Father: Lewis Russell
Mother: Mary Ann Perkins

Spouse: Elkanah Vickery Leonard - b: 23/Feb/1849 - Guilford Co., NC
 d: 26/Mar/1934 - Dewey Co., OK - bur: Trail Cem.
m: 21/Nov/1876 - Gentry Co., MO

Child-1: Carrie - b: 20/Oct/1877 - Gentry Co., MO
                          d: 11/Dec/1880 - Gentry Co., MO - bur: Cooper Cem.
          2: Effie - b: 11/Apr/1879 - Gentry Co., MO
                        d: 23/Mar/1936 - Dewey Co., OK - bur: Trail Cem.
          3: John - b: 10/Jan/1881 - Gentry Co., MO
                        d: 2/Feb/1975 - Dewey Co., OK - bur: Trail Cem.
                       m: Effie Johnston - 14/Jun/1906 - Woodward, Woodward Co., Okla. Terr.
          4: Elmer - b: 2/Oct/1882 - Gentry Co., MO
                          d: 4/Feb/1925 - bur: Highland Cem., Sedgwick Co., KS
                         m: Myrtle Brooker - 27/Mar/1906
          5: Nellie - b: 3/Feb/1885 - Gentry Co., MO
                          d: 26/Feb/1925 - Dewey Co., OK - bur: Trail Cem.
                         m: Wallace Archie Allen - 6/Oct/1906 - Trail Twp., Dewey Co., Okla. Terr.
          6: Mabel - b: Oct/1887 - Gentry Co., MO
                           d: 16/Apr/1970 - Council Bluffs, Pottawattomie Co., IA
                          m: Martin Leander Wilson - 14/Jan/1907 - Trail Twp., Dewey Co., Okla. Terr.
          7: Ralph - b: 16/Mar/1892 - Gentry Co., MO
                          d: 15/Jul/1968 - Fort Gibson, Muskogee Co., OK

Biographical Details:

The oldest child of Lewis and Mary Ann Perkins Russell was a daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, who was almost certainly born in Gentry County, Missouri, in April of 1851.  In addition, it is known that during her childhood and youth, her father, Lewis, moved with his wife and children into and out of the State of Missouri apparently more than once, but, nevertheless, in or shortly before 1870 the family returned to Gentry County to stay.  Accordingly, Sarah Elizabeth Russell married E. V. Leonard on November 21, 1876, again, almost certainly in Gentry County.  His first name was "Elkanah" and his middle name was indicated as "Victory" in an original manuscript family register; however, this is probably incorrect and it is more likely that his name was actually "Vickery", which can be reliably identified with his mother's maiden name.  (Even so, his name appears as "Victor E." in at least one subsequent census record.)  E. V. and Sarah Leonard were charter members of the Island City Christian Church.  Even so, the population schedule of the 1880 US Census for Mower County, Minnesota, clearly indicates that the family of Elkanah Leonard along with his unmarried brother, David, were then living in or near the small town of Frankford.  This early settlement no longer exists, but was located about three miles northwest of the present town of Spring Valley, Minnesota, and one half mile west of the Mower-Fillmore County boundary.  It is not known why the Leonard family would have moved to this locality; however, census records imply that this must have happened between the birth of their second daughter, Effie, in April of 1879, and the time that the population was enumerated in June of 1880.  Although merely speculation, it would seem likely that as with many other pioneer families, they were in search of economic opportunity.  In any case, the family cannot have remained in Minnesota for any significant length of time, since, the 1880 and subsequent census population schedules clearly indicate that all of their children were born in Missouri, presumably Gentry County.  In addition, their oldest daughter, Carrie, died in December of 1880 and was buried in Cooper Cemetery.  Therefore, it is reasonable to presume that E. V. and Sarah Leonard and their two oldest daughters moved to Mower County either in the fall of 1879 or the spring of 1880, but returned to Gentry County no later that the following autumn.  Apparently, they then remained in Gentry County for the next twenty years.  Indeed a plat map of Gentry County published in 1896 indicates that E. V. Leonard owned a farm of eighty acres two or three miles southeast of the village of Island City.¹  Moreover, this parcel adjoined land originally owned by Sarah's father, Lewis Russell.  Concomitantly, according to the 1900 US Census for Gentry County, the E. V. Leonard family was then resident in northern Jackson Township.  All of this is further supported by the text of a letter written in 1900 by Rebecca Russell Hamm, an aunt of Sarah Russell Leonard, to her neice, Effie Clark.

