1. WILLIAM SIMMONS was born about 1829 in Prussia (Germany) and died 4 Mar 1881 in Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri. His parents are unknown. He is buried at St Patrick's Cemetery Pierce City. He married ROSALEE SCHWOLSKI by 1852 undetermined if in Germany or United States, possibly Illinois. She was born 23 May 1829 in Prussia and died 3 Jul 1904 in Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri. Her parents are also unknown. She is buried at St Mary's Cemetery in Pierce City. She became a naturalized citizen in 1852 in Illinois.
William was a Protestant and Rosalee was a Catholic and this caused friction in their household. After their marriage, they lived in Illinois until about 1855, then moved to Kansas (while possibly stopping in Missouri) near Lawrence where they had a dairy farm. They left Kansas before 1875 and went to Missouri.
1865 Kansas State Census Lawrence Township Douglas Co Volume #3 Page
18
William Simmons age 48 Male White
Rosalie Simmons age 35 Female White
Matthias Simmons age 12 Male White
John Simmons age 10 Male White
Frank Simmons age 7 Male White
Cecelia Simmons age 5 Female White
Daniel Simmons age 1 Male White
1880 US Census Barry Co Missouri, Capps Creek Township Roll #672 Page
2
Simmons William age 55 Farmer Read no Write no BP Prussia Father's
BP Prussia Mother's BP Prussia
Rosa age 53 Keeping House Read no Write no BP Prussia Father's BP Prussia
Mother's BP Prussia
Frank age 22 Peddlin BP Missouri Father's BP Prussia Mother's BP Prussia
Daniel age 15 At Home BP Kansas Father's BP Prussia Mother's BP Prussia
Minnie age 8 At School BP Kansas Father's BP Prussia Mother's BP Prussia
There is a discrepancy about the ages of William & Rosalee. William's headstone says he was 52 when he died in 1881 making the year of his birth 1829 or possibly 1828. Rosalee's headstone says she was born in 1829 and the 1900 census backs this up stating she was 71 at the time. At the time of the 1880 census they both should have been about 51 years old. Also interesting is that William is listed as being 48 in the 1865 census, but in the 1880 census he is 55. He only aged 7 years in 15 years! Evidentially by 1880 the two eldest sons, Matthew and John were married and the two oldest daughters, Cecelia and Mary were possibly working in someone else's household and were counted there.
Children of WILLIAM SIMMONS & ROSALEE SCHWOLSKI:
2. A. MATTHEW SIMMONS b Oct 1852 d aft 1923
3. B. JOHN ROBERT SIMMONS b 20 Jan 1855 d 7 Sep 1922
4. C. FRANK SIMMONS b 23 Sep 1857 d 3 Aug 1910
5. D. CECELIA ‘CELIA' SIMMONS b 18 Sep 1860 d 13 Nov 1886
E.. DANIEL SIMMONS b abt 1865 Kansas d possibly Canada (left home as a young man to go to Canada and was never heard from again thought to be dead by 1904)
6. F. MARY ANNA SIMMONS b 14 Mar 1867 d 1 Mar 1901
7. G. WILHELMINA CHRISTINA ‘MINNIE' SIMMONS b 7 Jan 1872 d 8 Sep 1916
H & I. Two other children that died as infants, names unknown
2. MATTHEW SIMMONS was born Oct 1852 in Chicago Illinois and died after 1923 probably Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri. He married LOUISA ALSUP. She was born 19 Jan 1852 in Polk Co Missouri and died 4 Jun 1923 in Pierce City Lawrence Missouri. She is buried in Sparta Missouri. She was the daughter of JOHN P ALSUP & ELIZABETH ADAMS..
