Clara Ethel Kemps 1882

Clara Ethel Kemps Boyle

1882 – 1953

Photographs Courtesy of Philip Smith

(Clara) Ethel Kemps was born on December 23, 1882 in Oakdale, Illinois. She died on February 27, 1953.

Her parents were Scotch-Irish Covenanters:

Samuel Henry Kemps (3/27/1842 - 4/2/1921)

Clara Amanda McClurken (6/7/1849 - 5/27/1936)

Ethel was the one of seven children. Her siblings were:

Albert Rodman (6/1/1870 – 4/4/1958)

Lawrence Edward (4/20/1872 - 10/5/1873)

Luther James (2/25/1876 – 11/22/1935)

William Henry (10/29/1878 – 10/2/1964)

May Belle Kirkpatrick (6/14/1881 – 2/16/1964)

Edna Adella Smith (8/26/1885 – 12/20/1932)

The “History of Oakdale Township” has one reference to Ethel:

Page 103 lists Ethel Kemps as a pupil in the Oakdale School in 1896-97.

The 1900 Census shows Clara E., at age 17, living on a farm with her parents, three brothers and two sisters in the Oakdale Township of Washington County, Illinois. She was attending school.

The 1910 Census, enumerated on April 16^th, shows Ethel living with her brother, William, and sister-in-law, Edna, in St. Louis, Missouri.

The 1910 Census, enumerated on April 23^rd, shows Ethel, at age 28, living on a farm in Oakdale, Illinois with her parents and sister, Edna.

On August 26, 1914, Ethel married Raymond (W.R.) Boyle (10/10/1881 – 7/1964) and they moved to Sparta, Illinois.

Ethel and Raymond had two children:

Thurston K. Boyle (8/31/1915 – 12/1984)

Mary Clare Boyle Puster (12/9/1917 – 3/15/2007)

Mary Clare Boyle

Mary Clare Boyle on the Right with her cousin, Evelyn Smith, on the Left

The 1920 Census shows Ethel and Raymond and the two children living in Oakdale, Illinois near both of their parents.

The 1930 Census shows them living in Sparta, Randolph County, Illinois. W.R. (Raymond) was a Car-man for the railroad.

The 1940 Census shows the family living in the Coulterville Precinct of Randolph County, Illinois. William was farming and Thurston was working as a laborer in a sheet metal shop.

The 1950 Census shows the Raymond and Ethel living in Randolph County, Illinois. Raymond was farming.

Clara Ethel Kemps Boyle died on February 27, 1953. At that time, she and Raymond were living in Wilton Junction, Iowa.

Reference files:

Oakdale, Illinois

Covenanters

Scotch-Irish

1900_Samuel_Kemps.jpg see line 86

1910_Samuel_Kemps.jpg see line 92

1910_William_H_Kemps.jpg see line 57

1920_Samuel_Kemps.jpg see line 64

1930_Ethel_Boyle.jpg see line 35

1940 William R Boyle.jpg see line 59