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Hazel was born to Dick Livingston & Lora Lantis in South Dakota around 1907.
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Baby Picture |
In the 1910 census she (age 2) was the daughter of Robert J Livingston in Camp Crook, Harding, South Dakota, United States.[1]
Name | Sex | Age | Status | Relation | Occupation | Birth Place |
Robert J Livingston | M | 25 | Married | Head | Kansas | |
Lora E Livingston | F | 18 | Married | Wife | Kansas | |
Hazle F Livingston | F | 2 | Single | Daughter | Montana | |
Robert C Livingston | M | 1 | Single | Son | Montana |
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Young Hazel |
In the 1920 census she (age 11) was the daughter of Robert Livingston in Ekalaka, Carter, Montana, United States.[2]
Name | Sex | Age | Status | Relation | Occupation | Birth Place |
Robert Livingston | M | 36 | Married | Head | Kansas | |
Lora Livingston | F | 28 | Married | Wife | Kansas | |
Ada F Livingston | F | 11 | Single | Daughter | Montana | |
Robert C Livingston | M | 10 | Single | Son | Montana | |
Edna P Livingston | F | 8 | Single | Daughter | South Dakota | |
Fern Livingston | F | 2 | Single | Daughter | Montana |
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Ladies of the Livingston Family |
Here Hazel's mother, Lora Edna (Lantis) Thompson (1891-1951), is holding a baby Wreathel Fern (Livingston) Simpson (1917-1998) in her lap, and Edna Pearl (Livingston) Purdum (1911-1950) sits to the left and eldest Hazel Fay (Livingston) Pease (1907-1969) to the right.
An overview of the marriages an children:
Father Thomas Owens
1. Margaret Mary Owens (1925-2005) (Note: Adopted by Margaret Thompson)
Father William Collins
2. William Howard (Van Moore) Thompson (1926-1984) (Note: Adopted by Margaret Thompson)
3. Jeanie (Van Moore) Cardin (1927-2023)
Father James L. Lane (abt.1907-)
4. Keith Lane
Father Henry Hayden
5. Wayne Livingston Hayden (1931-2005)
6. Vaughn Livingston Hayden (1938-1988)
7. Cheryl Faye Hayden (1944-2009)
8. Penelope Gail (Hayden) Chilen (1946-2021)
Father Hubert Pease
9. Hubert Pease (1950- ) still alive
Hazel was only 14 or 15 when her mother Lora told her she was old enough to be out on her own. She (age 16y) married Canadian Thomas Owens (age 19y) on 28 Oct 1923 in Ekalaka, Carter Co., Montana.[3] They had one daughter together: Margaret Mary Owens (1925-2005)
He died of It is said that her first husband died from a brain abscess from an ear infection at 20 years old[4]. Hazel left Margaret Mary Owens (1925-2005), "Peggy", with her mother and left for Chicago to write for newspapers[5].
She (age 19y) married William Leroy Collins (1898-1987) (age 27y) on 5 May 1926 in Ekalaka, Carter Co., Montana.[6] Both Hazel and William are said to have been involved with Al Capone, running whisky for him as "bootleggers".
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William Van Moore and Hazel Fay Owens |
They had 2 children together:
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Hazel Holding Baby Lila Jean "Jeanie" |
Hazel and Leroy fled Chicago to get away from Al Capone and returned to Montana with their two children. William came with her and is said to have swindled the state of Montana out of timber[10], and may have adopted another pseudonym during this time, as he disappears from records between 1927 and 1940. Hazel is said to have fled William as well, and on 1940 census he has a new wife.
Hazel left her first three children with her parents after splitting with William Leroy Collins (1898-1987) "Van Moore", however, while she was gone the two oldest children were given up for adoption. There are a lot of different stories floating around the family on why this adoption happened, but what we can see is that Hazel was first married at just 16 years old, and her first three children were all born by the time she was 20 in the years leading up to the Depression.
