Individual Details
Louis Albert "Albert" Duval
(3 Jul 1886 - 12 Mar 1948)
Louis Albert Duval was born in Osage City, Kansas July 3, 1886. He married Elvira Mack when he was 20. Their marriage license was obtained in Larned Sept 1906, and said both Albert and Elivira were from Rozel. He worked for the railroad as a Station Agent, where his duties included being the cashier, operating the telegraph, and freight agent. His job took him to various Kansas' towns along the railroad. Macksville, Lewis, Dillwyn, Kinsley, Belvidere, Pratt are all mentioned.
Macksville Enterprise (Macksville, Kansas) Fri, May 21, 1909, Page 6
Misses Celia and Hazle Guizlo spent the week-end with their cousin Albert Duval and family at Lewis.
Macksville Enterprise (Macksville, Kansas) Fri, Jul 12, 1912, Page 8
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Duvall came up from Kinsley Sunday morning for a day's visit with his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Guizlo. Mr. Duvall used to be here several years ago working at the depot and later worked at Dillwyn. He is freight agent at Kinsley now.
Their two sons, Howard and Clyde, arrived during the next few years. In 1912 Howard was born in Kinsley, Edwards Co., about nine miles west of Lewis, and Clyde lists Belvidere, Kansas as his birthplace in 1913. Belvidere, Kiowa Co., was a shipping point on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. By 1917, the family was in Pratt, Pratt Co., Kansas where Albert registered for WWI. Next, sometime before 1920, the family moved to Fort Collins, Colorado. He lists his occupation there in the 1920 censusas a Railroad Cashier.
As time went by, something changed and wasn't well between Louis and his wife. A letter sent to his sister Adele complained of "a life of hell." We can only speculate on the couple's problems, but whatever they were, Louis choose to abandon his wife and sons sometime after the February 1920 census. As far as I know, relatives never saw him again, though they kept in touch with his wife and children. No information was given on why he felt that way and where he disappeared to. He became the "runaway uncle" in family stories, and one family rumor even had him going to South America. Elvira moved to Arizona with her two boys and after a long span of no news, she had him declared dead around 1929, freeing her to marry again. Sometime before 1940 she married John O Renner. Howard and Clyde married, but never had any children.
The mystery of Albert's disappearance wasn't solved until March of 2013, when to my amazement a descendant of his second family contacted me. With her information, I've added more of his story.
Louis hardly went as far as South America, he either went back to Kansas or northeast to Nebraska. Previously, while working as a railroad telegrapher, he had met Adah Myrle Lane. They probably were having an affair before his disappearance, as Albert was with Elvira in Feb, 1920 and his marriage certificate with Adah is in September 1920. Since Albert wasn't divorced from Elvira, this second marriage wasn't technically legal, but both claimed to be single. Her descendant told me that Adah knew about his abandoned wife and sons.
Adah is shown living with her parents in Castleton, Reno Co., Kansas during the 1910 census. In 1920, her parents were in Allen Co. Kansas, but she is not with them. Louis and Adah's marriage was in Nuckolls Co., Nebraska. On their marriage certificate he lists his residence as Beatrice, Gage Co., Nebraska, and she lists Concordia, Cloud Co., Kansas.
After their marriage the couple settled to the east of Kansas in Missouri, where he continued to be employed by the railroad. They had one son, Donald Dee, in December of 1925. Louis changed the spelling his name to Lewis sometime after he married again. Both later census records and his tombstone use Lewis. He said it was because he didn't like being called "Louise," probably when people mispronounced the French version of his name. In 1930 and 1940 the family are living in La Plata, Missouri, where he lists his occupation as a telegrapher for the railroad and post master. While at the railroad he took a law correspondence course through the University of Chicago. He passed the bar in Missouri and became an attorney. He then ran for and was elected prosecuting attorney.
Lewis A. Duval died in 1948 and is buried in the LaPlata Cemetery.
Macksville Enterprise (Macksville, Kansas) Fri, May 21, 1909, Page 6
Misses Celia and Hazle Guizlo spent the week-end with their cousin Albert Duval and family at Lewis.
Macksville Enterprise (Macksville, Kansas) Fri, Jul 12, 1912, Page 8
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Duvall came up from Kinsley Sunday morning for a day's visit with his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Guizlo. Mr. Duvall used to be here several years ago working at the depot and later worked at Dillwyn. He is freight agent at Kinsley now.
