Through the decades, I’ve been searching for information on my three great aunts. They were my Grandfather’s Leo’s sister. What have I discovered about them ?
Photo of the LANKFARD Sister’s: from left to right Anna Alice Lula Mae and Isabella V.
The three daughters of Robert and Charlotta (Dade) Lankford / Lankfard. The year of the photo is unknown. ( There was another sister who was still born in May of 1893.)
Miss Anna Alice Lankford was born on Monday, May 31, 1886 in Canton Missouri. At an early young she moved to St. Joseph, with her family around 1888. She attended Bartlett Grammar School and in 1904, she graduated from Bartlett High School in St. Joseph, Missouri. She was perhaps the first of her 11 siblings to graduate from high school.
Anna went by her middle name Alice most of her life. Miss Annie Alice Lankford married Christopher Columbus Smith on Wednesday, April 12, 1911 in St. Joseph, Missouri. In her lifetime she was a cateress, house keeper, maid, seamstress. She didn’t have children.
On Wednesday. July 13, 1966, Alice became ill and, she was admitted into the hospital in St. Joseph, Missouri. Sadly she passed twelve days later on July 25, 1966 at the age of 80. Anna resided in Canton, Missouri, St. Joseph, Missouri, Denver Colorado, and Kansas City Missouri.
On my search for Anna , she was hard to track down because there were many Alice Anna Smiths and Anna Alice Smiths. It wasn’t until I her death record became public when I found out her death date and her first name.
Photo of Mrs. Christopher Columbus Smith.
This was a cropped photo of Anna Alice Smith in New York with some relatives and friends. The year is unknown. Maybe between the 1940’s and no later than 1963. Three of Anna’s Lankfard brothers were in the photo. Frederick “Fred” , Louis “Add” and Nymadula “Nym” Lankfard.
Photo: Mrs. William Emanuel Madison Sr.
Cropped photo of Lula Madison at her brother, Leo’s home in St. Joseph in Dec 1952. It was the celebration day for the wedding of Leo’s son, Addison to Pearl Smiley.
Miss Lula Mae Lankford was born on Monday, Oct 11, 1875 in Canton Missouri. Her first name spelled Lulu at times. And her surname had been spelled LANGFORD, LANKFORD and LANKFARD as well.
Miss Lula Lankford married William Emanuel Madison on Wednesday. May 27, 1896 in St. Joseph, Missouri. She was 20 and William was 28. From this union came eight children; their first and middle names. Louis Edward, Joshua Randolph, Charlotte M. her, twin, Robert Lankford, William Emanuel Jr. Lula Neal and an unknown Madison child. They all carried the Madison surname.
Lula worked for private family, She was a laundress. In 1936, she was a member of a Republican committee. In 1940 she lead the singing at Ebenezer AME Church during a Christmas program.. In 1941 she did the Missionary Benediction.
One milestone came in 1956. On Sunday, May 27, 1956 , William and Lula celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary. They celebrated their anniversary in St. Joseph. Lula was a member of the Ebenezer AME Church. The church was near by where they lived at 106 South 22nd.
Lula made her hone in St. Joseph for 72 years. She passed on Tuesday, Sept 26, 1961 at the age of 85. Her husband William passed seven days before on Wednesday, August 2, 1961. He was 93. They were married 65 years.
Photo was of the future Mrs. Ezekiel Watson Nickerson.
This cropped photo of Isabella as a young woman; more so a teenager.
The year of photo is unknown. She was with her brother, Charles and the family dog.
Miss Isabella V. Lankford was born in September between the years of 1898 or 1900 in St. Joseph, Missouri. However, her birth wasn’t record in the St. Joseph, Missouri birth records. (There was one sibling born after Isabella. That name is unknown.)
Isabella attended Bartlett Grammar School in St Joseph, Missouri. I came across an article listed her with the senior class in a program. I don’t know if she graduated from Bartlett High School in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Isabella moved to Denver, Colorado, perhaps with her parents around 1918. She was listed living in St. Joseph, on the 1920 census. However, she later married Ezekiel Nickerson on Monday, August 16, 1920 in Denver. Isabella was 20 and Ezekiel was 24.
From this union there were nine children: Their first and middle names were Nathan Welcome, Vivian Virginia, Lankford James, Betina “Betty” Q, Robert Eugene, Doris Laverne, Lydia, twins, Freddie and his twin, name unknown.
Some Facts and Thoughts:
As I began searching more on Isabella and her sisters, I came across information about them. Isabella and her sister Anna Alice, (her husband, C.C) came to live with Isabella (and her husband Ezekiel ) around 1934 and 1935. Anna was living in Denver from 1920 up to 1940 are so. Anna’s husband, C.C. was a chef and they traveled.
Anna could have been in Denver to help out with Isabella with her family. Isabella passed on Thursday, September 15, 1938 due to complications to child birth to twins. Isabella and one infant twin were buried in the same coffin. (The other twin Freddie, passed in Fort Worth Texas on Wednesday, April 9, 1941 due to the measles at age 2 years and 7 months. old.
Isabella’s husband Ezekiel was unable to care for the children. The younger children were cared for by Ezekiel’s sister Ruth Nickerson White who lived e in Fort Worth, Texas. The younger children where listed on the 1940 census in Texas.
Interesting things I’ve discovered about the sisters.
Anna Alice and Isabella were living in Denver and lived in with one another.
Lula and Isabella both had twins.
Isabella was the first sister to passed.
Anna moved back to St. Joseph and was the last of the sister to passed.
R.I.P.
Great Aunt Anna, Great Aunt Lula and Great Aunt Isabella
In Remembrance:
Dade Family Connections
Bartlett Family Connections
Blakey Blakley Family Connections
WHITE Family Connections
April 2, 2022 on my other site. ~ I added the In Remembrance to this blog for September 2022.
Thanks for reading.
The Lankford Sisters ~ Week 13
God bless
S.A. Blakley
Week 13 ~ Amy Johnson Crow ~ Generations Café via facebook #52 Ancestors 52 Weeks
“Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters…” Any families made up of lots of sisters? Now is a great time to tell their story!
