Individual Details

I found a World War I Draft Registration Card for Joseph Leroy Chamberlain, age 21, lived at 103 Garrison, Ft. Smith, AR. He was born 11 Sep 1896 (or 1895) in Chicago. He was employed as the house man at a billiard parlor. His employer was J. O. Clayton at 512 Garrison. He was supporting his grandmother and his wife. He had served as a Private in the Arkansas National Guard, U.S.Army for 3 months. He was of medium height, slender, blue eyes, light hair. Signed: Joseph L. Chamberlain, dated 13 Sep 1917.

I found the marriage record.18 Apr 1917, Joseph L. Chamberlain, b. 1896, age 21, of Ft. Smith, Sebastian Co AR, married Maurine Dixon, b. 1899, age 18, also of Ft. Smith.They married in CRAWFORD Co, across the bridge over the Arkansas River - not in Ft. Smith. So she WAS the wife mentioned in the Draft Registration. Maureen lied about her age - she was born 11 Mar 1901 - that's the date she gave when she applied for her social security number and the date on her death certificate. And her parents said she was "eight" in 1910. Of course the bride had to be 18 to marry in Arkansas without parents' permission.
Here's the time line.
Married 18 Apr 1917
Registered for the Draft, 13 Sep 1917
Joe was born 2 Mar 1918


Online I found an Ashley database. Aden Jones Ashley and his wife Sarah Anna Campbell, had a daughter Olive, b. 13 Aug 1876 in Illinois. The database stated that Olive had married Joseph Leroy Chamberlain, b. about 1875 and they had a son Joseph Leroy Jr. born 11 Sep 1896 in Kansas, a date, if not the place, that matches the above World War I draft registration. In 1920, Anna Ashley, age 69, a widow and mother-in-law, was living in the hotel run by her son-in-law John H. Jones and her daughter Bertha in Ft. Smith. The address of the hotel was 103 Garrison Avenue, the same address given in the World War I draft registration, and Anna Ashley would have been his grandmother.

Here is the Ashley family:

1870 Census. Carthage, Hancock Co IL, Hh 325
Aden J. Ashley, age 27, carpenter b. KY
Ann, age 21, b. KY
John B., 11 months, b. IL

1880 Census. Emporia, Lyon Co KS, Hh 255
Aden J. Ashley, age 35, carpenter, b. PA
Sarah A., 31, wife, b. KY
John W., 10, son, b. IL
Bertha M., 8, dau, b. IL
Olla, 4, dau, b. IL
Baby, 4 months, son, b. KS

1900 Jackson, Lyon Co, Kansas, Hh 109
John S. Jones, b. Aug 1858, age 41, married 7 years, b. WI, parents b. Wales
Bertha M., wife, b. Feb 1873, age 27, 3 ch, b. IL, parents b. KY
Joy O., son, b. Apr 1894, age 6, b. KS
Ralf A., son, b. Oct 1895, age 4, b. KS
Hellen O., dau, b. Feb 1897, age 3, b. KS
Edwin Ashley, bro-in-law, b. Jun 1880, age 19, b. KS
[I have not been able to find Aden and Sarah Anna in 1900. Nor any trace of Joseph & Olive and their four-year-old son. He may already have been living with his grandparents.]

1910 Census. Kansas City Ward 4, Jackson Co MO
Oddin J. Ashley, age 69, married 1 time for 39 years, b. KY, parents b. NC, architect
S. Anna, wife, age 61, 5 children - 3 are living, b. KY, father b. VA, mother b. IL
Joseph L. Chamberlin, grandson, age 13, b. IL, parents b. IN
[There is a note in the database. Olive died, and the dad took off.]

Here is the grandmother, living with a daughter in Ft. Smith in 1920 - at the address that Joseph Leroy gave on his Draft Registration.
1920 Census. Upper Township, Fort Smith, Sebastian Co, AR, Hh 10, 103 Garrison Ave
John H. Jones, age 60, b. Wisconsin, father b. Wales, mother b. Canada. Proprietor, Hotel
Bertha, wife, age 48, b. IL, parents b. KY
Odin, son, age 25, b. KS, father b. WI, mother b. IL, Proprietor, Candy Store
Helene, dau-in-law, age 15, b. AR, father b. PA, mother b. AR
Helen Bentley, dau, age 23, b. KS
Cecil Bentley, son-in-law, age 22, b. KS, baker
Helen May, Grand daughter, age 3, b. AR, parents b. KS
Anna Ashley, mother-in-law, age 69, Widow, b. KY, father b. VA, mother b. IL
after that there are several people listed as "Help" followed by the roomers.