Their two sons, Howard and Clyde, arrived during the next few years. In 1912 Howard was born in Kinsley, Edwards Co., about nine miles west of Lewis, and Clyde lists Belvidere, Kansas as his birthplace in 1913. Belvidere, Kiowa Co., was a shipping point on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. By 1917, the family was in Pratt, Pratt Co., Kansas where Albert registered for WWI. Next, sometime before 1920, the family moved to Fort Collins, Colorado. He lists his occupation there in the 1920 censusas a Railroad Cashier.
As time went by, something changed and wasn't well between Louis and his wife. A letter sent to his sister Adele complained of "a life of hell." We can only speculate on the couple's problems, but whatever they were, Louis choose to abandon his wife and sons sometime after the February 1920 census. As far as I know, relatives never saw him again, though they kept in touch with his wife and children. No information was given on why he felt that way and where he disappeared to. He became the "runaway uncle" in family stories, and one family rumor even had him going to South America. Elvira moved to Arizona with her two boys and after a long span of no news, she had him declared dead around 1929, freeing her to marry again. Sometime before 1940 she married John O Renner. Howard and Clyde married, but never had any children.
The mystery of Albert's disappearance wasn't solved until March of 2013, when to my amazement a descendant of his second family contacted me. With her information, I've added more of his story.
Louis hardly went as far as South America, he either went back to Kansas or northeast to Nebraska. Previously, while working as a railroad telegrapher, he had met Adah Myrle Lane. They probably were having an affair before his disappearance, as Albert was with Elvira in Feb, 1920 and his marriage certificate with Adah is in September 1920. Since Albert wasn't divorced from Elvira, this second marriage wasn't technically legal, but both claimed to be single. Her descendant told me that Adah knew about his abandoned wife and sons.
Adah is shown living with her parents in Castleton, Reno Co., Kansas during the 1910 census. In 1920, her parents were in Allen Co. Kansas, but she is not with them. Louis and Adah's marriage was in Nuckolls Co., Nebraska. On their marriage certificate he lists his residence as Beatrice, Gage Co., Nebraska, and she lists Concordia, Cloud Co., Kansas.
After their marriage the couple settled to the east of Kansas in Missouri, where he continued to be employed by the railroad. They had one son, Donald Dee, in December of 1925. Louis changed the spelling his name to Lewis sometime after he married again. Both later census records and his tombstone use Lewis. He said it was because he didn't like being called "Louise," probably when people mispronounced the French version of his name. In 1930 and 1940 the family are living in La Plata, Missouri, where he lists his occupation as a telegrapher for the railroad and post master. While at the railroad he took a law correspondence course through the University of Chicago. He passed the bar in Missouri and became an attorney. He then ran for and was elected prosecuting attorney.
Lewis A. Duval died in 1948 and is buried in the LaPlata Cemetery.
Events
| Birth | 3 Jul 1886 | Osage City, Osage, Kansas, United States |  | ||
| Marriage | Abt Sep 1906 | Kansas, United States - Elvira "Ella" Mack |  | | |
| Census (family) | 28 Apr 1910 | Wayne Township, Edwards, Kansas, United States - Elvira "Ella" Mack | | | |
| Residence | Abt 1910 | Kansas, United States | | ||
| Census (family) | 1915 | Pratt, Pratt, Kansas, United States - Elvira "Ella" Mack | | ||
| Military | 5 Jun 1917 | WWI Draft registration - Pratt, Pratt, Kansas, United States | | | |
| Census (family) | 9 Feb 1920 | Fort Collins, Larimer, Colorado, United States - Elvira "Ella" Mack | | | |
| Marriage | Aft 18 Sep 1920 | Nelson, Nuckolls, Nebraska, United States - Adah Myrle Lane | |||
| Census (family) | 1930 | La Plata, Macon, Missouri, United States - Adah Myrle Lane | | ||
| Census (family) | 1940 | La Plata, Macon, Missouri, United States - Adah Myrle Lane | | ||
| Death | 12 Mar 1948 | Holden, Johnson, Missouri, United States | | ||
| Burial | La Plata Cemetery, La Plata, Macon, Missouri, United States | |
Families
| Spouse | Elvira "Ella" Mack (1888 - 1969) |
| Child | Louis Howard Duval (1912 - 1973) |
| Child | Clyde Arthur Duval (1913 - 1982) |
| Spouse | Adah Myrle Lane (1891 - 1974) |
| Child | Donald Dee Duval (1925 - 2013) |
| Father | Louis Edward Duval (1850 - 1916) |
| Mother | Mary Catherine Geneva Guizlo (1855 - 1905) |
| Sibling | Adele Josephine Duval (1883 - 1964) |
| Sibling | Arthur Fredrick "Fred" Duval (1888 - 1949) |
Notes
Marriage
The Tiller and Toiler (Larned, Kansas) Fri, 14 Sep 1906, Page 5A marriage license was issued September 11th to Louis Albert Duval and Miss Elvira Mack, both of Rozel.
