52 Ancestors: #14 ~ Lura Elizabeth Webster - Daughter of a Civil War Veteran

This is part of the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" Challenge begun by Amy Johnson Crow, author of the blog No Story Too Small. 

Lura Elizabeth Webster

This is Lura Elizabeth Webster.  She was one of the sisters of my great-grandfather, Watson (Frederick) Emory Webster, a.k.a. "The Traveling Dentist" here on my blog. Lura is also a direct ancestor of my sweet 3rd cousin Norma. Norma inherited the photo albums of our common direct ancestors, Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster and Cynthia Maria Waterman. I've shared pictures of these photo albums here on my blog. If you'd like to see them, click HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Lura Elizabeth Webster was born on October 4, 1862 in Winnebago, Winnebago, Illinois.  She was the second of six children born to Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster, who was a Civil War veteran, and his wife Cynthia Maria Waterman.

Lura married Paul Anderson Hammett on September 15, 1880 in Marysville, Marshall, Kansas.¹ This is a picture of Paul.

Paul Anderson Hammett

Lura and Paul were the parents of seven children:

1. Mabel Hammett (1881-1881)
2. Claude Elmer Hammett (1882-1885)
3. Edgar Allen Hammett (1884-1982)
4. Olive Dell Hammett (1889-1962)
5. Merlin Joy Hammett (1891-1965)
6. Hazel Marie Hammett (1893-1941)
7. Sidney Raymond Hammett (1900-1974)

Sadly, the two oldest children didn't survive to adulthood. Lura and Paul and their surviving children lived in Kansas for many years. They were living in Elm Creek, Marshall, Kansas in 1900.²

By 1910, Lura and Paul and their children had moved from Kansas to California. They are listed in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census living in Long Beach, California.³

Lura's husband, Paul, passed away on March 14, 1918 in Long Beach, Los Angeles, California at 62 years of age. Lura and Paul had been married for 37 years at the time of his death. It appears that Lura, along with some of her children, then moved back to Kansas after Paul's death.

On February 1, 1919, Lura married James Perry Burket in Marysville, Marshall, Kansas.⁴  James happened to be the widower of Lura's sister, Lillian Dell Webster, who had passed away on August 28, 1914.  James Perry Burket passed away on March 28, 1919, only one month after he and Lura were married.

Lura was listed in the 1920 U.S. Federal Census living in Manhattan, Riley, Kansas.⁵ She moved back to California sometime after the 1920 census was taken.

On July 8, 1922 Lura married a widower named Jonathan James Serry in Los Angeles, California.⁶  I found them in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census living in Alhambra, Los Angeles, California.⁷ After twelve years of marriage, Jonathan passed away. He died on July 11, 1934 in Los Angeles, California.

Lura married again after the death of her husband, Jonathan Serry. Lura's fourth husband was William D. Colborn. Unfortunately, I don't have William and Lura's marriage date. By the time the 1940 U.S. Federal Census was taken, Lura was listed as a widow.⁸

Lura passed away on January 12, 1946 at 83 years of age in Alhambra, Los Angeles, California. She is buried next to her first husband, Paul Hammett, at the Marysville Cemetery in Marysville, Marshall County, Kansas.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

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1 Marriage Record for Lura and Paul ^↩
2 "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12118-39871-26?cc=1325221 : accessed 07 Apr 2014), Kansas > Marshall > ED 60 Elm Creek & Walnut Townships > image 12 of 27; citing NARA microfilm publication T623. Line 51.↩
3 "United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-149601-19?cc=1727033 : accessed 06 Apr 2014), California > Los Angeles > Long Beach Ward 1 > 0037 > image 39 of 58; citing NARA microfilm publication T624. Line 5.^↩
4 Marriage Record for Lura and James ^↩
5 "United States Census, 1920," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12869-8389-52?cc=1488411 : accessed 06 Apr 2014), Kansas > Riley > Manhattan Ward 3 > 0127 > image 5 of 52; citing NARA microfilm publication T625. Line 43.^↩
6 Marriage Record for Lura and Jonathan. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K8NM-XPW : accessed 08 May 2013), John J Serry and Lura E Burket, 1922.^↩
7 "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-159393-347881-80?cc=1810731 : accessed 06 Apr 2014), California > Los Angeles > Alhambra > 1399 > image 3 of 23; citing NARA microfilm publication T626. Line 41.^↩
8 "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-27794-6530-92?cc=2000219 : accessed 06 Apr 2014), California > Los Angeles > San Gabriel Judicial Township, Alhambra, Tract 476 > 19-664 San Gabriel Judicial Township, Alhambra City (Tract 476 - part) bounded by (N) Alhambra Rd; (E) Hidalgo Av; (S) Main; (W) Garfield Av > image 12 of 36; citing NARA digital publication of T627. Line 71.^↩