I need help with something that has become very important to me.
My great grandfather John William Radcliff was born March 28, 1871 in
Washington IN. He eventually went on to Vandalia, IL where he married my
gr. grandmother Virdia Lydia Chandler. Their son & my grandfather, Louis
Radcliff ran away from home when he was 12 and never went back. He had
witnessed a gangland style murder in Vandalia on his way to his paper route.
He heard that he was being looked for so he ran away. His family thought he
was dead. They even had the river (lake?) dragged for a body. He traveled
the US and then eventually changed his name. This really, really did
happen. He relived the nightmare constantly after he contracted Alzheimer's
disease.
My mother had no idea she was a Radcliff until 60 years later when her
brother was searching for the family roots and couldn't find anything. My
grandfather then went looking for his family. Unfortunately by that time
only a brother (and maybe a sister) was left.
This all happened when I was in college so I really took no notice of it
all. It was just a neat story. Now I'm trying to trace our roots for my
mother & my children. My grandfather, grandmother & their generations have
all died. My mother & siblings didn't keep in touch with a family they
didn't know.
I really want to find out more about John William and his parents and
further back if possible. Unfortunately all I know is his date and location
of birth and his record of marriage to Virdia but that's either in IL or MO.
I was given this information:
John William Radcliff: b. 28 March 1871 Washington IN; m. 29 Jun 1896 Salem
MO (IL?); d. 30 May 1936 Vandalia, IL. I do know that their children were
born in IL too so he must have left IN young and moved to IL.
Thank you for any help you might have. I would like to put more to this man
than a date of birth & death. I would like to understand the history of
John William.
Sincerely,
Gwen Brooks
Atlanta GA