Biographical Sketch

Wesley Vance as a young boy.

Wesley Vance Claybourn ("Vance") was born on 30 July 1898, in Kinmundy, Illinois. He moved to Mt. Vernon, Illinois, when he was about nine years old and there he attended Franklin School, graduating in 1913. Vance attended high school for a while but did not graduate because he learned telegraphy and went to work as manager of Western Union in Pekin, Illinois. While in Pekin he met Virona Maude "Vi" Champion (born 4 July 1897, at Green Valley, Illinois). The two were married on 2 December 1916. They lived for a while at Sherman, Texas, and were in Joplin, Missouri during World War II. Later, during much of the 1960's, they lived in Fort Scott, Kansas.

Vance worked as Relay Telegrapher for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad from 1916 to January of 1921, and thereafter he worked for the St. Louis - San Francisco ("Frisco") Railway as Agent, Wire Chief, Train Dispatcher and Chief Dispatcher. "Vi" and Vance were both very civic minded and community spirited. Vance was a member of the Order of Railroad Telegraphers since 1918; member of the American Federation of Labor; member of the Association of American Train Dispatchers since 1943 and Secretary-Treasurer from 1946-1949 and General Chairman from 1949-1953; member of the Fort Scott Rotary Club; member of the Masonic Lodge (1952) and Scottish Rite (1953); District Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America (1953); Chairman of the Bourbon County Blood for Red Cross (1958-1959); member of the Bourbon County Agricultural Committee; Chairman of the Four H Council (1958); and Vice Chairman of the Springfield Region Area American Red Cross (1959).

"Vi" was equaly involved in her community. She was President of the PTA Council in Sherman, Texas (1930); President of the PTA at Crockett School (1931) and Jefferson School (1938), both in Sherman; Chairman of the Red Cross Gray Ladies in Camp Crowder, Missouri (1944-1948); Presient of the American War Dad's Auxiliary in Joplin, Missouri (1945); President of the Tri-State Rose Society (1947); Director of the League of Women Voters in Joplin (1948); President of the Order of Eastern Star Study Club in Fort Scott (1953); Secretary of the Federated Women's Clubs (1953); President of the Rotary Anns (1954); Vice-President of the Pierian Club in Fort Scott (1958). She was also active in the Presbyterian Church and enjoyed cut work and bridge as hobbies.

Vi and Vance were proud of their family - all four of their children were college graduates.

Pedigree Chart

						Ephraim Claybourn 1788 - 1850
				William Divine Claybourn 1819 - 1876
						Mary "Polly" Browning 1792 - 1874
		Reuben Cicero Claybourn 1854 - 1921
						Reuben Hawker b. 1794
				Frances Alla Hawker 1820 - 1863
						Nancy Hawker b. 1796
Wesley Vance Claybourn b. 1898
				Rev. James Jackson Williams
		Mary Ann Eldorado Williams 1857 - 1914
				Sophronia Jane Bryant

Descendants

1. Jack Junior Claybourn was born on 16 June 1917 in Wellington, Kansas. He earned a bachelor of arts degree at Austin College in Sherman, Texas and then enlisted in the military on 19 November 1941 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The following year (1942) he entered Officer's Candidate School and would go on to earn the rank of 2nd Lieutenant (1942), Captain (1945) and Major (1957). Jack served overseas on the Accra Gold Coast in Africa, and then in Ghana on January of 1943. Later that fall in September of 1943 he was assigned as Personnel Officer at La Guardia Field in New York. Jack was in the inactive service beginning on 12 January 1946 but was reactivated to Military Air Transport at Casa Blanca in June of 1951. He returned in September of 1953 and served as Personnel Officer at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas. In 1957, however, he was the traffic representative of Navajo Truck Lines in Wichita, living in Derby, Kansas. Jack married on 10 October 1942 in New York City to Helen Mae Wallen (born 14 July 1920). This would have been just after Jack had enlisted in the military. Jack Junior died on 5 June 1982 of emphysema at the V.A. Hospital in Dallas. Thereafter his widow Helen lived in Kansas City. The couple had three children:

   1. Janet Lee Claybourn was born 13 May 1948 in Wichita, Kansas, and married Larry Montgomery. The two lived in Denver, Colorado and later in Rapid City, South Dakota.

