Henry Harvey CHRISTIAN Rosa Mae CHRISTIAN William Neil CHRISTIAN Ralph Fletcher CHRISTIAN Reedie Joan MEEK William Henry CHRISTIAN Robert Lee CHRISTIAN Living CHRISTIAN Ruth BLEDSOE Willie Ida COLEMAN Mini tree diagram
Matthew Henry CHRISTIAN

Matthew Henry CHRISTIAN2,3,8,4,1,9,10

also known as Buck CHRISTIAN1

also known as Henry Matthew CHRISTIAN6,7

10th Aug 18922,3,4,1 - 20th Jan 19724,5

Life History

10th Aug 1892

Born in Winfield, Titus, Texas.2,3,4,1

28th Nov 1910

Married Reedie Joan MEEK in Mountain View, Kiowa, Oklahoma.2,10

7th Jan 1911

Birth of son Ralph Fletcher CHRISTIAN.13,14,4,15,16

about 1915

Divorced from Reedie Joan MEEK in McCurtain County, Oklahoma

about 1925

Married Ruth BLEDSOE in Idabel, McCurtain, Oklahoma

2nd Jan 1928

Birth of son William Henry CHRISTIAN in Oklahoma.1,2

8th Mar 1931

Birth of son Robert Lee CHRISTIAN in McCurtain County, Oklahoma.2,11,1,12

1935

Resident in Idabel, McCurtain, Oklahoma.1

1938

Death of Reedie Joan MEEK in Oklahoma.4,17

1st Apr 1940

Resident Age: 46; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Son-in-law in Idabel, McCurtain, Oklahoma.1

9th Jan 1959

Death of Ruth BLEDSOE in Idabel, McCurtain, Oklahoma.4

20th Jan 1972

Died in Idabel, McCurtain, Oklahoma.4,5

20th Jan 1972

Buried in Denison Cemetery, Idabel, McCurtain County, Oklahoma.4

Other facts

 

Birth of son Living CHRISTIAN

Notes

  • Matthew Henry Christian's information was given to me by his son, Charles O Christian.  I found that on his WWI Draft Registration, his name is Matthew Christian, but he signs the certificate as H M Christian, as though his name were Henry Matthew Christian.  This order of the names is supported by the 1910 census, where he is in the household of his father, Henry Harvey Christan, in Mountain View, Oklahoma.  There he is listed as Henry M Christian.  In the 1930 census, however, he is listed as Matthew H Christian.

    -----------------
    My grandfather was Henry Harvey Christian son of William Peter Christian and Polly Waldon Christian.
    My father Matthew Henry Christian was the son of Henry Harvey Christian and Ida Coleman Christian.
    My parents were Matthew Henry Christian and Ruth Bledsoe Christian. I was born in Idabel, Oklahoma Jan 8, 1926
    My father Matthew Henry Christian was born in Winfield, Tx Aug 10, 1892.
    --  Charles O Christian, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 03 January  2008
    -----------------

    In the 1900 census for this family, the child matching Matthew is listed as Martha and designated as a daughter.  The birthdate is one year off, as we often find in the 1900 census, Aug 1891.

    1900 Federal Census, Titus County, Texas, 26 June, Winfield, District 18, page 16B, Hse #247, Fam #299
    Christian, Henry Head W M  Mar 1868 32 Married 12 yrs TX England TX Horse Trader Rents
    Christian, Ida Wife W F Dec 1869 30 Married 12 yrs 5 children/3 living TX GA MS
    Christian, Martha Dau F M Aug 1891 8 Single TX TX TX [cf Henry M, age 18, 1910)]

    The date of birth given me by Charles is 10 August 1892.  But his age in the May 1910 census is 18 matches birth in 1891 or the first half of 1892.  On the Draft Registration his birthday is recorded as August 10th 1891.  But the age given there, 25, matches a birth year of 1892.  The registration was in June 1917.  The Social Security Death Index also reports his birth date as 10 August 1891.  Death date is given as January 1972.

    The Draft Registration reports that his occupation in 1917 is "Stockman, Working for Self."  The census in 1930 reports he is a taxi driver.
    In 1910 Matthew is listed as Henry M.

    1910 Federal Census, Kiowa County, Oklahoma, 5 May, District 179, page 9B, Hse/Fam #118
    Christian, Henry H  Head M W 44 Married 23 years TX England -- Farmer [born abt 1866]
    Christian, Willie I  Wife F W 39 Married 23 years  Borne 5 children, 3 living  TX AL AL [born abt 1869]
    Christian, Willie N  Son M W 19 Single AR TX TX [born abt 1891]
    Christian, Henry M  Son M W 18 Single TX TX TX [born abt 1892]

    This census tells us that Henry M, whom we know as Matthew Henry , was born in Texas.  His son Charles tells me it was in Winfield, Titus County.  Winfield is now on the route of Interstate Highway 30 from Little Rock, Arkansas, through Texarkana, Arkansas-Texas, to Dallas.  Today this is a small stop for gas and refreshments for travelers.

    Henry married his first wife Reedie Joan Meek in about 1911.  Thy had one child named Ralph, but divorced not long after.

    In 1920, we find that the Christian family have moved to the southeastern section of Oklahoma, near the Red River and the Arkansas-Texas border.  They are in White Township of McCurtain County, in Idabel town, next door to a family named Bledsoe, who have also recently moved there from south of the border in Red River County, Texas.  Matthew Christian has been married but is now divorced, and will later marry Yancy and Ceny Bledsoe's daughter Ruth.

