Descendants of Silas Daily

Generation No. 5

8. LULU BELLE⁵ CRAVENS (ELNORA⁴ GANNON, ELLINORE³ DAILEY, SILAS², SILAS¹ DAILY) was born September 14, 1884 in Richwoods, Ill., and died January 25, 1920 in Palestine, Ill.. She married NOAH MONROE DEVORE October 09, 1900 in Knox Co. Ind., son of WILLIAM DEVORE and ? ???. He was born July 08, 1872 in Oaktown, Ind., and died May 05, 1947 in Palestine, Ill..

Notes for LULU BELLE CRAVENS:
Lulu's mother (Elnora Gannon Craves) had already filed for divorce from her father long before Lulu was born. I can't find a final decree anywhere, however, so the divorce may have never been finalized. Lulu's birth certificate, however, just has a dash drawn thru where the father's name should be. Lulu claimed Jesse as her father, however, in her marriage return. Lulu was listed as the third child born to Elanora, probably her older sister who died young being one of her predecessor. Andrew Jackson Cravens (her brother Jack) wasn't even born yet.

I have been told that Lulu was "short and rather heavy". The only picture that I have doesn't really show it, but it would fit with Noah being so short. She died shortly after the birth of her sixth child from uremic poisoning (kidney failure) that was a result of the birth of her 6th child. She was said to have been related in some way to the "Kimberlin's" of Crawford Co. but I suspect that is because her brother Andrew Jackson Cravens married Ola Kimberlin. However, there may be other connections.

In Lulu's obit it is stated " She united with the M.E. church at Green Hill at the age of 15 years." she died from uremic poisoning less than a year after her sixth child Leona was born. She was 35 years, 3 months and 11 days old when she died.

More About LULU BELLE CRAVENS:
Burial: Palestine City Cemetary, Palestine ILL
Cause of Death: Acute nephritis & uremic poisoning
Medical Information: she was sick for 12 days--perhaps following child birth (?)

Notes for NOAH MONROE DEVORE:
The mystery began I think with our great grandfather Noah Monroe DeVore. He told his children that he left home when he was about 13 because his "stepmother was so mean"!! Thanks to various birth, marriage and census records we have this family as I have outlined her. Noah's father was William Henry DeVore. The first wife of William Henry DeVore, and mother of John William and Noah Monroe DeVore, is currently a deep and frustrating mystery. Noah is known, for sure to have had a brother John, whose life I've partly pieced together. John and Noah's death certificates both list Nancy Funk as their mother, but since I know she was their step-mother, I can't help but wonder if they even knew their real mother's name. I wouldn't be surprized if she died in childbirth with Noah Noah and his brother John are still missing from the 1880 Census. Noah would have been about 8 and John about 12!! Were they with other family somewhere?? There was a James and Henry in the original 1880 Census with William and Nancy that I can't place as belonging to either of them. could this be Noah and John with the wrong names and ages? Noah always gave his kids the impression that he grew up in Hymera, Sullivan Co., Indiana. Most of them thought he was born there. Per his obit, John spent most of his life in Sullivan Co. Who did Noah live with? In a letter from Elisabeth Ann (Noah's daughter) she says that she thought that Noah grew up around Russellville, Ill. That's where Noah's step-mother's (Nancy funk Wilber DeVore) family were mostly living. did he live with them? Who was Pearl Wheatley from Champaign Co., Ill. who is listed as Noah's sister (step-sister on some) in his obits? Too many mysteries!!

Noah was almost 30 and Lulu Belle Cravens barely 16 when they married. It's actually hard to figure out how they may have met. Lulu had an older sister married in Sullivan Co. IN and a brother (Jack) born there. There seems to have been a lot of coming and going across and up and down the river back then!! They could have met through her father and his step mother being first cousins!! Anyway, they married at the Knox Co Courthouse in Vincennes on October 9, 1900 and went back to Oaktown in Knox Co IN for a while to live. Their first born son Pearl Elisha DeVore (father of James Noah DeVore) was born there exactly to the day one year later. Altogether they had six children. Eight years after Lulu Belle died he married a 2nd time to Cora Bingaman and had 4 more children. He and Cora also raised her two daughters from a previous marriage for a total of 10.

