Now that I’m refocused on the genealogy of my mother’s side of the family, I think it’s a good time to introduce Joseph & Lillian (Boicourt) Layton. Joseph & Lillian are my great great grandparents. Lillian is the reason I am a little bit French.
Lillian Boicourt was born 19 November 1862 in Sardinia, Decatur County, Indiana, a daughter of Vermillion & Sarah Elizabeth (Gentry) Boicourt. Joseph Hammond Layton was born 27 September 1859 in Indiana.
This tintype of Joseph, taken shortly before his death, is the only photo we have of him. We do not have any photos of Lillian, or any of the children other than Charles. If you are a descendent of this family with photos, please contact me!
Joseph & Lillian were married 29 March 1882 in Jennings County, Indiana. They had two daughters before they moved to Minneapolis, Ottawa County, Kansas in 1885, where they had five more children. Their sixth child was my great grandfather, Charles Layton.
Joseph and Lillian probably traveled to Kansas with Joseph’s brother, Hiram, and his wife Martha. Census records show that Hiram and Martha didn’t settle in Kansas for long – they continued on to Colorado. Joseph and Lillian, however, returned to Indiana in 1894. Just before Lillian gave birth to her tenth child, Joseph died of typhoid on 8 December 1900 in Westport, Indiana.
Greensburg New Era, 13 Dec 1900
On 12 September 1905, Lillian married Colonel G. Lamar, also a widower. They had a daughter, Lulu Viola, in 1907. At some point, Colonel apparently left Lillian. She applied for publication of a non-residence notice, and on 8 July 1919, she was granted a divorce and custody of Lulu. She was ordered by the court not to remarry within two years. In 1920, Colonel showed up on the census in Kansas, living with his son, William M. Lamar.
Lillian died 6 January 1947. She was buried in Westport Cemetery.
Greensburg Daily News, 6 January 1947
Greensburg Daily News, 7 January 1947
Children of Joseph & Lillian:
Estella May
29 May 1883 – 9 November 1900
Estella died in Westport, Indiana at age 17. She was buried in Westport Cemetery.
Lora Lilas (Stearns)
13 January 1885 – 28 July 1949
8 February 1885, The Decatur News (Freedonia)
Lora married Frank Ernest Stearns 28 March 1907 at Vernon, Jennings County, Indiana. They lived in Jennings County and Jackson County (Seymour). Lora and Frank had six children: Glen, Mildred (McClellan), Leslie, Mary (Hodnett), Archie, and Robert. Lora was buried in Westport Cemetery.
Greensburg Daily News, 30 July 1949
Clarence Elvin
26 January 1886 – 28 December 1896
Clarence was born shortly after the Laytons moved to Kansas. He died at age 10 after the move back to Indiana. His obituary in Greensburg’s New Era, 1 January 1896, read: “Clarence Layton, of Westport, aged about nine years died Saturday of brain trouble.” He was buried in the Baptist Church cemetery.
Wilbur Leslie
11 June 1888 – 28 May 1958
Wilbur married Goldie Anderson 20 February 1910 in Decatur County, Indiana. They moved to Muncie, Indiana, where Wilbur was employed as a Gear Cutter, and they later moved to Shelbyville, Indiana, where Wilbur was a farmer. They had five children: Lillian (Nail), Chester, Elma Louise (Brown), Vera (Clapp), and Phyllis (Wilson). After Goldie’s death in 1943, Wilbur married Ova Anderson, and they lived in New Castle. Wilbur died in Henry County after a cerebral hemorrhage. He was buried in Miller Cemetery, New Castle, Indiana.
Carrie Isabelle (Borgstede)
26 January 1890 – 27 May 1968
Carrie was born in Ottawa County, Kansas. She married John Lewis Borgstede (b. 9 January 1881, Ripley County) on 23 August 1907 in Decatur County, Indiana. They had three children: Gladys, Merlynn, and Janice (Low). They lived in North Dakota and Muncie (Delaware County) before they eventually returned to Westport, Decatur County, where John worked at an auto parts factory.
Charles
29 July 1891 – 7 July 1965
Charles was born in Kansas. He married Hazel McKinley 26 December 1911 in Boone County, Indiana. They had four boys: Max, Dow, Joe, and Don. I wrote about Charles and his family in a previous post.
Greensburg Daily News, 7 July 1965
Roy Boicourt
6 September 1893 – 5 May 1959
Roy was born in Ottawa County, Kansas. He served in WWI and married Inez Loreen Huntington in 1923. They had two children: Ruth (Stephenson) & Lois (Hiday), and lived in Anderson where he worked for the Anderson Municipal Electric Plant. He was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Anderson.
Anderson Daily Bulletin, 6 May 1959
Elma Marie (Tumulty)
28 October 1895 – 15 April 1972
Elma was born in Decatur County, Indiana. She married Edwin William Tumulty 10 August 1916 in Decatur County, Indiana. They moved to Anderson, Indiana, where they lived the rest of their lives. They had two daughters, Phyllis (Johnson) & Donna (Jennings). She was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Anderson.
Franklin Lester
10 September 1898 – 28 March 1958
Frank was born in Decatur County, Indiana. He married Mary Leota Beach in 1923. They had two children: Paul & Frank, and lived in Anderson. Frank was the proprietor of a service station for 21 years, then worked at Brown Electric Company. He was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Anderson.
Anderson Daily Bulletin, 29 March 1958
Earl Joseph
6 January 1901 – 4 February 1965
Lillian gave birth to Earl 29 days after her Joseph’s death. He married Marietta M. Hessler in North Vernon, Jennings County, on 5 December 1936. They had four children: Betty (Gatewood), Norman Joseph, James Earl, and Helen Catharine (Graue). Earl was buried in Westport Cemetery.
Greensburg Daily News, 4 February 1965