    1920 Federal Census, McCurtain County, Oklahoma, 12 June, White Township, Idabel Town Ward 5, District 157, page 17A, Hill St, Hse #258, Fam #361
    Christian, Henry Head M W 50 TX England Miss
    Christian, Ida  F W 47 TX Miss Ala
    Christian, Matthew H  Son M W 25 Divorced TX TX TX  Chauffeur, Service Car
    Christian, Hathaway  Son M W 7 Single TX TX TX [born abt 1913]
    Shultz, Jack Boarder [son-in-law] M W 34 Immigrated to US 1890 Naturalized 1891 Germany Germany Germany Carpenter
    Shultz, Rosa Mae Boarder [daughter] M W 31 TX TX TX

    I find it interesting that Mathew's job is Chauffeur.  We also note here that his mother's name is reported as Ida.  This adds information to the previous census which listed her as Willie I.  Matthew's son Charles gave her name to me as Ida Coleman.  So this all fits together.

    In 1920 we saw they were living in a township called White.  In 1930, the part of Idabel where they live is called "White Man Addition"!  In 1910, Matthew's age was 18, but now 20 years later, when we would expect him to be 36 or 37, he is reported as age 47!

    1930 Federal Census, McCurtain County, Oklahoma, 9 April, Idabel Ward 2, District 15, page 1B, E 4th St, "White Man Addition," Hse #16, Fam #19
    Christian, Matthew H  Head M W 47 TX TX TX  Taxi Driver
    Christian, Ruth  Wife F W 29 TX TX TX
    Christian, Charles O  Son M W 4yrs 2mos OK TX TX
    Christian, William H  Son M W 2yrs 6mos OK TX TX
    Bledsoe, Ceny Mother-in-law F W 57 Widow TN TN TN

    Listed last in this hosuehold is Ruth's mother "Ceny."  I found all this information on the Christian and Bledsoe families one evening in January 2008.  This was the first reference I found to Ruth's mother.  Later in the evening I had found her in several censuses.  Ceny is a nickname for her middle name Luceny:  Lorena Luceny Stallings.  She is listed as Ceny in every census, except that in 1900 it is spelled Scenie.

    "We always knew my Grandmother just as Ceny Stallings Bledsoe and were shocked to find her listed as Lorene Luceny Stallings in some of our research."
    --  Charles Christian, personal email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, January 2008

    In 1940, the enumerator reprots Ceny as the Head of the household.

    1940 Federal Census, McCurtain County, Oklahoma, 22 April, Idabel, District 45-16, page 17A, Hse #389, Owns $2000
    Bledsoe, Ceny Head F W 69 Grade 8 b Tennessee same house in 1935 No Occup
    Christian, Buck Son-in-law M W 46 Grade 8 b Texas same house in 1935 Taxi Driver
    Christian, Ruth Dau F W 39 Grade H3 b Texas same house in 1935
    Christian, Charles Grandson M W 14 Grade 7 b Okla same house in 1935 Farm Laborer
    Christian, William H Grandson M W 12 Grade 6 b Okla same house in 1935
    Christian, Robert Lee Grandson M W 7 Grade 0 b Okla same house in 1935

    Sandie Lambert updated her memorial for Matthew on Find a Grave with information I sent her from my research.

    Matthew H Christian
    Birth Aug 10, 1892 Winfield, Titus County, Texas
    Death Jan 20, 1972 Idabel, McCurtain County, Oklahoma
    Inscription US Army WWI
    Parents:
    Henry Harvey Christian (1866 - 1944)
    Willie Ida Coleman Christian (1867 - 1951)
    Spouse Ruth Christian (1900 - 1959)
    Children:
    Ralph Fletcher Christian (1911 - 1986)
    Robert Lee Christian (1931 - 1987)
    Burial Denison Cemetery, Idabel, McCurtain County, Oklahoma
    Created by Sandie Manning Lambert Apr 15, 2007
    --  Find A Grave Memorial #18943512, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18943512/matthew-h.-christian

Sources

  • 1. 1940 Federal Census, McCurtain County, Oklahoma
    • 22 April, Idabel, District 45-16, page 17A, Hse #389, Owns $2000
  • 2. Email Sources
  • 3. 1920 Federal Census, McCurtain County, Oklahoma
    • 12 June, White Township, Idabel Town, District 157, page 17A, Hill St, Hse #258, Fam #361
  • 4. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • 5. Social Security Death Index
  • 6. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
    • record for Matthew Christian
  • 7. 1910 Federal Census, Kiowa County, Oklahoma
    • 5 May, District 179, page 9B, Hse/Fam #118
  • 8. 1930 Federal Census, McCurtain County, Oklahoma
    • 9 April, Idabel Town Ward 5, District 15, page 1B, E 4th St, "White Man Addition," Hse #16, Fam #19
  • 9. 1900 Federal Census, Titus County, Texas
    • 26 June, Winfield, District 18, page 16B, Hse #247, Fam #299
  • 10. Ancestry Trees
  • 11. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
    • Memorial #18943521
  • 12. U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2
  • 13. 1920 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
    • 7 January, Bessie Township, District 184, page 2A, Hse #27, Family #30
  • 14. 1930 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
    • 24 April, Turkey Creek, District 28, page 6B, Hse #125, Fam #132
  • 15. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
  • 16. 1940 Federal Census, Grady County, Oklahoma
    • 18 April, Chickasha, District 26-17, page 61B, Hse #17, Rented $10
  • 17. Gravestone of Ray and Reedie Dew, Clinton Cemetery, Clinton, Custer County,Oklahoma

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