The
most recent Stocks in my family line is my great-grandmother, Sophronia Blanche
Stocks. Known to her family as “Fronia”
or “Fronie”, she was born in Indiana, travelled to Kansas as a young girl, then
to Oklahoma as a young bride. She died
in Los Angeles, California, 9 years to the day before I was born.
I’ve “adopted” her name - Fronia - for use, these
many years that I’ve studied the family history. Here is what I know about her, the first
installment of the Stocks Family Saga.
Fronia was one of eight children of George Samuel Stocks and Harriett Ann Davis. Eben was born March 1873, Fronia in December 1875, Myrtle in December 1877, Leo (a girl) born in October 1880, Frank in April 1883, Lela in July 1885, Arthur in March 1890, and John in March 1892. Only Eben and Fronia were born in Wolcott, White Co, Indiana, where parents Harriett and George married in 1873.
Fronia was one of eight children of George Samuel Stocks and Harriett Ann Davis. Eben was born March 1873, Fronia in December 1875, Myrtle in December 1877, Leo (a girl) born in October 1880, Frank in April 1883, Lela in July 1885, Arthur in March 1890, and John in March 1892. Only Eben and Fronia were born in Wolcott, White Co, Indiana, where parents Harriett and George married in 1873.
Between
December 1875 and December 1877, George and Harriett and their first two
children travelled to Kansas, to Butler County and the town of Douglass.
1880 Kansas, Butler Co, Douglass Twp, 3 June31/33 Stalks, George S, 30, farmer, b Virginia Virginia Virginia / Harriett M, 25, wife, keeping house, b Indiana Ohio Virginia // Eben A, 7, son, b Indiana Virginia Indiana; Sophronia B, 4, dau, b Indiana Virginia Indiana; Myrtle, 2, dau, b Kansas Virginia Indiana
The
other six of George and Harriett’s children were born in Butler County,
Kansas.
I
know very little about Fronia’s childhood.
The only story that is told through the family is about her crippled
foot.
from Stacy George Turner, January 1998:Stacy says that his grandmother Fronia was crippled in one foot. The story is that she injured it as a child and it never healed properly.from Pam Wagner Dewitt, Sept 2013Re Fronie's crippled foot: . . . Nanny [Fronia’s daughter Hazel] told me that Fronie had jumped off of the porch as a child; ended up with a nail embedded in her foot. According to her, the foot became infected and never healed correctly. In fact, I just remembered that she also told me that Fronie always kept that foot wrapped. Might she have had tetanus or just severe muscle damage from the infection?
One
of these days I’ll go back through the newspaper microfilm at the wonderful
Douglass Museum and see what bits and pieces of news I can find from early
Douglass history. In the meantime,
Fronia married Albert Franklin Simmons.
State of Kansas: Butler Co, Clerk of the Dist Court, Marr Lic Rec Book E; 1890-1895; p 351 [copied March 22, 1990, LC]License issued: December 19, 1893 to Albert Simmons of Butler Co, Kansas, aged 25 and Miss Fronia B Stocks of Butler Co, Kansas, aged 18.I, a minister of the gospel of the town of Douglass, do hereby certify that in accordance with the authorization of the within license, I did, on the 21st day of December 1893, at the bride's father's, in said county, join and unite in marriage the within named Albert Simmons and Miss Fronia B Stocks. W B Prewitt
The
license was issued and the marriage performed just days after Fronia’s 18th
birthday. I have no idea how long they
had known each other, how they met (considering the difference in ages) or what
their parents thought of their marriage.
Fronia was the first of her parents’ children to marry.
Fronia wasn’t quite 19 years old when her first child was born - my grandfather, Earl Albert Simmons.
Fronia wasn’t quite 19 years old when her first child was born - my grandfather, Earl Albert Simmons.
1895 Kansas State Census, Butler Co, Douglass Twp, 1 March18/18 Simmons, Albert, 25, b Iowa, to Kansas from Iowa, farmer / Sophronia, 19, b Indiana, to Kansas from Indiana, wife // Earl, 4 [months], b Kansas
Albert
“Al” and Fronia had five more children, four of whom were born in Butler Co,
Kansas
1900 Kansas, Butler Co, Augusta Twp, Augusta, 6 June162/170 Simmons, Albert, head, 31, b Apr 1869, marr 6 yrs, stone quarry laborer, b Iowa Indiana Ohio / Saphronia, 24, b Dec 1875, marr 6 yrs, 3ch 3 liv, b Indiana Virginia Indiana // Earl, son, 5, b Nov 1894, b Kansas Iowa Indiana; Edith, dau, 4, b Mar 1896, b Kansas Iowa Indiana; George, son, 1, b July 1898, b Kansas Iowa Indiana