Census (family)
SD 7, ED 37 or 57. sheet 5 A Lewis CityDuval, Louis A. Head 23 M1 3 yrs. KS, France Irish?, Pennsylvania. Operator Telegraph
Elvira Wife 21 M1 3 yrs, 0 children, KS, NY, NY
Mack, Maggie, Sister-in-law 12, KS, NY. NY
Census (family)
L A Duval M 28 KansasMrs. L A Duval F 26 Kansas
Lewis H Duval M 3 Kansas
Clyde A Duval M 1 Kansas
Military
World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918Louis Albert Duval
City: 517 So. Main, Pratt
County: Not Stated
State: Kansas
Birth Date: 3 Jul 1886
Natural born
Birthplace: Osage City, Kansas; United States of America
Occupation: Station Agent, AT & SF, Pratt
Dependants: Wife and two children
Married or single: Married
Race: Caucasion
Tall, medium or short: Short
Slender, medium or stout: Medium
Color of eyes: Brown
Color of hair: Dark brown
Bald: No
Disabled: No
Ward 3, Pratt, Kansas
June 5, 1917
Roll: 1643804
DraftBoard: 0
Census (family)
Matthews Walnut (enumerated between E Mountain and E. Oak)80, 141, Duval, Louis A, Head, rent, MW, 33, Married, KS, France, France, Cashier, Railroad Store
Elvire, Wife, FW, 32, Married, KS, NY, IA
Howard, Son, MW, 8, single, KS KS KS, attended school
Clyde, Son, MW, 6, single, KS KS KS, attended school
Census (family)
Head Lewis A Duvall M 39 Kansas, France KansasWife Merle Duvall F 34 Texas, Texas, Tennessee
Son Donald D Duvall M 4 Missouri
Census (family)
N ChurchHead Lewis A Duval M 48 Kansas, H4, Asst post master, Post office, GW
Wife Myrle Duval F 46 Texas, H2
Son Donald Duval M 14 Missouri, 8
Mother-in-law Ada Lane F 78 Tennessee, H2
Residence in 1935: Macon, Macon, Missouri
Death
LA PLATA HOME PRESS, La Plata, MissouriMarch 18, 1948
L. A. Duval
---Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at the Presbyterian Church conducted by Rev. Fred Hudson for L.A. Duval, a former La Plata resident for a good many years. Mr. Duval died Friday noon at Holden, Missouri where he and Mrs. Duval had moved a few weeks ago from Lees Summitt, Missouri. He was employed by the Missouri-Pacific Railroad.
---Besides Mrs. Duval he is survived by one son, Donald, a student at the University of Iowa.
---Mrs. Duval, Donald and two of Mrs. Duval's brothers, M.D. Lane of Chicago, Walter Lane and wife of Oklahoma, and two of their sisters from Oklahoma and Colorado were here Sunday.
Burial
Plot: Mairens Block 1 Row 5His tombstone reads:
Lewis A Duval
July 3, 1891
Mar 12, 1948
Endnotes
1. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 21 November 2015), Louis Albert Duval, 1917-1918; citing Pratt County, Kansas, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,643,804..
2. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1910 census.
3. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1910 > Kansas > EDWARDS > WAYNE TWP Series: T624 Roll: 438 Page: 62.
4. Bruce, Charles and Charlene., Guizlo Family Bible Records. 1871 - 1906. Two pages copied from Bible of Hazel Mary Guizlo. FHL US Film [1320608 Item 25] (Salt Lake City, UT: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1987.).
5. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 21 November 2015), Louis Albert Duval, 1917-1918; citing Pratt County, Kansas, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,643,804..
6. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1920 > COLORADO > LARIMER > FORT COLLINS; 1-PCT Series: T625 Roll: 166 Page: 59.