Matthew made a ‘run' into the Cherokee Strip of Indian Territory on 16 Sep 1893. He staked two 160 acre parcels in what is now Pawnee Co Oklahoma. His brother John filed a claim on the second parcel. Matthew was a farmer and shoe cobbler in Maramec Pawnee Co Oklahoma. He and his wife Louisa returned to Missouri by 1900, where they are listed as Household #460 for the Lawrence Co Missouri Census. They spent time in Springfield, Sparta and Pierce City Missouri. Matthew owned a shoe repair shop in either Sparta or Pierce City at the time of his wife's death. There is no evidence of any children for the couple.
3. JOHN ROBERT SIMMONS SR was born 20 Jan 1855 in Illinois and died 7 Sep 1922 in Maramec Pawnee Co Oklahoma. He married JULIA ADELINE ROARK 24 Feb 1878 in Miller Co Missouri. She was born 11 May 1858 in Miller Co Missouri and died 12 Feb 1919 Maramec Pawnee Co Oklahoma. She was the daughter of BOYD ROARK & SARAH BIRDSONG. John & Julia are both buried in Maramec Cemetery. John was a farmer and a carpenter.
Children of JOHN ROBERT SIMMONS & JULIA ROARK:
8. A. LOUIS SIMMONS b 22 Dec 1878 d 23 Nov 1916
9. B. JAMES F SIMMONS b 2 Dec 1880 d 23 Mar 1946
10. C. JOHN ROBERT SIMMONS JR b 19 Jan 1883 d 8 Dec 1926
11. D. ARTHUR CLINTON SIMMONS b 31 May 1885 d 17 Apr 1945
12. E. DANIEL BENJAMINE SIMMONS b 26 Aug 1887 d 24 Dec 1954
F. FEMALE SIMMONS b unknown d unknown in infancy
4. FRANK SIMMONS was born 23 Sep 1857 somewhere in Missouri and died 3 Aug 1910 in Springfield Greene Co Missouri of tuberculosis. He was buried in Maple Park Cemetery in Springfield on 8 August 1910. He married JULIA ? by 1897. She was born unknown and died after 1920.
Frank was born probably while his parents were traveling through Missouri when they moved from Illinois to Kansas. Frank & Julia ran a grocery business in Springfield. After his death, Julia ran the business for a while then moved to Kansas City Missouri by 1920.
Frank's death certificate says he was born 3 September 1857 in Kansas.
Children of FRANK SIMMONS & JULIA ?:
A. ROSE SIMMONS b 1897 d unknown m EUGENE W EVANS by 1920 b abt 1897
d unknown
(Rose possibly b 19 Sep 1896 d Aug 1970 N Kansas City Clay Co Missouri;
Eugene b 29 Jun 1897 d Jun 1965 Missouri)
B. FREDERICK SIMMONS b 12 Jan 1900 d Mar 1978 Jackson Co Missouri
C. RALPH SIMMONS b 1903 d unknown
D. HELEN SIMMONS b 1906 d unknown
5. CECELIA ‘CELIA' SIMMONS was born 18 Sep 1860 probably in Douglas Co Kansas and died 13 Nov 1886 in Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri. She married JOSEPH WEINZIRL 29 Sep 1881 in Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri. He was born 17 Dec 1848 and died 19 Aug 1924. They are both buried in St Mary's Cemetery Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri. After Celia's death, Joseph married ANNA MOSKE and they had 8 children together.
