON, John, B M, 30, Laborer, born in Louisiana of Virginia parents
THOMPSON, Paula, B F, 25, wife, keeping house, born in Tennessee of Tenn parents
THOMPSON, William, B M, 11, son, laborer, born in Tennessee
THOMPSON, James, B M, 9, son, born in Tennessee
THOMPSON, Molly, B F, 7, daughter, born in Tennessee

This might be the right family. The only piece of data which is a mismatch is James' father John stating he was born in Louisiana. On the 1900 Census James states his father was born in Maryland. This may have been a error on the part of the census-taker. Everything else looks correct.

Using various family trees on Ancestry.com I was able to construct a list of this couple's children. They are:

Virgil Thompson (1896-1980) married Ida May Davis (1901-2001)
Beulah "Nida" Thompson (1899-??)
Robert Thompson (1904-??)
Lawrence P. Thompson (1906-??) married ____
Mildred Thompson (1908-1992) married Theodore Pugh (1909-1979)
Alda E. Thompson (1910-1993) married James Hodge Jr. (1912-2000)
Grace Thompson (1912-??)

Newspapers.com revealed this advertisement which gives the actual spelling of Goleaneus Thompson's name, which so many census-takers had trouble with.  From The Columbus Weekly Advocate (Columbus, Kansas) 15 May 1890.

1925 KS State Census > Wyandotte > Kansas City
BAILEY, Lida, head, 53, occupation not legible
THOMPSON, Robert, son, 22, "" ""
THOMPSON, Lawrence, son, 19
THOMPSON, Alda, daughter, 15
THOMPSON, Grace, daughter, 13
BAILEY, William, 10

1930 Census > Kansas > Wyandotte > Kansas City
MUCKROY, Willie, head, 46, born in TX of TX parents, boiler repairman for steam railroad
MUCKROY, Lydia, wife, 56, born in IL of TN parents, head-dresser, Pullman Co.
THOMPSON, Lawrence, step-son, 24, born in KS of TN and IL parents, porter in shoe store
THOMPSON, Ruth, daughter-in-law, 20, born in IL of IL parents, stockgirl clothing store
THOMPSON, Robert, step-son, 27, born in KS of TN and IL parents, car cleaner Pullman Co.
THOMPSON, Grace, step-daughter, 18, born in KS of TN & IL parents, attended school
BAILEY, William, step-son, 15, born in KS of TN & IL parents

I suspect Goleaneus may have died around 1912-1913, with Lydia remarrying a man named Bailey, and producing son William Bailey around 1915.

But by 1930, Lydia is married to Willie Muckroy.

I found a newspaper notice stating William Muckroy applied for a marriage license in July 1921 in Kansas City.

Lydia Muckroy died in 1960, and is buried at Westlawn Cemetery in Kansas City. William Muckroy died Oct 1947, buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, same city.