However, the most likely story is from Judy Simpson who has been doing family genealogy work for many years and is a strong second-hand source: "Hazel left her kids with her parents, Robert Jensen Livingston (1884-1931) and Lora Edna (Lantis) Livingston (1891-1951) in Ekalaka, Montana. My grandmother (Lora Edna (Lantis) Livingston (1891-1951)) wrote to Hazel and told her to come and get the kids or she would be forced to send them to the orphanage as they couldn't afford to take on any more kids. Hazel wasn't sending any money to help her parents take care of the 3 children. They were really struggling financially because of the Depression and had 4 kids of their own still at home. Gramma Lora told her the date that she would take them to the orphanage. Giving Hazel plenty of time to get to Montana or to write. Hazel didn't respond. Gramma didn't talk her into anything. Hazel thought that Gramma was bluffing and Gramma thought that Hazel would surely come and get her kids. Mom told me this story many times because it was so hard on her parents to make that decision! Also, Mom (Wreathel Fern (Livingston) Simpson (1917-1998)) always cried because she had to go with grampa to take care of the babies in the wagon, the whole long way. She was 9 years old! My grandparents suffered greatly from having to do that. They kept Jean. They loved the others too but just couldn't afford them and thought that they would be better off adopted out instead of such poverty. You are related to Bill and Peggy by DNA because they are biological Livingston grandchildren. Just like all of Hazel's kids." [11].
Aunt Pamela (Mullenberg) Spang was told by Lila Jean (Van Moore) Cardin (1927-2023) as a child that "Hazel Fay (Livingston) Pease (1907-1969) talked her into taking her kids to the home since they just couldn't afford to feed all of them. She was told she could come back and get them later when things got better. Behind her back Lora told them to adopt them out. Hazel refused to leave Jeanie because she was a baby."[12].
Ms. Margaret H Thompson was a school teacher that adopted the eldest 2 children with her then husband, and later took them to Seattle (1930 census)[13], then Walla Walla (1940 census)[14]. Her husband is said to have committed suicide, and thus isn't on records with the children later. It is said that Margaret Thompson was very mean and was a school teacher.
Aunt Pamela (Mullenberg) Spang says she spoke to Margaret Mary Owens (1925-2005) adoptive sibling that indicated Peggy cut off contact with her adoptive family after her husband died[15].
There is no proof of marriage for Hazel's marriage to James L. Lane (abt.1907-), but it is estimated to be around 1928 based on the DOB of the child and children from surrounding marriages.
She and James L. Lane's son Keith Lane was born on 26 May 1929 in Miles City, Custer, Montana, United States.[16]
In the 1930 census she (age 22) was the wife of James L Lane in Lead, Lawrence, South Dakota, United States.[17]
Name | Sex | Age | Status | Relation | Occupation | Birth Place |
James L Lane | M | 24 | Married | Head | North Dakota | |
Hazel S Lane | F | 22 | Married | Wife | Montana | |
Jean Lane | F | 2 | Single | Daughter | Illinois | |
Marion Lane | M | 0 | Single | Son | Montana | |
Art West | M | 23 | Single | Lodger | South Dakota |
I'm not sure what lead to the dissolution of this relationship either, but he has a new wife in the 1940 Census, Lucille, and Hazel remarries again in 1930, so this relationship spanned 1928-1929ish, long enough to produce a son.
She (age 22y), married Henry Ordie Hayden (1903-1960) (age 27y) on 30 Jul 1930 in Billings, Yellowstone, Montana.[18] Children from this marriage include:
In the 1940 census she (age 31) was the wife of Henry O Haden in Laporte, Larimer, Colorado, United States.[21]
Name | Sex | Age | Status | Relation | Occupation | Birth Place |
Henry O Haden | M | 37 | Married | Head | Kentucky | |
Hazel Haden | F | 31 | Married | Wife | Montana | |
Lila Jean Haden | F | 12 | Single | Daughter | Illinois | |
Kieth Haden | M | 10 | Single | Son | Montana | |
Wayne Haden | M | 8 | Single | Son | Wyoming | |
Vaughn Haden | M | 1 | Single | Son | Colorado |
You can see on this census that the step-children (Lila Jean (Van Moore) Cardin (1927-2023), and Keith Lane) are recorded here as Hayden's (Haden) children but they are not.
Henry Ordie Hayden (1903-1960) was abusive, and he beat not only Hazel but also the children. They would run to her sister, Wreathel Fern (Livingston) Simpson (1917-1998), house to get away from him. One time Fern's husband, Ronald Earl Simpson (1908-1971), knocked him out and threw him on the back of a truck and had someone drive him far away before they dumped him out[22].
She (age 37 yrs) married Hubert Allen Pease (1922-2007) (age 27 yrs) on 5 Jan 1950 in Big Horn, Montana.[23], and finished raising children.
