Rufus Stanton

1876 - 1964
Indiana - Michigan

Great Grandfather Rufus was born November 15, 1876. For some reason he is not listed on the 1880 census with the rest of them (and at 4 years old, he wouldn't be off on his own!).

1880 Indiana, Warrick - Boon Twp - taken 14 June 1880 - p. 189 line 18 house 214 -
Stanton, Michael mw 37 farmer Ireland Ireland Ireland
        Mary P 26 Ky Ky Ky
        John 10 farmer
        Alice B 8
        Michael 6
        Flora 2/12 Apr

In fact, i's pretty difficult to find records of Rufus at all. Not only is he missing from the 1880 census, he
has so far been impossible to find in 1900, 1910 and 1930. (In 1910, Grandma Bess is with her mother and all her siblings, married or not, in Evansville, but Rufus is not there.)  If it weren't for his father's pension file, we wouldn't have any written proof that he belonged to this family at all - although we do have family memories.

He married Grandma Bess in June, 1902.

1902 June 25 Rufus Stanton m Maggie Lou Bessie Darr by RM Borrett Minister Warrick Co
(copy of marriage license)

They had four children:

Ruth Aletha born 1 June 1903
Elmer (Joker) born 1908.
      His wife Bert was Mom's god-mother. He died in 1940 in an auto accident.
Dorothy born August 31, 1912
Lawrence (Buster, Buck) born August 11, 1922

Rufus enlisted sometime in the oughts. There are photos dated 1908-9 of him in the army (he was a cook).

(As you can probably guess, Rufus is the one with the white blotch on his overcoat.)

Only Grandma Bess and the children are on the 1910 census (possibly Rufus was still in the service?):

1910 Census - Vanderburgh County, Indiana - p. 190- 3rd W. Evansville- SD1, ED 104, Sheet 2b- written 805 - Pigeon Twp - Evansville city - 15 Apr 1910 - 317 2nd Avenue
Darr, Rebecca head fw 54 married 1x 35yrs 7 ch 5 living Ind Ky Ky no occ. rents house
        Henry son mw 28 single all Ill(sic) carpenter - odd work
Condit, Mary daughter fw 25 m 7y 2ch 2 living
Stanton, Bessie daughter fw 23 m 8y 2ch 2 living
Darr, Ida daughter fw 21 s
         Lottie daughter fw 16 s
Stanton, Ruthie granddaughter fw 6 Ind Ky Il 
             Elmer 4
Condit, Elsa granddaughter 6 Ind Oh Il
            Roy 2

In 1913, according to his father's obit, he was living at 2110 Division Street, Evansville.

In 1918, he was issued a document attesting to his " competency to serve as a Miner" - from Warrick County - 3 July 1918.

In 1920 he was still (or again) in Evansville:

1920 Indiana - Vanderburgh - 605 William Street Evansville
Stanton, Rufus - head - rents house - m w 42 - read, write - Ind Ind Ind - miner coal mine
        Bessie wife f w 36 Ind
        Ruth 17 Ind (Ruth also in census in Detroit)
        Elmer 15 Ill
        Dorothy 7 Ind

Daughter Ruth moved to Detroit with her Aunt Charlotte (called Mildred).  She married there, and shortly afterwards convinced her parents to move up to the big city.  Buck was born in Detroit in 1922, so Grandpa Rufus should be there for the 1930 census, but I can't find him.

Rufus and Buck on Woodlawn
(Ruth's house)
Detroit, Michigan

He died June 17, 1964 and is buried at the Cadillac Memorial Gardens. Bessie died in 1969 (January 10) and is buried there too.

back to Stanton Home
back to Home

to father Michael (1845-1913) | mother Mary Polly Deweese

to siblings: John, Alice Belle, Michael jr , Flora, Clarence, Jonah, Pearl
to wife: Maggie Lou Bessie Darr

Questions, comments, additions, corrections?  Contact me at: lee@leesgenes.com

IF YOU ARE A COUSIN, and you would like the family stories and more pictures of Rufus, contact me and I will send them to you.  If you would like a continuation of the story - Rufus's children - contact me and I will send it to you IF YOU ARE A COUSIN.

Page last updated 28 August 2005