Decendants of Abraham Bates Tower

I'm researching my great-great grandfather's life and trying to put together the clues and puzzle pieces I find. This page will contain the information and links about anyone descended from Abraham Bates Tower. He lived in Indiana, Missouri and Kansas. Born in 1837, he died in 1930 in Tyro, Kansas.

What happened to his children, his grandchildren and great grandchildren is the mystery that I want to unravel.

January 2012 - I'm starting to use ancestry.com and will be adding additional dates and names here that I find on that.

1. Laura Ann Tower born born September 29, 1859 in Crawford Co, Indiana. She was 10 years old in the 1870 census.

   She married William Lewis Taylor on 11 March 1886. She was 26 years old. They had a daughter, Rhoda Taylor.

2. Erastus Laban Tower born August 07, 1861 in Crawford County, Indiana. Age 8 in the 1870 census. Listed in the Family Tree Maker's Genealogy site as Krastus. I'm fairly sure Krastus is wrong.
3. Mary Louisa Tower born July 31, 1866 in Linn County, Missouri. She was age 4 in the 1870 census.
4. Sarah Alice Tower born April 09, 1868 in Linn County, Missouri. She was age 2 in the 1870 census. She died in Morgan, Bosque County, Texas.
5. William Warren Tower born August 31, 1870 in Linn County, Missouri. He died July 21, 1952 (age 81) in Tyro, Montgomery County, Kansas
6. Viola Matilda Tower (my great grandmother) was born February 03, 1873 in Linn County, Missouri. Check below to see who she married and how many children she had. She died December 26, 1964 and is buried in Tyro, Montgomery County, Kansas.
7. Ezakins Zacheus Tower was born March 03, 1875 in Crawford County Indiana and died that same year and place.
8. Rueben Theodore Tower born May 13, 1876 in Boone County, Arkansas. He died June 14, 1954.
9. Malissa Angeline Tower born November 14, 1879 in Arkansas. She died August 21, 1970 in Sparks, Oklahoma.
10. Emma Lillian Tower born September 26, 1881 in Indiana. She died in infancy.

Erastus Laban Tower (second child of Abraham and Nancy Tower) married Carvina Viola Cox. Their children are listed below. Carvina's name shows up in various census records as Clarrina, Clarinna, Clarvinia and Lavina. Carvina's mother (Eliza M. Cox) lived with them in 1900 according to that census.

• William E (1889-)
• Theodore Homer (1892-)
• Erastus Bernard (1895-)
• Dorris C. (son) - age 6 in 1920 census. The family was living in Oil (Perry County) Indiana on that date.

Name: Samuel N. McGhee Birth: about 1876 in Arkansas

Spouse: Matilda Tower McGhee (6th child of Abraham Bates Tower)

Residence in 1920 - Caney, Montgomery, Kansas

• Clarence Oliver McGhee (my grandfather) is the boy standing behind his father in the photo above. Born in Arkansas. Check below for information about his marriage and children.
• Jesse Carl McGhee born on April 7. Born in Arkansas.
• Roy Bates McGhee was 19 years old in the 1920 census. Born in Arkansas.
• Bertha McGhee was 16 years old in the 1920 census. She is the baby held by Matilda in the photo above. Born in Arkansas.
• Lelan Mcghee was 15 years old in the 1920 census. Born in Arkansas.
• Loren Mcghee was 12 years old in the 1920 census. Born in Arkansas.
• Elmer McGhee was 9 years and 10 months old in the 1920 census. Born in Kansas.
• Austin Leonard McGhee was 7 years and 6 months old in the 1920 census. Born in Kansas.
• Ethel McGhee was 4 years old and 11 months in the 1920 census. Born in Kansas.

• Melba McGhee married Norma Harlan. They had three children: Timothy, Robert and Vicki.
• Gail Lee McGhee married Clyde Owen Martin. This is my mother and father. They had six children: Owen Lee, Susan Lynn, Virginia Kay, Cynthia Jo, Karen Louise, and Shannon Marie.

  (the book cover shows Clarence and Ruth McGhee in 1928 with their children Melba and Gail. My mom was 4 years old in this picture.)

• Carol Jean McGhee married and her last name became Garriott. She did not have children.

Graphic available on a puzzle from Zazzle: Family Tree Jigsaw Puzzle by jmkgifts