Leroy Adair GUESSFORD

  General Notes:

1896 BIRTH of LeRoy Adair Guessford ("Roy" and "Lee")

1900 CENSUS, Iowa, Jasper County, Kellogg Township ("Roy," age 4, with parents)

1905 CENSUS, Iowa State Census, Jasper County, Newton ("Lee, Mrs. Mary, John W., Goldie, Keith, Roy, Merlyn and Raymond" are together) (names only are in the 1905 Iowa State Census)

1910 CENSUS, Iowa, Jasper County, Newton Township ("LeRoy A.," age 14, with parents)

1916 MARRIAGE of LeRoy Adair Guessford and Elva Anice Porter on September 9 in Newton, Jasper County, Iowa by Rev. R. B. Helser

1917 DRAFT REGISTRATION, World War I, Iowa, Jasper County, Newton ("Le Roy A. Guessford," age 21, "Express Clerk, American Express Co, Newton, Iowa")

1920 CENSUS, Iowa, Polk County, Des Moines (Leray A.," age 23, "Finances Clerk, Express Co") (wife "Elva," age 23)

1921 DEATH of grandfather, John Supler Allum

1923 DEATH of grandmother, Elisabeth (Loar) Allum

1925 CENSUS, Iowa State Census, Polk County, Des Moines ("LeRoy A.," age 28, wife "Elva," age 28)

1930 CENSUS, Iowa, Polk County, Des Moines Township, Des Moines ("Leroy A.," age 33, "Collector, Railway Express") (wife "Elva A.," age 34)

1948 DEATH of father, Leander "Lee" Guessford

1951 DEATH, LeRoy Adair Guessford, at 54 years 11 months 24 days

****

1959 DEATH of mother, Mary Martha Belle (Allum) Guessford

1965 DEATH of wife, Elva Anice Porter, at 69 years 0 months 22 days




DESCRIPTION (LeRoy): "Medium height, medium build, blue eyes, light hair" (World War I Draft Registration)




BOOK: THE LOAR GENEALOGY with Cognate Branches, 1774-1947, by Emma Loar Gaddis, Manson, Iowa, Edward Brothers, Inc. Ann Arbor Michigan, 1949, page 213:


LeRoy Adair Guessford was born May 29, 1896 at Kellogg, Iowa. He graduated from the Newton High School in 1915. Was employed by the Railway Express Co. at Newton, Iowa for 2 years and then transferred to Des Moines where he is still employed (1947 - 29 years). He is the express agent. LeRoy was married September 9, 1916 at Newton to Alva Anice Porter, born March 17, 1896, at Mitchellville, Iowa. Their religious faith is Presbyterian.




MARRIAGE (LeRoy and Elva) from an undocumented 1916 newspaper:


MARRIED ON GRANDPARENTS AND PARENTS ANNIVERSARY

The marriage of Miss Elva Porter and Roy Guessford took place Saturday evening at 7:30 o'clock at the home of Rev. R. B. Helser, pastor of the Christian church.

This Saturday, Sept. 9, was the fifty eighth wedding anniversary for the groom's grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Allum of Kellogg, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Guessford of this city.

The plans were first made for the marriage ceremony to take place at the parents home at noon but a change was made and the ceremony followed the wedding dinner which was served there with the grandparents present.

The couple was attended by the members of the groom's family and her brother, Frank Porter, and wife and her sister, Miss Florence Porter.

After the ceremony they went to the brother's home and then to the home of the bride's parents in southeast Newton where they expect to remain until the first of next month when they take possession of the Failor house which has been occupied by Mrs. Ehlers near the northeast corner of the square.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Porter and has been employed at the telephone office about a year. She has been a good operator, one that could be depended upon, and one that made friends. The friends of the groom all think he is a lucky man to get so charming a bride.

Mr. Guessford works for the American express company. He was graduated from the Newton high school last year. He's a Newton boy through and through. Since completing his school work he has had several positions but about four months ago began working for American Express Company. He's not afraid to work and is genial, pleasant and has a great many friends.


Goldia Guessford Neveln:

"Mary and Lee and their son Roy and his wife Elva celebrated many anniversaries together. Roy and Elva lived in Des Moines much of their married life where Roy worked for the railroad express."




FUNERAL (LeRoy) from an undocumented 1951 newspaper:


Guessford, 54, Rites Planned

Services for LeRoy Guessford, 54, of 809 Washington St., will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Evan Lilly's funeral home, with burial in Laurel Hill cemetery.

Mr. Guessford died of virus pneumonia Saturday at Still College Osteopathic hospital, following a two-week illness. Born at Newton, he had been a Des Moines resident 33 years.

Railway Express

For 33 years he had been employed by the Des Moines office of the Railway Express and was a rate clerk at the time of his death. Mr. Guessford also owned and operated Guessford's Food Market a 811 Wahsington St.

Mr. Guessford was a charter member of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks. He was trustee of the Brotherhood, having previously held all other offices in the organization. He was a member of Highland Park Presbyterian church.




CONTRIBUTOR to this page:

Ruby Guessford Temple (marriage and funeral newspaper articles; data pertinent to LeRoy and his wife Elva)

Leroy married Elva Anice PORTER, daughter of James William PORTER and Mary Jane WOOD, on September 9, 1916 in Newton, Jasper County, Iowa. (Elva Anice PORTER was born on March 17, 1896 in Mitchellville, Polk County, Iowa, died on April 8, 1965 in Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico and was buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa.)