In the 1950 census she (age 38) was the wife of Hubert A Pease in Big Horn, Montana, United States.[24]
Name | Sex | Age | Status | Relation | Occupation | Birth Place |
Cheryl Hayden | F | 5 years | Never married | Stepdaughter | Montana | |
Penelope Hayden | F | 4 years | Never married | Stepdaughter | Montana | |
Hubert A Pease | M | 28 years | Married | Head | Sawmill Helper | Montana |
Hazel F Pease | F | 38 years | Married | Wife | South Dakota | |
Vaughn Hayden | M | 11 years | Never married | Stepson | Montana |
Her son Hubert Pease was born on 7 Jul 1950 in Crow Agency, Big Horn, Montana, United States.[25]
She passed away in 1969 in Salem, Oregon [26]
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Hazel Fay Pease Death Certificate |
Hazel was buried in Belcrest Memorial Park, Salem, Marion County, Oregon, United States.[27]
Obituary in the Statesman Journal on 25 Aug 1969:
"Hazel F. Pease Hazel Faye Pease, 52, 229 59th Ave SE, died Sunday at a local nursing home after an illness of about a month. Born in Camp Crook, SD, she spent most of her life in Montana. She moved to Salem about three weeks ago. In Montana she was a reporter for the Miles City Star. She also wrote for two weekly newspapers and did freelance writing for several magazines. She was a member of the National Press Women's Association. She was a member of a garden club in Montana and also was an amateur poet and artist. Surviving are widower Hubert, Ashland: sons Vaugh Hayden, Salem, Wayne Hayden, MIlliken, Colo., Allen Pease, Ashland, Mont., Bill Thompson, California, and Keith Lane, Warm Springs, Mont.; daughters Mrs. Peggy Spurling, Fremont, Calif.; Mrs. Cheryl Roberts, Milwaukie, Mrs. Jean Mullenberg, Eugene, and Mrs. Penny Childen, Salem; brother Robert Livingston, Roland Heights, Calif.; sisters Mrs. Herbert Zimmer, Libby, Mont., and Mrs. Earl Simpson, Lodge Grass, Mont.; 27 grandchildren. Arrangements are pending at Barrick Mortuary.[28]"
These are a collection of the stories that Hazel wrote that I was able to find: The Omaha Evening Bee-News, Omaha, Nebraska, 28 Jan 1929:
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Daphne: The Romance of a Girl Who Was Down to Her Last Dime |
The Omaha Evening Bee-News, Omaha, Nebraska, 31 Jul 1929:
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Forest Love: A Story of the Conflicting Emotions of Love and Ambition |
The Omaha Evening Bee-News, Omaha, Nebraska, Aug 24, 1929:
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Forest Love: A story of the Conflicting emotions of love and ambition: Chapter LVI |
The Omaha Morning Bee-News, Omaha, Nebraska, Aug 4, 1930:
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Lucky Girl book advertisement |
The Omaha Evening Bee-News, Omaha, Nebraska, Sep 12, 1930:
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Lucky Girl: The Story of a modern miss trapped into marriage |
The Missoulian, Missoula, Montana, Dec 30, 1930:
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Forest Love: A Striking and Gripping Story by Hazel Livingston |
The Daily Plainsman, Huron, South Dakota, 24 Mar 1931:
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Freshmen Edit Yankton Paper |
The Billings Gazette, Billings, Montana, 27 May 1951:
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Pease Proved Peacemaker with Crows |
The Billings Gazette, Billings, Montana, 7 Nov, 1965:
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Thanks for Pretty Park |
The Billings Gazette, Billings, Montana, 21 Nov 1965:
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Tale of Two Sisters |
The Billings Gazette, Billings, Montana, 12 Jun 1966:
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Painting Tensions Away |
The Billings Gazette, Billings, Montana, 5 Dec 1967:
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Right Way to Handle Beatniks |
Hazel wrote for newspapers before it was legal for women to do so and wrote under a male pseudonym that I don't know. She was a published poet and didn't always use her own name for poetry. It is my own personal theory that she wrote the book Stolen Love by Hazel Livingston from 1927 that was later made into a movie in 1928 Mullenberg-4 17:40, 23 October 2023 (UTC).
This week's featured connections are Redheads: Hazel is 16 degrees from Catherine of Aragón, 16 degrees from Clara Bow, 26 degrees from Julia Gillard, 12 degrees from Nancy Hart, 14 degrees from Rutherford Hayes, 14 degrees from Rita Hayworth, 20 degrees from Leonard Kelly, 18 degrees from Rose Leslie, 21 degrees from Damian Lewis, 15 degrees from Maureen O'Hara, 21 degrees from Jopie Schaft and 34 degrees from Eirik Thorvaldsson on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.
L > Livingston | P > Pease > Hazel Fay (Livingston) Pease
Categories: Belcrest Memorial Park, Salem, Oregon | Clan Livingstone | Big Horn County, Montana | Salem, Oregon | Camp Crook, South Dakota