Louis Orville Graham
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Louis Orville Graham |
Louis was the youngest child of Walter and Anna (Harding) Graham. He was born October 27, 1903 in Sebastian County, Arkansas, near Hartford. "Teddy" Roosevelt was president, the Panama Canal was in the works, and in December the Wright Brothers first flew their airplane at Kittyhawk.
 Louis & Helen - 1924 |
Louis' mother died when he was nine and he was sent to Pittsburg, Kansas to be raised by his sister, Mamie, who had married Luther Spessard. Louis moved to Fort Scott, Kansas in 1924, where he found work and became a boarder in the home of John and Ethel Briggs. As time passed, Louis found himself left more often with the Briggs' daughter, Helen. Louis was persuasive and helen was infatuated. Nature took its course and, in the later half of that year, Helen found herself pregnant. Helen was in love, but Louis felt trapped and that he had to do the honorable thing. Louis and Helen were married at Fort Scott in a civil ceremony on December 15, 1924. Louis was twenty-one, Helen eighteen. Their son, Kenneth Lee, was born April 15, 1925. Three more sons were born over the next six years: Robert Alford in 1926, Harold Keith in 1929, and Billy Joe in 1931. At first Louis and Helen lived together as Louis worked the coal fields around Fort Scott. Their second son, Robert, had been born in Arma, a few miles south. However, the mariage was rocky and they separated often. |
When Helen found herself pregnant with Billy Joe, Louis left for the last time, promising a divorce as soon as possible. When Billy was born, Louis wouldn't even go to see his new son at the hospital. sometime between Billy's birth and 1936 Louis and Helen were divorced.
Louis married Nell Gust at Columbus, Kansas on January 2, 1936. Louis became a bus driver for Continental Trailways and moved to Wichita, Kansas.
Although Louis didn't see much of his sons over the years, he loved them very much and kept track of their lives and the families they started.
Louis remained with Continental Trailways until his retirement, at which point he and Nell moved to Arcadia, Kansas. He remained there until his death on February 13, 1974. He was buried in the Sheffield Cemetery. It is unknown when Nell died. Helen died two years later, always believing that one day he would come back to her.
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