To our knowledge he was the seventh child born to this couple. On the 1870 census of Ste Genevieve County, Missouri, we find William with his parents at age 3 years old. Surprisingly, William does not appear with his parents on the 1880 census. He would have been 13 at that time.
William C Pyeatt married first Cenith Hunter on September 24, 1890, in Emminence, Shannon County, Missouri, at Jones and Millmans Mill by J C Pickett, JP. Cenith was over 18 years old at the time of the marriage. For some reason, the index to Shannon County, Missouri, marriages gave William C Pyeatt and Ida Dinnin being married in 1890. This was evidentally a mistake, as the license states "Cenith Hunter".
Cenith Catharine Jarrett was born in January of 1864 and married first an Indian named Bill Hunter. Cenith had two daughter with Bill and he is said to have left her for her inability to provide him with a son. I do not believe that William and Cenith had any children of their own.
The following entry from the 1900 census of King Township, Gregan County, Missouri, appears to be William and his first wife with one of her children from her previous marriage:
Elizabeth Jane 'Lizzie' Hunter is the grandmother of Carolyn Green (Pudge450@aol.com).
William and Cenith divorced and William was married second in Oklahoma in 1909 to Iza E Snelson who was born in December 1890 (or 1889) in Shannon County, Missouri (some say Arkansas). William died at age 63 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, December 11, 1929, after he stepped in front of a car on Owasso Road. His occuapation was given as farmhand/laborer/Watchman on various death records. At that time he was said to have one daughter at home or four children (this fact differs in newspaper accounts - I believe he had four children with only one living at home). Reports of the accident claimed that he had a daughter and wife at home (Garnett, Oklahoma) and his funeral bill was paid by Paul B Franklin which is probably a son-in-law. The possibility does exist that Paul was his employer as he was said to be on his way to work as a farmhand in Catoosa (funeral record gives Watchman).
According to Verna Dinkins, Isie Snelson was born in Dec 1890 to Amos Leonard Snelson and his second wife, Nancy Josephine Reynolds of Shannon County, Missouri. Verna descends from Amos and his first wife. He was her gg-grandfather.
Children of William and Isie:
I am not sure if one of the children which William is credited with at the time of his death was Orville Pyeatt (son of William's step-daughter, Lizzie Hunter) who William and his wife, Isie, raised. Orville was born to Lizzie in Shannon County, Missouri, August 19, 1900, and died May 7, 1984, in Tulsa, Oklahoma (SSDI lists Spavinaw, OK #440-12-2934). He never married. When he was a young man, while driving a truck for a fertilizer company, he got fertilizer in his eyes and lost most of his sight. For the rest of his life his occupation was owner/operator of gift and novelty shops around Tulsa. While not an educated man, he was very interesting and had quite a sense of humor. He is remembered as a generous and funny man. The question has been posed 'Did Orville operate a ranch in Hannah, Wyoming?' to which I do not have the answer.
William appears as follows on the 1910 census of Jasper Township, Shannon County, Missouri
This family was enumerated #211/216 (Ancestry.com image 10/17)). The son, William A Pyeatt, must be the child known as Orville who was Lizzie Hunter's child and was raised by Bill and Isie since she lists zero children born and they had only been married a short time. This William A's age is in agreement with the August 1900 birthdate for Orville. Perhaps the 'A' is a misread 'O'? Not long after this census entry, Isie gave birth to their first child, but, they lost her seven days later.
