Our Lost Clark's - William J Clark b.1838 Ky. - d 1903 Tx.

     Our Lost Clark's blog is setup in hopes of finding the parents & siblings of my ancestor, William J. Clark. From all the U.S Census records, he was born in Kentucky. Year of his birth varies from each of the U.S. Census' from 1836 - 1839.


      I do believe the photo on this page is the headstone of my ancestor. The date of death on the headstone shows October 29, 1905. I believe this is an error on the year of death as the local directories have his wife, Laura Belle Buchanan Clark, listed as widow of Wm. Clark in the directories before 1905. The address of Laura is the address they lived at.


     Here's what I know from Census Records & Directories: 
1870 U.S. Census, dated 1 Aug 1870 - William Clark is living in the home of Ed Bowman, Laura's step-father.   The home was in the Marion Township, Sebastian County, Arkansas. William & Laura were married July 20, 1870 Ft.Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas. Laura is listed as Buchanan on the Census because the Census instruction say that the information collected is to be as of the date of June 1, 1870.


1880 U.S. Census, Wise County, Texas - Had William J. is 41 years old, Laura is 28, children are: Mary age 8, Elizabeth age 5 & George age 3.



1890 - Bosque County, Texas, U.S. Cencus: family including John H. living with other family members.              John was 5 yrs old. Old card #890--407-3 soundex.
              Father and Mother presented John H. with a Family Bible Oct 13th.

1900 U.S.Census, 5 Jun 1900 - Living at 616 Wardville, Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas. William is 63 yrs old and a confectioner. Laura is 48 yrs, Mary is 28, widowed with 3 of 3 living children, Elizabeth is 25 & a dressmaker, George is 23 & a day labor, John is 14.

1910 U.S. Census - Laura is still in Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas on Wardville St.


1920 U.S. Census - Laura is living in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas.


1930 U.S. Census - Laura is living in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas in the home of Dollie Elizabeth Hoffman.


1937 - Laura died July 2 in Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas. Buried July 5th in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.


My grandmother had November 5, 1903 as date of death for William, part from information in Cleburne City Directories & part from William's daughter-in-law, Annie Bell Clark.


Neither of us have been able to find record of any of William's family or where he was in 1840, 1850 or 1860.

If any of this information is in your family history, I would love to share information & discover where OUR LOST CLARK's are from..