Charles Kennedy Farnham

Born: 10 MAY 1895 Carrollton, Missouri

Died: 21 MAY 1945 Bakersfield, California

1st Aileen Harper

Born: 17 AUG 1894 Carrollton, Missouri

Died: 09 Dec 1993 Harrisonville, Missouri

Married: 27 NOV 1914 Leavenworth, Leavenworth, Kansas, USA

2^nd Clara Josephine Kennedy

Born: 24 JAN 1894 College Corner, Ohio

Died: 03 NOV 1978 Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Married: 27 OCT 1920 Cleveland, Ohio

3^rd Margaret Mary Scott

Born: 25 JUN 1895 Carrollton, Missouri

Died: 23 AUG 1983 Bakersfield, California

Married: unk.

Charles Kennedy Farnham was born and raised in Carrollton, Missouri. He was the youngest of Eugene and Minnie’s 3 children. He was known by the nickname of Charlie, and his older siblings were Laila and Harry. In August 1900 tragedy struck the family when 6 yr. old Harry, the middle child, died from typhoid pneumosis he contracted from drowning months before at Hein’s Lake. The Typhus bacteria is transmitted by exposure to contaminated water or contact with infected individuals. The entry of this water into his lungs harbored the ideal environment for infectious bacterial growth. Harry’s death most certainly had a devastating affect on the family, and it is probable that his parents became more lenient on Charlie during his youth and as he grew into adulthood.

Charlie worked as a delivery man for his parent’s dry cleaning shop, or as he called himself – “Chauffeur for Farnham’s Cleaning Shop”. He was married to Aileen Harper for about four years, had 2 children, and managed the Hillside Green House for his father. After the birth of their daughter Charleen, he announced to Aileen that he was leaving her. Some speculated that he ran off with another woman. Charlie would occasionally return home to Missouri to visit his son Eugene, Charleen, and his parents, but this was on rare occasion.

Aileen and the children moved into her mother’s home to survive, and later worked as a clerk at Winetroub & Fuchs Store in Carrollton from 1923 to 1940. She married a furniture repairman, Earl N. Brown 8 OCT 1921, who worked next door to the store. Earl was known to give Aileen lavish gifts which he bought on credit. Suddenly one day Earl disappeared without anyone knowing where he had gone. He left town for one of two reasons (or both); 1) His credit lenders were closing in on him for repayment of debt, or 2) He couldn’t tolerate Aileen any better than Charlie did. Earl was spotted in another town years later far away from Carrollton by a friend of Aileen’s brother, so no harm had come to him. He just ran away! Aileen was a known suffragist who advocated for the rights of women to vote. Later on at the age of 43, she married Lynnie Ellis about 1937. Aileen and Lynnie moved to Lubbock Texas where Lynnie worked for Dr. Pepper Company as a sign painter and eventually started his own sign painting business ^[5]. Lynnie died in 1973 and Aileen moved back to Missouri.

There’s not much information on where Charlie was for the following 3 years after he left Aileen, but he eventually ended up in Cleveland, Ohio in 1920 and married his first cousin Clara Kennedy (Minnie’s niece). His divorce with Aileen must not have been completed, because Charlie was still married and lied about not being previously married on the marriage certificate with Clara. Apparently another short marriage which was annulled due to his bigamy of being married to two women.

By 1930 Charlie, at the age of 25, married Margaret Scott who was a childhood friend. After the marriage they lived at her mother’s home in Kansas City, Missouri. Charlie worked for Scott Linen Supply in Kansas City delivering and picking up linens for cleaning. Any relation between the Scott Linen Supply Company and Margaret is unknown. As a young girl, Charleen recalls visiting her father in Kansas City, and being terrified of his small bulldog. She remarked that the bulldog and Margaret’s mother looked very closely alike. Margaret worked for Standard Oil Company as a Stenographer, and was transferred to Bakersfield, California in 1939^[3]. Charlie was working as an Assistant Engineer at the Haberfelde Building in Bakersfield at the time of his death. Margaret remained in Bakersfield and eventually moved into the home of a woman who had taken care of her at a nursing home.

Military Service:

Charlie enlisted in the Missouri National Guard in 1916 and served 1 year while being deployed to Texas as a Cook in the Mexican American War.

On June 18, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson mobilized the National Guard against Pancho Villa in order to protect the United States border towns. This was a result of the near destruction of the 10^th Calvary by Mexican Army units on June 21, 1916. On June 22, 1916 Charlie, as a member of Company H of the Missouri National Guard, was entrained and sent to the state mobilization camp at Nevada, Missouri. Company H was the first company to arrive at the camp within 36 hours of the call to arms. The Carrollton community was, “filled with joyous pride when we think of the loyal and patriotic response that was made by the men of Co. H”. “Within hours after the orders had been received people began gathering on the streets to see the boys start. A little past seven they came out from the Armory and the orders were given to march. The crowd fell in after them and hundreds followed them in the march. Others came in automobiles and buggies and the streetcar was crowded to its capacity.

When the soldiers arrived at the depot they were lined up along the platform and for more than an hour a crowd of loved ones and friends marched by telling them goodbye. Hundreds did not even get an opportunity to give them a personal word of cheer on their departure, but not a moment will pass while they are gone but what some one of us will be breathing a prayer for their safe return.”^[4] We can only imagine the emotions involved with Aileen telling her husband goodbye with the nine-month-old Eugene in her arms, and that of Minnie, his mother, who had lost a six yrs. old son many years before. I’m sure that the near destruction of the 10^th Calvary several days prior to the activation of the Missouri National Guard was the foremost thought on every citizen’s mind in Carrollton as they said goodbye to their family and friends. Charlie was a Cook with the rank of Corporal in Company H, Missouri National Guard. The unit was sent to protect Laredo, Texas, and was eventually returned home without incident.

On Apri 1917 the United States entered World War I, and Charlie signed up for the WWI draft registration when he was 22. His registration card stated that he had a missing 2^nd finger as a disability. The absence of a trigger finger was enough to disqualify his enlistment in the Army for combat in Europe. I speculate that Charlie considered his chances of going to war in Europe and survival made him choose an alternative. Better to loose a trigger finger than your life in the trenches of Europe during WWI.

"Charlie was described as an easygoing likable man who was full of kindness and good cheer(alcohol).”

Home Addresses:

1920 – 9704 Cedar Ave., Cleveland, Ohio

1930 – 2802 Eighth Street in Kansas City, Missouri.

– 640 Hardesty St., Kansas City, Missouri with Fannie Scott

1940 – 011 Owens Street, Bakersfield, California