James Noah, (my Dad) Noah's grandson and namesake, remembered him as county road commissioner for several years. He said he was the"old fashioned baby kissing kind" of politician. He also remembered the Cora and Noah household as a fun place to be. He said that Cora was a wonderful cook and could feed large numbers of people with almost nothing to work with. He said she was always jovial and fun and knew how to make everyone feel welcome.

Noah was a very small man in stature. He was under 5' tall and not of big build (that seems to have some from the Cravens side). He told his children that he didn't want to dwell on the past, however his wife Cora or his oldest son Pearl, had been told Noah's father and step-mother's names and his believed place of birth. Upon occasion he referred to himself as a "flannel mouthed Irishman". I can't help but wonder if his real mother was Irish.

More About NOAH MONROE DEVORE:
Burial: Palestine City Cemetary, Palestine ILL
Cause of Death: Myocarditis Chronic
Medical Information: Myocarditis for 2 years per death certificate

More About NOAH DEVORE and LULU CRAVENS:
Marriage: October 09, 1900, Knox Co. Ind.

Children of LULU CRAVENS and NOAH DEVORE are:

PEARL ELISHA⁶ DEVORE, b. October 09, 1901, Oaktown, Ind.; d. February 18, 1956, Newton, Ill.; m. GOLDIA BELLE SWANNER, June 11, 1923, Robinson, Ill.; b. October 09, 1902, Palestine, Ill.; d. February 1996, Newton, Ill..

More About GOLDIA BELLE SWANNER:
Burial: Riverside Cemetary, Newton, Ill.

More About PEARL DEVORE and GOLDIA SWANNER:
Marriage: June 11, 1923, Robinson, Ill.

ii.

NORA M. DEVORE, b. Abt. 1902; d. Unknown; m. HAROLD CAULIFLOWER; b. Unknown; d. Unknown.

Notes for HAROLD CAULIFLOWER:
Harold was from Hutsonville (in Crawford Co., Ill.)

iii.

WILLIAM EARL DEVORE, b. September 10, 1904, near Richwoods, Crawford Co., Ill.; d. Unknown; m. DAISY ETHEL BAILEY; b. Abt. 1904, Crawford Co. Ill..

iv.

OPALINE TURL DEVORE, b. July 02, 1911; d. Unknown; m. (1) LARKIN COLEMAN; m. (2) ? GLEASON, Unknown; b. Unknown; d. Unknown.

More About OPALINE TURL DEVORE:
Burial: in Hutsonville.

More About ? GLEASON and OPALINE DEVORE:
Marriage: Unknown

BEARL ORVILLE DEVORE, b. February 20, 1907, Richwoods, Crawford Co., Ill.; d. Unknown, Michigan; m. LILLIAN OZIEMSKI.

Notes for BEARL ORVILLE DEVORE:
Although there are indications that Bearl spelled his name B-y-r-l, B-e-a-r-l appears to be his parents choice.

vi.

LEONA VERLE DEVORE, b. February 22, 1919, Lamotte Twp., Crawford Co., Ill.; d. Unknown, unknown; m. MICHAEL A. RENNIER, July 12, 1947, Robinson, Ill.; b. Abt. 1924, Oblong, Ill.; d. April 23, 1970, unknown.

Notes for LEONA VERLE DEVORE:
She lived in Potage, IN at 5317 D Central. Per Elisabeth Ann, that is where she is buried.
Witnesses at their marriage were: Franklin Coleman and Virginia Gleason. Bride and groom are both listed under race as French.

Notes for MICHAEL A. RENNIER:
Michael was from Robinson, per Elisabeth Ann.
Their marriage cert. lists Michael as a plumber and his nationality as French.

More About MICHAEL RENNIER and LEONA DEVORE:
Marriage: July 12, 1947, Robinson, Ill.

Back HOME

This work encompasses hundreds of years of effort by myself and other contributors. The purpose of this site is to share our history with our extended family and to exchange information between researchers. It is NOT to be republished in commecial ventures. Feel free to copy these pages and share them with family and friends and add the info to your database, but all materials are copyrighted and CAN'T BE REPRODUCED FOR PROFIT. If you are family or a fellow researcher please email me so that we can share information.