[or-roots] James Boyd Reed

[Paulette]

Hi all, 

Maybe it's been a bit quiet out there as everyone was on vacation? I have a dilemma if anyone has some time. PLEASE? I have been researching my husband's great grandfather James Boyd Reed who was born in Mexico, Ohio in 1856 and died in Seattle, Washington in Sept. of 1941 (WA State Digital Archives). He was a railroad engineer for the Northern Pacific Railway. He also worked in Washington D.C. to get federal pensions for railroad workers in the 1930s. There's a monument to him in Auburn, WA.

My husband's mother's mother was JB's daughter Edna May Reed Edwards. She was born April 12, 1886 in Washington as per her CA death certificate that we have a copy of. Her son Dwyer Reed Edwards was the informant. He says Edna's father was James Boyd Reed; he names Edna's mother as "Della Drake." We can't seem to find anything about Della Drake at all. (Wasn't "Della Drake" Perry Mason's secretary on TV?) There is a family rumor that she may have killed herself.

In a 1935 newspaper article from the Lock Haven Express, Lock Haven, Clinton Co., PA where JB was visiting in order to research his ancestors from there, he mentions he has been married twice and has 4 children. The other kids that I can find are all younger than Edna May Reed. Another researcher that I just met online has worked on this family for many years and did not have Della Drake and Edna May Reed in her work. She has two wives listed: Viola V. (Combs) Best and Etta A. We know for sure now that Etta A. was JB's widow at his death in 1941 - I can trace that. This other researcher thinks Etta A. and Della are the same person, at least she has Etta A. Drake as a wife of JB's. So, Edna May Reed was born in 1886 to JB and someone named Drake. JB's and Viola Best kids are all younger than Edna May. In the 1880 census JB is single. In the 1920 census he's with Viola; in the 1930 census he's with Etta. I cannot see how that all fits.

I know there's very little of the 1890 census, but I guess I need to look more closely in the 1900 and 1910 census records to see where James Boyd Reed is and with whom?!

Thanks for any help anyone can provide, 

Paulette

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