D J Ryan, Lincoln & Tulsa Counties, Oklahoma

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South Keokuk Township, Ryan Farm (Click to Enlarge)

We know enough things about this family to begin a more active search on this family line, and therefore we have begun requesting obituaries and other vital records to help us understand where some of their progeny "took root."  We believe that most of their descendants remained in the Oklahoma and surrounding states.

Another thing we're pretty certain about is when they arrived in Oklahoma.  In looking at census records, we see that they were still living in the Waukon, Iowa area in 1900.  We also know that his family was still living in Iowa in 1902 as their youngest daughter, Mary, was born in that year.  We also know that they were living in Oklahoma in the latter half of '02 because in October his mother, Nancy, died at their Lincoln County, Oklahoma, home.  The obituary notice stated that they lived near Stroud, which was a very wild and untamed western town.

At the time, we weren't certain how close they lived to Stroud until we read a memoir from Clara Stone.  We know from her memoirs that her father's farm was next door to the Daniel and Mary Ryans farm, and in her memoirs she mention that she lived 2 1/2 miles from "old Stroud".  Apparently "old Stroud" was one mile west of where Stroud sets today.  Her memoir provides a picture of Oklahoma in those days, and we have linked this page to her story (just click on her name). 

Clara Hines One thing we know about the great western migration is this - families traveled with other families or joined up with families who settled earlier on the frontier.  We don't know if Daniel Ryan was the original owner of the land he farmed in Oklahoma, as the land was claimed during the 1889 land rush but patents weren't delivered until 1901.  All we know is he had transplanted his family in 1902. If they came to Oklahoma with other neighbors, we believe that the Hines family may have been familiar to them.  Census records show that they spent some time in Iowa before moving to Oklahoma.  Additionally, his older brother, Dennis, married a Hines girl from Lee County, Iowa.  Between the Hines and Ryan farm was the Stone farm (160 acres)

Clara Hines (census records name as Clarah Hines) Her husband, William was born in Iowa.  She was about the same age as Daniel Ryan's wife.

D. J. Ryan, age 50, Mary J. age 38, James L age 19, Emmett age 17, Gretta age 14, Willie age 13, Robert age 12, Al age 8 and Mary age 7.  See additional census records

Ervin Mitchell Draft Record, Colorado.

• Ervin Mitchell City: Not Stated County: Archuleta State: Colorado Birthplace: Kansas; United States of America Birth Date: 29 Mar 1890 Race: Caucasian (White)

  Ervin R Mitchell Home in 1920: Bigheart, Osage, Oklahoma Age: 29 years  Estimated birth year: abt 1891 Birthplace: Kansas Relation to Head of House: Brother-in-law Father's Birth Place: Illinois Mother's Birth Place: Illinois Marital Status: Single Race: White Sex: Male Able to read: Yes Able to Write: Yes.

  Irvin Mitchell Census Date: 1915 Residence County: Montgomery Residence State: Kansas Locality: Coffeyville Birth Location: Kansas Family Number: 466 Gender: Male Estimated birth year: abt 1890 Race: White

  Close Family Ties:

  It appears that the Ryan and Mitchell families developed close ties with one another over the years.  In addition to the marriage between Ervin and Gretta, we also see Andrew James (Toney) living with a Mitchell family in Oklahoma City in the 1930 census.     A J Ryan was married to Clarice Turner by this time.

  • Name & Age: C B Mitchell 33,  Marine Mitchell 32,  June C Mitchell 11,  Carl Mitchell 8,  Sally Lou Mitchell 4 11/12,  A J Ryan 22, and Clarice Ryan 22

  

We know that Daniel moved his family to Tulsa, Oklahoma by 1910.  In 1920 a few children continued to live with Daniel and Mary, but by 1930, we see only Mary living with her daughter Gretta and son-in-law Ervin Mitchell.  Daniel had died a year earlier.

The first time we saw the Mitchell surname referenced as "a relative" was in Josephine Bridget Hill Ryan's obituary.  At the time we didn't know how we were related to the Mitchell family.  It also referenced other relatives who attended this funeral; and we later learned these others were Daniel's sister (Nancy Burke) children and spouses.  See Ryans of Cushing.  As we learned recently, one of Nancy's children Will Burke remained in the Cushing area, even though the rest of the family made their way to Leavenworth, Kansas.

On your right is a copy of Ervin Mitchells' draft record.  He enlisted during WW1 and was part of the Balloon Corps.  At the bottom of the page is a copy which can be enlarged.

The final reference we have is their cemetery records.  Mary lived another 15 year after Daniel's death.  In addition, we see that the Mitchells share the same family plot with the elder Ryans.

Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Tulsa Oklahoma (918) 299-7348 91st and Harvard (9 miles south of Downtown). Well kept grounds and fairly large. Established in 1910 as Holy Family Cemetery, and relocated to current location in the 1920's.

• Mitchell, Ervin R. 03/29/1890 05/19/1957 WW I Pfc 39 Balloon
• Mitchell, Gretta 07/30/1895 1947
• Ryan, Mary Ann 1878 1947
• Ryan, Daniel J. 1861 1929
•  Ryan, Mary 1902 1913

Buried Elsewhere in the cemetery.  Daniel and Mary's children:

• Ryan, T. Robert 10/28/1897 04/08/1964
• Barbara F. 09/30/1906
• Ryan, Edward E. 05/02/1892 12/17/1944 Pvt U.S.Army

While we can directly link these families to ours, there are two other names associated with this family plot.  We're not sure how they connect to us, but will become part of future investigations.

• Burke, Kathleen 08/12/1922
• Ryan, Mike A. 08/07/1907 04/27/1961

While it appears that most of the Ryans remained within the area, we also know that a few left and pursued careers elsewhere.  The only one we know for certain is Daniel Ryan, whom in earlier census records was noted as either Willie (1910) and Edward W. (1920)

• Name: Daniel W Ryan Home in 1930: Navy Yard, Kitsap, Washington,  Age: 30 Estimated birth year: abt 1900 , Birthplace: Iowa

Living in Tulsa County

The Ryan family moved several times after moving to Tulsa County.  After leaving Lincoln County, the initially lived in Dawson Township, which was north of the city of Tulsa.  Within 10 years, the family was found living within Tulsa itself.