 Nevertheless, by 1910 the Leonard family had migrated to Trail Township in Dewey County, Oklahoma.  Indeed, a land patent was issued to Elkanah V. Leonard on January 30, 1908 under the authority of the Homestead Act of 1862, for one hundred and sixty acres in Dewey County.²  Chronologically, this implies that the Leonard family settled in Dewey County in 1900 or shortly thereafter since they would have had to reside on the patented parcel for at least five years to be able to "prove up".  Concomitantly, their oldest son, John, evidently "homesteaded" on an adjacent parcel.³  Geographically, these parcels are located about two miles southwest of the small town of Camargo, Oklahoma, just south of the Canadian River and consist of a combination of flat plain suitable for crops and hilly, heavily eroded range land.  In addition, according to census records at least three of Sarah's younger brothers, Edward, Lewis Napoleon, and Charles Russell, were living in Dewey County in 1900.  This is further supported by oral family tradiition which asserts that in early October of the year that John Leonard was nineteen years of age, i.e., 1900, E. V. and Sarah Leonard together with their children (except, perhaps, their youngest son, Ralph, who may have come later) left King City, Missouri, by train on the Santa Fe Railroad, bound for Woodward in the Oklahoma Territory.  Moreover according to this account they brought with them a cow, nine horses, various farm implements (which included a walking plow, two walking cultivators, a harrow, and a planter), two wagons, a buggy, and a heating stove (which burned coal or wood and which they had purchased in King City).  Concomitantly, the boys, viz., John and Elmer, reportedly rode with the freight, presumably, to calm and care for the livestock and also, perhaps, to prevent theft, although the rest of the family evidently rode with the regular passengers.  Subsequently, E. V. and Sarah Leonard as well as several of their children remained resident in Dewey County for the rest of their lives and; hence, appear in population schedules of 1910, 1920, and 1930.  Sarah Elizabeth Russell Leonard died on December 11, 1914, and was buried in the Trail Cemetery.  Her husband survived until 1934 and was buried with her.

1. W. P. Bullock, Gentry County 1896, Press of L. Hardman, St. Joseph, MO, 1896.
     E. V. Leonard: Twp. 62 N; Rng. 32 W; Sec. 31; E½ of SW¼ - 80 acres.
back to bio.

2. The United States of America,   Homestead Certificate No. 9682  Application 19262} To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:
     WHEREAS, There has been deposited in the GENERAL LAND OFFICE of the United States a Certificate of the Register of the Land Office at Guthrie, Oklahoma, whereby it appears that, pursuant to the Act of Congress approved 20th May 1862, "To secure Homesteads to Actual Settlers on the Public Domain," and the acts supplemental thereto, the claim of
     ELKANAH V. LEONARD                has been established and duly consummated, in conformity to law, for the east half of the southeast quarter, the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section thirty-four in Township eighteen north of Range twenty west of the Indian Meridian, Oklahoma, containing one hundred and sixty acres,
     according to the Official Plat of the Survey of the said Land returned to the GENERAL LAND OFFICE by the Surveyor General:
     NOW KNOW YE, That there is, therefore, granted by the UNITED STATES unto the said Elkanah V. Leonard the tract of Land above described; TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said tract of Land, with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said Elkanah V. Leonard and to his heirs and assigns forever.
     IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, have caused these letters to be made Patent, and the seal of the General Land Office to be hereunto affixed.  GIVEN under my hand, at the City of Washington, the thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eight, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and thirty-second.   By the President: Theodore Roosevelt   By M. W. Young, Secretary.  H. W. Sanford, Recorder of the General Land Office.  (US Homestead Certificate No. 9682; OK Misc., Vol. 722, pg. 78, Bureau of Land Management, Washington, DC, issued 30 Jan 1908.  (BLM GLO Records, http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/default.aspx, 2016.))
back to bio.

