In this post, an extensive look at Clark and Marie Drown's obituaries will be done to help put together their lives. This will help find the correct siblings and parents of Clark Drown.
Clark died on the 30th of August 1942. A search in the Elko, Nevada Daily Free Press Newspaper resulted in a prominent heading announcing the death of Clark Drown. In the 1940s not every death made headlines. Only those who were in high standing in the community could have their obituary reach headline status in the local paper.
The first paragraph in Clark’s obituary indicated why he received a headlining obituary. It said "prominent resident, rancher, died". The article later said that "at age 19 he came to the Lee community in Elko county to engage in ranching with his brother Calvin”. The U.S. Census for the South Fork region in Elko County indicated a C. E. Drown living with a brother by the name of C. A. Drown. The territory of Nevada became a state in 1864 and Clark’s obituary said he was 19 when coming to Nevada; Clark would have arrived in Nevada in 1873 or 1874 depending on the time of year. Clark was among the first settlers within the first ten years of Nevada’s statehood and was also one of the first ranchers in the area. This helped him to become well established and profit from the sale of livestock, food, and trade. These are just a few of the reasons Clark had such a high standing in the community and received such a large headline at the time of his death.
Marie Drown’s obituary said that she was a long time member of the Presbyterian church and Clark’s obituary indicated that his funeral would be held at a Presbyterian church. This is a good indication that the Drowns were Presbyterian. Clark’s obituary stated that he was “One of a Family of 10.” Unfortunately this also leaves the reader to wonder if the family consisted of two adults and eight children, or simply a family with ten children? Clark’s obituary also indicated that he was the last of all his siblings to pass away.
Marie’s obituary implied that she and Clark were married in Michigan but Clark’s obituary clearly indicated that they were married in North Dakota; an earlier post goes over this in much more detail. There are several other pieces of significant information in Clark’s obituary such as his death date and birth date. The obituary is important because it is one of the only sources that gives his entire birth date and it also speaks of him going back to North Dakota to visit family. It also gives an account of the many times he moved within the state of Nevada after retiring, as well as some insight into his early dealings when he came to Nevada. Overall, obituaries are among some of my favorite sources because of the great insight and information they give. Don't forget to find your ancestors’ obituaries.
Marie’s obituary implied that she and Clark were married in Michigan but Clark’s obituary clearly indicated that they were married in North Dakota; an earlier post goes over this in much more detail. There are several other pieces of significant information in Clark’s obituary such as his death date and birth date. The obituary is important because it is one of the only sources that gives his entire birth date and it also speaks of him going back to North Dakota to visit family. It also gives an account of the many times he moved within the state of Nevada after retiring, as well as some insight into his early dealings when he came to Nevada. Overall, obituaries are among some of my favorite sources because of the great insight and information they give. Don't forget to find your ancestors’ obituaries.
That is so great that your ancestor had an obituary! As you said, they were really only for those who were prominent or wealthy in an area. Obituaries can give a ton of useful genealogical information. Glad you were able to find some about your ancestors!
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