Edward Dennison and Oceanna Walburt Hicks
Edward Dennison Hicks was born in California, Kentucky 17 Feb 1851. He was the son of John C Hicks, and a Native American woman named Irene sometimes called RENA. We don't have a last name for Irene, because she was (supposedly) Native American. But, shows as white in the census records. The only John C Hicks I can find is in the 1850 Census record for California area is 17 in that census.
Ed's Father was killed on a boat explosion on the river, don't know where he was coming from or if he and Irene were coming somewhere else when it blew up. Ed was born a few months after his fathers death.
Irene was listed in the 1860 census as 39 and somewhere in that 10 year period 1850 - 1860 she remarried to a man whose last name was Stewart we think the first name was Thomas. In the 3 sets of census records 1860 1870 1880, and in you website under a listing of post office residence for 1860 Irene Stewart. Estimated birth year 1821-1823 last census shows her as 55.
Irene had a 2nd son named Charles Stewart born ca 1854. he is in all 3 census as well along with Ed. Charlie is in the 1880 census with his wife and children Harvey, Edward and and Infant son, 1 month old. In 1870 census Ed is 20 and listed as a tobacconist. He was also a trader on the Ohio river and deal in bituminous coal and scrap iron. He married Oceanna Walbert Young, August 1, 1877, her bond paid by her uncle Peter Young. Ed was 28 and Ocie was 27.
Ocie's father George Mansfield Young was a constable, her mother was Leannah Littleton (Mitchell) Young, the daughter of James Mitchell and Katherine Beagle Bever Mitchell). Ocies, grandfather was Robert Thomas Young Jr. who was married to Nancy Calvert . Nancy Calvert, one of the descendants of the Virginia Calverts (Leonard Calvert, 1st Lord Governor of Baltimore MD.
Ed Hicks, in the few years before taking his family to West Virginia had to go as far as Maysville to sell scrap iron and support his family. During one of these trips he found his father's sister (Margaret) he couldn't stay then because he had deliveries to make (all creditors were paid on his way back what was left was for him and family). He told Margaret he would be back soon and would love to know more about her and the family. But Margaret was dead when he got there again.
Ed took his whole family to West Virginia on a packet boat around 1897. Clara shows in Charleston, West Virginia census of 1900 as age 6. Kanawha County.
Children of Edward Dennison Hicks and Oceann Walbert Young
1. Arthur
Sinclair Hicks 1879-1967; m-Teressa Sweeney
2. Viola Bertha Hicks 1882-1973; m-Charles Morin whose grandfather was a
founding father of Alexandria.
3. Howard Houghton Hicks-born 1887
4. Virgie M Hicks-born 1881; m-Ralph Chapman
5, Dennis Jefferson Hicks 1884-1939
6. Louella Verma Hicks 1889-1971; m-an Ellis
7. Clara Louise Hicks 1894-1978
Children of Arthur Sinclair Hicks and Teressa Sweeney
1. Arthur
Hicks Jr. Arthur had an orchestra and one of his band members went on to greater
fame (HARRY JAMES)
2. Edward Dennison Hicks
Clara Louise Hicks was my Grandmother. She married Lawrence Carr Davidson and had 3 children, Lorena, Harold, and My mom Doris Ann "Jackie". Clara's 2nd marriage was to David Bernard Crockett. Lorena died in 1980 and is buried in Grandview as Lorena Dennedy and Clara as Clara Crockett, and Louella as Louella Ellis . Viola Morin and her husband Charles and their daughter Marceline Morin Hales and her husband James Hales; Con and Quindora Daniels. (Quindora is Ocies Sister) they raised Mattie V, Kersey Daniels Rouse, and her husband Carlos. Mattie was raised my Con and Quinn.
Dennis Jefferson Hicks was a baseball player in West Virginia CHARLESTON SENATORS was a farmer and a real tough, but tender hearted man. He died unmarried at 55. Grandmother always said that Dennis was in two big knife fights in his life and both times was deeply cut on both sides (left side one fight right side 2nd fight) and still won the fights.
I found one of Charles Stewart's kids, Edward with his wife Chury and kids Gladys, Herman in West Virginia. He grew up close to my grandmother. Ed for some reason, the family says, was fairly closed mouth about his relationship with his mother and brother.
This was written by my grandmother (Clara Louise Hicks) about her father, Ed Hicks.
Around 1897 he was a merchant, he had 7 boats the ran up and down Kanawha the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and back, trading goods and tobacco and scrap iron. This was a smart ideas since stores were few and far between. One day he had spoken to one of his old customers, in Maysville, KY, and was told that an old lady Last name "Hicks" that had recently come from West Virginia, was looking for her brother. When he arrived at her place she had scrap to sell, and Ed was going to buy it.
As he came to the door of the one room log and old lady was sitting there when she looked up she said to him "Why you are John Hicks boy, you are the living image of him, he was my brother." After talking with her briefly he found out her name was Margaret Hicks. She had come to Kentucky looking for him (John) from Virginia.
Ed had a large load of scrap iron to sell and when he came back he would pick her up and bring with him. Sadly on his return trip he found out she had died of pneumonia. Ed’s father John Hicks had died on a tow boat that blew up on the Mississippi river, all the crew was killed.