1United States Census Bureau, 1880 Census Soundex, V24 E.D. 253 Sheet 17, T748 - #33 H562.
Fanny 30 years old.2Kansas Census, 1895 Kansas Census, family 53.
Fannie Louise Hammers was 44 years old and born in New York.
1Kansas Census, 1895 Kansas Census, family 68.
Leon Weir was 28 years old and born in Illinois, and lived previously in Nebraska?, and worked as a miner.
1United States Census Bureau, 1880 Census Soundex, V24 E.D. 253 Sheet 17, T748 - #33 H562.
2Kansas Census, 1895 Kansas Census, family 68.
A. J. Hammers was 23 years old and born in Ohio.
1United States Census Bureau, 1880 Census Soundex, V24 E.D. 253 Sheet 17, T748 - #33 H562.
Johnnie 4 years old.2Kansas Census, 1895 Kansas Census, family 53.
John was 19 years old and born in Missouri and worked as a miner.
1Columbus Daily Advocate, April 1, 1996
Obituary of Anna Louise (Hammers) Porter, The Columbus Daily Advocate, April 1, 1996, Cherokee County KS Genealogical - Historical Society Library, 100 South Tennessee, Columbus, KS 66725.2Columbus Daily Advocate, April 1, 1996
Obituary of Anna Louise (Hammers) Porter.3Staff Correspondent, The Columbus Daily Advocate, March 30, 1938, Cherokee County KS Genealogical - Historical Society Library, 100 South Tennessee, Columbus, KS 66725.
Columbus, Kans. March 30.--The staff of teachers at the Highland grade school building in the west residential district of Columus emerged as heroes of today's disastrous tornado, their quick thinking and heroic work being credited with having saved the lives of several score children.
"Quick Thinking of Teachers Saves Lives of Many Pupils
The two-story brick building, at Oak and High School streets, was in the center of the path of the twister and 108 small children were in the seven classrooms when the storm struck. The building was unroofed and the upper story was virtually demolished, but not a single child was seriously injured.
Principal L. E. Wellman, a teacher and scoutmaster, said that approximately 24 children received minor cuts and bruises. Two were buried in the upstairs debris, but Wellman quickly dug them out, and by some stroke of fate, they were not badly hurt.
Wellman, and miss Esther Olson, both of whom disregarded their personal injuries to look after the children, were hailed as the principal hero and heroine of the storm. They and Miss Anna Hammers, were in charge of 67 small children in the three upstairs rooms where the most damage was done. Wellman was in the southwest corner room, which was completely demolished, with 26 children. There were 26 others in an adjoining room and 15 in the third room. A stairway hall separated two of the rooms from the third.
The children were in their seats when Wellman, from a west window, saw the storm approaching.
"My first thought," Wellman said, "was that the wind and hail might break the windows and the children might be cut by flying glass, so I ordered them to go into the hallway. Miss Hammers and Miss Olson did likewise and all of the children were crowding into the hallway from the three rooms when the windows started coming in.
"Everyone was frightened but there did not seem to be any panic. The next thing I knew the roof started to go, and the children began going down the stairway. Then the walls of my room began falling.
"I heard calls for help and returned to the room to find two of the children buried under the debris. Their voices directed me to them and I dug them out. One was Darlene Fee and the other Willis Kelley, both second graders and each about 7 years old. When I dug them out both seemed not to be seriously hurt and ran out of the building."
The teachers directed orderly evacuation of the building. Wellman was struck by a falling brick, but was not seriously injured.
Miss Olson also was hit on the head by flying debris and a severe head wound was inflicted. She remained on the job for almost an hour, however, trying to look after the children and see if any was seriously injured. Then she collapsed in the school yard and was taken to City hospital where she still was a patient tonight. Her condition was believed not to be serious. She was suffering from shock.
Once outside the shattered school building and safe, the children scattered in all directions. On all sides and for blocks around scores of home were in ruins--many of them the homes of the children. Frantically they rushed around looking for mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters.
Wellman tried vainly to bring them back so that he might check names and faces to account for them all. He and other volunteers searched the building again, but found no other victims.
Rumors flew that several children were buried in the structure and many frantic mothers and fathers rushed to the building.
Determined to account for all students before he quit, Wellman assemled a group of Boy Scouts and directed them to help round up the children. He managed to find a loudspeaker, which he set up in the school yard and used to call off names.
It was 4 o'clock this afternoon before his task was finished, but he didn't quit until every school child had been accounted for. A few received treatment for injuries. They include Billy Gardenshire, Charles Henderson, Ella May Napier and Marguerite Napier.
Other teachers who remained on the job were Mrs. June Field and Miss Eva Burger. Neither was injured. The school building, valued at approximately $10,000, is a total loss except for salvaging. Students at the school were First to Fifth graders, inclusive.
The school clock remained on the wall after the storm passed. It grimly marked the hour the tornado hit, at 9 1/2 minutes past 11 o'clock, having stopped at that time.
Wellman said he was unable to explain how all of the students came through the tornado with none being seriously hurt. "It was just a miracle," he said.".
Columbus Tornado.
1Pittsburg Morning Sun, Obituary of Mae Annette (Hammers) Matthews, Sunday, April 6, 2003, 6 Apr 2003.
"Story last updated at 3:03 a.m. Sunday, April 6, 2003
Mae Annette Matthews SMITHVILLE, Mo. - Mae Annette Matthews, 85, of Smithville, Mo., died Friday, April 4, 2003, at North Kansas City Hospital, Kansas City, Mo. She had been in failing health for the past year.
She was born Aug. 19, 1917, in Cherokee County, to John E. and Cora A. (Stevens) Hammers. She attended area schools.
On July 17, 1937, she married Bernard Matthews. He preceded her in death Jan. 17, 1977.
She was a homemaker.
She was a member of World Wide Church of God.
Survivors include two sons, Dan Matthews, of Smithville, and Dennis Matthews, of Harrison, Ark.; two daughters, Connie Callahan, of Pleasant Valley, Mo., and Vickie Sue Walsh, of Norfolk, Va.; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
She also was preceded in death by her parents; one son and one grandson.
Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Hosey Hill Cemetery with Mike Blackwell officiating. Burial will follow. Friends are requested to meet at the cemetery for the services. Arrangements are under the direction of Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, Weir.".
11871 Unted Kingdom census, Westgate, Newcastle on Tyne,Northumberland, ENG, 1871, 10 / 5074.
Thomas Thompson 50
Eleanor 49
Mary W. 25
Thomas 20
James 20
Joseph C. 17
John 14
Robert 10
Frederick 7.