PURL M BRIGHT 1886-1937, RUBIE EDITH STRONG 1885-1970, Majorville Cemetery Hancock County Illinois

 

Page content last modified: April 15, 2009, added detail Kathryn Bright, updated the 1900 Bright family census transcription.
August 9, 2006, added detail on Wendell Faye Bright.
May 14, 2006, added text, census transcriptions.

MAJORVILLE   CEMETERY
HANCOCK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS

 

PURL M. BRIGHT 1886-1937
RUBIE EDITH BRIGHT (nee STRONG) 1885-1970

 

A photo of the Bright - Strong tombstone. For display on this website only. Click for more information.

 

Rubie Edith Strong, daughter of Clarence L. Strong and Katie Alton, was born December 1, 1885, in Pilot Grove Township, Hancock County, Illinois.  In 1904 and '05, she was teaching at Woodville School in Hancock Township.

Rubie married Clarence W. Thompson on June 8, 1907.  They were the parents of:

i. Vern E. Thompson, born about 1908, he died between 1970 and 2001.
 

Rubie married Purl M. Bright in Carthage on April 4, 1913.

Purl was the son of Marion Martin Bright and Mary Edith Hardesty.  When he registered for the draft on June 5, 1917, Purl provided the following information:

NAME IN FULL   Purl M. Bright    AGE 30
HOME ADDRESS   [NO.] _____   [STREET]   _____________   [CITY]   Blandinsville   [STATE]   Ill
DATE OF BIRTH   Aug 1, 1886
ARE YOU (1) A NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN, (2) A NATURALIZED CITIZEN, (3) AN ALIEN, (4) OR HAVE YOU DECLARED YOUR INTENTION?   Natural Born
WHERE WERE YOU BORN?   [CITY]   Fountain Green   [STATE]   Ill   [NATION]   U.S.A.
WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT TRADE, OCCUPATION, OR OFFICE?   Farmer and Laborer
BY WHOM EMPLOYED?   Self
WHERE EMPLOYED?   _________
HAVE YOU A FATHER, MOTHER, WIFE, CHILD UNDER 12, OR A SISTER OR BROTHER UNDER 12, SOLELY DEPENDENT ON YOU FOR SUPPORT?   Wife & one child
MARRIED OR SINGLE?   Married     RACE?   Caucasian
WHAT MILITARY SERVICE HAVE YOU HAD?
  RANK
  None  BRANCH   ____   YEARS   ____   NATION OR STATE   ____
DO YOU CLAIM EXEMPTION FROM DRAFT (SPECIFY GROUNDS)?   ____

FROM THE REGISTRAR'S REPORT
TALL, MEDIUM OR SHORT?
  Tall     SLENDER, MEDIUM or STOUT?   Medium
COLOR OF EYES?   Blue     COLOR OF HAIR?   Light     BALD?   No
HAS PERSON LOST ARM, LEG, HAND, EYE, OR BOTH EYES OR IS HE OTHERWISE DISABLED?   No

REGISTRAR   Frank F. Law
PRECINCT   Ft Green
CITY OR COUNTY   Hancock
STATE   Illinois
DATE OF REGISTRATION   June 5, 1917

Purl and Rubie farmed in Fountain Green Township for a time, then moved to Watonwan County, Minnesota.  Vern was not listed with them in 1920; we have not been able to locate him elsewhere that year.  Tentatively, Vern was living and working in Canton, Fulton County, Illinois in 1930.

Purl and Rubie were the parents of:

i. Wendell Faye Bright, born January 10, 1921, in Watonwan County, Minnesota.  He died September 20, 2001, in West Burlington, Iowa, and was buried at Carman Cemetery, Henderson County, Illinois.
 
ii. Kathryn M. Bright, born December 22, 1923, in Minnesota, perhaps Watonwan County.  She married Paul August Nuss (July 30, 1921 - August 29, 1977.)

Kathryn died December 20, 2004.  When Wendell died she was said to be living in Poway, San Diego County, California, and that was the last address on her Social Security records.

Both Kathryn and Paul are buried at Dearborn Memorial Park, Poway.
 

Purl died October 20, 1937.  Rubie died May 17, 1970, at Burlington, Iowa.  At the time of her death, her residence had been LaHarpe, Hancock County.  They are both buried at Majorville Cemetery.

1900 Illinois Census, Hancock County, Fountain Green Township, page 110B
enumerated June 5, 1900, dwelling #70

Bright Mairian, head, white, male, Feb 1860, 40, married for 14 years, born OH, both parents born OH, farmer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, paying on a mortgage on his farm home, farm schedule 35

Edith, wife, white, female, Feb 1865, married for 14 years; mother of 6 children, all living; born IL, both parents born IL, could read, write and speak English

Purl, son, white, male, Aug 1886, 13, single, born IL, both parents born IL, at school for 8 months, could read, write and speak English

Roy, son, white, male, Jan 1888, 12, single, born IL, both parents born IL, at school for 8 months, could read, write and speak English

Ross, son, white, male, Nov 1886, 13, single, born IL, both parents born IL, at school for 8 months, could read, write and speak English

Orval, son, white, male, Mar 1894 ?, 6, single, born IL, both parents born IL

Charles, son, white, male, Nov 1892, 6, single, born IL, both parents born IL

Clay D, son, white, male, Nov 1897, 2, single, born IL, both parents born IL

1900 Illinois Census, Hancock County, Fountain Green Township, page 116A
enumerated June 15, 1900, dwelling #191

Strong, Clarence L, head, white, male, Nov 1856, 43, married for 19 years, born IA, both parents born OH, farmer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, rented his farm home, farm schedule 134

