Sylvester J. Davis HUSBAND: DAVIS, Sylvester J. (nicknames Lester J. or L.J. or sometimes seen as S.J.) son of William Davis of North Carolina and Ruth Brown of Ohio SEX: Male BORN: July 17, 1835 in Portage, Ohio MARRIAGE: THOMAS, Lavina Frantz, daughter of John Thomas and Rebecca Packer, Lavina was born March 5, 1837 in Smith Twp, Mhmng, Ohio and died in 1916 in Alamosa, CO DIED: March 17, 1912 in Alamosa, Colorado BURIED: La Veta Pioneer Cemetery with his wife Lavina Thomas Davis NOTES: For more information about Sylvester & Lavina Davis, please see below their son, O.T. Davis’ obituary. Sylvester J. Davis Obituary Alamosa Journal - January 19, 1912 Mrs. O.T. Davis (Viola Wheeler Davis) returned Sunday morning from La Veta, where she was called to attend to her father-in-law S.J. (Sylvester) Davis, who was painfully injured in the lower limbs last week by being struck by a falling tree. As Mr. Davis is past 70 years of age, his injuries will heal slowly and he will probably be confined to his bed for some time. He died at age 77 on March 17, 1912 Lavina Thomas Davis Obituary In the Alamosa Journal - July 1, 1915: The death of Mrs. Lavina J. Thomas Davis occurred Friday night at the Alamosa hospital where she had been removed on the previous day on account of a broken leg. Thursday, Mrs. Davis had the misfortune to fall on a board walk in the rear of the Davis home crushing the large bone of her leg just below the hip joint. She was taken to the hospital Friday and every possible attention was given her, but owing to her extreme age, she was unable to withstand the shock and passed away Thursday evening about eleven o'clock. The deceased was 78 years of age and was born in Columbiana, Ohio in 1837. For the past three years she had made her home in Alamosa, at the home of her son, O.T. Davis. A short funeral service was held here, Mr. Darley preaching the sermon, and the body was taken to La Veta, where she was laid to rest beside her husband, who had preceded her some years ago. Mr. & Mrs. O.T. Davis and Mr. & Mrs. Ed Nissen attended the funeral from Alamosa. ------------------------------------------------------------- CHILD 1: DAVIS, Ory Thomas (nickname O.T.) SEX: Male BORN: October 17, 1859 in Oskaloosa, Iowa MARRIAGE: BRAUN, (not Brown) Rosalia Goerky on November 21, 1888 in Colorado CHILD 1: DAVIS, Edmond Theodore SEX: Male BORN: September 9, 1889 in Alamosa, CO DIED: 1980 in California OTHER MARRIAGE: WHEELER, Viola on June 11, 1895 in Walsenburg, CO and they had no children. According to Ory Thomas Davis’ death certificate he was a widower when he died, which meant that his wife Viola Wheeler had passed away before him. According to the 1930 census Ory and Viola were still married, but I haven’t been able to find Viola’s final resting place or an obituary. DIED: October 10, 1945 in Alamosa, CO BURIED: La Veta Pioneer Cemetery in same plot as his parents Sylvester & Lavina Davis NOTES: Obituary: O.T. Davis, 86, City Pioneer Dies Saturday O.T. Davis, 86, well known photographer in Alamosa since the year 1906, died at the Worth Home at 403 Eighth Street at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Recently retired from active life as a photographer. Davis had been in ill health for some time. He was a former U.S. district commissioner for about 14 years. Davis was born in Decatur County, Iowa, in 1859 and later lived in Nebraska where his father homesteaded, starting a farm with three yoke of oxen and a cow. His mother became one of the first School Teachers in the state of Nebraska. As a young man Davis became interested in mining and as a member of a mining company force was sent to Colorado. In this state he and several others of the company operated the Pass creek and ran a small herd of cattle. Because of dry weather, he gave up the ranch and entered photography in 1888 at Walsenburg. For a number of years Davis worked as a photographer in the coal mine at Hastings. Hearing of an opening in this line of work in Alamosa he came here and started in business above the old American National Bank. He later moved his site to the Emperius building and from there moved to his present location on Fourth Street. Davis reared his nephew, the late Floyd Davis, and niece, Mrs. Ed Nissen of Mosca at his home here. Floyd Davis, veteran of World War I, died about 20 years ago. His widow, Mrs. Lucienne Davis, a French war bride, continued to make her home in Alamosa and reared her two sons, George and Charles, here. As Mrs. Henry Gestefield (previously Mrs. Floyd S. Davis), she now resides in Aurora. She arrived here today to attend the funeral services. She is waiting word from Sgt. Charles J. Davis who is stationed at Muroc, Calif., whether or not he will be able to attend the funeral. Sgt. George J. Davis is located at Assam, India. A cousin, Mrs. Fannie Cage, of Denver also survives. