William Montgomery Lewis

William Montgomery Lewis, son of Clitus Montgomery Lewis, was born 3 Aug 1856, Hopkinsville, Hopkins CO, KY, died 25 May1937, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL. married 09 Apr 1885, Sceruloo, Ky, Louise (Louis) Frances Guy, dau of Clytus Alexander Guy and Catherine Hickman, born 18 Mar 1864 Lebanon, Marion CO, KY died 26 Dec1943, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL. Both are buried Espanola Cemetery, Espanola, Flagler CO, FL.

The family is listed on page 59 of the 1910 census of St. Johns County with his occupation given as "Farmer" and on page 36 of the 1920 census of Flagler County, residing in the St. Johns Park Precinct with his occupation given as "Farmer - General."

The family was intrigued by the advertisement of land in the sunshine and came to St. Johns Park from Linton, Indiana in 1909 to make their fortune in farming. Mr Lewis had been active in the organization of the United Mine Workers in Linton. Issue;

1. John Lewis was born and died 26 Jan 1890 McHenry, Ohio CO, KY

2. Anna Frances Lewis, born 19 Aug 1892, McHenry, Ohio CO, KY, died 17 Apr 1899, Linton, Greene CO, IN of "a fever."

3. Ruth Lewis, born 11 Apr 1897, Linton, Greene CO, IN, died 14 May 1955, Miami, Dade CO, FL, buried Espanola Cemetery, Espanola, Flagler CO, FL. She was married to Roy Wilson at the time of her death.

She was also married to Vernon Dennard, Jerome D Paracca (1935, divorced 1939), and FNU Milford

4. William Clyde Lewis, born 4 May 1901, Linton, Greene CO, IN, died 27 Aug 1975 Harriman, Roane CO, TN while visiting his daughter. He is buried Espanola Cemetery, Espanola, Flagler CO, FL.

Clyde was married 30 May 1926, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL by Judge W Lee Bartlett to Ruth Armor Mercer, dau of Saul Caraway Mercer and Queen Victoria Musselwhite, born 01 Nov 1905, Baxley, Appling CO, GA, died 23 Oct 1983, Flagler CO, FL. (Div-1927).

She remarried FNU Joyce and is buried in Espanola Cemetery, Espanola, Flagler CO, FL.

For 40 years - 1934 to 1974 - Clyde operated the Lewis Barber Shop, a half block off U.S. Highway 1, on West Moody Boulevard in Bunnell, FL. The little shop - a landmark for Flagler County pioneers - was sold to a E. E. Cosworth in June 1974.

I (Claude Sisco Deen, Jr) received my first haircut from Mr Lewis who bought the shop from Bob Burgess who came to Bunnell in 1925 and started operating the shop in 1930. The actual founder of the shop, was a man named Browning who moved his shop from Bay Street (alongside the FL East Coast RR Tracks) to its present location.

Clyde came to the area from Clinton, IN in 1909, when he was eight years old. His father raised potatoes at Omega, which was then in St Johns CO. Clyde worked at a variety of jobs: he was on a Florida East C Railroad crew; he in an orange grove; he worked on bridge construction; he drove a school bus and was the owner and operator of a dry cleaning establishment in Jacksonville.

Clyde starting cutting hair in 1921 in Jacksonville. Near the end of 1921 he returned to Bunnell and worked a week for C O Roper who ran a barber shop and pool hall just a few steps from the present shop - He then returned to Jacksonville and in 1922 returned to Bunnell and worked full time for Mr Roper until 1926.

Roper has the only shop in town and they operated three chairs

Issue;

(1) Helen Ruth Lewis, born 12 Apr 1927, married 15 Feb 1947, Miami, Dade CO, FL, Daniel Ernest Heyder, born 06 Sep 1923, Miami, Dade CO, FL, died 08 Dec 1991, Miami, Dade CO, FL (Div-1950).

He retired after 38 years of service with the Miami Fire Department with the rank of battalion chief. Issue;

A. Tracy Neal Heyder

William Clyde Lewis married 2nd, 06 Oct 1935, John Mercer Home, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, Mildred Beatrice Grimes, dau of Morris Leon Grimes and Bertha Mabel Martin, born 27 Sept 1909, Elkton, St Johns CO, FL, died 29 Jun 1966, Bunnell General Hospital, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL as the result of an automobile accident. She is buried Espanola Cemetery, Espanola, Flagler CO, FL

She was a court stenographer, legal secretary, worked in an abstract office and in the Flagler County Agriculture Agent's office. Issue;

(2) Judith Clyde Lewis, born 30 Jul 1942, East Coast Hospital, St. Augustine, St Johns CO, FL, died 28 Mar 2003, married 17 Feb 1963, First Baptist Church, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, Claude Adair Park III.

She graduated from Charity Hospital School of Nursing, New Orleans, received a BS in Nursing, worked in the cardiac care unit and “Ask a Nurse” departments of Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga .He was employed by the Southern Railway Co as a communications maintainer. Issue;

A. Tamara Dawne Park, born 29 Apr 1964, Baptist Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, Fulton CO, GA

B. Claude Adair (Chip) Park IV, born 19 Jul 1966, Chattanooga, Hamilton CO, TN

(3) David William Lewis, born 04 Aug 1944, Flagler Hospital, St. Augustine, St Johns CO, FL, died 08 Aug 1970, Flagler CO, FL, buried Espanola Cemetery, Espanola, Flagler CO, FL, married 17 Aug 1962 McGlon Holiness Church, Seville, Volusia CO, FL, Deanna Rae Dixon, dau of Martha Jewel Dixon, born 04 Feb 1944 (Div-Jun1970.

He worked in the lobster fishing industry on Marathon Key, at Sugarland Ranch in Clewiston, then returned to Flagler County and was accidentally electrocuted while working on a dredge during the construction of Palm Coast. Issue;

A. Raymond David Lewis, born 28 Nov 1963, Fisherman’s Hospital, Marathon Shores, Monroe CO, FL

B. Donald William Lewis, born about 1966

C. Kimberly Joy Lewis, born 07 Oct 1967, West Volusia Hospital, DeLand, Volusia CO, FL

 

Source: The First Families of Flagler by Mary Ketus Deen Holland who cites as her sources, Census and Judith Lewis Park.

Additional sources used by the compiler were: 1910 United States Federal Census, Precinct 4, Clay CO, FL; 1900 United States Federal Census, Stockton, Greene CO, IN; 1920 Census, Saint Johns, Flagler CO, FL; Florida Marriage Collection, 1927-2001; Florida Divorce Index, 1927-2001; Florida Death Index, 1877-1998; Social Security Death Index and The Flagler Tribune, Bunnell, Florida, 17 Jun 1926, 10 Oct 1935, 30 Jul 1942, 10 Aug 1944, 30 Aug 1962, 12 Dec 1963, 12 Oct 1967

Please send questions, corrections or additions to Sisco Deen, P.O. Box 637, Flagler Beach, FL 32136 or email him at Sisco_Deen@hotmail.com.