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Daphne Dale McColloch, was born in September,
1889, Jasper Co., Missouri, the daughter
of James McHenry McColloch, and Mary Alice Wharton, both of whom
were born and raised in Ohio Co., West Virginia.
Mr. James McColloch was a professor and engaged in school teaching
and attained the position of Principal of Schools in Sedalia,
Missouri, and Principal of Schools in Neck City Missouri, while
also engaging in farming. He died in 1919.
Mrs. Mary Alice (Wharton) McColloch graduated from the Female College of Wheeling,
in Wheeling, West Virginia. Mrs. McColloch was also a school
teacher and was very active in church and civic duties in the
Carthage, Oronogo, and Webb City, Missouri areas. She died
November, 1936,
before her mother, Elizabeth Ellen (Bruner) Wharton, in Picher,
Oklahoma. Her mother died August 7, 1937, in Picher, Oklahoma, at
the age of 95. Mary Alice and her mother Elizabeth moved to a house next
door to Daphne and John after their husbands died. They both died
quietly at home. The family referred endearingly to them as the
"Two Grandmas".
Daphne McColloch was the youngest of five sisters: Olive P. born
in 1879, Pettis Co., Missouri died as a young child, Ettie M. born
in 1881, Pettis Co., Missouri, died as a young child, Edna Leona
born, May 9, 1884, Jasper Co., Missouri, who married Walter S.
Kannier, they raised five children, moved to California and she
died September 2, 1950, Lassen, California, and Mary Leila born December 1, 1886, Jasper Co.,
Missouri, who married Charles C. Redmon, they raised two children
and she died August 19, 1960, in West Virginia.
My Grandmother, Daphne Dale McColloch was married April 7, 1909, Jasper Co., Webb
City, Missouri, to John N. "Jack" Davis,
born August 22, 1884, in Pierce City, Missouri, son of
J. N. Davis and Hester Louisa Goad.
They had nine children five of whom died before adult hood: John,
died at 3 days, Daphne Arlene, died at 19 mos., Dorothy Louise,
died at 3 years, Edna Margie, died at 2 1/2 years, Esther Ruth
"Dibie", died at 16 years of age.
The four children that reached adult hood were: Hester Alice born
about 1912, she was a gifted school teacher of science in Oklahoma City, and an
extraordinary pianist like her mother. She married Raymond Shogren, of Oklahoma, they had a son,
John Raymond, who never married, and Alice died
January 11, 1945; Leila Elizabeth married Don Frankel, lived in Colorado,
raising four children and she died February 7, 1998; Charles James
was a pharmacist
in Madill Oklahoma, served as Mayor there marrying Anna Jean Pitts,
lived in Kingston, Oklahoma, where they raised two children, he died January 13, 1988; and Jackie
Lee "Papa Jack" who married Helen Jean Hollingsworth of
Madill, lived in Midwest City, Oklahoma where they raised two of
their own children and an adopted child, he died November 3, 1976.
(Leila, Jim and Jackie have extensive biographies on
other pages.)
The family moved from Webb City to Picher, Oklahoma, in 1913, where they made their home. The
town of Picher, in Ottawa Co., Oklahoma, was the largest lead and zinc mining area in the world at the
turn of the century and was at it's peak in the 1920's. Picher was
known as the "Town That Jack Built". Zinc ore was also
known as "Jack". The lead ore was known as
"Galena". Picher, was a "Boom Town" that
went bust during the 60's and sadly has become one of America's
worst, and most controversial superfund sites to this very day.
John N. "Jack" Davis, worked for The Eagle
Picher Mining and Smelting Co. for 14 years as superintendent of the Bingham
mine, then went on his own. Among the properties that he owned
and operated was the Davis Big Chief mine. He was the third Mayor of Picher, serving
by appointment following the death of Mayor J. M. Robbins and
served several terms as councilman. He was
an adoring husband, loving father, and servant of his community.
Daphne and John started the Central Methodist Church in Picher, and
followed the McColloch family tradition by being pioneers of the
Tri-State mining area and of taking on any civic
duties that were required to help tame a rowdy mining town. Daphne, like her mother
Mary, was also a talented pianist, giving piano lessons
and was organist at the Union and Central Methodist Churches.
The family was one of prominence in the Picher area, and was
available for their friends and neighbors who turned to them
readily for help with problems even of the most personal nature.
At some time between 1923 and 1926, Jack was diagnosed with
Tuberculosis and traveled to Denver, Colorado for medical
treatment. A few weeks later Daphne and the children moved to
Denver, also. They lived in Denver for about a year then returned
home to Picher.
John N. Davis died quietly at home on August 18, 1939, Ottawa Co.,
Picher, Oklahoma, leaving my Grandmother with their youngest son
Jackie, age six and their son Jim age 24, at home. They had lost
their 16 year old daughter, Hester Ruth, "Dibie" only
nine months before. Dibie had been particularly adored by the
whole family. Even though their family was virtually untouched
financially during the depression they were not untouched by the
deaths of John and Dibie. John N. "Jack" Davis is buried at Baxter
Springs, Kansas.
