Ray Hobson Bell (1885-1981)

Ray Hobson Bell was born November 16, 1885 in Hays, McCracken County, Kentucky.  He was the third of six children born to WyleyJesse Bell and Elizabeth Eaker.  Throughout his youth, he helped his father work on the family’s dairy farm in Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky.

Ray married Hazel I. Essler on September 8, 1909 in Denver, Denver County, Colorado.  Ray was 23 years old and Hazel was 21 years.  Hazel was born in August 1888 in Ramsey County, Minnesota, the daughter of John F. Essler and Mary L. Chenevert.

Ray and Hazel were the parents of two daughters:

            Margorie L.                born 1915

            Frances E.                 born 1918

After their marriage, Ray and Hazel made their home in Denver, Denver County, Colorado.  In 1910, Ray was employed as a proprietor of a livery stable.  Hazel’s father and brother were living with them at 2426 Race Street. 

Ray registered for the draft for the First World War on September 12, 1918 in Denver, Colorado.  He was described as tall and slender, with grey eyes and brown hair.  Ray claimed exemption from the draft because he was providing for his wife and daughters.  He did not serve in the war.

By 1920, Ray was managing a filling station, and had moved his family to West 32^nd Street in Denver.  Hazel’s father was still living with them, along with Ray’s brother, Herman Thomas Bell. 

Hazel I. Essler Bell died on January 8, 1935 in Denver, Denver County, Colorado.  She was laid to rest in the Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.  Hazel was 46 years old at her death.

Ray married again on December 4, 1937 to Gertrude Queen Seccombe in Denver, Denver County, Colorado.  Gertrude was born in June 1887 in Denver, the daughter of James H. Seccombe and Eliza Mary Cox.  Before her marriage, Gertrude was living with her mother and siblings in a home on Clermont Street in Denver, where Gertrude was working as a bookkeeper for a Street Railway Company.

In 1940, Ray and Gertrude and Ray’s daughter, Frances, were living in a home on East Jewell Avenue in Arapahoe, Colorado. 

Gertrude Queen Seccombe Bell died one day before her fourth wedding anniversary, on December 3, 1941 in Denver, Denver County, Colorado.  She was laid to rest near Ray’s first wife, Hazel, in the Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.  Gertrude was 44 years old at her death.

Ray moved to California sometime after the death of his second wife, and lived there the remainder of his life. 

Ray Hobson Bell died on March 5, 1981 in Valley Center, San Diego County, California.  He was 95 years old at his death.

Notes for Ray Hobson Bell

Birth:  Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007.  Source Citation: Number: 521-10-6701; Issue State: Colorado; Issue Date: Before 1951.

1900 US Census:  Year: 1900; Census Place: Florence Station, McCracken, Kentucky; Roll: 540; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0074; FHL microfilm: 1240540.  Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

Marriage to Hazel:  "Colorado Statewide Marriage Index, 1853-2006," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KN3T-NF6 : accessed 6 March 2015), Ray Hobson Bell and Hazel J Essler, 08 Sep 1909, Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States; citing p. 46848, State Archives, Denver; FHL microfilm 1,690,053 .

1910 US Census:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Denver Ward 8, Denver, Colorado; Roll: T624_115; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 99; Image: 1181.

Military:  Registration State: Colorado; Registration County: Denver; Roll: 1544482; Draft Board: 1. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.

1920 US Census:  Year: 1920;Census Place: Denver, Denver, Colorado; Roll: T625_159; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 115; Image: 919.

1930 US Census:  Year: 1930; Census Place: Denver, Denver, Colorado; Roll: 233; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0025; Image: 534.0; FHL microfilm: 2339968.  Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.

Marriage to Gertrude:  "Colorado Statewide Marriage Index, 1853-2006," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KN3T-NFF : accessed 6 March 2015), Ray Hobson Bell and Gertrude Queen Seccomb, 04 Dec 1937, Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States; citing p. 12053, State Archives, Denver; FHL microfilm 1,690,053 .

1940 US Census:  Year: 1940; Census Place: Arapahoe, Colorado; Roll: T627_455; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 3-44.  Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

Death:  Ancestry.com. California Death Index, 1940-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000.  Place: San Diego; Date: 5 Mar 1981; Social Security: 521106701.

Notes for Hazel Essler

Birth & Death:  Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.  Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi

1900 US Census:  Year: 1900; Census Place: St Paul Ward 2, Ramsey, Minnesota; Roll: T623 783; page: 3A; Enumeration District: 76.

Notes for Gertrude Queen Seccombe

Birth & Death:  Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.  Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi

1900 US Census:  Year: 1900; Census Place: Denver, Arapahoe, Colorado; Roll: 118; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0063; FHL microfilm: 1240118.  Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

1910 US Census:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Denver Ward 8, Denver, Colorado; Roll: T624_115; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0104; FHL microfilm: 1374128.  Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

1920 US Census:  Year: 1920; Census Place: Denver, Denver, Colorado; Roll: T625_162; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 296; Image: 1026.  Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

1930 US Census:  Year: 1930; Census Place: Denver, Denver, Colorado; Roll: 237; Page: 24A; Enumeration District: 0118; Image: 1055.0; FHL microfilm: 2339972.  Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.