Weldon Family Hostories
C - L
Names In Alpha Order
The Costley Family
Charles (Charlie) Costley was born in 1874, died in 1934. While in Weldon, he married
Mary Gray, daughter of William and Harriet Gray who lived in one side of the old Opera
House for awhile, when their children were small. He ran the movie projector then; with the
help of his son Bill, later. A daughter, Leila, sang frequently, and was accompanied by Sarah
Montgomery at the piano. A daughter, Thelma, worked as telephone operator, another
daughter, Fern, played the violin and taught school In the Weldon area for several years.
Mary Costley, wife of Charles, was a practical nurse for Dr. Luther Marvel in Weldon, for
several years, before the Costleys moved to Clinton, Illinois. Then she became probation
officer. "Charlie" was Special Detective for the railroad yards there, and later became Chief
of Police until his death.
Their daughter, Thelma, (1899-1966) moved to Arizona and went into the restaurant business
with her husband Melvin Peterson.
Fern (1897-1935) married a Frank Richey and lived in DeWitt County.
William, (1899-1933) worked his whole life at the railroad yards in Clinton; starting at the
age of fourteen, when he fibbed about his age.
Leila (born 1902) and younger sister, Geneva (1907 - 1968) went into the photographic
business in Peoria, Illinois as portrait color artists and retouchers. Geneva married a Walter
Owens. Leila married a Fred Moon and lives with her husband in Paramount, California.
Her son, George, lives nearby.
Davenport Family
The first Davenport that we have knowledge of was a bound out boy in County Cork, Ireland.
The year is not known, as it was just told from family to family as the years passed by.
We do not know his given name, just that he worked in a place where cloth was made -- the
story said silk, but it may not have been, but somehow he spoiled a bolt of it and ran away to
keep from being punish. He somehow got on a boat, but a storm came up and he was on an
island (near the coast of Ireland we think) about six months before he finally got to America.
From there he or his descendants finally got down to Casey County, Kentucky.
Finally, at least part of the family came to DeWitt County, Illinois. It is not known whether
Isaiah Davenport was born in Kentucky or not, but it is kwon that he was a resident of
Illinois before he was of legal age. He was twice married. He and his first wife had eleven,
of which only the following names are known: Lucy Henson and Hug Davenport both of
Lane, Illinois; William of Wichita, Kansas, Jeremiah Davenport and a Mrs. Jackson of Lane.
No doubt some died while quite young.
Miss Jane Spainhour of Lane became the second Mrs. Davenport, who became a real mother
to the older children. She was also the mother of eleven children,. the following names of
which are known: Laura Bell of Lane; Goldman of Iowa; Green of Mulkeytown, Illinois,
Gabriel of Cisco (later Weldon); and Nan Sutton of Cerro Gordo.
Jeremiah "Jerry" Davenport was born on February 10, 1839. He married Sarah Henson who
was born March 15, 1839. Mrs. Davenport's brother, Joe Henson was already married to Mr.
Davenport's sister, Lucy, and were the parents of a daughter Nan who married Wad Graham.
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Davenport were just 20 years old when they married and to this union
were born five children, three boys and two girls. The oldest child, a boy named Sydney
Gabriel, died quite suddenly in the night when only 17 months old from choking from croup
or something.
The family moved then to Eagleville, Missouri where they had bought a small 40 acre farm.
A cousin, Abe Davenport, married one of Mrs. Davenport's sisters and they too bought a
small farm in Missouri and moved to Fagleville with them.
On September 20, 1860 Laura Jane Davenport mother of Mrs. Sylvia Barclay, was born. It
wasn't long until the Civil War made life unbearable for the family. Finally, Jeremiah and
Abe joined the Union Army and leaving most of their possessions behind brought their
families to Illinois until the war was over. Cameron, the son of Jerry and Sarah, was two
years old before his father returned from the war and saw him for the first time.
Cameron Davenport married Maggie Lane and were the parents of two sons and two
daughters, all now deceased. One of the daughters, Fairy, married Gilbert Crossan and were
the parents of Ernest Crossan. Mrs. Crossan passed away when Ernest was only three years
old and he made his home with his grandparents, the Jerry Davenports.
Laura Jane Davenport married Luther Carlton Dillavou and were the parents of four children.
Gerald, the oldest, was born in 1880; Earl was born in 1882; Estella was born in 1884; and
Sylvia Barclay was born December 11, 1888. Mrs. Dillavou became ill when Sylvia was
three months old and passed away before she way a year old. The Jerry Davenport, Sylvia's
grandparents, made a home for her too.
John Davenport, the youngest of the family, was married to Libbie Johnson. When their
daughter Maude was two weeks old he passed away. Libbie and Maude made their home
with the Jerry Davenports, her husband's parents, until she married William Cox. Mr. and
Mrs. Cox were the parents of three daughters, namely: Viva Cline, June Newman and Flossie
Deeters.