The family did rally and in March, 1942, Daphne
married Earl Austin Bradbury, born About 1818, of Picher, who was several years her junior.
My sister's have always said that Grandma had much personal
reserve and will to get her through. In looking back on 1942 a
time when most towns, let alone very small towns were very
conservative, I couldn't help but wonder how the marriage of a woman
to a man several years her junior must have been perceived in the
community. In speaking with my sister, Jan, she confirmed that it
caused quite an uproar in Picher, but was of little interest to
Daphne and Earl.
Christmas Day, 1942, found Daphne's son Jim, in the Navy and treating
a soldier with Gas Gangrene. Her husband Earl, joined the Marines
in 1943. In January of 1945, Daphne's daughter Hester Alice
Shogren died of a heart ailment at the early age of about 34
leaving her husband and young son to survive her.
On June 1, 1945, Earl
Austin Bradbury, was killed on Okinawa in the service of his
country . . . . .
Daphne Dale Bradbury, died August 30, 1949, Ottawa Co.,
Miami Baptist Hospital, Miami, Oklahoma, leaving Jackie Lee age 16 still at
home to be raised by his brother Jim, age 34. She is buried in Baxter
Springs, Kansas. (See
Her Obit Here)
Notes:
Dunham's Webb City Directory 1915-1916 - Listing For:
Davis, John N (Daphne D) mining r 1123 w Joplin
1920 U.S. CENSUS, Ottawa Co., Quapaw TWP, Picher City,
Oklahoma, February 11 & 12, 1920, Ward 4, Sheet 41B:
Address: 218 Third St.
DAVIS, John N., Head/O/F/M/W/35/M, -,-,-, Y/Y/MO, -, IL, -,
MO, -, Y/Superintendent/Zinc Mine/W/074
DAVIS, Daphne Dale, Wife, -,-, F/W/30/M, -,-,-, Y/Y/MO, -, VA, -,
MO (incorrect should be Virginia), -, Y/None,
-,-,-
DAVIS, Hester A., Daughter, -,-, F/W/8/S, -,-,-, Y, -,-, MO, -,
MO, -, MO, -,-, None, -,-,-
DAVIS, Leila E., Daughter, -,-, F/W/6/S, -,-,-, Y, -,-, MO, -,
MO, -, MO, -,-, None, -,-,-,
DAVIS, Charles J., Son, -,-, M/W/4/S, -,-,-,-,-,-, MO, -, MO, -,
MO, -,-, None, -,-,-
DAVIS, Dorothy L., Daughter, -,-, F/W/1 mo./S, -,-,-,
Y, -,-, MO, -, MO, -, MO, -,-, None, -,-,-
1930 U.S. CENSUS, Ottawa Co., Picher City, Oklahoma, April 18
& 19, 1930, Sheet 9B:
address: 218 Third St.
DAVIS, John. N., Head/O/$1,200/R/N/M/W/45/M/24/N/y/MO/IL/MO, -, 66, -,-,-,-, Y/Superintendent/Zinc Mine/73V6/W/N/2a-1/N, -,-
DAVIS, Daphne, Wife-H, -,-,-, V/F/W/40/M/19/N/Y/MO/WV/WV, -, 66, -,-,-,-, Y/None
DAVIS, Leila, Daughter, -,-,-, V/F/W/16/S, -, Y/Y/MO/MO/MO, -, 66, -,-,-,-, Y/None
DAVIS, James, Son, -,-,-, V/M/W/14/S, -, Y/Y/MO/MO/MO, -, 66, -,-,-,-, Y/None
DAVIS, Esther Ruth, Daughter, -,-,-, V/F/W/8/S, -, Y, -,
OK/MO/MO, -, 86, -,-,-,-,-, None
In 1985, I went with my mother, Leila, to
Picher, for a class reunion. We drove to her girlhood home on 3rd
and Netta Streets. We pulled up in front just to look at it. It seemed
much smaller than I remembered and had been remodeled a little and
well taken care of. A middle aged man came out of the house and walked toward
the fence where we were parked. My mother and I got out of the car
and explained who she was and that she had grown up in that house.
He was very kind and asked if we would like to come inside and
look around. We didn't hesitate for even a second to take him up
on his kind offer.
He told us that he was born in Picher. My mother smiled and told him that when she
was a young girl her mother had been summoned to a house up the
street one evening. It was an emergency as the mother of the
household was in labor and having a very hard time. Mom told him
that my Grandmother sent the husband of the household to get a doctor and "To hurry up about it!".
My mother told him the name of the family and laughed saying that
her mother could be a "bit of a take charge person" at
times. The man smiled back at us and said that he was glad that
she was that way, since he was the baby that was born that night
in the house just up the street!
By: Liz (Frankel) Gunderson
Daphne
Dale (Davis) McColloch and John N. Davis in tree . . .
Last Updated ~ October 19, 2004
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