Individual Details
Roscoe Edward Drake
(May 26, 1890 - April 24, 1972)
BIRTH, DEATH: Corr.with family members including Roscoe and Dessie Ingle.; Corr with grandson, Michael Drake 5 N. Edgewood, LaGrange, IL 60525: "Next was my Grandfather, Roscoe Edward Drake. The family Bible shows his date of birth as May 26, 1889. The 1889 had been crossed out however, and the year 1890 had been written in beside the original date. I remember some controversy concerning his date of birth when he applied for Social Security benefits in the mid-1950's. ... Where did the family come from? I asked. England, he said. They came to Virginia and then went to Kentucky. Then they came here."
MARRIAGE: Coles Co. Ill Marr. Bk 4-521: md.Charleston, 2 Nov 1914. "Rosco Drake 25, b. Coles Co. F.Henry, m.Lanis Horn , 1st md.; Grace Tipsword 22, b.Cumberland Co. IL, f.John Tipsword, m.Malinda Steth, 1st."
MARRIAGE: Family uses Nov. 1912; No date for 2nd marriage to Mary Atkins whom he divorced. A third marriage to ?. Living in Mattoon at last news.
Corr with Michael Eugene Drake, a grson, gave her name as May Adkins; Letter from Helen Drake in Feb 1996: "Book I have has No.2 May Wilson Adkins and No.3 as Mary White Howard."
DEATH: Vol.III Cemeteries in Charleston & Hutton Twp. Coles Co. ILL., p.258: DRAKE, ROSS 1889/ 4-24-1972, DRAKE, GRACE 1893-1953.
CENSUS: 1900 Moultrie Co.IL ED106-8-27 Whitley Twp.: DRAKE, HENRY B. Feb 1862 38 IOWA, w-Martha Sep 1862 37 IL, Ch.all b.IL: s-Charles H June 1884 15, d-Alice T. Dec 1885 14, s-Ross E.May 1890 10, d-Bessie B. Feb 1892 8, d-Betrice Jan 1894 6, s-Freddie A. Mar 1897 3, s-Albert J. Oct 1899 8/12.
CENSUS: 1910 Ash Grove Twp, Iroquois Co. ILL ED 61 fam 143, 29 Apr 1910: Baker, David 51, IND, Md 9 yr, par b. IND; Cynthia 51 ILL par b. IND, 0 children; Baker, Robert, Hired man 19 single IL IL IL; Drake, Rosco, hired man 19 single, b.IL, f.b.Iowa, m.b.ILL; Drake, Dessie servant F.18 single b.IL, f.b.Iowa, m.b.ILL.
DESCRIPTION: Per grandson, Michael Drake--"Grandfather Roscoe Edward Drake stood five and half feet tall and was average weight. He always had a palsy in his hands, his right hand shaking more than his left. His hair was salt and pepper and very thick. He always washed his hands and face and brushed his hair before coming to the table. In summers his head was covered by a rumpled, sweat stained dress hat. He wore faded blue bib overalls over a green, long sleeved work shirt. In the side pocket of the overalls, he carried a pair of pliers. In the back, work gloves and a packet of Red Men chewing tobacco. He work dark, ankle high work shoes. He always carried a pocket knife and used it to cut his apples into bite sized pieces. Behind the house was a huge pile of trash. Grandpa made his living as an independent trash collector. He got rid of much of Charleston's refuge by filling up the hollow in back of his house. To this day, one hundred and fifty yards to the northeast of my parents' house and directly behind the house that was once occupied by Grandma and Grandpa lies an archaeological treasure chest. It is covered now with soil and green grass, but just below the surface lies waste typical of a small Midwestern town from the 1930's to the 1950's."
MARRIAGE: Coles Co. Ill Marr. Bk 4-521: md.Charleston, 2 Nov 1914. "Rosco Drake 25, b. Coles Co. F.Henry, m.Lanis Horn , 1st md.; Grace Tipsword 22, b.Cumberland Co. IL, f.John Tipsword, m.Malinda Steth, 1st."
