Genealogy: Hicks Ancestor Profiles
Paternal
Harry Sanford Hicks
Born July 22, 1909 in Kansas City, Missouri to Albert
Lee and Jessie Faye James Hicks. The oldest of three children, he would
later have a sister, Nadine, and a brother, Robert L. At age 12 he injured
an eye in a pellet gun accident and missed a semester of school, but still
managed to make up for lost time, graduating at the top of his 8th Grade
class. Later, before discharge from the Army (1941-1945), he had the
affected eye removed and used a prosthetic eye after that. Before he was
injured he had started violin lessons, but could not practice and had to
give it up. In high school he played football and basketball, and
participated in debate and plays. He attended Pittsburg and Emporia State
Teachers Colleges, and worked as a labor machine operator on the railroad
between going to college and teaching school. He first taught in the Harvey
County and Plevna, Kansas schools, then at Manhattan Junior High School from
1939 to 1948. He then left teaching and started work as a Claims Adjuster
for Kansas Farm Bureau Insurance in Manhattan, becoming Personnel Manager in
August 1957 until his retirement in 1974. Harry took up painting, first as a
hobby, then in art classes where he worked in oils and water color. Harry
was one of those selected by the Manhattan City Commission in 1963 to become
a member of the Human Relations Board when it was organized that year. He
also served on the Board of the Riley County Chapter of the Red Cross for 14
years, participated in the Manhattan Civic Theater, was a Cub Scout Leader,
and an ardent Kansas State University sports fan. The First Congregational
Church enjoyed his services on the Board of Trustees and the Board of
Deacons. He was a member of Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity and Sertoma Club,
Pearce-Keller Post #17 of the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans;
Lafayette Lodge #16, AF&AM; and the Shrine Club (32nd degree Mason). He
married Marjorie Eleanor Hill at her parent's home on July 21, 1942 and had
three children: Janice Kay (b.1945), Barbara Lynne (b.1946), and Robert S.
(b. 1951) He had lived in Manhattan, Kansas for 43 years at the time of his
death on September 24, 1982. Funeral services were held at the First
Congregational Church in Manhattan, the Rev. M.C. Allen officiating, and he
was buried beside his wife, Marjorie, in Sunrise Cemetery, also in
Manhattan.
Albert Lee Hicks
Father of Harry Sanford Hicks, was born December 21,
1885 at Grace, Missouri in Carroll County, the son of Christopher Columbus
Hicks and Martha Richeson Hicks, and died at age 90 on November 5, 1976 in
the Bethel Home for the Aged in Newton, Kansas. Funeral services were
officiated by the Rev. Rollin Dillinger and burial was at the Walton, Kansas
Cemetery. About 1898 he saw his future wife, Jessie, on a family trip to the
town of Norborne, and knew right away that this was "his girl". After his
father (Christopher Hicks) died, the family moved about 1900 to Norborne and
shortly thereafter, Jessie's parents bought a house a few doors away. They
never really met until 1903, and although it was "love at first sight" for
Albert, it took a while longer for Jessie. Albert had started a job as a
section laborer for the Santa Fe Railroad in May 1904 at 12.5 cents/hour.
They were married on June 26, 1907 in Jessie's home by Rev. Claude C.
Taylor, Minister of the Christian Church. In 1914 they moved to Newton,
Kansas, the 13th move for the family because of the transfers and jobs with
the railroad. Several months later, yet a 14th move was made to Walton,
Kansas. On the 17th move, in April 1937, he and Jessie bought their first
home. It would be 7 more moves before they would find the house in Sedgwick
in March 1947 where they would stay. He retired from the railroad as a
section foreman December 1, 1951.
Christopher Columbus Hicks
Father of Albert Hicks was born March 4, 1856 and died
March 17, 1898.
Martha Angeline Richeson
Wife of Christopher Columbus Hicks, mother of Albert
Hicks, born January 1, 1859; died July 4, 1934
Jesse Fae James
Mother of Harry Hicks, Jessie was born in Rockingham,
Missouri June 16, 1886 and died in August 1973. She and her husband, Albert,
were parents to three children, Harry Sanford, Nadine, and Robert Lee.
Burial was in the Walton, Kansas Cemetery, the Reverend Richard E. Vail
officiating.