Children of CECELIA SIMMONS & JOSEPH WEINZIRL:
A. MARY ANN WEINZIRL b 9 Jul 1883 d aft 1942 m FRANK MEYER (lived Bellvue
Ohio)
B. JOHN B WEINZIRL b 19 Jul 1884 Missouri d 3 Jun 1966 buried St Mary's Cemetery Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri
C. ROSE WEINZIRL b unknown d aft 1942 m JAMES BUCKLEY (lived Lorraine Ohio)
Children of JOSEPH WEINZIRL & ANNA MOSKE: (not in birth order)
A. BEN WEINZIRL b 15 Jan 1889 d Mar 1976 Lawrence Co Missouri
B. LEO WEINZIRL b 26 Nov 1892 d Nov 1964 Missouri
C. BERTHA WEINZIRL b unknown d unknown m DAVID TISUIS/TISUS
D. FEMALE WEINZIRL b unknown d unknown m ED NOONAN
E. FEMALE WEINZIRL b unknown d unknown m WILLIAM WESSELL
F. PAUL WEINZIRL b 26 Nov 1898 d Oct 1978 Kansas City Jackson Co Missouri m NELL ? 27 Oct 1926 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri b 12 Apr 1899 d Sep 1971 Pierce City
G. OTTO WEINZIRL b 2 Oct 1900 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri d 22 Jan 1990 St Louis Missouri m MARGARET MURPHY 30 Jan 1926
H. MARY WEINZIRL b 3 Sep 1902 d Jan 1980 Jasper Co Missouri
6. MARY ANNA SIMMONS was born 14 Mar 1867 probably Douglas Co Kansas and died 1 Mar 1907 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri of tuberculosis. She is buried at St Mary's Cemetery in Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri. She married JOSEPH FRANK VELTEN 16 May 1882 at Pierce City Missouri. He was born 27 Oct 1859 in Huron Erie Co Ohio and died 30 Jun 1944 St Louis Missouri. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery St Louis. He was the son of MICHAEL VELTEN & KATHERINE MILLER.
Children of MARY ANNA SIMMONS & JOSEPH VELTEN:
A. FRANK JOSEPH VELTEN b 3 Dec 1884 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri
d 14 Nov 1957 St Louis Missouri buried Trinity Cemetery Lemay Missouri
m (1)ETHEL SARRAH OYLER 4 Jun 1906 Kansas City Jackson Co Missouri (2)WILHELMINA
CAROLINE UNKAUF 27 Nov 1912 St Charles St Charles Co Missouri
B. LOUIS JULIUS VELTEN b 26 Oct 1887 St Louis St Louis Co Missouri d 10 Oct 1918 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri buried St Patrick's Cemetery Pierce City m CARRIE RICE 5 Dec 1917 St Louis Missouri
C. EDWARD JOHN VELTEN b 30 Mar 1892 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri d 26 Jan 1945 Birmingham Jefferson Co Alabama m LILLIE MAE REED bef 1926 Birmingham Alabama
D. PHILOMENA KATHERINE VELTEN b 16 Sep 1894 St Louis St Louis Co Missouri d Dec 1971 Frankfort Marshall Co Kansas m WILLIAM GILSTRAP Frankfort Kansas
E. KATHERINE MATHILDA VELTEN b 21 Nov 1897 St Louis St Louis Co Missouri d 1964 St Louis Missouri m RALPH IRWIN BROWN 8 Jan 1917 Decatur Macon Co Illinois
F. FREDERICK VELTON b 23 Aug 1900 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri d 3 Nov 1972 St Joseph Buchanan Co Missouri buried Laurel Hill Cemetery m ZORA VIRGINIA LACKEY
G. CHARLES WILLIAM VELTON b 9 Jun 1902 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri d 1 Jul 1988 Long Beach Orange Co California buried Westminster Memorial Park Westminster Orange Co California m GLADYS PICKERING 3 Dec 1923 Kansas City Jackson Co Missouri
H. THEODORE ROBERT VELTON b 20 Sep 1906 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri d 10 Oct 1975 Joplin Jasper Co Missouri m MARIE KING aft 1925 Missouri
7. WILHELMINA CHRISTINA ‘MINNIE' SIMMONS was born 7 Jan 1872 in Lawrence Douglas Co Kansas and died 8 Sep 1916 in Banning Riverside Co California of tuberculosis. She is buried at Sunnyslope Cemetery Riverside Co California. She married FRANK BERNARD ELBERT 7 Jan 1891 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri. He was born 4 Nov 1871 in St Louis St Louis Co Missouri and died 30 Jan 1909 Seneca Newton Co Missouri. He was the son of JOHN (JOHANN) ELBERT and A MARY BLUMER. Minnie's sons were placed in an orphanage before her death and lived there for several years until the oldest son Alvin and his wife Mary gained custody.(See ELBERT for more information).
