Who We Were, Are & Will Be Our Family: Surpluss

Showing posts with label Surpluss. Show all posts

03 March 2026

Death Announcement for Thelma Gibson

Merced Sun-Star (Merced, CA), 29 Oct 1991, the death announcement for my maternal grandmother, mentioning my mother had already passed.

08 July 2021

Traumatic Experience for Josie (Surpluss) Armor at Death of Daughter (1920)

From The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kansas), December 12, 1920, Sunday, Page 5 --

Stricken While Caring for Her Dying Child, Woman Near Death
Mrs. William Armour Suffers Stroke While Administering Anti-Toxin;

Does Not Know of Death

Having suffered a paralytic stroke a week ago as she was assisting in administering anti-toxin to her dying child, Mrs. William Armour, 1218 S. Main street, is in a dangerous condition from which her recovery is not expected.
Her daughter, Sadie Ellen Armour, 17 years old, died at 2:45 o'clock Saturday morning, after an illness of two weeks of diphtheria. Over exertion from constant attendance at her daughter's bedside diminished Mrs. Armour's strength and the stroke followed.
During the girl's illness Mrs. Armour was taken to her room in a wheel chair. Because of the serious ness of her illness, Mrs. Armour hasn't been told of Sadie's death.
Sadie's parents are said to be separated, the father residing outside the state. She was born at Rosalia Kans., January 1, 1903, and came to Wichita in 1916 from El Dorado. Besides her mother and father she is survived by a sister, Mrs. Mabel Owings, Woodward, Okla., and three brothers. J. W. Armour, 1915 Gold street; Frank Armour, 303 West Dewey street, and Everett Armour 1218 South Main street.
The body will be taken to Rosalia at 9:40 o'clock Monday morning for funeral services and burial. Wichita Undertaking company has charge.

Anna Josephine "Josie" Armor (nee. Surpluss, 1866-1958) was my great-grandaunt on my mother's maternal side. Her daughter Sarah "Sadie" Armor was my 1st Cousin, 2x Removed.

03 July 2021

Divorce of Josie (Surpluss) Armor from William Armor (1910)

El Dorado Daily Republican (El Dorado, Kansas), June 10, 1910, Friday, Page 4 --

Mrs. Josie Armor of Rosalia, has filed suit for divorce from William Armor, alleging cruelty.

El Dorado Republican (El Dorado, Kansas), November 11, 1910, Friday, Page 2 --

Josie Armor is granted divorce from William Armor and given custody of two minor daughters.

Anna Josephine Armor (nee. Surpluss, 1866-1958) was my great-grandaunt on my mom's maternal side. The two "minor daughters" are Tillie Jane (1899-1968) and Sarah Ellen (1903-1920). The marriage also produced four other siblings who had grown and moved out.

28 June 2021

"Card of Thanks" RE: Death of Margaret Ann Decker (nee. MacLean, 1840-1913)

From the Pleasanton Observer-Enterprise (Pleasanton, Kansas), February 13, 1913, Thursday, Page 2 --

Card of Thanks.
We thank the friends and neighbors who was ever so kind in helping to care for our wife, sister and aunt.
L. W. Decker.
Sarah Surplus.
Lucy McClure.
Josie Armor.

Margaret Decker was my 2xg-aunt on my mother's maternal side. "L.W." was her husband Lawrence; Sarah Surpluss (1843-1913) was Margaret's sister, and my 2xg-grandmother; Lucy McClure (1851-1920) of Oklahoma was another sister; and Josie Armor (1866-1958) was Margaret's niece, Sarah's daughter, and my great-aunt.

Less than one year later Margaret's husband Lawrence will be murdered. More about that soon.

26 June 2021

Future Families Mixing (1900)

From The Walnut Valley Times (El Dorado, Kansas), February 27, 1900, Tuesday, Page 4 --

A pleasant surprise was given by the members of the Walnut Valley Sunday School on Mrs. James Knox at the home of her brothers In Rosalia township Monday evening, February 19. Alex Surplus in behalf of the Sunday school presented Mrs. Knox with a lovely parlor table. The evening was pleasantly spent and refreshments formed a part. The company dispersed at a late hour with a cordial invitation to visit Mr. and Mrs. Knox in their new home on the Purdy farm a mile south of Harmony church. Those present, Mr. and Mrs. J Knox, Mr. and Mrs. George Hall, Mr. Bonnel, Mary Bonnel, Miss McKee, Carrie Young, Elsie Hall, Agnes Long, Arthur Young, Alex Surplus, George Clark, Will and John Long.