The death certificate for Bill and Isie's daughter, Nancy, is as follows:
Death Certificate #23937 County: Carter; Township: Pike;
Registration District: 146; Primary Registration District: 5209;
Full Name: Nancy Pyeatt; Sex: Female; Race: white;
Marital status: single; Date of birth: June 26, 1911 Age: 7 days;
Occupation: none; Birthplace: Pike Twp, Carter Co, Mo;
Name of Father: William ?C/E Pyeatt; Birthplace of Father:
Jefferson Co, Mo; Maiden name of Mother: Iza Snelson; Birthplace
of Mother: Shannon Co, Mo; Informant and address: Wm C Pyeatt,
Fremont, Mo; Filed: July 4th 1911 G C Anson; Date of Death:
July 3, 1911; Cause of Death: Not Known; Place of burial or removal:
Abrams Cemetery; Date of burial: July 4, 1911; Undertaker: Wm C Pyeatt, Fremont, Mo
Deborah Yardley has a copy of a photo of William and Iza and their three oldest children taken c1920. I do not have an abstract of William and family on the 1920 census (presumably Tulsa, Oklahoma).
When William's mother Diana died in June 1928, he was listed as a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He died in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on December 11, 1929, at the Morning Side Hospital. He lived in Garnett, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, at the time of his death and was a laborer. His cause of death was a fractured skull resulting in immediate respiratory failure. He was buried on December 13, 1929. The explanation for his untimely death was reported as follows:
Tulsa World - Friday, Dec 18, 1929
Fatal Accident is 'Unavoidable'
Tulsan Is Exonerated After Striking W. C. Pyeatt With Car
Funeral arrangements were incomplete Thursday for W. C. Pyeatt, 62 years old, who was fatally injured late Wednesday when struck by an automobile on the highway near Owasso. His body was being held by the Martin Fleming funeral home. Following the accident Wednesday, a man who gave his name as C. W. Davy, 2209 East Twenty-sixth street, reported to the county highway police that he was driving the car that struck Pyeatt, police records show. An investigation conducted Thursday by Tom Duckett, highway police captain, exonerated Davy. In a statement to The World Thursday, Davy described the accident as "unavoidable. The man stepped in front of the machine and I struck him before I could stop." Davy said. "I stopped and rendered all assistance possible. I then called an ambulance and made a complete report of it to the highway officers Thursday morning." Pyeatt, according to hospital attendants, is married and has one child. He formerly made his home at Garnett, a small Tulsa suburb east of the city. He had been employed on a farm near Catoosa and was en route to the farm when struck by the automobile, a police investigation Wednesday night revealed.
Also: From the 'Tulsa Tribune'
Catoosa Man Dies Here After Being Injured by Auto
Stepped Into Path of Car on Highway, Says Driver
W. C. Pyeatt, 62. said to have been a farm hand near Catoosa, died in Morningside hospital late Wednesday night following injuries received when struck by an automobile on the Owasso road. According to the report made to county highway police by C. W. Davy, 2209 E Twenty-fifth st., driver of the car which hit Pyeatt, the injured man stepped into the path of the car and was knocked to the pavement. Pyeatt was taken to Morningside hospital in an ambulance in an unconscious condition, suffering with a fractured skull and died without regaining consciousness. Davy reported to the officer of the county highway police and was not held. Officer urkhead (sic) and Davis reported having passed Davy only a few moments before and said that he was running at a reasonable rate of speed. County investigator Charles Thompson said that no charges would be filed. Pyeatt is survived by his wife and daughter who live at the home in arnett (sic). Funeral arrangements have not yet been completed, according to Martin Fleming funeral home which has the body.
From Ninde Funeral Home Records (once named Martin Fleming Undertaking Company) Funeral Record of Willie E Pyett 1. Race: White 2. Born: Okla 3. Charge to: W C Pyett 4. Address: Garnett 5. Date of Funeral: Nov 6, 1925 6. Residence: Garnett 7. Place of Death: Residence 8. Certifying Physician: Ira Roberts 9. His Residence: Tulsa, Okla 10. Date of Birth: Oct 26, 1925 11. Age: 12 days 12. Occupation: Child 12. Date of Death: Nov 6, 1925 13. Name of father: W C Pyett 14. His birthplace: MO 15. Name of mother: Isie Snellson 16. Her Birthplace: MO 17. Size and Style of Casket or Coffin: 2/0 L.S. 18. Manufactured by: Ark. 19. Interment at: Catoosa Cemetery 20. Casket of Coffin: $30.00 21. Total footing of Bill: $30.00
Tulsa World December 13, 1929
Funeral Notices -- PYEATT - Funeral services for W. C. Pyeatt, 62 years old, who died Wednesday night as a result of injuries received in an automobile accident, will be held at Catoosa Friday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Burial will be in Catoosa cemetery under the direction of the Martin Fleming funeral home. The widow and four children survive.