3. The United States of America,   Homestead Certificate No. 10027  Application 22857} To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:
     WHEREAS, There has been deposited in the GENERAL LAND OFFICE of the United States a Certificate of the Register of the Land Office at Guthrie, Oklahoma, whereby it appears that, pursuant to the Act of Congress approved 20th May 1862, "To secure Homesteads to Actual Settlers on the Public Domain," and the acts supplemental thereto, the claim of
     JOHN LEONARD                has been established and duly consummated, in conformity to law, for the Lots one and two of Section thirty-four and the Lot five of Section thirty-five in Township eighteen north of Range twenty west of the Indian Meridian, Oklahoma, containing one hundred two acres,
     according to the Official Plat of the Survey of the said Land returned to the GENERAL LAND OFFICE by the Surveyor General:
     NOW KNOW YE, That there is, therefore, granted by the UNITED STATES unto the said John Leonard the tract of Land above described; TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said tract of Land, with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said John Leonard and to his heirs and assigns forever.
     IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, have caused these letters to be made Patent, and the seal of the General Land Office to be hereunto affixed.  GIVEN under my hand, at the City of Washington, the third day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eight, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and thirty-second.   By the President: Theodore Roosevelt   By M. W. Young, Secretary.  H. W. Sanford, Recorder of the General Land Office.  (US Homestead Certificate No. 10027; OK Misc., Vol. 723, pg. 348, Bureau of Land Management, Washington, DC, issued 3 Feb 1908.  (BLM GLO Records, http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/default.aspx, 2016.))
back to bio.

Additional Citations:

4. 1880 US Census Population Schedule for Mower County, Minnesota, National Archives, Washington DC:  pgs. 444B-445A, (microfilm: roll T9_626; imgs. 618-9).

5. 1900 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 268A, (microfilm: roll T623_855; img. 543).

6. 1910 US Census Population Schedule for Dewey County, Oklahoma, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 277B, (microfilm: roll T624_1250; img. 1107).

7. 1920 US Census Population Schedule for Dewey County, Oklahoma, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 63A, (microfilm: roll T625_1462; img. 699).

8. 1930 US Census Population Schedule for Dewey County, Oklahoma, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 267A, (microfilm: roll T626_1898; img. 1095).

9. List of Charter Members - Island City Christian Church, Centennial Homecoming Booklet - June 11, 1978, Stanberry, MO, unpublished.

10. Russell-Perkins Family Record, unpublished MSS.

11. Anonymous,"Trail Cemetery", unpublished. (Dewey County OKGenWeb Archives, 2002.)

12. Trail Cemetery, Dewey County, Oklahoma (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=99668&CScn=Trail&CScntry=4&CSst=38&CScnty=2149&, continuously updated).

--------------------------------------

13. Marriage Records, Woodward County, Woodward, OK:  Bk. 3, pg. 438.

14. Marriage Records, Dewey County, Taloga, OK:  Bk. 3, pgs. 58 & 104.

15. Don Raymond,"Cooper Cemetery", unpublished. (Gentry County MOGenWeb Archives, 2002.);  Terris C. Howard,"Cooper Cemetery", unpublished. (Gentry County MOGenWeb Archives, 2002.)

16. World War I Draft Registration Cards, National Personnel Records Center, National Archives-Southeast Region, Morrow, GA, (microfilm: roll KS-1643428; img. 2628, roll MO-1683214; img. 5179, & roll OK-1851774; img. 2028).

17. Highland Cemetery, Sedgwick County, Kansas (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=92689&CScn=Highland&CScntry=4&CSst=18&CScnty=970&, continuously updated).

18. Shirley Campbell Ramos and Patricia Campbell Kratz, Descendants of Phillip and Rebecca Russell, Gregath Publishing Company, P. O. B. 505, Wyandotte, OK, 74370, 1997: pg. 199.

19. Death Master File, Social Security Administration, Washington, DC, continuously updated.

Return to Index