Children of MINNIE SIMMONS & FRANK ELBERT:
A. STELLA MARIA ELBERT b 3 Jan 1892 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri
d 15 Sep 1902 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri buried St Mary's Cemetery
Pierce City next to her grandmother Rosalee Simmons
B. ALVIN JOSEPH ELBERT b 16 Nov 1893 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri d 18 Nov 1947 Seneca Newton Co Missouri m MARY CECILIA HOFF
C. GEORGE IGNATIUS ELBERT b 4 Aug 1895 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri d 24 Jun 1955 Leavenworth Kansas buried St Mary's Cemetery Seneca
D. FRANK HENRY ELBERT b 25 Jan 1898 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri d 16 Feb 1955 Rainier Columbia Co Oregon buried Hudson Cemetery Rainier m JESSIE STEPP
E. LEWIS ELBERT b 13 Feb 1900 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri d 18 Feb 1900 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri
F. LAWRENCE CHARLES ELBERT b 27 May 1901 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri d 30 Dec 1963 Seneca Newton Co Missouri buried St Mary's Cemetery Seneca m ANNA F HOFF
G. DANIEL JOHN ELBERT b 4 Sep 1903 Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri d 24 Sep 1977 Longview Cowlitz Co Washington buried Woodbine Cemetery Rainier Oregon m VADIS LEE SCOTT
H. RAYMOND BERNARD ELBERT b 30 Nov 1906 Seneca Newton Co Missouri d 16 Mar 1970 Medford Jackson Co Oregon m RUTH ?
I. CARL HERMAN ‘CHUCK' ELBERT b 12 Jan 1909 Seneca Newton Co Missouri d 18 Oct 1963 Kingsport Sullivan Co Tennessee m(1) ALVA MAE EHRHART 21 Apr 1937 (2) NELLIE SHARP Nov 1951
8. LOUIS SIMMONS was born 22 Dec 1878 in Richland Pulaski Co Missouri and died 23 Nov 1916 in Live Oak Sutter Co California. He married CORA LANDERS. She was born unknown and died in Live Oak Sutter Co California. Her parents are unknown.
Children of LOUIS SIMMONS & CORA LANDERS:
A. EDITH SIMMONS b unknown d bef 1980 m HARLEY CARTER
B. BESSIE SIMMONS b 17 Oct 1904 d Jun 1982 Butte Co California m HERMAN FIETH 19 Jun 1920 Live Oak Sutter Co California b 13 Apr 1897 d 30 Jan 1988 Butte Co California
C. VIOLA SIMMONS b unknown d unknown m ? KEESEY
D. BERTHA SIMMONS b unknown d unknown m ? RAINEOUS
E. IRENE SIMMONS b unknown d bef 1980 m ? BRECKLE
F. MARLE SIMMONS b unknown d bef 1980 m BILL WELLS
9. JAMES F SIMMONS was born 2 Dec 1880 in Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri and died 23 Mar 1946 in Maramec Pawnee Co Oklahoma. He is buried Maramec Cemetery. He married EDITH ROWE by 1905. She was born Nov 1887 in Conway Springs Sumner Co Kansas and died in 1951 in Enid Garfield Co Oklahoma. She is buried Memorial Park Cemetery Enid Oklahoma. She was the daughter of ADOLPHUS ROWE & EMMA HOBSON.
Children of JAMES SIMMONS & EDITH ROWE:
A. LESTER SIMMONS b 15 Aug 1905 d 3 Dec 1970 buried Maramec Cemetery
Pawnee Co Oklahoma m BABE ?
