Last One Standing: Reginald F. Lancaster

It is important to document the lives of those who left no descendants. I have been researching and writing as much as I can about family members who either never married or who married but had no children. They have no descendants who will do the research or even take DNA tests. But they will not be forgotten.

Reginald F. Lancaster, my second great-uncle, was the son of George Wilson Lancaster and Martha Jane Polly. He was born 22 July 1887 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, the fifth child of six.[1] His parents divorced when he was five.[2] His father moved back to Texas and Reggie probably never saw his father again.

Reggie’s mother married Noah Flood Parks in 1893 and he grew up with two younger half-sisters. Sometime in the early 1900s, the family moved to Imperial County, California, to do farming. When Reggie registered for the draft, he was working at ranching. At age 29, he was of medium height and weight and had blue eyes and brown hair. He was still single.[3] I have found no evidence that he served during WWI.

He registered to vote in 1918 as a Democrat and lived with his younger brother, Jess.[4] By 1920, he was living as head of household in Corcoran Township in Kings County, California. His mother, Martha, and stepfather, Noah, lived with him. Here, he was a cotton farmer.[5]

Reggie married Eda DeLartigue on 28 July 1920 in Long Beach, Los Angeles County. He was thirty-three and she was a year older. This was Eda’s second marriage. Her residence was in Long Beach while his was in Corcoran.[6] How did they meet? Something we may never learn.

In 1922, they both were registered to vote, Eda, a housewife and Republican, and Reggie a laborer in Corcoran.[7] Further voter registrations showed he was a farmer and their political affiliations remained the same.

Sometime between 1930 and 1932, they moved to Atascadero where he farmed. A newspaper article published in October 1932 showed Eda purchasing a lot in Atascadero from Flora Ralston.[8] In 1934, she owed tax on the property.[9] In the 1940 census, he was listed as a carpenter for water works construction but later voter registrations showed he was in ranching and they both were in the progressive party.[10] Perhaps he did both.

When he registered for the draft in 1942, he said they lived on South Highway at Atascadero in San Luis Obispo County and he was unemployed. He was fifty-four years old. They had no telephone.[11]

Reggie never owned land but his wife did. She bought and sold several pieces of property in the 1940s. He died on 25 November 1962 in a San Luis Obispo hospital. The funeral was held at the Chapel of the Roses in Atascadero and he was buried in the Atascadero District Cemetery. He was seventy-seven years old and was survived by only his wife, Eda, and his half-sister, Rose.[12]

Eda and Reggie had no children. Eda lived another ten years and died on 16 January 1973 in Atascadero.[13]

I wish I knew more about Reggie. My grandmother only remembered his sister, Margaret, and had communicated with her a few times. I think because he had no children, there were cousins to remember him. His obituary was published in both the San Luis Obispo newspaper and the Fresno paper where his brothers had lived.

#52Ancestors-Week 24: Last One Standing

This is my sixth year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/) at Generations Cafe. I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

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[1] Arizona, Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Standard Certificate of Birth, Maricopa Co, Reginal Lancaster, July 22, 1887.

[2] Pima County, Arizona, Superior Court Records, RG 110, SG 8 case 2250, Lancaster v. Lancaster, decree, 23 December 1893; Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, Phoenix.

[3] "U.S., WW I Draft Registration Cards 1917-1918," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6482) > California > Imperial County > All > Draft Card L > image 58, Reginald F Lancaster.

[4] "California, U.S., Voter Registration 1900-1968," digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61066/) > Imperial County > 1900-1918 > roll 001 > image 1307 of 1430, Holtville Precinct no. 2, Jess Lancaster & Reginald F. Lancaster.

[5] 1920 U.S. census, Kings Co, California, Corcoran Twp, enumeration district (ED) 120, sheet 14a, dwelling 301, family 312, Reginald T. Lancaster; NARA T625.

[6] "California County Marriages, 1850-1952," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1804002) > 004280711 > image 160 of 1449, Los Angeles County, Record of Marriages, 356:150, 1920, Reggie F Lancaster-Eda De Lartigue; citing Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Norwalk, Calif.

[7] "California, U.S., Voter Registration 1900-1968," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61066/), 1922, Kings Co, Tule River Precinct, Reggie F. Lancaster, no. 156.

[8] “Deeds,” San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram, 15 October 1932, p. 5.

[9] “Delinquent Tax List,” San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram, 8 June 1934, p. 12.

[10] 1940 U.S. census, San Luis Obispo Co, pop. sched., Santa Margarita, ED 40-34, sht 8b, no. 195, Regonald F. Lancaster. See also "California, U.S., Voter Registration 1900-1968," 1944, San Luis Obispo Co, Santa Margarita No 2 Precinct, Reggie F Lancaster.

[11] "U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards 1942, " Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1002/), California, San Luis Obispo Co, Local Board 136, Paso Robles, serial no. 832, Reginald F. Lancaster.

[12] “Reginald Lancaster,” Fresno Bee, 27 Nov 1962, p. 9.

[13] “Eda Lancaster,” San Luis Obispo Telegram Tribune, 18 Jan 1973, p unk.

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