Have you ever sat in a crowded and room and just people watch? It is a beautiful thing! We are enlightened beings that puts us above the beasts, but at our base, we are still animals, and every thing we do, we say, we gesture, has a meaning to communicate. And for those of us who enjoy people watching, the above get-together would have been pure, almost choreographed, theater.

Mr. and Mrs. George and Miriam Hall are my 2xg-grandparents. I am assuming "Miss McKee" is Candace McKee, my2xg-grandaunt and Miriam Hall's sister. Elsie Rue Hall is George and Miriam's daughter, she would shortly marry Alex Surpluss, and they would become my g-grandparents. The John Long mentioned would marry Elsie's older sister Jennie.

12 June 2021

Picture of Grace Abigail Hembree (1911-2005)

Grace Abigail Hembree was born July 27, 1911 in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas. She passed on January 21, 2005 in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles County, California. She was the daughter of my great-grandaunt Mary Hembree (nee. Surpluss, 1870-1957), making Grace my 1st cousin 2x removed. The picture is from her Wichita High School yearbook when she was seventeen.

I like to think I am honoring my ancestors and relatives by remembering them, and Grace deserves remembering. She was another one of my ancestral relatives who started doing genealogy, and I was able to build on her work. Thank you Grace.

03 June 2021

Little Miss Mildred Earns a Dollar (From 1920)

From The Wichita Beacon (Wichita, Kansas), December 1, 1920, Wednesday, Page 11 --

Novel Way of Earning One Dollar.
Little Miss Mildred Surpluss, who resides on Rural Route No. 4 at Eldorado, has a way of earning money which not only adds to her store of funds but of knowledge as well. According to a letter from Mildred she says that at the beginning of school her aunt told her that every 100 she got on her report card she would give her a half dollar. As a result Mildred is getting a dollar and a half every six weeks.

Mildred Surpluss (1910-1987) was my grandaunt on my mom's maternal side.

01 June 2021

Tombstone Tuesday: Cpl. Ralph Surplus, Jr. (1930-1994)

Leavenworth National Cemetery
Leavenworth, Leavenworth County, Kansas, USA
Plot: 46, 17, 11

I thought this was a good choice for the day after Memorial Day. Ralph Surpluss, Jr. was my 1st-cousin one-time removed, on my mother's maternal side.

30 May 2021

Ralph Surpluss (1901-1989) Suffers Serious Burns in Work Explosion

From The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kansas), September 19, 1924, Page 7 --

KANSAN MAY DIE FROM BURNS

EL DORADO, KAN., Sept. 18--Ralph Surpluss, an employe(sic) at a local refinery, was seriously burned today when a gasoline explosion occurred at the pumphouse of the refinery. Little hope is entertained for his recovery.

Ralph Surpluss survived his injuries, and in four more years would get married, and have a son whom he named Ralph Surpluss, Jr. A little irony, I guess. Ralph Surpluss was my granduncle on my mother's maternal side.

24 May 2021

Amanuensis Monday: Dueling Obits -- Democrat vs. Republican

From The Butler County Democrat (El Dorado, Kansas) Friday, May 24, 1901, Page 8 --

Died: At his home in Rosalia township, Tuesday morning, May 21, of dropsy and heart trouble, J. N. Surplus, aged .62 years, 2 months and 7 days. He was born March 14, 1839 in Morrow county, Ohio and in early life removed to Illinois. He came to Kansas in 1870 and homesteaded the farm upon which he died. Many are the hardships himself and wife endured in pioneer days. The writer has often beard him tell of having to wade through snow drifts to El Dorado 16 miles and carry home a 50 pound sack of flour and this is but one of many of the harships(sic) he lived through. His wife and four children survive him, his son J, Alex Surplus and daughters Mrs. Wm. Armour and Misses Mary and Lulu Surplus. He was a member of the U. B. church, kind neighbor and good citizen. The funeral occurred Thursday at 2 p. m. from Walnut Valley Chapel, conducted by Rev. W. J. Shull and he was laid to rest in Blankenship cemetery.

From the El Dorado Republican (El Dorado, Kansas), Friday, May 24, 1901, Page 3 --

J. M. Surplus died at 2:30 o'clock Tuesday a m at his home near Rosalia. He has been ill for some time with a complication of heart disease and lung trouble. Mr. Surplus was an old resident of Butler county having come here in 1870 from Illinois. He was born March 14, 1839, in Morrow county, Ohio. His wife and four children, one boy, Alex, and three girls, Mrs. Wm. Armour, Mary and Lulu Surplus, survive him. The funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon at Blankenship chapel by Rev. Schull, of Pontiac. Mr. Surplus was a communicant of the Methodist church and was a man of irreproachable character. He was an affectionate friend to his family in the highest sense of the word, a fact which makes his removal more keenly felt by them.