[letter from Albert to Fronia; in
possession of Pam DeWitt; in poor condition]
Dear
Fronia,


to
Fronia
Albert and Fronia did move to Oklahoma by 27 November 1906
when Albert bought lots 25 and 26 in Block 58 in the town of Clinton. Albert was said to be a carpenter, among
other things, and built the house himself.
This
is the house where they lived in Clinton, on Second Street. When I first worked on the Simmons family
history, I made a trip to Arapaho and to Clinton. The house was still standing at that time,
but I failed to photograph it. The next
time I went, the year cousin Pam and husband Rich came to Oklahoma, the house
had been torn down. As of January 2013
it was still an empty lot.
I
think this photo of the house, with it’s fancy painted porch rails, must be
about 1910 or so. I believe that Bun is
the child in coveralls on the bottom step [see below], with Alberta the girl
next to him. Fronia is to one side of
the family, and from the look of her clothing, I think she may be expecting
daughter Hazel, who was born in January 1911.
Albert bought the lots in 1906, but the land records show no further activity
until November of 1909, when there’s a mortgage with Midland Savings and Loan
Co. That’s all speculation, but then
that’s what interpreting photos and records is all about.

Pam sent this photo of Hazel, Edith, and Alberta, daughters of Fronia and Albert, standing in front of the house in Clinton, probably taken in the mid 1970s. Edith died in 1979 at age 83, and she doesn’t look that old here. That’s purely a guess as to the date.
1910 Oklahoma, Custer Co, Clinton Twp, Clinton, Second Street, 19 May475/490 Simmons, Albert F, head, 41, marr 1, m 16 yrs, owner mtg, laborer - farmer, b Iowa Ohio Ohio / Sophronia, wife, 35, marr 1, m 16 yrs, 5 ch 5 liv, b Indiana Virginia Indiana // Earl, son, agent - real estate co, 15, school, b Kansas Iowa Indiana; Edith B, dau, 13, school, b Kansas Iowa Indiana; George R, son, 11, school, b Kansas Iowa Indiana; Frank J, son, 9, school, b Kansas Iowa Indiana; Alberta M, dau, 6, school, b Kansas Iowa Indiana// Davis, Bun, cousin, 4, b Kansas Indiana Michigan
You
can see that there is an extra child on this 1910 census - Bun Davis. Fronia’s uncle, Reed Davis, was married to
Emolyn True. Emolyn died during
childbirth in 1905, when her son John Bunyon Davis was born. Fronia and Albert took in the baby and raised
him until he was five and returned to his father.
from Florence Wass to Pam DeWitt, 2001I found this note: Mildred and our nephew Boyd, and wife June visited Doris Thompson, who was the child of Reuben Reed Davis. This was in 1971. She said "my cousin was Fronie (Stocks) Simmons, one of the best cousins anyone ever had. When she heard mama had died, she came and took the three-day old baby, John Bunyon Davis and kept him five years, then . . . dad went and got him and brought him home to Granfield. OK." [Boyd is Boyd Alexander, son of Georgena Stocks Alexander, and Mildred is Mildred Stocks, Eben’s daughters.]
Fronia
and Albert’s last child, Hazel, was born in Clinton, Custer Co, Oklahoma, in
1911.
There
is a gap of 4 years between Frank and Alberta, then a gap of 7 years between
Alberta and Hazel. The earlier children
were born 2 years apart, so both gaps are curious. On the monument in Arapaho Cemetery, the one
with Albert and Fronia on it, there is a third name about which that I have
been unable to find information. I
wonder if it is a child of theirs who died and fills the earlier gap. Bun Davis coming into the household in 1905
may have taken the place of a child of their own between Alberta and Hazel.
These
recollections of Fronia are from her daughters Alberta and Hazel.
Alberta Simmons remembered that when her mother made biscuits, the large, odd-sized biscuit which she made from the last of the dough and then placed in the center of the pan was always "Papa's biscuit", as told to Pam Wagner Dewitt.from Hazel: "I was told how every Sat nite the Indians would come into town and get high on "firewater". One young buck used to tease Mama by riding up to our back door and whooping. She would, unafraid, gather her broom up and chase him away. All 105 lbs of her, much to his delight and her protecting her brood. She really thought he was wild and on the warpath."from Hazel: "Mama bought a piano and Edith took lessons and became quite a Pianist, later playing at the theatre during silent pictures - quite an honor. Alberta took elocution lessons and because of her dark Hair and expressive eyes . . . Quite an Entertainer. George had voice lessons."

