I was contacted about a branch of the Liston's I knew very little about. There is a method in genealogy called the FAN - Friends, Associates, and neighbors. I thought I would do a little bit of that type of research with this branch.
This researcher was trying to connect Roy Cecil Liston as the son of Mary Margaret "Maggie" Liston. Based on very circumstantial evidence both of us believe he is the only child of Maggie. We have no primary evidence such as birth certificate, marriage certificate or death certificate that might list Maggie as the mother of Roy.
While I can't answer the research question "Who is Ray Cecil Liston's mother." I believe I can answer the question, "Did my Great Grandparents both Hoyt's and Liston's know Ray Liston and Maggie Liston? "I will also explain why I think there was some estrangement between the Liston's based on an event I have already researched.
Let me introduce to you some of this Liston branch of my tree. The head of this mini branch is Jacob H Liston and his wife Rachel Fulton. Jacob was born in Pennsylvania and Rachel Fulton was born in Ohio. Jacob Liston is a Civil War veteran for the Union. He was wounded in the left shoulder. Rachel and Jacob were married in 1865. Jacob and Rachel had their oldest daughter, Maggie" in Illinois. Eventually they moved to Iowa. They lived mostly in Cass County, Iowa. We know this from census records. Jacob and Rachel had 5 children:
Mary Margaret "Maggie" Liston 1865-1931 (unmarried)
Benjamin F Liston 1871 -1960 (Rose W Liston)
Samatha J Liston Purdy 1874-1910 (John F Purdy)
Evelyn L Liston Spies 1879-1964 (Louis Peter Spies Jr)
Jacob Harrison "Harry" Liston 1881-1962 (Margaret Moat)
In 1895 Iowa Census there were 123 Liston's or variation of Liston's listed in this census. In 1895 Jacob Liston passed away. He was the father of Maggie. Roy Cecil Liston shows up in the Census often with Rachel and Maggie Liston. In 1910 they show up in the census with my Great Uncle Charles Liston they are living in the same household. Charles Liston had lost his wife in 1909, and they had 3 young children. Most likely they were there to assist him in running his farm and household. Rachel and Maggie Liston show up in this 1910 census as housekeepers and Roy as a hired man for Charles Liston. 1910 is also the year that Samatha, daughter, of Rachel died from Scarlett fever along with her young daughter and unborn child.
In 1917 Maggie's brother, Harry Liston, and my great grandparents, Reason Hoyt and Joseph Liston, are basically living in the same neighborhood. Those circled on this map Union 1917 Farmers Map are related to me. The star is Jacob "Harry" Liston's property.
Rachel dies in Yuma, Colorado in 1929 and the body is shipped back and buried in Newlon Groves Cemetary in Cumberland Iowa. Both Ray and Maggie are mentioned as accompanying the body. Maggie dies in Yuma, Colorado at her brother's house, Harry, and the body is sent to Cumberland.
Some things that stood out to me are, Rachel and Jacob and all some of their children are buried in Newlon Grove Cemetary in Cumberland, Cass County, Iowa but Roy Cecil Liston is not. This is significant because both Maggie and mother both died in Colorado but were buried in Newlon Grove Cemetary.
Secondly, I recognized a surname that is not a relative but related to an incident that occurred in 1900. My relative Reason T Hoyt was involved in Hattie Spies' death in 1900. Hattie's brother is Louis Peter Spies Jr. who married Maggie's sister Evelyn. Reason Hoyt's son Delbert Devere Hoyt married Marvel Liston. Marvel and Delbert are my grandparents. This is a possible cause of the estrangement.
My next part will be Roy Cecil Liston's story or what I know of his story.
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