John W Leach
John W Leach was born in about 1864 in Georgia. His parents were probably Reuben Leach and Jane Bell of Gilmer County, GA although there is no definitive documentation to support this fact. I've drawn this conclusion from tracing the family of Marcus Y Leach, second husband of Hester Priscilla Edmonds. John is listed on the 1870 and 1880 census in Georgia. Then he disappears from records until 1910 when he is listed on the federal census in Catoosa, OK with Alice and their children, David, Dicie, Sylva, and Minerva, as well as a woman named Betsey Hooker (see note under Alice Lee Beach). The Leach family is on the census record in Catoosa in 1920, but John disappears again after that date. Alice is on the 1930 census as a widow, so John must have died between 1920-1930. Norma Garrison, John's granddaughter, remembered that he died before she was born in 1933 and was buried in Catoosa, OK. No records of his death or burial have been found at the time this article was written.
Alice Lee Beach
Alice Lee Beach was born in 1867 in Tennessee. Her parents were George Washington Beach and Margaret Hancock (or possibly Hawkins). She lived in Oklahoma until at least 1935. By 1940 she was living in Kansas City, KS with her adopted son, Arnold. Alice died on 20 April 1956 and was buried in Kansas City at Maple Hill Cemetery.
NOTE: The 1910 census lists John and Alice Beach living with a woman named Betsey Hooker, born 1849 in Pennsylvania, and names her as Alice's mother. This is an error by the census taker. According to Minerva Leach Garrison, my great-grandmother, Betsey Hooker was a woman who lived with the family as a boarder but was no relation to them.
The Marriage and Children of John & Alice Leach
John and Alice Leach were married in approximately 1885, most likely in Georgia. No documentation has been found; conclusions have been drawn based on census records and birth dates of their children. They had seven children according to the 1910 census, but only four children are listed: David, Dicie, Sylva, and Minerva. There is also an older sister, Maggie, who is not listed with the family because she lived elsewhere. Minerva told her daughter, Norma, about an older brother nicknamed "Cap" who left home and lost contact with the family. David is apparently "Cap". Here is what is known about the Leach children:
Maggie N Leach was born on 2 March 1886 in Dalton, GA. She married Mark B Whittle in Rogers County, OK on 4 October 1916. By 1930 they were living in Kansas City and managed a hotel there. I have not found documentation that Mark and Maggie had any children; they married when Maggie was 30 years old so it is likely they did not. Mark's date of death is unknown. Maggie died in 1954 in Kansas City, and is buried there at Maple Hill Cemetery near her mother.
David Edman "Cap" Leach was born on 5 November 1888 in Georgia or Tennessee. He married Pearl White in about 1913, and they lived in Catoosa until at least 1917. After 1917 David and Pearl moved from Oklahoma to Denver, CO and then eventually settled in San Diego, CA around 1928. They had three children:
- Truman Wilford, b. 19 November 1916, d. 24 February 1989; married Lorene Maxine Welch Bullowe
- Paul E, b. 3 August 1919, d. 10 November 1942 in Morocco; Paul was part of the 7th Infantry Regiment and died during Operation Torch, the British-American invasion of North Africa
- Velma Marguerite, b. 13 February 1922, d. 16 September 2002; married Leonard T Overcash. She may also have been married to men with the last name Remington and Holiman.
Dicie Bell Leach was born on 31 December 1895 in Texas. She married Joseph Russell between 1910-1920. They had no children, and Joseph died in 1933. On 2 December 1955 Dicie married Charlie Staggs. They were happily married until his death in October 1980. Dicie lived next door to her sister, Minerva, for many years. She had a small white poodle named Susie, and the family joke is that Susie and Dicie looked exactly alike with their fluffy white hair. When Dicie aged enough to no longer be able to live alone she moved to Tacoma, WA to live with her stepson, Alvin Dewayne "Bud" Staggs. Dicie died on 9 September 1989 in Tacoma. She is buried in Tulsa, OK at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Sylva Leach was born in about 1902 in Arkansas. No information has been found for Sylva other than the 1910 Census.
Minerva Leach. Click here for information about Minerva.
Arnold Leach
Arnold R Leach was adopted by John and Alice Leach. The identity of his parents is currently unknown; he is listed as John's nephew on the 1930 Census. Arnold was born on 27 September 1918 in Catoosa, OK. He was married to Edith "Marian" Hall, and it appears they did not have any children. Arnold died on 6 April 2006 in Broken Arrow, OK and is buried in Shawnee, KS.
Read Next:
Reuben Leach & Jane Bell
George Washington Beach & Margaret Hancock
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