Roy Long and Vivian Maupin: early 1900's

Roy and Vivian—

While attending a writing class at church, someone in the class had begun writing her family history with a story of how her grandparents met.  As almost the eldest in my family, I thought I’d better write more of my family stories also.

Grandpa Roy grew up in a Baptist farm family of 12 children outside of DeSoto  MO near Big River. His mother was the daughter of a German miner and his father was from a Jefferson County Mo. family that had been farming and mining there before statehood. Any schooling Grandpa had would have been in a one room country school.He was raised with hard work and chores, but  Roy broke  away from the family traditions of farming or mining  to work at Missouri Pacific Railroad shop in De Soto, MO as a welder/boilermaker.   He was tall with blond good looks and based on notes, postcards, and photos that he saved, he was well loved by the ladies in the area.

  

Grandma Vivian grew up in a Methodist-Episcopal family with 7 children in a large Victorian home in DeSoto Mo.  Her mother’s family was from England and my aunt remembers tea parties and lace-curtain- elegance.  Grandma was raised in a more privileged family that was also more fun-loving.  During the Depression, an uncle gave all of the girls in the family violins and the boys each got a dime to buy ice cream with.  My dad often told stories of riding in the rumble seat of his grandfather’s Packard. Vivian’s father was the foreman of the Missouri Pacific roundhouse and the family travelled often by train to St. Louis for shopping and to Kansas City and Texas where family lived. She was one of those women whose personality and kindness sparkled in her eyes.

I don’t know how they met—the only common thread was Roy worked in the Missouri-Pacific shops and Vivan’s father was the foreman of the  Missouri-Pacific roundhouse in the same small town of De Soto, Missouri..  Grandpa had turned many a female head, and Grandma was a small town aristocrat. . .  and the boss’s daughter.  I have no letters and no photos of them at this time.  World War I was looming.

Roy enlisted in the Army Air Corps, not realizing that Vivian was pregnant with dad (LeRoy). LeRoy Harold Long  was born Aug. 1918 while Grandpa was in France. While I do have post cards Roy sent his parents, there is no indication that he had become a father.  The post cards are letting his parents know that he had landed in New York and would be home soon.

And Vivian?  I have one photo of her at this time, standing in a large circle — she appears to be pregnant. So, she wasn’t sent away or locked in her room.  Based on the stories I have heard about her family, I believe she was loved and cherished.  Her parents were indulgent with their children, even when they were adults and married.  Great grandmother Annie was so beloved that many of her descendants still bear her name (mine is in the middle).  They were not stingy with their wealth and freely gave what they had to all of their children that needed it, especially in the Depression where they provided housing for any needing it including one of my aunts (Norma) who lived with them as a teen-ager.  So, I believe they did whatever they needed to keep her physically or emotionally healthy.

Roy was discharged from the army on March 27, 1919 and  got married on the same day.  The witnesses were Mamie and Leo Wilson—Vivian’s sister and brother-in-law. She was 20; he was 25. It's worth noting that Vivian's mother was one of the founding "mothers" of the Episcopal Church in DeSoto.  Roy's family were the backbone of their Baptist Church and yet they were married by the Justice of the Peace not in a church. That seemed to be pretty common at that time---at least in my  Dad's family.   I wish I had one photo of them together when they were young, but starting life together with a 7 month old boy was undoubtedly a big adjustment.

As far as any of us know, Grandpa, despite his reputation with the ladies, remained faithful in his marriage to Vivian.  They had 6 children (Milton died as a baby) and remained married for 32 years until she died in 1951. But, there must have been a little bit of embarrassment on someone’s part since I found their marriage certificate which is in contradiction to the “official marriage records” in Jefferson County, Missouri.  The 1919 had been changed to 1916.

For more on Roy and Vivian , click here. 

Maupins and Railroads

Mattie, Henry
John D, Oliver, Ira

Each of these Maupin siblings worked or had a spouse that worked for railroads.

Although Henry Wesley Maupin was originally from Wellsville, MO, he and his brother John Dabney Maupin settled in the DeSoto, MO in 1899 because Mo-Pac had a large round house and shop there.  Henry Wesley Maupin became the foreman of the roundhouse---in charge of all of the mechanics and workers. In 1885, he was listed as a Railroad Fireman.  The 1900 census lists him as a machinist; 1910 and 1920 “Foreman with Railroad”.  He died before the 1930 census.

John Dabney Maupin, his brother, moved his family to Teague, Texas where they prospered.  His obituary reads:

Mr. Maupin will be remembered by the people of Teague as one of the old-timers, having moved here when the city was still in its infancy, and has seen Teague in it's good days and its less prosperous. Being of a congenial spirit, he numbered among his friends all who came to know him. He was always ready to contribute his time and efforts to the advancement of the city. Since early in life, he was an active member of the Presbyterian Church.

He came to Teague in January of 1909 and was Superintendent of Motive Powers with the T. &; B V Railroad, and served in this capacity until his retirement in June 1939, after 30 years of service.

As near as I can tell the T. & B.V. railroad was Trinity and  Brazos Valley, which became a part of the Burlington-Rock Island Railroad.

Another brother, Ira Maupin, lived in Kansas City where he was also the Foreman of a Roundhouse for the Railroad (KATY).

