Bessie Vera Christner1,2,3,4

Family Chart
ID# 9115, (1897 - 1979)
FatherGeorge Washington Christner5 (14 Feb 1866 - 14 Jan 1931)
MotherMabel E. Jones5 (abt 1873 - abt 1898)

Key Events:

Birth: 16 Feb 1897, Oklahoma6,7,8
Marriage: 3 Oct 1914, Guthrie, Logan Co., Oklahoma, William Francis Cobb (6 Jul 1891 - 26 Dec 1965)9,10,11
Death: 21 Jun 1979, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma12,13,14
Burial: Cashion Cemetery, Cashion, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma15

Copyright Notice

Narrative:

     Bessie Vera Christner was born on 16 Feb 1897 in Oklahoma.6,7,8
     Her mother died about 1898, when Bessie was an infant.16,17,18,19
     She was taken in by John L. and Luza Crum after the death of her mother, apparently as a foster child. The Crums were a young, childless, couple, with no known relationship to Bessie's family other than Luza being a friend of her mother.20,21,22 The Crums used Bess's birth surname while she was a child, but by the time of her marriage she was using the Crum surname.23,24
     Bessie appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Spring Creek Twp., Logan Co., Oklahoma, enumerated 12 Jun 1900, at the age of three, listed as a boarder in the household of John L. Crum and his wife Luza.25
     Bessie appeared on the 1910 Federal Census of Downs Twp., Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, enumerated 20 Apr 1910, listed in the household of John L. Crum and his wife Luza.26
     Bessie married William Francis Cobb, son of Giles Akin Cobb and Adeline M. Cash, on 3 Oct 1914 in Guthrie, Logan Co., Oklahoma, after her foster-mother consented because she was under age, with county judge J. C. Strang officiating.9,10,11
     Bessie and William appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of Downs Twp., Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, enumerated 27 Jan 1920, reporting that they rented their home. Their son Colys was listed as living with them.27
     Bessie and William appeared on the 1930 Federal Census of Downs Twp., Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, enumerated 16 Apr 1930, reporting that they rented their home, and owned a radio. Their children Colys, Elizabeth and Juanita were listed as living with them, as was John L. Crum, recorded as William's father-in-law, but was actually Bessie's foster-father.28,29
     Bessie and William appeared on the 1940 Federal Census of Downs Twp., Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, enumerated 13 Apr 1940, reporting they rented their home, for $5 per month, and that they had lived in the same house in 1935.30
     Her husband died on 26 Dec 1965.31,32
     Bessie died on 21 Jun 1979 in Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, at age 82.12,13,14 She was buried in Cashion Cemetery, Cashion, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma.15

Children:
     Children with William Francis Cobb:

  • Colys C. Cobb33,34 (29 Aug 1916 - 7 Oct 2000)
  • Elizabeth V. Cobb35 (13 Feb 1920 - 23 Mar 2002)
  • Juanita Oleta Cobb35,36 (10 Oct 1922 - 13 May 1935)

Citations

  1. [S10139] John L. Crum household, 1900 U.S. Census, Logan Co., Oklahoma, shows name as Bessie Christner.
  2. [S10140] John L. Crum household, 1910 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows name as Bessie V. Christner.
  3. [S3030] McKee, "Re: Giles A. Cobb," e-mail to author, 28 Sep 2010, shows name as Bessie Vera Christner.
  4. [S3032] Will F. Cobb household, 1920 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows name as Bessie Vera Cobb.
  5. [S3034] McKee, "Re: Giles A. Cobb," e-mail to author, 7 Oct 2010.
  6. [S10139] John L. Crum household, 1900 U.S. Census, Logan Co., Oklahoma, shows month, year, as 1897, age 3, and state.
  7. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 7809319, Bessie V. Cobb, shows date, with year as 1898, and includes tombstone photo showing same.
  8. [S1000] "Social Security Death Index," Ancestry.com, record for Bessie Cobb, Soc. Sec. No. 441-52-4616, shows date, with year as 1898.
  9. [S10138] Marriage Record, Logan Co., Oklahoma, 12:462, William F. Cobb and Miss Bessie C. Crum, shows date, town, county, state, officiant, and mother's consent.
  10. [S3032] Will F. Cobb household, 1920 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows married.
  11. [S3033] William F. Cobb household, 1930 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows occupation married, with his first marriage at age 19 and hers at 17.
  12. [S10122] OK 2 Explore, Death Index, online, record for Bessie Cobb, shows date, as 21st, and county.
  13. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 7809319, Bessie V. Cobb, shows date, as 23rd, and includes tombstone photo showing same.
  14. [S1000] "Social Security Death Index," Ancestry.com, record for Bessie Cobb, Soc. Sec. No. 441-52-4616, shows month, year and last residence as 73016 Cashion, Kingfisher, Oklahoma.
  15. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 7809319, Bessie V. Cobb, includes tombstone photo.
  16. [S10143] "West Items," The Daily Oklahoma State Capital, 20 Oct 1897, shows George Christner's wife is very sick and is not expected to live. No further mention of her has been found in any Logan Co. newspaper.
  17. [S10144] George W. Cristner household, 1900 U.S. Census, Logan Co., Oklahoma, shows her husband as widowed.
  18. [S3034] McKee, "Re: Giles A. Cobb," e-mail to author, 7 Oct 2010, shows year.
  19. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 142650881, George Washington Christner, shows no dates, and includes tombstone photo showing same.
  20. [S3034] McKee, "Re: Giles A. Cobb," e-mail to author, 7 Oct 2010, shows Luza Ella Crum was a friend of Bessie's mother and was asked to take care of the infant.
  21. [S10141] John L Crum obituary, The Guthrie Daily Leader, shows Bessie as a foster daughter.
  22. [S10139] John L. Crum household, 1900 U.S. Census, Logan Co., Oklahoma, shows Bessie as a boarder in the Crum household.
  23. [S10138] Marriage Record, Logan Co., Oklahoma, 12:462, William F. Cobb and Miss Bessie C. Crum.
  24. [S10136] Juanita Oleta Cobb, Standard Certificate of Death, shows name as Bessie Crum.
  25. [S10139] John L. Crum household, 1900 U.S. Census, Logan Co., Oklahoma.
  26. [S10140] John L. Crum household, 1910 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma.
  27. [S3032] Will F. Cobb household, 1920 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma.
  28. [S3033] William F. Cobb household, 1930 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma.
  29. [S3034] McKee, "Re: Giles A. Cobb," e-mail to author, 7 Oct 2010, shows that Bessie's mother died in childbirth or shortly after, and she was raised by her mother's good friend and her husband.
  30. [S10132] William F. Cobb household, 1940 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma.
  31. [S500] Findagrave.com, online, memorial # 7809321, William F. Cobb, shows date, and includes tombstone photo showing same.
  32. [S1000] "Social Security Death Index," Ancestry.com, record for William Cobb, Soc. Sec. No. 443-38-5657, shows month, year, and last residence as Oklahoma.
  33. [S3032] Will F. Cobb household, 1920 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows the boy as son of her husband.
  34. [S3033] William F. Cobb household, 1930 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows the boy as son of her husband.
  35. [S3033] William F. Cobb household, 1930 U.S. Census, Kingfisher Co., Oklahoma, shows the girl as daughter of Bessie's husband.
  36. [S10135] William Francis Cobb, Selective Service Registration Card, World War II, Fourth Registration.