Submitted by BillWalsh
Born: January 4,1845, Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois
Died: January 4,1904, Guthrie, Logan County, Oklahoma
Buried: Summit View Cemetery, Lot 1 Center Block 3, Guthrie, Logan
County, Oklahoma .
Father: Berry L. Horsley, b. 1823, Kentucky
Mother: Sarah N. Horsley, b. 1825, Kentucky
On March 31,1873, Theodore purchased 172 & 29/100 Acres ( "by government survey" ) in Sumner County, Kansas (two miles East of Hunnewell on the Kansas state line) from Heuy B. & Ida B. Nichols for the sum of $500.00. According to family history, he was a member of the Cherokee Strip Livestock Association and leased a large tract of land in present-day Kay County, Oklahoma to run cattle on. The land in the Cherokee Outlet was adjacent to his farm, 2 miles east of Hunnewell.
In 1889, Theodore made the run into the Oklahoma Territory and settled at a farm east of Marshall, Oklahoma. When the Cherokee Outlet was opened by land run Calvin and Theodore claimed the land adjacent to them on the north in present day Garfield County.
Theodore passed the requirements for 32nd Degree Mason between January 20 and January 22,1903 at the Guthrie Temple.
At the time of his death, he owned five quarters at Marshall, two lots (7&8 block 47) in Guthrie, Oklahoma and 110-140 acres around Mattoon, Coles County, IL.
William worked for Theodore on the ranch in the Cherokee Outlet. After Nettie and he were married, he was the manager of the Seminole Ranch at Neal, in the Oklahoma Territory. Neal was about 5 miles east of present day Shawnee Oklahoma and ceased to exist in 1907 when the post office was closed. The land records I found in the Pottowattomie County Court House showed that most of the land that they owned was to the northwest of Shawnee. They had eight children: Pearl I., Ethel, Lois, Henry, Gladys, Elaine, Russell and Elsie.
William told his daughter, Elsie, this story about her grandfather: It seems there was a lot of bad feelings between the ranchers and farmers around Hunnewell so they had a meeting to try to work things out. One of the cowboys tried to kiss one of the farmers' daughters. There was immediate talk of a hanging. Theodore pulled out his gun and said if they tried it he would shoot, they were only boys and no harm had been done. Out of the side of his mouth he told the boys to get on their horses and ride out, which they did, FAST.
Appointed "EXECUTOR WITHOUT BOND" of Theodore's will. He was left one-half of the estate and the other half was left to the rest of Theodore's children "SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE". Willie was appointed guardian of the two youngest. Calvin subsequently sold off most of the personal property and real estate to settle the probate. He also bought out the other heirs. He lost the two lots in Guthrie in 1927 for taxes. He told my mother stories about the James Gang coming to the farm when he was a kid and giving him a dollar to hold their horses. Calvin and Margret had nine children: Velva V., Velora, John Quinton, Ray Calvin, Doris, Irene Opal, Elaine, Virginia Katherine, and Eleanor Elizabeth.
Struck by lightening on his way home.
His second wife left him around 1900 and moved to Hunnewell with the three youngest children. At the time of the separation she relinquished all claim to the land at Marshal for "$1.00 and other valuable considerations" and was given the Hunnewell KS land for the same amount. Willie sold the farm in 1946 to Melvin Brown, who had leased it for several years. The Brown family still owns and farms the land. At that time she was living in Shawnee with her daughter, Grace Jarvis.
They lived in Hunnewell, Kansas. I think they were living on the Hunnewell farm. One of the heirs named by Thomas is an Inez JONES Hannaford. Inez had a brother named Harold James Jones
She went with her mother to Kansas at the time of the divorce. They lived at 1928 N. Broadway in Shawnee. They had one daughter, Maxine Lucille Jarvis. The daughter lived in Ft Worth TX at the time of her father's death. Maxine now lives in Shawnee.
He went to Kansas with his mother at the time of the divorce and graduated Law School in Kansas. He Moved to Wewoka, OK to practice law. Thomas was one of the most powerful and influential attorneys in the early years of the state of Oklahoma. He served as President of the Oklahoma Bar Association in 1933. Thomas was also instrumental in the founding of Law Day on May1 each year.
Thomas and Maude had no children. They lived in the Westwood Addition to Wewoka. There are only two houses in the addition , although the guest house of at least one has been made into a separate residence. The directions to the entrance to the homes is: west on 10th from the main north/south highway, 10th turns into Plum at Eufalla(?), take the right turn around to Lot 11 Block 3, turn right and through the gate. He left his estate to his niece and nephew, and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, as a trust fund.
She moved to Wewoka some time before 1916 and married a Mr. Dubert. They had one son, Dennis.
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This page last updated 7/30/99