B. THELMA SIMMONS b unknown d abt 1988 Fort Worth Texas m CLYDE ISHMAEL d Oklahoma
10. JOHN ROBERT SIMMONS JR was born 19 Jan 1883 in Joplin Jasper Co Missouri and died 8 Dec 1926 in Oroville Butte Co California. He married MARY HOLLER 27 Oct 1902 in Oklahoma. She was born 25 Aug 1881 in Fremont Dodge Co Nebraska and died 23 Oct 1966 in Marysville Yuba Co California. She was the daughter of JOHN HOLLER & BARBARA BEEKLEY. John & Mary are both buried at Live Oak Cemetery Live Oak Sutter Co California.
Children of JOHN ROBERT SIMMONS JR & MARY HOLLER:
A. GEORGE ABRAHAM SIMMONS b 5 Dec 1903 Valley Indian Territory (Oklahoma)
d 3 Aug 1956 Vallejo Solano Co California m (1)HELEN MARIE PROPST 28 Sep
1931 Yuba City Sutter Co California b 19 Jun 1910 Grandview Yakima Co Washington
d 23 May 1992 Fairfield Sutter Solano Co California (2)VALINA BELLE BERRYMAN
31 May 1947 Vallejo Solano Co California b 14 Aug 1901 Napa Junction Napa
Co California d 25 Feb 1986 Vallejo Solano Co California
B. GLADYS MARIE SIMMONS b 30 Oct 1905 Valley Indian Territory (Oklahoma) (celebrated her 100th birthday in 2005) m LOUIS ALBERT COX 14 Aug 1926 Pawnee Pawnee Co Oklahoma b 10 Apr 1898 Huntsville War Eagle Township Madison Co Arkansas d 7 Jun 1990 Marysville Yuba Co California
C. LEE ROY SIMMONS b 23 Nov 1907 Valley Indian Territory (Oklahoma) d 6 May 1994 Gridley Butte Co California m HELEN LOUISE HARTMAN 31 Dec 1934 Klamath Falls Klamath Co Oregon b 2 Aug 1911 Lawrence Douglas Co Kansas d unknown
D. HALLEY MAUD SIMMONS b 11 May 1910 Pawnee Pawnee Co Oklahoma d 11 May 1999 Portland Multnomah Co Oregon m WILLIAM HENRY JONES 29 Aug 1940 Carson City Ormsby Co Nevada b 21 Nov 1900 Marysville Yuba Co California d 26 Apr 1992 Oakland Alameda Co California
11. ARTHUR CLINTON SIMMONS was born 31 May 1885 in Joplin Jasper Co Missouri or Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri and died 17 Apr 1945 in Maramec Pawnee Co Oklahoma. He married NELLIE EMMALINE ROWE 5 May 1907 in Valley Oklahoma Territory. She was born 27 Apr 1885 in Conway Springs Sumner Co Kansas and died 25 May 1946 in Maramec Pawnee Co Oklahoma. She was the daughter of ADOLPHUS ROWE & EMMA HOBSON, sister of Edith Rowe who married Arthur's brother James (see above). Arthur & Nellie are both buried at Maramec Cemetery.
Children of ARTHUR SIMMONS & NELLIE ROWE:
A. DONALD SIMMONS b 8 Mar 1908 Maramec Pawnee Co Oklahoma d 8 Mar 1908
Maramec Pawnee Co Oklahoma (identical twin of Douglas see below)
B. DOUGLAS CLINTON SIMMONS b 8 Mar 1908 Maramec Pawnee Co Oklahoma d 31 Mar 1996 Pasadena Harris Co Texas m JOAN SMITH 2 Nov 1941 b 10 Feb 1919 Altus Jackson Co Oklahoma d 15 Jan 1999 Houston Harris Co Texas
C. EVA BEULAH SIMMONS b 13 Feb 1913 Maramec Pawnee Co Oklahoma d 20 Nov 1974 Bryan Brazos Co Texas m RICHARD CARMICHAEL POTTS 28 Mar 1936 Stillwater Payne Co Oklahoma b 7 Feb 1912 Headrick Jackson Co Oklahoma d 19 Nov 1987 Bryan Brazos Co Texas
D. MARVIN KENNETH SIMMONS b 25 Jun 1916 d 15 Dec 1925 Cleveland Pawnee Co Oklahoma
12. DANIEL BENJAMINE SIMMONS was born 26 Aug 1887 in Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri and died 24 Dec 1954 in Bartlesville Washington Co Oklahoma. He married EFFIE BEATRICE HARRIS 1909 in Chandler Lincoln Co Oklahoma. She was born 30 Mar 1890 in Mercer Co Missouri and died Dec 1986 in Bartlesville Washington Co Oklahoma.
