Life History

Notes

• In 1900 Josie is reported as the youngest child of her widowed mother, being 3 months old.  Her father must have died earlier in 1900 or late in 1899.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 19 June, Prairie Township, Hse #228, Fam #233
  Scruggs, Martha Head W F Jan 1837  63 Widow 12 children/5 living TN TN TN No Occup Owns
  Benson, Belle R Dau W F Aug 1875  21 Widow 4 children/3 living AR TN TN
  Benson, Josie Granddau W F Feb 1900 3mos Single AR AR AR
  
  In the 1910 census, Josie is reported under her stepfather's name of Jenkins (Jinkins).  Her mother Emma Belle Scruggs was first married to Martin Benson, who died before the 1900 census.  That census reports that Josie was just 3 months old, and born in February 1900.  Josie was the last child of Martin Benson and Rosella Scruggs Benson.
  
  Josie's sister Goldean (Glodine here) was 7 years old in 1910, meaning she was born in about 1903.  Her mother Belle did not marry Charly (Charles Doyle) Jenkins until 1905.  Goldean's memorial on Find a Grave mistakenly reports her maiden name as Benson, even though the 1900 census clearly indicates that Martin Benson died before 1900.  Goldean's father was Charles Jenkins and his first wife, whose  name we have not discovered.  Or otherwise perhaps Rosella was her mother, but she was born out of wedlock, before her parents married in 1905.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 22 April, St Charles, District 12, page 3A, Hse/Fam #41
  Jinkins, Charly Head M W 48 Marriage 2 Married 4 yrs MS SC MS Farmer [b abt 1862]
  Jinkins, Belle Wife F W 31 Marriage 2 Married 4 yrs 7 children/6 living AR Unk Unk [b abt 1879]
  Jinkins, Edd Son M W 16 Single AR AR AR
  Jinkins, Mary Dau F W 12 Single AR AR AR
  Jinkins, Jossie [sic] Dau F W 10 Single AR AR AR
  Jinkins, Goldine Dau F W 7 Single AR AR AR
  Jinkins, Arthur Son W M 3 Single AR AR AR
  Jinkins, [No Name] Son W M 8mos Single AR AR AR [b abt July 1909]
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Roe Dempsey
  Age 30, Birth Year abt 1887
  Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
  Spouse Josie Benson
  Spouse's Age: 18
  Spouse's Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
  Marriage 3 Oct 1917 Arkansas County
  Marriage License Date 3 Oct 1917
  
  1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 12 April, Prairie Township, District 24, page 3B, Public Road, Hse #51, Fam #52
  Dempsey, Roc (Roe?) Head Rents M W 42 Married at age 30  AR MS AR Cotton Farmer
  Dempsey, Josie F W 30 Married at age 18  AR AR AR
  Dempsey, Harrison Son M W 11 AR AR AR
  Dempsey, Thelmer (Thomas?) Son M W 9 AR AR AR
  Dempsey, Elvis Son M W 7 AR AR AR
  Dempsey, Jack Father M W 72 Widowed  MS MS MS
  
  Josie's husband Roe Dempsey died in 1937.  In 1938 she married Rube Ellenberg.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Josie Benson
  Gender Female
  Age 35, Birth Year abt 1903
  Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name Rube Ellenberg
  Spouse's Age 28
  Spouse's Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
  Marriage 5 Feb 1938 Arkansas County
  Marriage License Date 5 Feb 1938
  
  After the death of Roe Dempsey in 1937, Josie married Rube Ellenberg in 1938.  In the 1938 census, Josie and Rube are reported in Crockett Township of Arkansas County, with her daughter Rosella, age 6, Josie's two Dempsey sons, and a cousin named Robert Weathers.
  
  Rosella is reported as the daughter of Rube Ellenberg.  But note that she is 6 years old, and her mother married Rube only in 1938.  Rosella was born about 1934, 4 years before Josie married Rube, and 3 years before Roe Dempsey died.  So it appears she should have been reported as a step daughter.
  
  Josie's two sons Thelma and Elvis are reported as stepsons, with the correct surname of Dempsey.  But I see that Thelma is reported as a girl, though in all other records, he is reported as a boy.  And Thelma's record of marriage to Clara Hood And Elvis is reported as Ellis.
  
  1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 16 April, Crickett Township, District 1-6, page 7A, Country Road, Hse #94, Rents $2
  Elenberg, Rube Head F W 30 Married Grade 3 b Ark same house 1935 Cotton Farmer [b abt 1910]
  Elenberg, Josie Wife F W 40 Married Grade 3 b Ark same house in 1935 [b abt 1900]
  Elenberg, Rosella Dau [stepdaughter] F W 6 Grade 0 b [unrptd] [b abt 1934]
  Dempsey, Thelma stepdaughter F W 18 Single Grade 5 b Ark same house in 1935 Farm Laborer
  Dempsey, Ellis Stepson M W 16 Single Grade 4 b Ark same house in 1935 Farm Laborer
  Weathers, Robert Cousin M W 47 Single Grade 5 b Ark same house in 1935 Farm Laborer
  
  Thelma is also reported in the household of his cousin Thomas Patterson and wife Goldine in Monroe County Arkansas.  He is reported correctly there as male.
  
  It appears that Josie and Rube divorced, since Rube's date of death in his Soical Security records in in 1973.  Josie married Joe T Medcalf in Faulkner County, Arkansas.  At the time her residence was Jacksonville, Pulaski County, Arkansas.  She and Joe moved to his home of Wichita, Kansas.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Josie E Dempsey
  Gender Female
  Age 50, Birth Year abt 1901
  Residence Jacksonville, Pulaski, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name Joe L Medcalf
  Spouse's Gender Male
  Spouse's Age 51
  Spouse's Residence Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas
  Marriage 7 Mar 1951 Faulkner County
  Marriage License Date 7 Mar 1951
  
  U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
  Wichita, Kansas, City Directory, 1958, p 740
  Medcalf Joe L (Josie) formn City Bd of Comnrs 2330 S Topeka av
  
  Josie Medcalf
  Birth Mar 30, 1900
  Death Mar 19, 1972
  Spouse Joe L Medcalf (1899 - 1987)
  Children:
  Harrison J Dempsey (1918 - 1969)
  Elvis L Dempsey (1922 - 2012)
  Burial Saint Charles Cemetery, Saint Charles, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  Created by Dale Houghton Apr 04, 2012
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #88070129, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=88070129

Sources

• 1. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 12 April, Prairie Township, District 24, page 3B, Public Road, Hse #51, Fam #52
• 2. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 3. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 4. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 19 June, Prairie Township, Hse #228, Fam #233
• 5. 1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 16 April, Crickett Township, District 1-6, page 7A, Country Road, Hse #94, Rents $2
• 6. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  • Wichita, Kansas, City Directory, 1958, p 740
• 7. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 22 April, St Charles, District 12, page 3A, Hse/Fam #41
• 8. 1940 Federal Census, Monroe County, Arkansas
  • 27 April, Duncan Township, District 48-14, page 3B, Hse #246, Owns $100
• 9. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• 10. Obituary of Thelmer Dempsey, Forrest City (Arkansas) Times-Herald, Friday, 14 July 2006
• 11. Gravestones of St Charles Cemetery
• 12. Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950
  • Roll #19341940, Page 893