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Davenport moved to Weldon in about 1890 where they resided the rest of
their lives. Mr. Davenport was in the 35th Missouri Union Army. He was blind for about
eight years after his discharge, six months of this time was spent in a Chicago hospital for the
blind. Later he was able to see and even read.
Estella Dillavou Henesse, Sylvia Dillavou Barclay and Maude Davenport Hall are the only
surviving grandchildren of the Jerry Davenport.
DILLAVOU FAMILY
In the later part of 1790 a Dillavou man and his wife, given names not know, started over the
Atlantic Ocean From France to make their home in America. Before they reached America a
son, John, was born in 1791. They settled in Salem County, New Jersey, but the father was
seem killed by a horse kicking him and the widow and baby were left alone in a strange
;land. Nothing more is known about the widow, but the son lived to be the ancestor of all the
Dillavous in America!
He married a widow, Rebecca Roberts, who was quite young with a small son Samuel who
was born in 1807, Samuel took the name of Dillavou. William Robert Dillavou who was
born December 3, 1810 was the oldest natural born Dillavou to this couple. They were the
parents of four more boys and five girls. When they had five children they moved by wagon,
no dought with oxen, over the Allegheny Mountains to Ohio. They lived there for about
twelve years, then to Indiana near Crawfordsville. It is
thought that the youngest son was born in Indiana and the other children in Ohio.
William Robert Dillavou married Jane Lyttle in Indiana in 1830. They and at least three of
Mr. Dillavou's brothers came to Illinois in 1850. Their mother had died in 1843 and their
father went on to Seneca, Kansas with one of their sisters, where he died December 6, 1868
at the age of 78 years.
William Dillavou, known to everyone as Uncle Billy Dillavou, settled near Weldon, Illinois.
He was a small man with a long white beard. His wife Jane died in 1954 and later he married
Maria Johnston Parker who was born in Pennsylvania in 1815 and the widow of David
Parker. She and her husband had lived in Ohio and later moved to Illinois. She was left with
five children: Nancy Parker McNair, Marguerite Parker McDeed, Mary Parker Dillavou
(married her step-brother, John Dillavou). Nathan
Parker and David Parker, Jr. It is so happened that Billy Dillavou and Mrs. Parker lived just
a mile across the field from each other. They were married and were the parents of a son,
Luther Dillavou. Mr. Dillavou joined the Union Army when he was past 50 years old. In
1892 his wife Maria died and about two years later at the age of 80 he married a widow, Mrs.
Klegg. He passed away in 1909.
Luther Carlton Dillavou was born at Weldon on September 21, 1858 and passed away in
Iowa in 1935. His first wife was Laura Davenport and they were the parents of the following
children: Gerald Orville Dillavou who was born November 9, 1880; Earl Cameron Dillavou -
July 15, 1882; Fairy Estella Dillavou Henessee - October 9, 1884; and Sylvia Viola Dillavou
Barclay - December 29, 1898. After
Mrs. Dillavou's death her husband married Hannah Jackson, a cousin of the first Mrs.
Dillavou and they were the parents of the following children: Edgar Carlton Dillavou
February 1891; William Edman Dillavou - June 26, 1893: Orne Carson Dillavou - January
18, 1895, Aaron Parker Dillavou - May 3, 1897 and died May 4, 1901; and Edna Lillian
Dillavou Lite - December 29, 1899 and died January 7, 1931. Mr. Dillavou had 12
grandsons named Dillavou to carry on the name. He also had six other grandsons and seven
grand-daughters who lived to maturity.
Clifford Ray Dobbs Family
Clifford Ray Dobbs was born March 20, 1937 at Cisne, Illinois, the son of Maggie and
Clifford A. Dobbs. Connie Perkins Dobbs was born Jane 2, 1942 at Clinton, Illinois, the
daughter of Lena and John Perkins. Clifford Dobbs came to Weldon as a driver's education
teacher and football coach in August of 1960 and lived with Carsie Wilsons. Connie Perkins
Dobbs moved to Weldon in 1960 living on the Tolbert Heller farm with her parents, the John
Perkins.
Cliff and Connie met at school activities in the fall of 1960 and were married on April 1,
1961 during Easter vacation. Their first home in Weldon was the Ira James property on
Main Street, three houses west of Route 48. While living at this house two sons were born,
namely; Curtis Wayne on November 27, 1961, and Jerry Russell on December 30, 1962.
The Dobbs then moved to the first floor apartment of the apartment house owned by Mrs.
Juanita Kreigsman on January 1, 1963 where they lived until April 1966. During this time a
daughter, Paula Renee, was born July 17, 1965.
