Born: June 9, 1892; Fairbury, Livingston, Illinois
Died: December 10, 1980; Dearborn, Wayne, Michigan
Father: Christian C. King (1864-1943)
Mother: Mary L. Baechler (1868-1937)
Siblings: Lester (1894-1918); Earl (1897-1987); Edna (1898-unknown); Mildred (Hayes) (1904-1973)
Spouse: Ada A. Adams (1891-1983)
Children: Barbara King (1922-1988)
Education: Fairbury High School c/o 1911
Illinois Wesleyan College c/o 1915
Relationship: Justin Ware (my brother-in-law) paternal great-grandfather
According to the 1900 US Census, Reuben King, who was 7 years old, and his family lived in Yates City, Illinois. His father, Christian, was a farmer.
Summary of the 1900 US Census:
The household consisted of Reuben's father, Christian (36 years old), Reuben's mother, Mary (35 years old), Reuben (7 years old), three of Reuben's siblings, Lester (5 years old), Earl (3 years old), and Edna (1 year old).
There was also two non-family members in the house - Peter Wormsman, a 19 year old hired farmhand, and Eva Krumholz, a 18 year old house servant.
Christian and Mary had been married for 9 years and Mary gave birth to 4 babies and 4 of the babies are still living.
Christian, Mary, and all their children were born in Illinois. However, Christian's father was born in Germany and mother in France. Mary's father and mother were both born in France.
The family lived on the farm but rented and/or the land and the house.
In February of 1903, the King family moved to Fairbury, Illinois from Yates Township - about 100 miles east.
Summary of the 1910 US Census:
The household consisted of Reuben's father, Christian (42 years old), Reuben's mother, Mary (41 years old), Reuben (17 years old), three of Reuben's siblings, Lester (15 years old), Earl (13 years old), and Edna (11 year old), and Mildred (6 years old).
Christian and Mary had been married for 19 years and Mary gave birth to 5 babies and 5 of the babies are still living.
Christian, Mary, and all their children were born in Illinois. However, Christian's father was born in Germany and mother in France. Mary's father and mother were both born in France.
Christian owned his own business ("own income") - however, I couldn't find what that business was.
The King family lived in a house on 5th St in Fairbury - the house was owned without a mortgage.
After graduating high school in 1911, Reuben King moved to Bloomington, Illinois to attend Wesleyan Illinois University. During his time in college, Reuben played on the 1914-1915 State Championship Basketball team and served as class president in 1915 - the very first student class president at Wesleyan.
He graduated with a B.S. in History in 1915. It is at Wesleyan Illinois University where he met his wife, a fellow student, Ada Adams. Ada Adams also graduated in 1915 with a A.B. in English Literature.
After Reuben graduated, he started his career at S.S. Kresge as an assistant manager in Madison, Wisconsin.
I think Reuben moved back to Bloomington in 1917 because according to his WWI registration card, his address was Bloomington as well as the newspaper article from 1917 below stated he lived in Bloomington.
Two months after he submitted his WWI Registration Card, Reuben and Ada engagement was announced in the Bloomington newspaper.
Reuben and Ada were married between August and December 1917 and moved back to Madison.
On August 6, 1918, Reuben's brother, Lester, was killed in action near the Vesle River in France. He was a Private in Company E 58th Infantry 4th Division. His remained weren't retuned to the US until 1921. He is buried in the Fairbury cemetery.
Reuben and Ada King lived in Madison, Wisconsin for a few more years after they were married.
Summary of the 1920 US Census:
The household consisted of Reuben (27 years old), Ada (28 years old), and Ada's mother, May (55 years old).
Reuben, Ada, and May were born in Illinois. However, May's father was born in Illinois and mother in Ohio. (Justin's great, great grandparents)
The family rented an apartment at 201 E. Mifflin St - there were two other apartments in the building. Reuben was an assistant manager at a department store - S.S. Kresge.
A year earlier, in 1919, Ada's father, Ichabod, passed away hence why her mother, May, moved in with them.
In February of 1920, Reuben received a (first of many) promotion to the general office of the S.S. Kresge store in Detroit. According to this newspaper, Reuben moved to Detroit, but it didn't sound like Ada and May followed- but maybe they did.
One year later, in 1921, the King family moved back to where they first met - Bloomington, Illinois. Reuben received a promotion to manage the Bloomington S.S. Kresge store.
During their time back in Bloomington, Reuben King was an active member of the Bloomington Rotary Club and the Young Men's Club.
Additional Newspaper Articles from 1923-1925:
In October of 1925, Reuben accepted another manager position through S.S. Kresge and the family moved to Lexington, Kentucky.
In January of 1928, Rueben accepted another promotion and the family moved to Columbus, Ohio.
1930 US Census:
Summary of the 1930 US Census:
The King family lived at 2202 Arlington Ave in Columbus, Ohio
The household consisted of: Reuben (39 years old), Ada (38 years old), Barbara (7 years old), and Ada's mother, Mary Adams (64 years old).
Reuben and Ada got married when they were both 25 years old.
Reuben and Ada's parents were both born in Illinois.
Mary Adams' parents' were also born in Illinois.
The King family rented the house for $85/mo ($1,700 in 2022).
Reuben worked as a department store manager.
Reuben was not a veteren.
According to a newspaper article from 1932, the King family still lived in Columbus, Ohio. However, by 1935, the family had moved to Mount Clemens, Michigan where Reuben was a manager at the S.S. Kresge store.
The Mt Clemens, Michigan newspaper archives are not digitalized in the 1930's and early 1940's so information about Reuben King in Mt Clemens during that time was not easily found.
1940 US Census:
Summary of the 1940 US Census:
The King family lived at 18 Lodewyck in Mount Clemens, Michigan
The household consisted of: Reuben (47 years old), Ada (48 years old), Barbara (17 years old), and Ada's mother, Mary Adams (74 years old).
Reuben and Ada highest received education was 5 years of college.
Mary Adams' highest received education was 8th grade.
Barbara was currently a senior in high school (4th year of high school).
Reuben, Ada, Mary, and Barbara were all born in Illinois.
The King family rented the house for $35/mo ($700 in 2022).
Reuben worked as a department store manager at S.S. Kresge Store
According to Reuben King's WWII Registration Card (above), Reuben and Ada lived at 410 Claremont St in Dearborn, Michigan. Reuben was 50 years old and still worked at S.S. Kresge. According to property tax records, the house at 410 Claremont was built in 1941, so it was new construction when Reuben and Ada moved in.
Sometime between 1940 and 1944, Reuben and Ada moved moved to Dearborn - probably along with their daughter, Barbara and her husband Ralph Ware. However, in February 1944, Reuben and Ada moved to Newport, Kentucky.
After 20 years in Kentucky, Reuben and Ada moved for their last time in 1965 - back to Dearborn, Michigan to be close to their daughter, Barbara. This move back to Michigan was the 8th move for Reuben and Ada since 1917.
Reuben Baines King passed away on December 10, 1980 in Dearborn, Michigan. His wife, Ada, passed away in 1983 also in Dearborn, Michigan.
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