Found in Crawford Co, AR Marriages on FamilySearch:
Marriage License issued to Jas L. Chamberlain of Ft. Smith, Sebastian Co, AR, age 24 and Edna White of Ft. Smith, age 17 on 9 Nov 1920. They were married the same day by Gilliam C. Yoes.

1925 Iowa State Census [This census was very informative - across two pages, stating parnets' names, etc.]
Des Moines, Ward 4, Polk Co, Iowa, Lines 96-98
Joseph L. Chamberlain, Head, 28, renting $55 per month. Checked in had attended college or university for 1 year. Born in Illinois. His father was Joseph L. Chamberlain, born in England. His mother was Olive E. Ashley born in Kansas. They were married in Chicago, IL
Edna Chamberlain, wife, 22, attended high school through grade 11. She was born in California. Her father was Ivey White, b. AR; her mother was Alice Freeman, b. VA. They were married in Ft. Smith, AR
Joseph Chamberlain, son, 3, born in Arkansas. (in 1922). Father, Joseph Chamberlain, b. IL, age 28. Mother, Edna White, b. CA, age 22. Married Van Buren, AR

Could this be the man in 1930? Rooming house, Los Angeles, CA
LeRoy Chamberlain, age 36, b. Kansas, father b. Illinois, mother b. Kentucky; foreman at the quarrie shop.

Application for Social Security Number. Dated 26 Jan 1937.
Joseph Leroy Chamberlain
1111 S. Wabash St., Chicago, Illinois
Not employed
Age 41. Born Sept 11, 1895, Chicago, Ill.
Father: Joseph Leroy Chamberlain (dead)
Mother: Olive Ashley (dead)
Signed: Joe Chamberlain

And does this belong to the same man? Like the social security number application, the year of birth is off by one year, but it seems a real stretch for two men to have the same name and be born on the same day.
World War II Draft Registration Card, 4th Registration
Joseph Leroy Chamberlain
Residence and mailing address: 1824 Lincoln Park West, Chicago, Cook Co, Illinois
age 46, born 11 Sep 1895, Chicago.
No telephone; not employed
Contact: Richard Weissman, 1824 Lincoln Park West, Chicago.
He was White, 5'8", 140 lbs. Gray eyes, brown hair, light brown complexion.
Dated April 27, 1942. Chicago Board.

And then in the Social Security Death Index: Joseph Chamberlain, born 11 Sep 1895, died Mar 1967, age 71 in Los Angeles, CA; Social Security number issued in Illinois.
Buried in Grand View Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles Co, CA is a Joseph Chamberlain whose grave is unmarked; no dates available. Memorial# 47484387. Impossible to know if this might be his grave, but it is likely.

Is this the same man?
Thursday, June 1, 1944 Paper: San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune (San Luis Obispo, California) Page: 8 "Drunken Driving Fines Imposed"
Joseph L. Chamberlain and Frank Burrows of San Luis Obispo were fined $15 each for drunkenness charges.

1950 Census. Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co, CA
Hh V53, City Jail
Joseph Chamberlin, 54, Divorced, b. Illinois

Birth	11 Sep 1896	Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Marriage	28 Apr 1917	Crawford County, Arkansas - Alice Maurine Dixon
Marriage	9 Nov 1920	Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas - Edna White
Death	Mar 1967	Los Angeles County, California
Divorce		Edna White

Spouse	Alice Maurine Dixon (1901 - 1987)
Child	Joseph Eugene McKim (1918 - 1979)

Spouse	Edna White (1901 - 1970)
Child	Joseph Ashley Chamberlain (1921 - 1943)

Father	Joseph Leroy Chamberlain (1875 - )
Mother	Olive Ashley (1876 - 1898)