Alonzo Hugh Spence

I would have never dreamed I would start my Spence genealogy blog pages with "Uncle Lon" Spence, but I very recently found that he held a secret clue to the identity of his father's father, someone I have sought for over 10 years now. I still can't say I have absolute proof, but finding a death record for Alonzo Hugh Spence in Juarez, Mexico, gave me his middle name. It appears he was named after his grandfather, Hugh Young Spence, someone I have suspected to be the father of Lon's father, John W. Spence, for some time, but only because of circumstantial evidence. Finding this middle name is the circumstantial straw that has finally met my standard for burden of proof, I am thrilled to say! Anyone interested in the specific circumstantial evidence of this line is welcome to contact me, and I will gladly detail it all for you. The record of death in Juarez, Mexico, was found by my Barkley cousin and big-time researcher of the Barkleys and related lines from Alabama and South Carolina, Ray Barkley. Ray has a blog page on our Barkley line at http://barkleyancestorsearch.blogspot.com/. Here's the death record for Alonzo Hugh Spence:


Alonzo Hugh "Lon" Spence is the brother of my husband's great-grandfather, Willie Jasper Spence, who was orphaned when he was only 4 years old, and his baby brother, Lon, was only 16 months old. They had a sister, Pearl, who was 9 when their parents died, but she died as a young adult. Their parents, John W. Spence and Amanda J. Barkley, died within days of each other in a yellow fever epidemic. The Spence children were raised by their maternal grandparents, Jasper Barkley and Mary Elizabeth Rains, daughter of Larkin Rains.

Will never spoke of his parents, nor his sister, and with so many of the family dying so young and leaving no paper trail, it has been most difficult to trace this family. In addition, add to the mix a brother who moved around a lot and died in Mexico, where up until recently, it seemed impossible to find a record, and this has been a most frustrating search! Even though Will Spence is our direct line, I will begin my posting of Uncle Lon's family tree. What I know is fairly limited, but I'd like to get it online in the hopes there are descendants of his who might be interested. I welcome any correspondence from anyone interested in this line.

The picture of the little boy above is the only photo our family has of Alonzo Hugh Spence, taken from a larger family portrait. The photo was taken about 1895 when Lon was about 6 years old.

Genealogy Report of Alonzo Hugh Spence and Descendants:

Alonzo Hugh Spence was born 18 January 1889, in Cherokee Co., Alabama, and died 17 May 1957, in Juarez, Mexico.  He married Nettie F. Jennings 30 January 1909, in Kaufman Co., Texas, daughter of George Jennings and Lisa.  She was born 04 September 1894, in Tennessee, and died 31 May 1965, in Monrovia, Los Angeles Co., California.

Notes for Alonzo Hugh Spence:

Census: 1900, Hunt Co., Texas
Census: 1910, Scurry, Kaufman Co., Texas
WWI draft registration card dated June 5, 1917:  Alonso Spence signed up in Clinton, Custer Co., OK, indicated he was born Jan. 18, 1889, in Cherokee, Alabama, and he had a wife and two children.  He could not write, but applied his "X" mark.
Census: 1920, Clinton, Custer Co., Oklahoma
Residence: 517 Wild Rose St., Monrovia, California, at the time of his death.

Notes for Nettie F. Jennings:

Burial: 04 June 1965, Live Oak Memorial Park, Monrovia, Los Angeles Co., California

Children of Alonzo Spence and Nettie Jennings are:

1. Thurman L. Spence, born 17 November 1909, in Texas; died 15 October 1974, in Baldwin Park, Los Angeles Co., California.  He married Ernestine N. Anderson Schmid 27 December 1973, in Los Angeles, California; she was born in 1923.

Notes for Thurman L. Spence:

Census: 1910, Scurry, Kaufman Co., Texas
Residence: 1952, Los Angeles Co., California
Burial: Cremated
Cremation: 23 October 1974, Los Angeles Co. Crematory

2. Odessa Athelene Spence was born 05 September 1915, in Texas, and died 04 January 1980, in Sacramento Co., California.  She married Theodore D. Bell, son of Mr. Bell and Miss Waters.  He was born 21 May 1913, in Illinois, and died 29 June 1967, in Sacramento Co., California.

Notes for Odessa Athelene Spence:

The Sacramento Bee
Tuesday January 8, 1980, page D17:

BELL, Odessa A., in Sacramento January 5, 1980. Beloved wife of the late Theodore Bell. Loving mother of Carol Stevens of Wheatland, Ca., Lillie Fay Gordon of Garden Grove, Ca., Jan Marie Shumate of Oklahoma, Barbara Jean Bell of Wheatland, Wyoming and the late Neva Ann Moreland. Also survived by 6 grandchildren. A native of Texas. Aged 64 years. Friends are welcome at the Mission Chapel of Anrews & Greilich, 3939 Fruitridge Rd. and are invited to attend the funeral Wednesday at 1:30 PM. Interment East Lawn.

More notes for Odessa Athelene Spence:

Census: 1920, Clinton, Custer Co., Oklahoma 
Burial: East Lawn, Sacramento, Sacramento Co., California

Children of Odessa Spence and Theodore Bell are:

1. Carol Bell; she married (1) Mr. Ward before 1957.  She later married (2) Mr. Stevens.

2. Jan Marie Bell; she married Mr. Shumate.

3. Lillie Fay Bell; she married Mr. Gordon.

4. Neva Ann Bell, born 26 March 1940, in Oklahoma; died 09 October 1976, in Sacramento Co., California.  She married Mr. Moreland.

5. Barbara Jean Bell, born 15 September 1955, in Los Angeles Co., California.