John Thomas James
Father of Jessie Fay James, was born in Arkansas March
4, 1938, lived most of his life in Carroll County, Missouri, and passed away
May 1, 1918 at age 80 of paralysis. He is buried in Norborne, Missouri,
service conducted by Rev. W.B. Corder of the Methodist Church. He served for
the Union and enlisted on March 18, 1862 with the rank of Private with
Company K, 3rd Regiment, Missouri State Militia Volunteers - Cavalry during
the Civil War and his military records describe him at age 47 as 5' 6" tall,
light complexion, with blue eyes. While serving with Company K he was
"disabled by measles, cold, and affliction of the eyes at Warrensburg,
Missouri, December 25, 1864". He was discharged April 1865. He and Sarah
Silbert were married September 21, 1865 in Carrollton, Missouri.
William James
Father of John T. James was an early settler to Carroll
County, Missouri who came from Tennessee before 1830. He is buried in the
Ebenezer Cemetery west of Borard, Missouri.
Reliance Booth
Wife of William James, was also an early Carroll County
settler from Tennessee.
Sarah Elizabeth Sibert
Born August 23, 1848 at Lexington, Missouri, was the
daughter of Frank and Amanda Sibert. The mother of Jessie Fay James, she
died March 29, 1920 at age 71 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Jessie Hicks
of Walton, Kansas. Funeral
services were held at the Baptist Church in Norborne, Missouri. She married
James T. James September 1, 1865 and had 11 children: Martha James (b.
August 10, 1866), Frank (b. November 29, 1868), Infant Son (b. dead January
?), Samuel (b. November 30, 1872), George (b. October 4, 1874), Ida (b.
August 30, 1876), Charles (b. December 25, 1877), Bertie (b. October 4,
1880), Cora (b. October 5, 1883), Jessie (b. June 16, 1886), and Bessie (b.
November 29, 1889).
Maternal
Marjorie Eleanor Hill
Born February 11, 1917 at the family home SE of
Hutchinson, Kansas to Blaine Hill and Jenny Nelson Hill and died August 3,
1975 in St. Mary Hospital, Manhattan, Kansas of multiple myeloma and breast
cancer at age 58. Services were officiated by Reverend Julian Johnson at the
First Congregational Church with interment in Sunrise Cemetery in Manhattan,
Kansas. She and her husband, Harry, whom she married July 21, 1942, had
three children: Janice Kay, Barbara Lynne, and Robert Stanley.
Blaine Hill
Born at home on the family farm in Clay Township, Reno
County, Kansas on January 7, 1890 and died of a heart attack on September 5,
1966 at age 76 at Grace Hospital after a four week illness. He married
Jennie Nelson January 1, 1913 and was a life-long resident of Hutchinson,
Kansas, retiring from KSIR after 23 years of service on April 1954. He and
Jennie had 11 children: Elizabeth 1914-1995, Ernest 1915-1967, twins Harold
1921-1933 and Howard b. 1921 d. 1921, Marjorie 1917-1975, Mary Anne b. 1924,
Irene b. 1926, Betty 1928-1942, Virginia b. 1932, Joseph b. 1919, and Donald
b. 1930. He was a member of Emanuel Lutheran Church, where the Reverend H.O.
Lindeblad officiated at his memorial services. Blaine is buried in Mitchell
Cemetery.
Joseph Hill
Father of Blaine Hill, was born in England on December
29, 1854 and died in Hutchinson, Kansas February 28, 1922. Services were
officiated by Rev. W.B. Stevens.
Jennie Nelson
Born at her parent's home east of Hutchinson, Kansas on
April 28, 1893. At this time they lived in the Santa Fe Railroad town of
Kent. She lived most of her life on the farm but didn't meet Blaine until
they were in their teens. She attended Abee School and Swedish Lutheran
Church while Blaine went to Maguire School and Clay Valley Methodist Church.
She and Blaine were married January 1, 1913. Jennie died of a stroke on
August 11, 1972. Services were held at Emanuel Lutheran Church, the Rev.
H.O. Lindeblad officiating, and burial at Mitchell Cemetery.
James Nelson [Jons Nillson]
Born April 25, 1858 in Sjelland Province, Denmark, the
son of Nels Anderson and Mettie Jansen Miller, and died in 1934. He came to
America in 1888 and worked for the railroad. Along with Christina's savings
from running a boarding house for other railroad workers, they saved enough
money to buy the farm east of Hutchinson in 1899.
Christina Johnson [Christina Jonsdotter]
Born at Virestad, Kronoberg, Sweden April 4, 1854 and,
as a girl, was known as Pere's Christina. At 16 she went from Sweden to
Denmark to work in a large dairy there. Her future husband, James Nelson,
whom she married August 1881, worked there as a hostler and this is where
they met and were married. After she came to America with James in 1887 she
ran a boarding house for other railroad workers. She died May 27, 1934.