Ruth Rollins Lyall Houck

In the 1900 U.S. Federal Census for Metz, Vernon County, Missouri, 8 year old Ruthie Smith is living with her parents, John M. Smith, 56, and Sarah E. Smith, 52, and older sister and brother, Phenia B., 15, and John M., 13. John, Sr. is working as a farmer as is his son John, Jr. By the 1910 census, Ruth is 18 years old and living with her husband, Jesse West Rollins, who is 36 years old, twice her age. He is working as a carpenter doing odd jobs. Their son Thomas is born in 1911, and they divorce in 1913. Ruth married Fred Lylall in 1916, and he adopts her son Thomas. From a 1917 U.S. City Directory for Phoenix, Arizona, we see that Ruth and Fred are living at 811 N. 2nd Street, and Fred was working as a brakeman for the A & E Railroad. In a 1918 U.S. City Directory for Phoenix, we see that Fred and Ruth are living at 330 E. McKinley and he is still working as a brakeman for the A & E Railroad.

In the 1920 U.S. Census they are living in a rented home located at 128 Eighth Avenue in Yuma, Arizona, and Fred is 39, Ruth 27, and Thomas, 9. Fred is working as a switchman on the railroad. By 1930, Ruth is living at 1515 West Pierce Street in Phoenix and is divorced from Fred and living as a boarder in the home of a Mr. & Mrs. Botkin who live there with their four children. Ruth is working as a stenographer.

Can find no record of Ruth in the 1940 census, and the next public record I find for her is the U.S. Social Security Death Index, indicating that she passed away in October of 1981, and was last known to live in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona. Her name on that record is Routh Houck.

Her son Thomas J. Lyall is shown in the 1940 U.S. Federal Census, is 29 years old and is living in Coconino, Arizona, in Grand Canyon Village, with his wife, Alberta K., 24, and his two children, Marlee K., 5 and Thomas J., 2. He is working as a surveyor for the National Park Service, and for the 48 weeks he worked in 1939 at 40 hours per week he earned $1,680. His previous residence in 1935 was in Sequoia National Park in California. His daughter Marlee K. was born in California and his son Thomas J. was born in Nevada. Previously in 1930, Thomas had been living in Montebello, California, with his uncle and aunt, J. Morgan Smith, 43, and Bessie E. Smith, also 43. The address where they were living was 746 Horfuer St. which was owned by Tom's uncle Jack, and valued at $3,500. Jack was working as a contractor building roads and Tom as a civil engineer in road construction. Tom was 19 years old in this census.

Thomas Lyall passed away in April of 1984 and was living in San Gabriel, Los Angeles, County, California at the time. I wish I would have known him, because I lived about 5 miles away at the time in Rosemead, CA.

Following is information found on Ancestry.com about Ruth Smith:

RELIGION: Baptist

ORAL INTERVIEWS: Ruth Smith, Jack Smith, Bessie Smith, Tom Lyall, Eleanor Lyall.

BIRTH: Smith Family Bible at Jack Smith's. Also statement regarding age sent by her father to the Superior Court Judge...granting his underage child the right to marry.

MARRIAGE: State of Arizona, Library, Archives, and Public Records Marriage License and Marriage Certificate; 1916 p 411. Also permission to marry.

Her brother Jack says his sister had another marriage between #2 and #3. Brothers know things like that and sometimes they tell.

1. Jesse Rollins, married 14 Feb 1909, divorced 7 Mar 1913, son Tom born 13 Jan 1911.

2. Fred Lyall, married 14 Apr 1916, divorced. Fred adopted Ruth's son Tom from Jesse Rollins 7 July 1916. Tom hated Fred and Fred didn't stay long.

3. Unknown

4. Jim D. Houck

Marriage License: Fred 34/Ruth 24. Married by Judge of the Superior Court of Maricopa County, Arizona, R.C.Stanford. Witness Mrs. J.M.Smith (mother) and Mattie E. Segrist (?). At the County Court House.