OK OK - Elijah Gersham Cravens, 30-40, Okmulgee, 1 Jan 1902

[Gardener1850]

Missing Person / NamUs #MP9137
Elijah Gersham Cravens

Male, White / Caucasian

Date of Last Contact January 1, 1902
Missing From Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Missing Age 30 - 40 Years
Current Age147 - 158 Years

Circumstances
Date of Last Contact January 1, 1902
NamUs Case Created January 5, 2011
Last Known Location Map
Location Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Okmulgee County

Circumstances of Disappearance
The MP was a farmer who lived outside of Okmulgee, OK. He left on horseback to attend a 'Woodmen of the World' meeting and was never seen again (LKA is unknown). A possible DOB of 10-20-1867 was located for the MP during genealogy searches, but is not yet confirmed as the MP's true DOB.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[CastlesBurning]

Never heard of this one til now!

I just Googled "Woodmen of the World" - apparently it is a fraternal society that operates a private insurance company for its members.

WoodmenLife - Wikipedia

Did this perhaps have something to do with Elijah's disappearance? e.g. someone wanted him gone for his money?

 

[artsy_ann]

How can we be certain of his date of disappearance? For one... I've seen that often when they're uncertain of the date a person went missing they will just throw in "Jan. 1" as a place holder. I was trying to find archived newspaper articles about him and had no luck.
What I'm curious about is- where was this Woodmen meeting? I read archived Colorado articles talking about Woodmen of the World gatherings in Colorado that some 10,000 people would attend.
This is probably a stretch- but- on "Jan. 1" 1912 the body of an unknown man was found.
2557UMCO
I figure that either year (1902 or 1912) COULD be wrong... maybe somewhere along the way a 1 accidentally replaced a 0? (or vise-versa)
Maybe someone will have more luck than me with archived newspapers or something I haven' thought of.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Missing Person / NamUs #MP9137
Elijah Gersham Cravens

Male, White / Caucasian

Date of Last Contact January 1, 1902
Missing From Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Missing Age 30 - 40 Years
Current Age147 - 158 Years

Circumstances
Date of Last Contact January 1, 1902
NamUs Case Created January 5, 2011
Last Known Location Map
Location Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Okmulgee County

Circumstances of Disappearance
The MP was a farmer who lived outside of Okmulgee, OK. He left on horseback to attend a 'Woodmen of the World' meeting and was never seen again (LKA is unknown). A possible DOB of 10-20-1867 was located for the MP during genealogy searches, but is not yet confirmed as the MP's true DOB.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

I think this case is the oldest I've seen in NamUs.

 

[alb1on]

I have no idea why there are serious doubts about the dob/identification of the missing man. Whilst I am always inclined to be cautious about family trees on genealogy sites, this one seems as strong as you will get. Over 100 trees giving the same information with the dob. But what gives me even more confidence is that his brother also moved from Texas to Muscogee, just down the road in Oklahoma. And some of the information on other family members in the trees, including his son Walter, can be confirmed from other records - including Walter's obituary and burial record from 1978.

It doesn't help find him, but it does mean there is no need to look for information on his antecedents.

 

[DS2021]

I think this case is the oldest I've seen in NamUs.

He is the oldest case in NamUs

 

[?!?]

Bump for Elijah!

 

[friendlysleuther]

bump

 

[Quoththeraven]

When Elijah Gershom “Lige” Cravens was born on October 20, 1867, in Honey Grove, Texas, his father, Gersham, was 40 and his mother, Zerelda, was 37. He married Mary Ella Ramsey and they had two children together. He then married Nannie Dorcus Cole and they had two children together. He died as a young father in 1900 in Payne, Oklahoma, at the age of 33, and was buried in Stanton, Texas.

There are only three cemeteries in Stanton, TX. It shouldn't be too hard to search them for Cravens' headstone if he's buried there.

Legend​

Family legend says that Gershom went to the bank and borrowed 500.00 and left but was never heard from again

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/75489999/person/48317524430/story?_phsrc=WjH2212&_phstart=successSource

The Woodmen of the World had lodge meetings in Henryetta and Muskogee, both towns which are in Okmulgee County, OK. The lodge in Muskogee met the first and third Thursday of each month. Since Cravens disappeared on Wednesday, Jan 1, 1902, I'd venture to say he was on his way to the Thursday, Jan 2, 1902 meeting in Muskogee, 40 miles east of Okmulgee.

 

[?!?]

There are only three cemeteries in Stanton, TX. It shouldn't be too hard to search them for Cravens' headstone if he's buried there.

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/75489999/person/48317524430/story?_phsrc=WjH2212&_phstart=successSource

The Woodmen of the World had lodge meetings in Henryetta and Muskogee, both towns which are in Okmulgee County, OK. The lodge in Muskogee met the first and third Thursday of each month. Since Cravens disappeared on Wednesday, Jan 1, 1902, I'd venture to say he was on his way to the Thursday, Jan 2, 1902 meeting in Muskogee, 40 miles east of Okmulgee.

View attachment 525160

View attachment 525156
View attachment 525157View attachment 525157

Thanks -- that took some WORK!

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Elijah Gersham Cravens - Oklahoma Cold Cases

Elijah Gersham Cravens, a farmer missing since Jan 1, 1902, from Okmulgee, OK. Caucasian male, 30-40 years old. Info call (918) 295-3400.

oklahomacoldcases.org

 

[AirForceVet24]

Being from Oklahoma originally, this case did catch my attention a bit more for the curiosity factor than anything.

I guess I am confused by some things. His ancestry.com page states that he died in Payne, Oklahoma. Payne, Oklahoma does not exist...Payne County, Oklahoma does exist. Theirs several different small towns in Payne County. However, the family legend states that he went missing from Okmulgee, Oklahoma enroute to the Woodman of the World meeting. Payne County and Oklmulgee are in different parts of the state. Payne County is located in west central Oklahoma whereas Oklmulgee is about 30 minutes south of Tulsa.

The suspected burial was in Stanton, Texas. I did check the 3 cemetaries in Stanton and while I do see the last name Cravens in one of them, the people died in 1970s and are likely no relation to Ellijah.


If he went missing from Oklmulgee, then why does his ancestry.com state that he died in a different part of the state?

 

[Same Old Stella]

Family legends can be way off the mark. If he died and they buried him, there should be a death certificate. If he died, how did he die? Did they find his horse? Maybe they didn't find his remains and just assumed he died. The family could've just put up a headstone for remembrance and respect. I can't get on Ancestry.com but maybe someone knows something more?

 

[AirForceVet24]

Family legends can be way off the mark. If he died and they buried him, there should be a death certificate. If he died, how did he die? Did they find his horse? Maybe they didn't find his remains and just assumed he died. The family could've just put up a headstone for remembrance and respect. I can't get on Ancestry.com but maybe someone knows something more?

I honestly agree with you in that I think the family just assumed that he had died. I was wrong in that Payne, Oklahoma does exist, its a very small unincorporated community South of Oklahoma City. Its roughly a 2 hour car ride from Oklmulgee. I wonder why the family thinks that he died in Payne though.