Carrie O, wife, white, female, Feb 1860, 40, married for 19 years; mother of 5 children, all living; born IL, father born NY, mother born PA, could read, write and speak English

Albert, son, white, male, Aug 1883, 16, single, born IL, father born IA, mother born IL, farm hand, months not employed - 4, could read, write and speak English

Rubay, daughter, white, female, Dec 1885, 14, single, born IL, father born IA, mother born IL, at school for 8 months, could read, write and speak English

Grace, daughter, white, female, Jan 1892, 8, single, born IL, father born IA, mother born IL

Gertrude, daughter, white, female, Mar 1895, 5, single, born IL, father born IA, mother born IL

Earl, son, white, male, Feb 1887, 3, single, born IL, father born IA, mother born IL

1910 Illinois Census, Hancock County, LaHarpe Township ED 14, page 137A
enumerated June 14, 1910, dwelling #299

Bright, Marion, head, male, white, 50, married (1st) for 24 years, born OH, both parents born OH, spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, could read and write, paying on a mortgage on his farm home

Mary E, wife, female, white, 45, married (1st) for 24 years; mother of 9 children, all living; born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, could read and write

Purl, son, male, white, 23, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, laborer, odd jobs, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write

Roy, son, male, white, 22, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, laborer, odd jobs, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write

Ross, son, male, white, 20, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, laborer, odd jobs, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write, did not attend school after Sept. 1, 1909

Orville, son, male, white, 18, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, laborer, odd jobs, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write, did not attend school after Sept. 1, 1909

Charley, son, male, white, 15, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, laborer, odd jobs, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Clay, son, male, white, 13, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Cecil, son, male, white, 6, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Lucile, daughter, female, white, 5, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL

Ward, son, male, white, 2, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL

1910 Illinois Census, Hancock County, Fountain Green Township, page 80B
enumerated April 21, 1910, dwelling #125

George, Louis F, head, male, white, 41, married (first marriage) for 17 years, born IL, father born Germany, mother born VA, spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, could read and write, owned his farm home free of mortgage, farm schedule 108

Nellie B, wife, female, white, 43, married (first marriage) for 17 years; mother of 3 children, 2 living; born IL, both parents born NY; spoke English, could read and write

Phillip E, son, male, white, 11, single, born IL, both born IL, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Martha R, daughter, female, white, 9, single, born IL, both born IL, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Bright, Purl, hired hand, male, white, 22, single, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, laborer, farm, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write

Kettering ? , Maggie, boarder, female, white, 32, single, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, teacher, public school, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 8, could read and write

1910 Illinois Census, Hancock County, Fountain Green Township, page 81A
enumerated April 21, 1910, dwelling #120

Strong, Clarence L, head, male, white, 53, married (1st) for 38 years, born IA, both parents born IN, spoke English, farmer, general farm, working on own account, could read and write, owned his farm home free of mortgage, farm schedule 104

Kate E, wife, female, white, 50, married (1st); mother of 5 children, all living; born IL, father born NY, mother born PA, spoke English, could read and write

Grace G, daughter, female, white, 18, single, born IL, father born IA, mother born IL, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Gertrude V, daughter, female, white, 15, single, born IL, father born IA, mother born IL, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Earl S, son, male, white, 13, single, born IL, father born IA, mother born IL, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Thompson, Ruby E, daughter, female, white, 24, married (1st) for 1 year; mother of 1 child, living; born IL, father born IA, mother born IL, spoke English, teacher, public school, employee, could read and write

Verne E, grandson, male, white, 2, single, born IL, both parents born IL

1920 Illinois Census, Hancock County, Fountain Green Township, page 106A
enumerated January 12, 1920, dwelling #102, farm

Bright, Pearl, head, renter, male, white, 33, married, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, farmer, general farm, working on own account, farm schedule 81

Ruby, wife, female, white, 33, married, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English


The News of Fountain Green
October 7, 1925

On a list of new subscribers to The News, was Mrs. Purl Bright of Butterfield, Minnesota.

 

1930 Minnesota Census, Watonwan County, Butterfield Township
page 17B, enumerated April 1930, dwelling #80

Bright, Perl M, head, renter, did not own a radio, lived on a farm, male, white, 43, married, age at first marriage - 36, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, farmer, farm, whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition - no, farm schedule 80

Rubie, wife, female, white, 44, married, age at first marriage - 20, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English

Wendell, son, male, white, 9, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1929, born MN, both parents born IL

Katherine, daughter, female, white, 6, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1929, born MN, both parents born IL

 

1930 Minnesota Census, Watonwan County, St. James town, page 118A
enumerated April 19-21, 1930, dwelling #402

Bright, Purl, head, renter, monthly rental 20, owned a radio, did not live on a farm, male, white, 43, married, age at first marriage - 26, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, laborer, odd jobs, whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition - no

Rubie, wife, female, white, 44, married, age at first marriage - 27, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English

Wendell, son, male, white, 9, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1929, born MN, both parents born IL

Kathryn, daughter, female, white, 6, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1929, born MN, both parents born IL

1930 Illinois Census, Fulton County, Canton, ED 12, page 78B
enumerated April 5, 1930, dwelling #127, 318 Second Avenue, household of Ed Beard

Thompson, Vern E, lodger, male, white, 22, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, machinist, farm implements, whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition - no

 

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