Do you ever do research ‘backwards’? In other words, do you ever have a source and then try to figure out who it relates to?
When my husband brought me clippings from the Kensington, Kansas newspaper, that is exactly what I had to do. My husband was aware that one of my ancestral surnames was CURREY. Thus, he clipped several articles in the 1948-1950 issues of the Kensington Mirror for various people with the CURREY surname.
Knowing that my ancestors did not live in Smith county, my husband only clipped them thinking I might find them interesting. He did not think I was actually related to any of these CURREY family members. Ironically, the father of one of those in the clippings is Enos Currey (1820-1901), my first cousin 5 times removed.
Thus, I had to figure out whether the other clippings were associated with family members of Enos Currey. One of those clippings was a grocery store ad in the March 25, 1948 issue of the Kensington Mirror.
Another clipping from the January 5, 1950 issue of the Kensington Mirror indicates that an Enos Currey sold the HGF Market.
Buys Currey HGF Market
A change in our Main street business circle was culminated last press day when Enos Currey sold his HGF Market to Hank Kusel who assumed charge of the business the first day of the new yearEnos, who has conducted the store the past five years, informs that at present he has no definite plans to divulge. He will assist the new owner in the store for a couple weeks.
The new owner, Mr Kusel and wife, have many friends here, both being natives of the vicinity. The family will move to this city from Smith Center within the next few days and will occupy the Louis Mann residenceHank has been traveling representative fur the Lee Crompany of Kansas City, in this territory the past eleven years, and is well versed in the new business
The business place is to be designated “Hank’s Market”
An article in the June 8, 1950 issue of the Kensington Mirror indicates that Enos Currey was the owner of the Great Plains Motel.
Enos Currey is nearing completion of the fifth 2-unit cabin at his Great Plains Motel, this week. He reports that he has enjoyed a good business since the opening of his place of business four weeks ago.
The 1950 census supports Enos Currey of Kensington being the owner of a motel, otherwise known as a tourist court.
Hoping to find a digitized obituary, I searched Newspapers.com site for a 1976 obituary of Enos Currey and found one in the Amarillo Globe Times in Texas.
Enos Currey
Services for Enos Currey, 65, of 5318 Allen were to be at 10 a.m. today in ‘Schooler-Gordon Colonial Chapel with the
Rev David Heidtke, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Chureh, officiating. Additional services will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Lutheran Church in Kensington, Kan., with burial in Kensington Cemetery.Mr. Currey was kllied Tuesday after apparently being electrocuted while operating an electrical grass sweeper.
He was a retired chef from the Amarillo Club. He was born in Kansas and moved to Amarillo from Kensington 12 years ago.
Survivors include his widow, Eleanor; three daughters, two brotheis, three sisters, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
“Enos Currey,” Amarillo Globe-Times (Amarillo, Texas), 16 September 1976, page 19; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 5 April 2024).
The family will be at 5210 Astoria.
Thanks to my husband saving me a few newspaper clippings, I have learned quite a bit about my third cousin, 3 times removed, Enos Currey.
Enos Currey
1. Enos Arthur Currey was born on 30 Aug 1911 in Claudell, Smith, Kansas, United States.1–3 He lived in Valley Township, Smith, Kansas, United States in 1920.4 He lived in Valley Township, Smith, Kansas, United States in 1925.5 Enos lived in Valley Township, Smith, Kansas, United States in 1930.6 In 1940 he worked for Anderson Boarding Company in Climax, Lake, Colorado.1 He lived in El Dorado, Butler, Kansas, United States in 1940.7 Enos registered for the military draft on 16 Oct 1940 in Smith, Kansas, United States.1 He lived in Kensington, Smith, Kansas, United States in 1947.8 He lived in Kensington, Smith, Kansas, United States in 1950.9 Enos sold land being the HOF Market to in Jan 1950 in Kensington, Smith, Kansas, United States.10 In Jun 1950 he was a the owner of the Great Plains Motel in Kensington, Smith, Kansas, United States.11 He lived in Kensington, Smith, Kansas, United States in 1953.12 Enos was buried on 17 Sep 1976 at Saint John Lutheran Cemetery in Kensington, Smith, Kansas, United States.3,13
Eleanor Currey was born on 17 Sep 1913 in Pennsylvania.3,14 She lived in El Dorado, Butler, Kansas, United States in 1940.7 She lived in Kensington, Smith, Kansas, United States in 1950.9 Eleanor lived in Kensington, Smith, Kansas, United States in 1953.12 She died on 24 Oct 1998 at the age of 85.3 She was buried at Saint John Lutheran Cemetery in Kensington, Smith, Kansas, United States.3
Endnotes:
1. “U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947,” database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online 1 April 2024), Enos Arthur Currey.
2. U.S., James Currey, 18 December 1909; database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online 1 April 2024). Original Source: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
3. Find a Grave, database and images, Find a Grave (www.findagrave.com : viewed online 3 April 2024), memorial for Enos Arthur Currey (1911-1979), Find a Grave Memorial no. 55498611, created by Terry L. Koinzan-Clingman, citing Saint John Lutheran Cemetery, Kensington, Smith County, Kansas; accompanying photograph by KEH, Enos Arthur Currey.
4. 1920 U.S. Census, Smith County Kansas, population schedule, Valley Township, Smith County, Kansas, ED 215, Sheet 4B, Image 8 of 9, family 93, James H Currey; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online 1 April 2024)
5. 1855-1925 Kansas Census, Kansas, Kansas State Census, Valley Township, Smith County, Kansas, page 12, Image 14 of 39, line 1, Jim H Currey; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online 1 April 2024)
6. 1930 U.S. Census, Smith County, Kansas, population schedule, Valley Township, Smith County, Kansas, ED 28, Sheet 3B, Image 6 of 8, family 68, James H Currey; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online 1 April 2024)
7. 1940 U.S. Census, Butler County, Kansas, population schedule, El Dorado, Butler County, Kansas, ED 8-17, Sheet 8A, Image 16 of 37, line 5, Enos Currey; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online 3 April 2024)
8. Kansas, City and County Census Records, 1919-1961, Enos Currey, 1947; database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online 5 April 2024). Original Source: Kansas State Board of Agriculture.
9. 1950 U.S. Census, Smith County Kansas, population schedule, Kensington, Smith County, Kansas, ED 924, Sheet 18, Image 19 of 26, LIne 5, Enos A Currey; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online 3 April 2024)
10. Buys Currey HGF Market. Kensington Mirror, (Kensington, Kansas), 5 January 1950; Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas.
11. “Local News”, Kensington Mirror, (Kensington, Kansas), 8 June 1950; Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas.
12. Kansas, City and County Census Records, 1919-1961, Enos Currey, 1953; database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com).
13. “Enos Currey,” Amarillo Globe-Times (Amarillo, Texas), 16 September 1976, page 19; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 5 April 2024).
14. Find a Grave, database and images, Find a Grave (www.findagrave.com : viewed online 1 April 2024), memorial for Eleanor P. Currey (1913-1998), Find a Grave Memorial no. 55498610, created by Terry L. Koinzan-Clingman, citing Saint John Lutheran Cemetery, Kensington, Smith County, Kansas; accompanying photograph by KEH, Eleanor P. Currey.