Thomas R Ayers (1891 - aft. 1918)

Born 16 Apr 1891 in Bryan, Brazos, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Died after 15 Oct 1918 after age 27 in Wichita Falls, Wichita, Texas, United States

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Biography

Thomas was born in Texas, United States in 1891. He was the son of John Ayers and Martha Church.^[1] In 1900, he lived with his parents and four siblings on a family-owned farm in Brazos County, Texas. The family lived next door to two sets of aunts and uncles. His father was a farmer. In 1910, he lived with his parents, a younger sister, and two boarders in a rented house in Comanche County, Texas. He could read and write. He, his father, and the two boarders all worked in railroad construction. So did his uncle who lived next door.^[2]

Between 1910 and 1917, Tom left Comanche County, Texas, married, and had two children. When he registered for the World War I draft on 5 Jun 1917, he lived with his wife and two children at 512 Texas, Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas. He was working as a "truck man" for the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway. He was described as tall with a slender build, brown eyes, and black hair.^[3] By the fall of 1918, the family moved to 301 Elm Street, Wichita Falls, Texas and Tom's job was described as "hostler helper" with the same railway. In early October, he contracted influenza during the height of the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918 in Texas. He contracted pneumonia a week later and he died on 15 Oct 1918.^[4] According to his death ceertificate, he is buried at "Riverside", aka Riverside Cemetery, Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas.

Research Notes

This profile is based on the inference that Tom Ayers born in Bryan, Brazos County, Texas on 16 Apr 1891, living in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1917 where he registered for the World War I draft^[3] is the same Thomas R. "Tommie" Ayers born in Texas in Apr 1891 and living in Brazos County with his family nine years later in the 1900 census^[1] are the same person. If this can be disproved, this profile represents two people. In favor of this being the same person, in addition to the facts laid out above, Tom worked as a hostler helper for the Missouri, Kansas, & Texas railway in 1918. Just eight years before, his father, brother, and other extended family worked in railroad construction in 1910. In addition, no other family was identified for Tom in Wichita Falls, Texas on his death certificate. His birthplace, and information on his parents all just said "no",^[4] even though he (and, therefore, his wife) knew his birthplace as Bryan, Brazos County, Texas.^[3] Every other identified Tom Ayers living in Texas between 1910 and 1918 has been eliminated.

There is only one gravesite on Find A Grave (accessed 6 May 2022) for a "T Ayers" in Texas that died in 1918 (and none in Oklahoma) and it is known to be a different person.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M321-VWJ : 12 January 2022), Thomas R Ayers in entry for John W Ayers, 1900.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK1R-JFD : accessed 6 May 2022), Tommie Ayers in household of John W Ayers, Justice Precinct 5, Comanche, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 12, sheet 16B, family 301, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1541; FHL microfilm .
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZFS-DPK : 24 December 2021), Tom Ayers, 1917-1918.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3ZB-22V : 20 February 2021), Tom Ayers, 15 Oct 1918; citing certificate number 46871, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,073,350.