• General Notes

  Martha "Mattie" Arleva Boen/Bowen was born the 14th of October, 1856 in Cedar Creek Township, Crawford County, Arkansas to John Boen and Catherine McCurdy Lewis Boen   She was living with her half brother, James Boone Lewis during the 1880 Arkansas census.   Martha married James Wright Shipley the 31st of July, 1882 in Crawford County, Arkansas.(1)   He was the son of Nathan Pascal Shipley and Elizabeth Mildred Lester and a brother to Eliza Jane Shipley, wife of Martha's half brother, David Walker Lewis.  It is believed they had one daughter, Lillian Mae Shipley, born the __ of November, 1882 although some researchers believe Lillian is a child of Martha's and Herman Harvey Leonard.  In the 1910 census.  Lillian is married and lists her father's birthplace as Arkansas.  James Wright Shipley was born in Arkansas and Herman Harvey Leonard was born in Michigan.
  
  Martha married Herman Harvey Leonard February 26, 1885.  He was born the 16th of September, 1863 in Jefferson, Hillsdale County, Michigan to William Kenyen Leonard and Clarinda Unice Black.  They had six children:  Jessie born about 1885 in Texas, Lottie born about 1887 in Oklahoma, Marques Del (known as Mark, Del, and Marcus) born in 1888 in Oklahoma, Pearl born about 1890 in Oklahoma, George, and Bertha.  Martha died the 8th of November, 1936 in Fullerton, Orange County, California.  Herman died the 26th of October, 1943 in Colton, San Bernardino County, California.  They are both buried in Anaheim Cemetery, Anaheim, Orange County, California.
  
  Footnotes:
  
  (1) The marriage to James Wright Shipley recorded in the Crawford County, Arkansas Marriage Records is quite controversial amongst family genealogists.  Some say it never happened and all Martha's children belong to Herman Leonard.  Others say that Lillian is Shipley's daughter.
  
  Written by Susan Kimes Burgess
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  Research of Susan Kimes Burgess
  1860 Census: Cedar Creek Township, Van Buren P.O., Crawford County, Arkansas enumerated July 26, 1860
  Series: M653  Roll: 40  Page: 757
  1 1013 978  John Boen    45 M      Farmer    300 1330  Tennessee Male Citizens of U.S. of 21 yrs of age and upward
  2        Sarah Boen 21 F                     Tennessee
  3        Darwin H. Boen  18 M      Farm laborer        Arkansas       Attended school
  4        Thomas F. Boen  16 M                     Arkansas       Attended school
  5        James K. Boen   14 M                     Arkansas       Attended school
  6        Boon Lewis 9   M          800       Arkansas       Attended school
  7        Jane Boen  12 F                Arkansas
  8        Malissa Lewis   6   F          800       Arkansas
  9        Martha Boen     3   F                    Arkansas
  10       Ruth J Boen     2   F                    Arkansas
  11       Jesse Boen 1   M                    Arkansas
  
  Research of Leila Menzies
  1870 census, Richland Twp, Crawford Co, Ark, P>O> Van Buren, page 4
  Solomon Lock age 27 farmer b Ala
  S.J. Lock age 22 b Ark
  J.J. Lock age 2 b Ark
  A.A. Bowen age 13 b Ark (I'm sure this is Martha Arleva)
  R.J. Bowen age 12 b Ark (I'm sure this is Rutha Josephine)
  William Perkins age 21, farm laborer, b Ala
  
  1880 Census:  http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=census/search_census.asp
  Source Information:
    Census Place Cedar Creek, Crawford County, Arkansas, USA
    Family History Library Film   1254041
    NA Film Number   T9-0041
    Page Number   503B
  
  Name  Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
  J. B. LOUIS   Self   M   Male   W   29   AR   Farmer   TN   TN 
  Mary LOUIS   Wife   M   Female   W   30   KY   Keeping House   KY   KY 
  John LOUIS   Son   S   Male   W   8   AR      ---   --- 
  Waide LOUIS   Son   S   Male   W   6   AR      ---   --- 
  Elvy M. LOUIS   Son   S   Male   W   4   AR      ---   --- 
  Huston LOUIS   Son   S   Male   W   3   AR      ---   --- 
  James LOUIS   Son   S   Male   W   5M   AR      ---   --- 
  Mattie BOWIN   Sister   W   Female   W   23   AR      TN   TN 
  
  1900 United States Census:  Union, Washita, Oklahoma; Roll: 1342; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 0211; FHL microfilm: 1241342.
  Leonard   Herman H  Husband   White     Male      36   Married   15   1885      Michigan  New York  Ohio           Union, Washita, Oklahoma
  Leonard   Martha A  Wife      White     Female    73        15   1885      Arkansas                 Union, Washita, Oklahoma
  Leonard   Lillie    Daughter  White     Female    17                  Arkansas                 Union, Washita, Oklahoma
  Leonard   Jessie    Son  White          15                  Texas                    Union, Washita, Oklahoma
  Leonard   Lottie    Daughter  White     Female    13                  N S                     Union, Washita, Oklahoma
  Leonard   Mokues    Daughter  White     Female    11   Single              N S                 Union, Washita, Oklahoma
  Leonard   Pearl     Daughter  White     Female    10   Single              N S                 Union, Washita, Oklahoma
  Leonard   George    Son  White     Male      4    Single              N S                     Union, Washita, Oklahoma
  Leonard   Birtha    Daughter  White     Female    4    Single              N S                 Union, Washita, Oklahoma
  Worley    Thomas    Son  White     Male      5    Single              Tennessee      Missouri            Union, Washita, Oklahoma
  Worley    Zollia    Daughter  White     Female    1    Single              Tennessee      Missouri            Union, Washita, Oklahoma
  
  ------------------------------------------------
  From Leila Menzies, January 5, 2004
  The 1930 census shows Herman H. Leonard and his wife Martha A. Leonard having very diffrent years given for their age at first marriage.  Herman, age 66, says he was 21 when he wed, making the year he first married 1885, Martha, age 72, says she was 24 making the year she first married in 1882.  Suddenly I was a lot more inclined to believe the marriage to James Wright Shipley.
  
  Then I looked up J.W. Shipley in Crawford Arkansas census for 1880 and found him living as a nephew in the next family below Mattie Bowin(that's how it was spelled that year!)with the Lesters.  I understand his mother's maiden name was Lester.  I also gather from other Shipley researchers that James W. was also listed with his mother on the 1880 census; but because I had only the marriage record, I tried looking for just J.W.   Martha A. who was living with her brother J.B. LOUIS (it should be Lewis (not Louis), but that's how it got spelled).  So now I could see how they might have met.
  
  The final coincidence was finding a posting on ancestry.com from a Dianne Lieber who put up Charles Clinton Bonham and his wife Lilly Mae Shipley.  I'm hoping to hear back from Dianne soon.  But I'm beginning to think maybe there were two marriages for Martha!

Details of Martha Arleva's family with James Wright Shipley