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHILD 2: DAVIS, Myron SEX: Male DIED: at age 2 ------------------------------------------------------------- CHILD 2: DAVIS, Julian SEX: Male DIED: at age 3 --------------------------------------------------------------- CHILD 3: DAVIS, Corin Frantz (nickname Frank) SEX: Male BORN: September 15, 1865 MARRIAGE: Martha Caroline Kimsey (see her family above) on April 6, 1890 in Huerfano Co, CO MILITARY SERVICE: U.S. Army DIED: January 17, 1919 in Alamosa, CO BURIED: La Veta Pioneer Cemetery 2ND GENERATION: CHILD 1: DAVIS, Mabel L. SEX: Female BORN: July 28, 1891in Aguilar, CO MARRIAGE: Edward Nissen DIED: November 29, 1970 in Monte Vista, CO BURIED: La Veta Pioneer Cemetery NOTES: Mabel and Edward Nissen were unable to have children, so they adopted a baby boy and named him Arthur “Art” Nissen -------------------------------------------------------------- CHILD 2: DAVIS, Floyd Sylvester SEX: Male BORN: March 21, 1893 in La Veta, CO MARRIAGE: Lucienne Anna Blondeau on January 11, 1918 in Nevers, France. Lucienne was born September 25, 1895 in Nevers, France and died January 2, 1978 in Denver, CO. Her second husband was Henry Gestefield. MILITARY SERVICE: U.S. Army – 1) Served at Ft. Logan 2) Co. M. of the 4th Cavalary, Hawaii 3) 8th Calvary on the Mexican border 4) Colorado CPL Qtr. Masters Corp – was one of 30 to go with the 1st American convoy to Nantes, France and moving up to establish receiving and distributing stations for Argonne and other southern lines. DIED: May 11, 1921 in Alamosa, CO BURIED: La Veta Pioneer Cemetery NOTES: Floyd Davis Obituary (part of) Thursday at La Veta other veterans of the World were in uniform took charge of the services and gave him a burial with military honors in La Veta cemetery, where he will sleep beside his father, Frank Davis. He is mourned by his wife and two little sons, Georgie and Charles, one sister, Mrs. Ed Nissen, of San Acacio, Colo., and by his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. O.T. Davis, of Alamosa. He is also survived by his mother, Mrs. Frank (Corin Frantz) Davis of La Veta. Since September 1906, Floyd has made his home with his uncle (O.T. Davis) in this city (Alamosa). He early determined upon army life, and joined the regular army at Fort Logan, and served afterward with Co. M. of the 4th Cavalry in Hawaii. Afterward he saw active service with the 8th Cavalry on the Mexican border. After his Mexican service, Floyd was transferred to the quartermaster’s department. When volunteers were called for to go to France, Floyd was one of 30 to go with the first American convoy. They landed at Nantes, on the west coast, afterward moving up to establish the receiving and distributing stations for the Argonne and other southern lines. Here he met his wife, who was Miss Lucienne Blondeau, a clerk in the quartermaster’s department. She preceded him to America soon after the armistice was signed. Floyd joined her in Alamosa as soon as his term of service ended in April 1920. 3RD GENERATION: CHILD 1: DAVIS, George Jack SEX: Male BORN: November 27, 1918 in Limoges, France HIGH SCHOOL: Alamosa High Class of 1938 MILITARY SERVICE: Army, WWII MARRIAGE: still living DIED: January 16, 2007 in Lakewood, CO ............................................................... CHILD 2: DAVIS, Charles J. Sr. SEX: Male BORN: November 21, 1919 in Alamosa, CO HIGH SCHOOL: Alamosa High Class of 1939 MARRIAGE: still living – born in LaVeta, Colorado MILITARY SERVICE: Sergeant in the 20th Air Force during WWII and was a Right Armor Gunner in the 45th Bomb Squadron on a Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircraft in the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign DIED: November 6, 1981 in Denver, CO BURIED: La Veta Pioneer Cemetery --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUBMITTED BY: Debra Davis Trautmann E-MAIL ADDRESS: d.trautmann@verizon.net ADDITIONAL NOTES: I am the daughter of Charles J. Davis, Sr. Contributed by Debra Trautmann This information may be used for research only. Commercial use of this information is strictly prohibited without prior permission. If copied for personal genealogical use, this copyright notice must appear with the information. Submissions to these pages remain the copyrighted property of the submitter.

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