Children of DANIEL SIMMONS & EFFIE HARRIS:
A. ROBERT ZANE SIMMONS b 2 Jan 1910 Pawnee Co Oklahoma d Bartlesville
Washington Co Oklahoma m AUDREY DEANE YEAGER Cushing Payne Co Oklahoma
b 19 Jun 1919 Centralia Craig Co Oklahoma d unknown
B. DARRELL RAYMOND SIMMONS b 16 Jun 1915 Cushing Payne Co Oklahoma d 4 Jan 1978 Phillips Hutchinson Co Texas m WELLETHA ANN LOTT b 27 Oct 1912 Pond Creek Grant Co Oklahoma
Last updated 9 September 2006
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There was another Simmons family of German descent listed in the 1875
Kansas State Census living in Shawnee Township Wyandotte Co (one county
east of Douglas Co). It is possible that these two families are connected
somehow. There aren't too many German Simmons and they were living in close
proximity to each other. Also coincidental is that both families had a
daughter named Minnie. This family of Simmons didn't immigrate to the US
until about 1867, about 15 years after William Simmons did. The father
of this family is about 4-5 years younger than William and they might be
brothers or cousins. His first name is unknown, listed as an S with a ?.
Could possibly also be a G, it looks quite similar to an S when written
in old fashioned cursive writing.
1875 Kansas State Census Shawnee Township Wyandotte Co Volume #63 Pages
55-56
S? Simmons age 41 born Germany (year 1833-34)
Cristina Simmons age 40 born Germany (1834-35)
Mary Simmons age 19 born Germany (1855-56)
Julia Simmons age 17 born Germany (1857-58)
Henry Simmons age 14 born Germany (1860-61)
John Simmons age 12 born Germany (1862-63)
August Simmons age 9 born Germany (1865-66)
Leander Simmons age 7 born Kansas (1867-68)
Minnie Simmons age 4 born Kansas (1870-71)
Cristina Simmons age 2 born Kansas (1872-73)
The birth years would depend on what month the census was taken. Unfortunately
this information is not known. If you are a descendant of this family please
contact me at mpoland@oregontrail.net so we can compare notes.
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Sources:
Will of Rosalee Simmons
Death Certificate of Minnie Simmons Elbert
Death Certificate of Julia Roark Simmons
Death Certificate of Frank Simmons
Death Certificate of Matt Simmons
Death Certificate of Louisa Alsup Simmons
Obituary of Julia Adeline Roark Simmons
Obituary of Anna Weinzirl
Obituary of Joseph Weinzirl
Obituary of Mrs Joseph (Mary Ann Simmons) Velton
Obituary of J Louis Velten
St Mary's Catholic Church Records, Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri
St Mary's Cemetery, Pierce City Lawrence Co Missouri
Marriage License of A C Simmons & Nellie Rowe
Marriage License of Joseph Weinzirl & Celia Ann Simmons
Marriage License of Jopseh F Velton & Mary Ann Simmons
Miller Co Missouri Marriage Records
1865 Kansas State Census
1880 US Census Barry Co Missouri
1880 US Census Pulaski Co Missouri
1900 US Census Pawnee Co Oklahoma Territory
Linda Andersson
David Velten