   2. Carla Marie Claybourn was born 5 January 1950 in Wichita, Kansas. She married Craig Prasher and the two lived in Plano, Texas. They had three children:
      1. Christopher Andrew Prasher, born 15 June 1976
      2. Scott Warren Prasher, born 15 November 1979

   3. Charles Vance Claybourn was born 3 January 1952 in Casa Blanca, French Morocco. He married a woman named Joann and they had three children:
      1. Jarod John Claybourn, born 11 October 1979
      2. Briceanna Bray Claybourn, born 4 September 1981
      3. Victoria Dawn Claybourn, born 29 August 1984

2. Norman Leigh Claybourn, M.D. was born 12 April 1920 in Pekin, Illinois. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. Thereafter he entered the military service reserve as a 2nd Lieutenant in May of 1942 and later served as 1st Lieutenant. Two years later he earned an M.D. from the Kansas University School of Medicine (31 January 1944) and interned at the City Hospital in Akron, Ohio (1944). Norman was also on the active duty Medical Corps (1944) and achieved the rank of Captain on 16 August 1945. He served on the Hospital Ship "Charles A. Stafford" in the Atlantic and Pacific area and left the military on 13 December 1946. He would go on to serve as Assistant Medical Director to the Inland Steel Company in East Chicago, Indiana. During this time he was living in Munster, Indiana. Norman married Louise Virginia Luffel (born 24 October 1920) on 4 July 1942 in Fort Scott, Kansas. They had three children:

   1. Judith Louise Claybourn was born 14 July 1944 in Akron, Ohio. She married Byron Keck and they lived in Garland, Texas.

   2. Carol Anne Claybourn was born 23 October 1946 in Fort Scott, Kansas and married Steve Braughton.

   3. Marilyn Sue Claybourn was born 5 June 1949 in Fort Scott, Kansas and married Fred Hawkins.

3. Betty Ellen Claybourn was born 18 July 1923 in Stephanville, Texas. She earned a bachelor of science degree from Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa. Following graduation she taught science in Stiry City, Iowa, at Consolidated High School. In November of 1958 she moved into a new home designed by her in Ames and, a year later in 1959, she was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship for summer study. Betty married on 30 October 1943 to Alvin Theodore Goettsch (born 14 May 1921). He received his bachelor of science degree from Iowa State College and a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin. He served as 2nd Lieutenant in Field Artillery at Camp Dodge, Iowa (3 April 1943), was instructor in Field Artillery until January of 1945, was a Liaison Pilot at Sheppar Field in Texas (April 1945), and was 1st Lieutenant on 7 December 1945. Alvin separated from the military service on 11 April 1945. Thereafter he was a county agricultural agent and a regional supervisor over several counties for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 1959 he joined Iowa State College as an Associate Professor. Betty and Alvin had three children:

   1. Theodore Ann "Toi Ann" Goettsch was born on 10 October 1944 in Joplin, Missouri. He married R.A. Christenson and attended law school.

   2. Stephen Louis Goettsch was born on 20 July 1946 in Red Oak, Iowa. His last known address was in Ames, Iowa.

   3. Wesley Jane Goettsch was born on 28 October 1952 in Ames, Iowa. His last known addess was in Overland Park, Kansas.

4. Billy James Claybourn was born on 8 September 1926, in Dublin, Texas. He graduated from high school in Fort Scott, Kansas, and served as a pre-aviation cadet from February - November of 1945. He earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering at the University of Missouri in 1948. He would go on to work as Special Products Engineer for "ethylene," which is used to make plastics. Later he would work as a process control engineer at the Field Research Laboratory for Magnolia Petroleum Company (now owned by Mobil Oil Company). Bill married on 25 September 1954 to Thelma Ruth Maples (born 2 April 1929 in Victoria, Texas). She earned a bachelor of arts degree from the Texas College of Arts and Industries in 1950. Bill and Thelma had four children:

   1. David Mark Claybourn was born 10 May 1955 in Falfurrias, Texas. He serves as the sports editor of the Herald Beacon in Greenville, Texas.

   2. Susan Diane Claybourn, born 17 May 1956 in Alice, Texas. She married Bob Craig and they lived in Nashville, Illinois. Bob worked for Owens Corning and Susan worked for the local newspaper.

   3. Cynthia Sheryl Claybourn was born 24 June 1958 in Dallas, Texas. She married Paul Walker and the two lived in Fort Worth, Texas. Bob worked for General Dynamics.

   4. Melanie Ann Claybourn was born 25 July 1962. She graduated from Texas Tech University in December of 1984 and then worked as a teacher.