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Note: Fort Worth Record-Telegram Oct. 31, 1929 William R. Magers 55 ? died at his residence, 3211 North Elm Street, Fort Worth, Texas, at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Survivors are the wife Mrs Julia Magers of Fort Worth: three daughters, Mrs Maggie Niccum of Marmot, North Dakota; Mrs. Maud Lafferty, and Mrs Bessie Cole of Los Angeles, California. Two Sons , George Magers of Oregon and James Magers of St. Joseph, Missouri. The body is at Shannon's Funeral Chapel pending Arrangements. He is buried in a single space lot in Mount Olivet Cemetery, 11 Vale of Hope (19) . Otis Harley Combs and his wife are also buried in this cemetery--Otis being a nephew of my father's. Death certificate on record in City of Fort Worth, Texas gives the cause of his death as Bright's Disease. Occupation laborer; Birth January 28 1854; death October 30, 1929 ; Burial November 1, 1929 age 75 years, 9 months, 2 days. ( per Elma Mccoy Bryant) This is all very confusing but Uncle Will's life was very confusing too. He was really born in Knox County, Ohio. His father was not born in Ireland but also Knox County, Ohio; and I am sure he knew who his mother was and where she was born. The age given in the newspaper account could have be accounted for by the story he told my brother shortly before he died , namely that in the time he could find no work he lied about his age making it appear he was several years younger and even just before his death relatives claim he did not look 75. hi and his first wife, Elizabeth Frost , married in Fayette County, Illinois, and the marriage is on record there. She was the mother of his six children. they lived in Altamont, Illinois, and two , at least of the children was born there. One day between sundown and sunup he gathered up his family and headed west to Missouri where none of the family heard anything further from him until April 27, 1926, my mother received a letter inquiring about the family. After this mother wrote a brother, Theodore ( Dorie) Magers who lived in Texas, and he immediately went to Fort Worth to see him. He also attended his funeral. In his letter, Uncle Will said his first wife Died of smallpox; his second wife "died suddenly". He was the living with his third wife whom he married in Texas in 1919 and whom was then 66 years old. It was later learned this woman had children by a former marriage. The second wife divorced two husbands before marrying Uncle Will; the second being a brother of uncle Will's first wife, Elizabeth Frost, whom he married June 4, 1876. After his separation from Elisabeth Frost Magers, she ran the hotel or boarding house called "The Transit House" , and it is here she died of smallpox. Information on William's second wife: on April 8, 1901, Wm.. married the twice divorced Alice Hawley Frost in Trenton, Mo. and this marriage and the divorce records for Alice are on record there in Grundy County. The St. Josep , MO. News Press on March 25, 1911 has this obituary for Alice. DEATH WAS VERY SUDDEN Mrs Alice Majors, stricken with heart disease while she was cooking supper last night, While cooking supper, soon after 7 o'clock last night, Mrs Alice Majors, forty years old , wife of John ? Majors who lives at 1028 Doniphon Ave. , was suddenly stricken with heart disease and expired within twenty minutes. Dr. S. D. Packwood was summoned immediately after the stroke, but the woman was past human help. Coroner Byrd viewed the body and decided that no inquest was necessary Alice's death certificate #280 was filed March 25, 1911, in St. Joseph, MO. It gives the information that she died March 24, 1911 at St. Joseph, MO, at the age of 39. Birthplace is given as Missouri. Mothers's name...unknown: fathers's name Jeremiah Holley. Cause of death: dilatation of the heart. Burial: Oakland Cemetery ( is a section of the Ashland Cemetery of St. Joseph, Missouri. After the death of Alice, Uncle Will moved in with his son Jim and family who lived in St. Joseph, MO. He brought with him a girl they were raising who belonged to a friend of Alice's. In 1916 he left for Texas, leaving the child in his son's home. They next heard from him after his 3rd marriage. It was told this wife, was told by that he did not have ANY family anywhere, but when he became ill she got him to admit he might have a sister in Illinois and she prevailed upon him to write the letter my mother received. So the incorrect information on his death certificate may have been the result of stories told by him to this third wife.. A granddaughter wrote, he used to tell them he was the black sheep of his family and that was all of the information they could get from him regarding his parents and brothers and sisters, but they "loved Him anyway" even though he did cause their parent trouble and grief.
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