Infant Boy Curtiss (1910-1911)

Names Detail

First Name

Last Name

Birth and Death

Birth Date

Death Date

Age at Death

Cemetery Location and Disposition

Cemetery Location

Disposition Type

External Links

• Find A Grave

Notes

The child’s death certificate indicates burial at Payne Gap, but grave site not located. Death certificate indicates “infant of C.E. (Charles Ezra) Curtis [1857-1941]. Mother’s maiden name listed as “Alexander,” i.e. Katherine “Kate” Edith [Alexander] Curtiss, September 13, 1875-April 7, 1953. Informant listed as J.S. Alexander. “Infant was diseased from birth with bifida of the spine.” Throughout records, last name consistently spelled “Curtiss.” The infant’s parents were married on October 28, 1895, in [Stratton], DeWitt [County], Texas. In both 1910 and 1920 censuses, the family was living the Payne Gap area, possibly close to Lometa. By 1940, they had moved to Odem City, Texas. In 1940, Charles, Kate, and a son were living together in that place, with the son listed as head of household. One year later, the father passed away. At that time, Kate was listed as his spouse. In 1947, Mrs. Kate Curtiss was reported traveling to San Angelo and other West Texas towns visiting relatives.

An old Payne Gap Cemetery inventory identifies two graves—positioned side-by-side, one west (row 1, grave 1) and one east (row 2, grave 1). One of these is this Curtiss child and the other is an Alexander child. Sam Duncan arbitrarily assigned Curtiss as row 1, grave 1 (new location: Row 02, Grave 04.5), placing the grave between Frank Wendell Adams (1927-2016) and John Clements “Clem” Adams, Sr. (1886-1973). Sam conjectures that as graves were added over the years, this modest grave marked with native stones was overlooked and neglected. A stone left at the foot of a nearby tree was placed as the footstone for this “new” Curtiss grave.

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