MARRIAGE: Family uses Nov. 1912; No date for 2nd marriage to Mary Atkins whom he divorced. A third marriage to ?. Living in Mattoon at last news.
Corr with Michael Eugene Drake, a grson, gave her name as May Adkins; Letter from Helen Drake in Feb 1996: "Book I have has No.2 May Wilson Adkins and No.3 as Mary White Howard."
DEATH: Vol.III Cemeteries in Charleston & Hutton Twp. Coles Co. ILL., p.258: DRAKE, ROSS 1889/ 4-24-1972, DRAKE, GRACE 1893-1953.
CENSUS: 1900 Moultrie Co.IL ED106-8-27 Whitley Twp.: DRAKE, HENRY B. Feb 1862 38 IOWA, w-Martha Sep 1862 37 IL, Ch.all b.IL: s-Charles H June 1884 15, d-Alice T. Dec 1885 14, s-Ross E.May 1890 10, d-Bessie B. Feb 1892 8, d-Betrice Jan 1894 6, s-Freddie A. Mar 1897 3, s-Albert J. Oct 1899 8/12.
CENSUS: 1910 Ash Grove Twp, Iroquois Co. ILL ED 61 fam 143, 29 Apr 1910: Baker, David 51, IND, Md 9 yr, par b. IND; Cynthia 51 ILL par b. IND, 0 children; Baker, Robert, Hired man 19 single IL IL IL; Drake, Rosco, hired man 19 single, b.IL, f.b.Iowa, m.b.ILL; Drake, Dessie servant F.18 single b.IL, f.b.Iowa, m.b.ILL.
DESCRIPTION: Per grandson, Michael Drake--"Grandfather Roscoe Edward Drake stood five and half feet tall and was average weight. He always had a palsy in his hands, his right hand shaking more than his left. His hair was salt and pepper and very thick. He always washed his hands and face and brushed his hair before coming to the table. In summers his head was covered by a rumpled, sweat stained dress hat. He wore faded blue bib overalls over a green, long sleeved work shirt. In the side pocket of the overalls, he carried a pair of pliers. In the back, work gloves and a packet of Red Men chewing tobacco. He work dark, ankle high work shoes. He always carried a pocket knife and used it to cut his apples into bite sized pieces. Behind the house was a huge pile of trash. Grandpa made his living as an independent trash collector. He got rid of much of Charleston's refuge by filling up the hollow in back of his house. To this day, one hundred and fifty yards to the northeast of my parents' house and directly behind the house that was once occupied by Grandma and Grandpa lies an archaeological treasure chest. It is covered now with soil and green grass, but just below the surface lies waste typical of a small Midwestern town from the 1930's to the 1950's."
Events
| Birth | May 26, 1890 | Charleston, Coles County, Illinois | |||
| Marriage | November 2, 1914 | Charleston, Coles County, Illinois - Grace Augusta Tipsword | |||
| Death | April 24, 1972 | Charleston, Coles County, Illinois | |||
| Marriage | Mary White Howard | ||||
| Marriage | May Wilson Adkins | ||||
| Divorce | May Wilson Adkins |
Families
| Spouse | Grace Augusta Tipsword (1893 - 1953) |
| Child | Harold Edward Drake (1915 - 1995) |
| Child | Donald Franklin Drake (1916 - ) |
| Child | Howard Elzie Drake (1918 - 1979) |
| Spouse | May Wilson Adkins ( - ) |
| Spouse | Mary White Howard ( - ) |
| Father | Henry Brasher Drake (1862 - 1943) |
| Mother | Martha Elizabeth Horn (1862 - 1936) |
| Sibling | Charles Henry Drake (1884 - 1935) |
| Sibling | Alice Frankie Drake (1885 - 1947) |
| Sibling | James Milton Drake (1888 - 1889) |
| Sibling | Dessie Bell Drake (1892 - ) |
| Sibling | Beatrice Grace Drake (1894 - 1987) |
| Sibling | Fredrick Milton Drake (1897 - 1945) |
| Sibling | John Albert Drake (1899 - 1957) |