Life History

Notes

• Delia's name is spelled with an I in the first syllable in all the census records I have found, though family genealogies spell her name Delia.  The first census is in 1900, which tells us she was born in February 1897 in Arkansas.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma Territory, 1 June, Elk Township (North Half), District 208, Page 1A, House/Family #2
  Riggins, Jno A  Head W M Aug 1857 42  Married 13 years  MO TN AL Farmer  Owns Farm
  Riggins, Martha A  Wife W F Dec 1864 35  Married 13 years  6 children/6 living AR AL TN
  Riggins, Cordelia Dau  W F Nov 1897  12  Single AR MO AR
  Riggins, Claude Son W M Feb 1880 10  Single AR MO AR
  Riggins, Dilia E  Dau W F Feb 1892  8  Single AR MO AR
  Riggins,  Cecie S  Dau W F June 1895  5  Single AR MO AR
  Riggins, Viola S Dau W F Sept 1897  2 Single TX MO AR
  Riggins, Virgie Dau W F Feb 1900  3mos Single OK MO AR
  
  Note that from the birth places of the children we can tell that they went to Texas for a short while after June 1895 and before September 1897, where Viola was born.  But they continued on to Oklahoma Territory, where Virgie was born not long before the territorial census.
  
  For later censuses, see Notes for Joseph Oscar Christian.
  
  Audrey Christian provides the following information on Delia in her genealogy.  Note that the birth year Audrey reports is a year earlier than that reported in the 1900 census.  I find this commonly in the 1900 census.  I will use the date in the Christian genealogy.
  
  Delia E Riggins
  Birth 16 Feb 1891 in Arkansas
  Death 9 Oct 1940
  Parents:
  John Americus RIGGINS 1857-1941
  Martha A Gray 1864-1940
  --  Christian Family, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/14729861/person/296504727?pg=32801
  
  Mary was only 27 when she first married -- about one year or less before this census!  The 5-month-old Tern/Fern would seem to be the first child of Joe and Macey.
  
  1930 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma, 14 April, Oakdale Township, District 17, page 5B, Hse #148, Fam #158
  Christian, Joe  Head Owns Farm, Does not owns a radio M W 44 First Married at age 21 TX MS MS Farmer [b abt 1886]
  Christian, Macey  Wife F W 28 First Married at age 27 [married only 1 year] AR AR AR [b abt 1902]
  Christian, Melvin C  Son M W 19 OK TX OK Farm Laborer [b abt 1911]
  Christian, Alvin  Son M W 14 OK TX OK [b abt 1916]
  Christian, Woodroe  Son M W 12 OK TX OK [b abt 1911]
  Christian, Juanita Dau F W 10 OK TX OK [b abt 1911]
  Christian, Tern (Fern?) Dau F W 5mos OK TX OK [b abt Oct 1929]
  
  The birthplace of the mother of the children here is given as Oklahoma.  But both Delia Riggs and the Mary reported here were born in Arkansas.
  
  If seems likely that the last child's name is Fern (Tern), but the enumerator forgot to add the cross on the F.  The birth place of this child and the birthplaces of parents are reported the same as for the other children.  Fern's age places her birth within the reported period of marriage of Joe and Mary.
  
  The 1930 census confirms that Delia and Joe were divorced.  She is living alone nearby in Washita County.  She is named Della E here.
  
  1930 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma, 2 April, Rocky, District 28-21, page 1B, Hse #15, Fam #23
  Christian, Della E head Rents $15 F W 39 Divorced First Married at age 15 AR MO AR
  
  In 1940, all the children are back with Delia and she is in Mountain View, south of the river in Kiowa County.  But she is now reported as a widow, even though we know that Joe did not die until 1958.
  
  1940 Federal Census, Kiowa County, Oklahoma, 25 April, Mtn View Ward 3, District 38-26, page 12B, Hse #294, Rents $5
  Christian, Dellie Ethel Head F W 49 Widow Grade 5 b Arkansas Mtn View Kiowa OK in 1935 No Occup [b abt 1891]
  Christian, Melvin M W 28 Single Grade 6 b Oklahoma Mtn View Kiowa OK in 1935 No Occup stated [b abt 1912]
  Christian, Alvin Son M W 25 Grade 7 b Oklahoma Mtn View Kiowa OK in 1935 [b abt 1915]
  Christian, Woodrow Son M W 22 Grade 8 b Oklahoma Mtn View Kiowa OK in 1935 [b abt 1918]
  Christian, Juaneta Dau F W 20 Grade 7 b Oklahoma Mtn View Kiowa OK in 1935 [b abt 1920]
  Christian, Phyllis Maxine Granddau F W 2 Grade 0 b Oklahoma Father b Tex Mother b Ark [b abt 1938]
  
  Dillie Ethel Riggins Christian
  Birth 1891
  Death 1940
  Wife of Joe A [sic] Christian
  Daughter of Joe Americus & Martha A. GRAY Riggins
  Children Ernest Christian (1908 - 1954)
  Burial Mountain View Cemetery, Mountain View, Kiowa County, Oklahoma, Block 1
  Created by sha9876 Jul 05, 2008
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #28047512, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=28047512

Sources

• 1. 1910 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
  • 28 April, Oakdale, District 263, page 8B, Hse #147, Fam #154
• 2. Ancestry Trees
  • Christian Family, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/14729861/person/296504727?pg=32801
• 3. 1920 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
  • 20 January, Oakdale Township, District 193, page 5B, Hse #98, Fam #102
• 4. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 5. 1930 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
  • 2 April, Rocky, District 28-21, page 1B, Hse #15, Fam #23
• 6. 1940 Federal Census, Kiowa County, Oklahoma
  • 25 April, Mtn View Ward 3, District 38-26, page 12B, Hse #294, Rents $5
• 7. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
• 8. 1900 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma Territory
  • 1 June, Elk Township (North Half), District 208, Page 1A, House/Family #2
• 9. 1930 Federal Census, Los Angeles County, California
  • 6 April, Los Angeles City, District 448, page 13B, 1668 West 58th St, Hse #302, Hse #305, Boarder
• 10. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  • Tucson, Arizona, City Directory, 1935, p 193
• 11. California Death Index, 1940-1997
• 12. 1930 Federal Census, Grady County, Oklahoma
  • 4 April, Waldron Township, District 38, page 2B, Hse/Fam #34
• 13. 1910 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
  • 28 April, Oakdale, District 263, page 8B, Hse #147, Fam # 154
• 14. Social Security Death Index
• 15. 1930 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
  • 14 April, Oakdale Township, District 17, page 5B, Hse #142, Fam #152
• 16. Ancestry Trees
  • Christian Family, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/14729861/person/153388205
• 17. Gravestone of Ernest and Daisy Christian, Mountain View Cemetery, Mountain View, County, Oklahoma
• 18. Oakdale (Washita County, Oklahoma) Cemetery Register
  • Name: Name: http://rebelcherokee.labdiva.com/oakdalecem.html;;
• 19. 1930 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
  • 14 April, Oakdale Township, District 17, page 5B, Hse #148, Fam #158