John Nelson Surpluss (1839-1901) was my 2xg-grandfather on my mother's maternal side.

19 May 2021

Wordless Wednesday: "Picture" of Robert S. Surpluss (1804-1885)

This is my only "picture" of my 3xg-grandfather Robert S. Surpluss. I am without words. The good news is I know which branch of the family last had the original and I am trying to make contact.

18 May 2021

Tombstone(less) Tuesday: Lucy Martha Turner (nee. Surpluss, 1874-1933)

I continue my crusade of showing the graves of ancestors and relatives who have been interred without markers this week with my great-grandaunt Lucy (Surpluss) Turner, at Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, Los Angeles County, California, plot Sunset Lawn, Section 2, Lot 547, Grave 1.

I am not sure how come this bothers me so much. It is quite possible she didn't want a marker. I don't know.

12 May 2021

Wordless (Mostly) Wednesday: Thelma Gibson (nee. Surpluss, 1903-1991)

My maternal grandmother Thelma (Surpluss) Gibson (1903-1991)

11 May 2021

Tombstone Tuesday: Elsie Rue Surpluss (nee. Hall, 1883-1957)

Elsie Rue (Hall) Surpluss

Born January 21, 1883, in Livingston County, Illinois

Died Feb 11, 1957 (aged 74), in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas

Buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas

Elsie was my great-grandmother, on my mother's maternal side.

10 May 2021

Mary Surpluss (1870-1957) Hurt in Fall

From the Walnut Valley Times (El Dorado, Kansas), 26 Feb 1892, Fri, Page 7 --

Miss Mary Surpluss of Rosalia, in jumping form a wagon yesterday, fell, struck her head on the ground and suffered severe bruises.

Mary Abigail (Surpluss) Hembree was my great grand-aunt on my mother's maternal side. She was born August 1, 1870 in Rosalia, Butler, Kansas, and died June 19, 1957 in Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas. She married Charles Franklin Hembree (1861-1945) on May 27, 1907, in Butler County, Kansas.

She survived the fall. ;-)

03 May 2021

Marriage Announcement: James A. Surpluss to Elsie R. Hall, Dec. 28, 1900

From The Butler County Democrat (El Dorado, Kansas), 28 Dec 1900, Friday, Page 5 --

Married: At the home of the Brides parents, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Hall, Mr. J. Alexander Surplus and Miss Elsie R. Hall, all of Rosalia township, Rev. J. F. Johnson of Abbyville, officiating.
The bride was beautifully attired in blue Ladies cloth, trimmed with Taffeta and Applique.
The groom wore the usual black.
Only the immediate friends of the family were present. Those from abroad were: Mr. and Mrs. John Wilson of Danvers, Ills., Mrs. Lucy McClure, Alpha, Ok., Mr. and Mrs. Decker Pleasanton, Miss Martha Amlong, Latham.
The young people are well known in Eastern Butler, and will make their home on the farm on which the groom was born. They were the recipients of many useful and costly presents. The Advocate joins in well wishes.

James Alexander Surpluss (1867-1948) and Elsie Rue (Hall) Surpluss (1883-1957) were my great-grandparents on my maternal side.

21 August 2020

Yearbook Photo of Thelma (Surpluss) Gibson (1903-1991), Age 16

My maternal grandmother. I miss her horribly.

27 June 2020

1878 Map of El Dorado, Butler County, Kansas

(Click to Enlarge.)

This is an 1878 lithographed map of El Dorado, county seat of Butler County, Kansas. In 1878, My gg-grandfather John Nelson Surpluss (1839-1901) and his wife my gg-grandmother Sarah (Maclean) Surpluss (1843-1913), were raising their family of three girls and one boy only thirteen miles away in Rosalia. The boy of course being my g-grandfather James A. Surpluss (1867-1948).

Copyright © 2020 by Kevin W. Walker

15 July 2015

Wordless Wednesday: Elsie Rue Hall in 1884

20 June 2015

Newspaper Gets Cute With Surname "Surpluss"

From The Leavenworth Times (Leavenworth, Kansas), 5 Jun 1907 --

Even though it does sound sort of paradoxical, it was what he regarded as a necessity that Chas. F. Hembree secured at ElDorado when he married Miss Mary Surpluss.