In April 1966 the Dobbs bought Mrs. Mary Railsback's home on the southwest corner of
Chestnut and Water Streets where they still reside. After moving there another daughter,
Valerie Ann, was born August 1, 1968. So as of the year of 1972 the Dobbs are the parents
of two sons and two daughters.
Cliff is still a teacher and coach at the DeLand-Weldon High School and has managed the
summer swimming program at the high school pool each summer. The Dobbs have been
active in Cub Scouts and Cliff has helped with Little League. They belong to the Christian
Church at DeLand but attend the Weldon United Methodist Church.
Eugene Lowery History
Parents of Evelyn Baker Lowery were Wm. T. Baxer, born January 23, 1881--- died January 21,
1967, in rural Weldon, Illinois. Wm. was a native of Weldon, Illinois and a son of James
and Mary Baker, who settled In this area from Lincolnshire, England, Wm. farmed In the Shiloh
community for forty years and owned one hundred and twenty acres of ground one-half mile east
of the Shiloh Church. Lydea Jane McMurtry was born September 21, 1880 In Beoneville, Indiana
--- died August 1951. She was a school teacher in Bloomington where she met Wm. Baker when he
was working as a streetcar conductor at twenty-one years of age. They were married June 20,
1906 In Bloomington, Illinois and moved as bride and groom to the Shiloh community and lived
until 1942 when they retired and bought a home in Weldon, Illinois where- they lived until
their death. Lydea also taught at the Wantwood School in the Shiloh area.
Lucile Baker Weinard was born August 24, 1912 and is the only sister of Evelyn Baker Lowery.
She married Raymond Weinard June 15, 1938. Iley bought a farm at Rossville, Illinois and took
residence there where they reared their three children --- Marilyn, Garold and Bruce Welnard.
They still live there.
Evelyn was born August 25, 1917 and Eugene was born March 10, 1910 and they were married
June 8, 19* at the homestead in Shiloh community. Evelyn Is a school Coacher. Teaching her
beginning years at Prairie View School southeast of Weldon and then to the Weldon system when
consolidation came for nine years in kindergarden. For the past ten years, she has been a
second grade teacher in the Clinton, Illinois system. Eugene Lowery was reared in
Bloomington-Normal vicinity. He was a foreman on the C. and A. railroad when he married
Evelyn. 7bey soon came to the Weldon area where Eugene began farming. They now own the 120
acres --- Wm. T. Baker home farm. In 1969 Eugene retired from farming and became active in
insurance. At present he is an Incorporator and will serve as District Manager - for the
Sterling National Life Insurance Co. of Decatur, Illinois. The Lowerys have always been very
active In civic and community affairs and expect to continue to be. Evelyn being a lifetime
resident of the Weldon vicinity can relate and remember the progressive steps in our area,
many of which she took part In to help reach the accomplishments. Each member of the family
have enjoyed some part in seeing one hundred years of memories celebrated in the Centennial.
Evelyn and Eugene have five children. Four are married at this writing.
1. Carolyn Jane born December 24, 1940 and Is married to Donald Sennhenn on June 5, 1965.
They own their home and live in Maroa, Illinois. They have three children. Alica Lynn Dragoo
born April 27, 1964 ---- Donette Irene born April 15, 1966 and Lawrence Eugene born November
6, 1967. Carolyn was a dental nurse by profession until she was married. Donald is a
machinist at Caterpillar Tractor Co., Decatur, Illinois.
2. William Eugene born December 10, 1942 and was married to Sara Bailey September 3, 1961.
They have three children. Heidle Rae born May 1, 1964 ---- William Todd born January 15, 1966
and Ace Joshua born April 3, 1973. Bill is a traveling Evangelist and is preparing to make his
sixth trip abroad to work behind the Iron Curtain preaching and singing the gospel. Bill
served three years in the U. S. Army. In 1972 Bill purchased the Weldon Grade School
as home base for "Christ Is the Answer Crusade". Many hundreds of young people from all
over the United States are a part of the movement.
3. Dennis Lynn Lowery, born January 25, 1948 and married Toni Beck of Weldon, Illinois on
December 23, 1964. They have two children. Troy Alan born June 1, 1965 and Tracy Lynn born
June 16, 1967. Dennis is a detailed draftsman at Caterpillar Tractor Co., Decatur, Illinois.
They are residents of Decatur, Illinois.
4. Douglas Neil Lowery was born April 6,1951 and married Rosemary Davis June 8, 1969. They
have one daughter - - Rebecca Lynn born July 26, 1972. Douglas is a minister of the Gospel
and was graduated from Ministerial College In 1973 and is an assistant pastor and music
director at Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church, Decatur, Illinois. They reside In Argenta,
Illinois.
Jeanene Eloise Lowery was born November 23, 1956. Jeanene is a senior at Deland-Weldon High
School. The entire family have been educated in the Weldon School system. All have been very
active in music and in community affairs.