Brother Oliver, who lived in Waco Texas, was also the Foreman of a Roundhouse in Kansas and Texas with the Cotton Belt Railroad.

Sister Martha (Mattie) Maupin married a cousin David Rice Maupin who was a “blacksmith for the railroad” in Kansas City in the 1900 census.  They eventually moved to Texas with Oliver and John D. Maupin.  It’s not clear what railroad line he worked for but it was probably the same as family members.

Railroad Jobs

The shop foreman would be the person in charge of the shop. The shop was the area where railroad cars were repaired or rebuilt Most common repairs were replacing wheels. doors and different parts of the braking equipment which required maintenance very often.

The roundhouse was the area that repaired and did periodic maintenance on the railroad engines such as refueling lubricating changing oil and such. The size of the facility determined the number of people that a foreman was in charge of.  Large facilities would have three shifts a day with maybe 10 men on a shift. 

The superintendent would be the man over all the workers and foremen at a facility.  Often the superintendents would be over a large area with several facilities under his supervision. 

The fireman:  Steam locomotive crew who feeds the firebox with fuel. On diesel locomotives, the firemen would monitor controls and assist the engineer.

Maupin Siblings

Apparently I'm not the only one with boxes of mystery photos. A cousin in Texas sent me this photo asking if I thought these were Maupins. Together, we have concluded that these are the children of John Dabney Maupin and Jane Dickinson Maupin: Mattie Maupin Maupin and Henry Maupin (my great-grandfather) are seated in the front; on the porch are John D. Maupin, Oliver Maupin and Ira Maupin (not necessarily in that order, but we're pretty sure Ira is on the far right).

We believe this photo was taken in Teague, Texas in the 1920's (Mattie and Henry died in early 1930's). We don't know what the occasion was, but with all of them working for the railroad and having passes, it wasn't that hard for Henry (from De Soto, MO) and Ira (from Kansas City, MO) to hop on a train to visit their three siblings in the Waco/Teague area of Texas.

This is the third mystery photo cousins and I have cracked in one month! One is so bizarre, it deserves its own blog posting. (The third one is "Valle Girls?")

John D. Maupin Family

In the 1900 Census the following people were living in this house below near DeSoto, Missouri: Chrisopher Campbell (48), Mary Campbell (45), Lulu Campbell (23), George Campbell (22), Grace Campbell (16), Fred Campbell (14), Pearl Campbell (11), Neva Campbell (9), Dimple Campbell(6), Minnie Campbell Maupin (28), John D. Maupin (31), Lolo M. Maupin (9), Ollie R. (Campbell) Maupin (8), Irene F. Maupin (5), May Maupin (3), Alesia Booker (80)--a boarder.


This was the home of John Dabney and Minnie (Campbell) Maupin before they left De Soto, Mo. to move to Texas. Minnie's parents, Christopher C. Campbell and wife Mary (Hurst) Campbell were living with them in De Soto, Mo. and moved to Teague, Texas with them and are also buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Teague, Freestone County, Texas.

John D. Maupin (my great-grandfather's brother) was a foreman of the roundhouse at the railroad in Texas just like his brother Henry Maupin was in De Soto. Their occupations are listed as machinists. As mentioned in the earlier blog, John D. had a ranch when my grandparents and aunt visited them in 1930, but he also served on the bank board.

News Item from 1925 Fairfield Recorder showing J. D. Maupin as Vice-President of the First State Bank in Teague, Texas.
Here are the daughters and granddaughter of John D. and Minnie Maupin Mae Lillian Maupin (Cain), Irene Maupin (Allen), Lolo Maupin (Castleberry)Child is daughter of Lolo Maupin and Buck Castleberry, Bea Castleberry (Ham)
The Teague Chronicle September 7, 1950 (Thursday) J. D. Maupin Rites Held Here Today J. D. Maupin passed away early Wednesday morning in Mexia at the age of 81. Mr. Maupin will be remembered by the people of Teague as one of the old-timers, having moved here when the city was still in its infancy, and has seen Teague in it's good days and its less prosperous. Being of a congenial spirit, he numbered among his friends all who came to know him. He was always ready to contribute his time and efforts to the advancement of the city. Since early in life, he was an active member of the Presbyterian Church. He came to Teague in January of 1909 and was Superintendent of Motive Powers with the T. & B V Railroad, and served in this capacity until his retirement in June 1939, after 30 years of service. He was born in St. Katherin, Mo., January 1, 1869 and at the age of 20, he moved to De Soto, Mo. There he met and married Miss Minnie Campbell and to this union was born four children, namely: Mrs. R. C. Castleberry of Teague, Mrs. Lloyd Allen of Missouri, who survive him. A son Campbell Maupin and a daughter, Mrs. M. M. Cain, preceded him in death. Mrs. Maupin died in 1940. In August, 1945 he married Mrs. Virginia Means and has resided in Mexia since that time. Besides the above named children, he is survived by 8 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. Funeral services were conducted from the Presbyterian Church Thursday afternoon at 3:30, Rev. William Casseday pastor officiating. Interment was made in Greenwood Cemetery. Thanks to a cousin in Texas for sharing this wonderful information.