Claude Aiken was the second of  two children of William Hanford Aiken (1859-1942) and Dora J. Russell (1864-1935). He was born in Lorraine County, Ohio- possibly Black River, on 15 Aug 1884, 1889, or as late as 1896 per some Aiken researchers. His parents had moved the family to West, New Madrid, Missouri, by the 1900 US Federal Census, when Claude was 4 years old.

By age 21, the family moved to Florence, Fremont, Colorado, where Claude was living with his parents and working as a blacksmith in 1910. (His sister, Dorothy Adele Aiken,  had married in 1906.)

Claude married Elvira Kring  (1890-1948), daughter of Louisa and Adolph Kring, in 1916 per one Aiken researcher.

As the First World War raged in Europe, Claude became a farmer in Oakville, Missouri, which is bounded by the Mississippi and Meramac Rivers in South St. Louis County. His 05 Jun 1917 Draft Registration listed his wife and mother as being dependent on his income, and them living at “Jeff Bk’s” (Jefferson Barracks?), R. #10, Oakville, Mo. His mother was separated from her husband (although listed as a widow on censuses and city directories), so she too depended on Claude’s income.

Soon thereafter in 1917, the family moved to 4527 Alaska Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was working as a drug clerk for S. J. Lee and Son Drugstore at 4067 Chouteau Avenue. Samuel J. Lee was his brother-in-law, married to Claude’s sister Dorothy Adele Aiken.

Claude and Elvira had moved down the road to 4431 Alaska Avenue, and in with Elvira’s father and siblings, by the time the 1920 US Federal Census was enumerated on 06 Jan 1920. The family enjoyed traveling out west during the 20s and 30s, and a family photo album that has been passed down has many pictures of the Colorado and Canadian mountains.

In the 1930 census, the group was still together but this time Claude was listed as head of household, and with wife Elvira had three children, born in 1921, 1924, and 1928. The 1933 St. Louis City Directory indicates that Claude and Elvira were living at 3938 West Bowen. He and Elvira divorced sometime shortly after that.

More to come tomorrow about Claude Aiken.

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) 1900 US Federal Census for William H. Aiken, head of household: Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: West, New Madrid, Missouri; Roll: 877; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0078; FHL microfilm: 1240877. Ancestry.com, accessed 9/18/14.

2) 1910 US Federal Census, William H. Aiken, head of household: Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Florence Ward 3, Fremont, Colorado; Roll: T624_119; Page: 30B; Enumeration District: 0069; FHL microfilm: 1374132. Ancestry.com,, accessed 9/19/14.

3) Claude’s 1917 Draft Registration: Source Citation: Registration State: Missouri; Registration County: St Louis; Roll: 1683865; Draft Board: 3. Ancestry.com. Accessed 9/19/14.

4) Claude’s tombstone states he was born 15 Aug 1884; his 1917 Draft Registration states 15 Aug 1889 (better to be older to avoid the draft), researchers state year was 1896.

5) 1920 US Federal Census, Adolph Kring head of household: Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: St Louis Ward 13, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri; Roll: T625_950; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 249; Image: 859. Ancestry.com. Accessed 9/19/14.

6) 1920 US Federal Census: Source Citation: Year: 1930; Census Place: St Louis, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri; Roll: 1235; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 0481; Image: 473.0; FHL microfilm: 2340970. Ancestry.com. Accessed 9/19/14.

7) 1933 St. Louis , MO City Directory: Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

 

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A man with two families probably deserves two blog posts.

 

Claude Frank Aiken married Mildred Paul sometime after 1933 and his divorce from Elvira (Kring) Aiken. He was 45, she 23.

He had three children with Mildred as well, but neither of his families really knew each other. They knew there was another family, but no details. Fast forward to the age of Ancestry.com and Find A Grave, plus some researchers interested in collateral relatives (that would be your blog editors); it added up to children of the two families finding each other after many, many years.

 

Back to Claude’s life:

Claude had passed the exams to be a Registered Pharmacist after the required two years of college. His nephew, Lloyd Eugene “Gene” Lee, son of Claude’s sister Dorothy (Aiken) Lee, passed the exam for Assistant Pharmacist at the same test session. The clipping does not have a date but it was probably 1928.

Claude bought Martin’s Drugstore about that time, and he and Mildred worked together in the drugstore at 922 S. Vandeventer. They lived in the back of the building.

The neighborhood got rougher, and times were tougher during the depression, but they kept on with the pharmacy being an important part of the community. Their first child was 2 and a second child was expected or newborn when Claude foiled a robbery attempt from a very dangerous convicted burglar:

Transcription:

“FOURTH CHARGE FACED BY CAPTURED BURGLAR.

C. L. Patterson Caught in Drug Store as Proprietor Enters With Pistol.

Police asked the Circuit Attorney’s office yesterday for the issuance of a fourth burglary warrant against Carson Lee Patterson, 28-year-old ex-convict, following the capture earlier in the morning while ransacking a drug store at 922 South Vandeventer Avenue.

Patterson told police he had entered the place to secure enough money to hire a lawyer to defend himself in three pending burglary cases.

He was apprehended by Mr. and Mrs. Claude Aiken, operators of the store, who live in the rear of the building. Hearing the cash register ring as the burglar opened it, Aiken secured a pistol, rushed in to the store, and forced Patterson to hold up his hands. He fired one shot high upon the wall to scare the intruder.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Aiken called the police. Patterson readily admitted his identity upon arrival of officers.

Patterson is one of five youths who admitted 29 burglaries when they were arrested last month. He has served two prison terms, one for grand larceny in 1928 and one for burglary in 1931. He received a parole after serving part of the burglary sentence, but it was revoked after he was arrested as one of the men who tortured a Franklin County farmer and his wife to secure $150. Withing four months of his release from prison he was again facing burglary charges.”

Interesting that Peterson thought to pay his legal fees concerning previous burglaries through proceeds from another burglary. Ah, the criminal mind…

The 1939 St. Louis City Directory lists them and the store at 922 Vandeventer, as does the 1940 US Federal Census which states that the home and store were rented. They had two children, ages 6 and 4, living with them in 1940.

Claude died just four years after the census, on 05 May 1944. He is buried in the Lee family plot with his sister, Dorothy (Aiken) Lee and her husband, and her mother, Dora (Russell) Aiken. Mildred passed away 18 Nov 1972 in St. Louis, Missouri.

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) Family photos and ephemera.

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 

We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.