{27 Sep 16: Biography of Rhoda by Grant H. Collar Jr, b.1931. Rhoda was a cousin, once removed of my father, Grant Sr (1901-1978). Sources: Main initial source was Hallie Lucile ARBOGAST McBrayer, b.1925 (we corresponded and phoned in 1992), censuses, LDS FamilySearch documents on the Internet, Kansas Marriages, 1849-1935; and Find A Grave Memorial# 42854769 for Rhoda and Find A Grave Memorial# 42329392 for Francis Marion PATTON, which provided the surname of Rhoda’s first husband, “BURTON”.

Rhoda lived Farmer City, DeWitt County, Illinois (age 2 in 1860 Census of parents Hugh and Nancy with all five children); Lincoln Twp, Linn County, Kansas (1870 Census for Hugh and Nancy “Arbigraso” (sic) and four children: James William and Rhoda - with brothers George Bruce and John Wesley families in adjacent dwellings - Zera was 22 and gone); still in Kansas (1880 Census of Hugh, Nancy, and Rhoda with her daughter Emma E.); and in Cheney Grove Twp, Saybrook, McLean County, Illinois in 1900 Census .

Rhoda m1: 04 Jun 1876 Allen County, Kansas (which corners Linn County on the northeast) to William P. BURTON, b:_1852/53 Arkansas (per 1870 Census of Cottage Grove Twp, Allen County, Kansas for William P’s father - another William, a very wealthy family as indicated by his 1870 Real Estate valued at $4,400 and Personal Property at $1,000). Their daughter Emma was born five months after the marriage. The 1880 Census reported that Rhoda was “Widowed”. However, this writer found him in 1910 Census of Columbus, Carbon County, Montana, farm contractor - divorced; 1920 and 1930 Censuses of Lower White Bird, Stillwater County, Montana, farmer - single and widowed respectively. No death record was found for William.

At age 34, Rhoda m2: 26 May 1892 to Francis Marion PATTON (1839 Ohio - 1928 Saybrook, Illinois). Rhoda and Francis were buried Riverside Cemetery, Saybrook, Illinois. Rhoda’s daughter, Emma, was age 16 at her mother’s remarriage. Francis was a carpenter.

In the census image of 04 Jun 1900 Census of Saybrook, McLean County, Illinois, the Rhoda Patton family was listed with husband Francis and four children by his first wife, ages 16-30 plus a daughter by Rhoda and Francis, i.e. Grace PATTON, age 7. Rhoda's older brother, the James William ARBOGAST family (including wife Olive and four children, ages 2-22), were listed on the same census page (Sheet 2B) with only two intervening families between them. So they were neighbors.

Rhoda, William P. BURTON, and Francis PATTON had two daughters:

1. Emma Elizabeth BURTON, b: Nov 1876 (probably La Cygne), Lynn County, Kansas where the family lived, d: 1933 Ames, Story County, Iowa, married 1894/95 to Edwin Sedgewick PROPER, b: Jan 1867 Van Buren County, Iowa, d: 12 May 1932 San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas where he had gone for treatment of a protracted illness (Find A Grave Memorial# 58546134 - which has much more family data), both buried Ames Municipal Cemetery, Iowa. In 12 Jun 1900 Census of Ames, Story County, Iowa, they lived at 432 Onondago Street. Edwin was a furniture and jewelry dealer.

They had a son: Datus Edwin PROPER, b:_16 Aug 1896 Primghar, O’Brien County, Iowa (55 miles northeast of Sioux City), d:_03 Apr 1965 San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas (Find A Grave# 58546549), married Alice A. ______, b: 10 Jul 1896 Texas, d:_14 Jul 1982 Dallas, Dallas County, Texas (Find A Grave Memorial# 58546602). (Sources: 1880 Census of Linn County, Kansas for Hugh Arbogast; 1900 Census of Ames, Iowa for Edwin Proper; Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935 for Emma E. BURTON; and named Find A Grave Memorials).

2. Grace C. PATTON, b: Jan 1893 Illinois (probably Saybrook) per 1900 Census of Saybrook, Illinois. ___ End of Bio by G.C. Jr}