In February of 1914, Albert died. He was only 44 years old; Fronia was 38, with 6 children at home - from ages 19 to 3 years old.
Two newspaper articles appeared in November 1915. One was in the Clinton newspaper as a column; the other, with a byline of Clinton, Oklahoma, was printed in the Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City newspaper with a photograph of the Davis siblings.
The Clinton News, Custer Co, Oklahoma, November 11, 1915"The Davis Family enjoys delightful reunion"One of the most pleasurable affairs that has been enjoyed in Clinton for many days was the family reunion of the Davis family in this city last Sunday, November 7. City park was chosen for the event, and although the members of one family were present the company was sufficiently large to suggest a Sunday school celebration or some other similar gathering, there are 58 members of the families of the Davis Bros, and sisters, who are Mrs Mary Pearce of Yale, Washington; Mrs Harriet Stocks of Clinton; Mr R R Davis, of Grandfield, Oklahoma; Mrs Cynthia Pitts of LaFayette, Ind; Mrs Josephine Erickson of Latham, Kansas; Prof John Davis, of Edmond, Okla; Mr J A Davis of McPherson, Kans.This is the first time in 36 years since this happy family all met together, these seven brothers and sisters being children of Mr and Mrs J W Davis, now deceased, all of whom were born in Indiana. While there were 58 descendants of this worthy couple present on this occasion, only about half of the total number were represented as there are 102, all told, living.Following is a list of those present: Mr and Mrs George Stocks and children; Mr and Mrs Eben Stocks and their children. Guy, Georgena, Grace, Mildred, Sadie, Florence James; Mrs F Stocks Simmons and children Earl, Edith, George, Frank, Alberta, Hazel; Mr and Mrs Bert Stocks Allspaugh and children, May, Pearl, Wilbur, Virgil, Alice, Lewis; Mr and Mrs Jim Owens and children, Lawrence, Francis, Charles, John, Nancy, Myrtle, Elizabeth, Ruth; Mr and Mrs Frank Stocks and children, Earnest, Hugh, Harriet, Frank Jr; Mr and Mrs Carl Goss and children, Harry, Austin, Thelma, Gerrald; Mr and Mrs Arthur Stocks and son. Geo Jr, and John Stocks.
The family managed to get by for a while - the children worked
to help. A family story says Fronia
attempted to run a boarding house at home.
There was a mortgage on the house and eventually foreclosure.
According to Hazel's recollections, they moved about 1917-18
to a two-story house on Hudson St in Oklahoma City: "lived on Hudson street in
a house with an upstairs!”
If they truly had lived in Oklahoma City, they must have moved
back to Clinton for Fronia to care for her parents.
Fronia’s father, George, had a stroke about two years before
his death in May of 1921. Harriett had a
stroke about a year before her death in November 1924.
Daughter Hazel had this to say:"My lil Mom took care of both of them [her parents] during their last days, both of whom died of apoplexy or strokes and were helpless so long. In those days folks harbored a suspicion that strokes were contagious and so she had no help."1920 Oklahoma, Custer Co, Clinton, 205 Avant St, 20 January246/259 Simmons, F B, head, 44, wd, rent, b Indiana Virginia Indiana // Frank, son, 19, clerk - express office, b Kansas Iowa Indiana; Alberta, dau, 16, b Kansas Iowa Indiana; Hazel, 9, school, b Oklahoma Iowa Indiana
Edith had married in 1915, a year and a half after the death
of Albert.
I have been unable to locate George on the 1920 census, but
have a photograph that puts him in the Oklahoma National Guard about that
time. He also worked for the Rock Island
Railroad and may have been elsewhere at the time of the census. Nevertheless, he was no longer living at
home.
Earl worked for the Rock Island, too, and married in September
of 1920. I have been unable to locate
him on the 1920 census and believe he was off somewhere with the railroad.
After the 1920 census, it’s hard to find Fronia. Recollections from Hazel say that they lived
in Wichita, Kansas, Oklahoma City and Clinton, Oklahoma - with no specific
dates provided. I have not yet located
Fronia, daughter Hazel, and granddaughter Pat, in the 1930 census.
Then in 1939, on September 20, Fronia died. The death certificate says:
State of California, Los Angeles CountySaphronia Simmons, died at 9:30 am, Sept 20, 1939, age 6_ [3 and 4 typed over each other] years 9 mo 4 days, at 5818 Clara Street, Huntington Park, Los Angeles County, California, of cerebral hemorrhage due to myocardial degenration. . . . Usual residence 5818 Clara St, Huntington Park, Los Angeles Co, California. Female, cauc, widowed: Albert F Simmons, occupation: housewife. Informant: F J Simmons, 6737 Perry Road, Bell Gardens, California. Burial: removal to Arapaho, Oklahoma 9/21/1939. Funeral Director, J G Allen, 6435 S Eastern Ave, Bell
This was the obituary printed in the Clinton newspaper:
Clinton Daily News, Clinton, Custer Co, Oklahoma, 24 September 1939Rites Sunday for Mrs S SimmonsFormer City Resident Dies in Los AngelesFuneral services will be held at 2pm Sunday from the Kern and Schneider funeral home chapel for Mrs Saphronia Simmons, 64, former Clinton resident who died last Wednesday at the home of her son, F J Simmons, in Los Angeles, Calif.Rev E F Gassaway, pastor of the Clinton First Christian church, will officiate. Burial will be made in the Arapaho cemetery with Kern and Schneider directors in charge of arrangements.
Then there is this typed obituary from the funeral home. If it was printed in the newspaper, I haven’t
seen a copy of it.

This copy says she came to Oklahoma in 1901. Maybe that’s the Arapaho connection I note
below, since they didn’t buy property in Clinton until 1906. It also notes that she lived in California
three years.
Her body was returned to Oklahoma and she is buried with
Albert in the Arapaho Cemetery. Why
Arapaho rather than Clinton? I don’t
know. Arapaho is north of Clinton and is
the county seat, but I don’t know what the connection might be that many of the
Stocks family are buried there. Another
mystery to solve.
Sophronia Blanche Stocks
Simmons
1875-1939