From Ninde Funeral Home Records (once named Martin Fleming Undertaking Company) Funeral Record of W C Pyeatt dated 12-11-1929 1. Where born: MO 2. Charge to: Paul B Franklin 3. Date of Funeral: 12-13-29 4. Place of Death: M.S. Hosp 5. Funeral Service at: Catoosa Okla 6. Time of Funeral Service: 2 PM 7. Cause of Death: Fractured Skull 8. Date of Death: 12-11-29 9. Occupation of Deceased: Watchman 10. Single or Married: Married 11. Religion: (can't read) 12. Date of Birth: May 30, 1866 13. Age: 63 14. Name of father: W D Pyeatt 15. His Birthplace: Unk 16. Name of Mother: Unk 17. Birthplace of mother: Unk 18. Size and Style of Casket or Coffin: 6/3 P H Corp #526 19. Manufactured by: Okla City 20. Interment at: Catoosa Cemetery 21. Casket: $175.00 22. Embalming body: 35.00 23. Hearse: $25.00 24. Death Notice in _1_ Newspapers: $1.50 25. Ambulance: 10.00 26. Driver: 5.00 27. Total Footing of Bill: $251.50 (paid by cash)
Oklahoma Death Certificate #1502 1. Place of Death - County: Tulsa - City: Tulsa - Township: 44 - No.: Morning Side Hospital 2. Full Name: W C Pyeatt 2a. Residence: Garnett, Okla 3. Sex: Male 4. Color: White 5. Single/Married/Widowed: Married 5a. Name of spouse: (left blank) 6. Date of birth: May 30, 1860 7. Age - years: 63 - months: (left blank) - days: (left blank) 8. Occupation: Laborer 8b. Industry or business: (left blank) 8c. Employer: (left blank) 9. Birthplace: Mo 10. Name of father: W. D. Pyeatt 11. Birthplace of father: Unknown 12. Maiden name of mother: Unknown 13. Birthplace of mother: Unknown 14. Informant and address: Mrs. W. C. Pyeatt: Garnett Okla 15. Filed: Dec 12, 1929 16. Date of Death: 12-11-1929 17. I hereby certify that I attended the deceased from 12/11/29 to 12/11/29 that I last saw him alive on 12/11/1929 and that death occurred on the above date at 8 pm. The cause of death: Fracture of Skull; Immediate Respiratory Failure (other duration and causes are blank) Signed: P W Schriber M.D. (address) Morningside Hospital, Tulsa 19. Place of Burial, cremation or removal: Catoosa Okla Cem. Date of Burial: 12-13-29 20. Undertaker: Martin Fleming Und Co, Tulsa, OK
A family story has it that after Bill's death Isie received a monetary settlement and returned Missouri where she purchased property. This information seems to be substantiated by the following entry on the 1930 census of Winona (Dist 23), Shannon County, Missouri:
This family was enumerated #16/16. Neighbors were #10 John Browley, #11 Earl McCall, #12 William McCall, #13 Luther Huett, #14 Loyd Huett, #15 Addie Alberta, #17 R Zimari Alberto, #18 Willis Haynes, #19 Claude Cox.
There were no Pyeatts found on the index to the Dick Duck Cemetery in Catoosa - though at least two of them (W C and Willie E) were said to have been buried in Catoosa Cemetery. The city clerk at Catoosa told me that the Dick Duck Cemetery is the only one that could be called ‘Catoosa Cemetery’ from the death records.
Isie died in 1956 and is buried in the Pine Lawn Cemetery, Winona, Shannon County, Missouri.
Sources:
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