"Iowa, Marriage Records, 1880-1937," volume 338, p. 2-9, entry 666; digital image, Ancestry (Ancestry.com: accessed 1 October 2016).
After Susannah died, Laura, Susannah's sister, stepped in to help John raise Susannah's children: Robert, James, Emma, Ida, and John (who was two at the time of his mother's death). John married Laura Baker the 23 December 1886 in Adams County, Iowa. Laura was also previously a mother to Samuel Gourley (son of John) and Charles Acton by 1886. [1] John and Laura always spent the winter months in Pomona, Los Angeles, California with John's sister and brother-in-law, William and Rachel Stewart. John and Laura built a home there to escape the Wyoming cold. According to my grandfather, Jack Gourley, John went to Alaska with William and Rachel for the Klondike Gold Rush. John came home before William and Rachel struck it rich.
[1] 1880 U.S. Census of Douglas, Adams, Iowa, ED 9, p. 142A; digital image, Ancestry (Ancestry.com: accessed 1 October 2016).
Wasn't Laura Married to a Francis Acton before she married John Gourley? Laura had two son's with Francis One is Samuel which Samuel go's by Gourley, Do you know why Samuel went from Acton to Gourley. Samuel is my great grandfather and John is my gg grandfather.
ReplyDeleteI am basing my research off what took place legally. I don't know whose son Samuel is biologically. The dates and such make sense that Samuel would be Francis (Frank) Acton's biological son. However, on Samuel's marriage record, Samuel lists John Gourley as his father, and Samuel obviously goes by Gourley even while Frank Acton is still living. It's possible that Samuel went by Gourley and considered John his father because John raised him. It's also possible that John was his biological father. I think the only way that Samuel's biological father can be proven is through a Y-DNA test.
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