Ask the person you copied from for their sources. If you don't hear back from them or they actually respond and don't have any sources ask them who they copied from. If you stick with it long enough you'll figure this out also.

He wasn't born in Randolph, Missouri or Franklin, Clark, Tama, Iowa. There is no such place.

He and his brother married Chastain sisters.

None of these early guys consistently spelled their name other than Devore with a little "v". Someone, some time after the 1940 census and the WWII draft registration cards might have changed the spelling in their family but not all the lines did. Don't change the spelling of every Devore without checking to see how they spelled their name.

We know that most of the errors copied about this family originated from one person around 2001 or before because of the consistent spelling errors in multiple trees. The abandoned Rootweb tree from 2001 still stands and the same errors are in two or three more places on the internet. That's the first instance of where the first husband of Eliza Devore got the exact same birth date as her second husband and how they just happened to die in exactly the same year.

Thomas Jefferson Devore was not born in 1845. The only reason that date appears is because everyone knew Alzada Chastain was born around 1847 or 1848 and someone made the husband about two years older than the wife with NO EVIDENCE and they apparently didn't know how to look up people in censuses or didn't have access to Ancestry at the time.

Then he got invented as having been BORN in Randolph, Missouri or Franklin, Clark, Tama, Iowa. The only "source" anyone ever used for that date were two censuses for a Thomas Devore who was born in 1864 (not 1845 like they had in their file) seen in Randolph County in 1870 and 1880 who never appears with middle name Jefferson or even a middle initial. He disappears after the 1880 census. I wonder if he had anything to do with his brother getting "brained" while chopping wood.

Because the mother of the real Thomas Jefferson Devore remarried before 1870 he's listed as Jefferson D. Jackson in 1870 and goes back to Jefferson Devore in the 1880 census. His father is here http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/35326675/person/18783142810. Because someone couldn't find him in 1870 they just clicked on the first Thomas Devore guy they found (the one from Randolph County) without any further "research" and it's been downhill from there. Some of the family think they're from a long line of Devores from Pennsylvania.

NO, he is NOT the man buried in Haskell, Oklahoma in 1925. No one can agree if the guy in Lona Valley Cemetery was born in 1845, 1889, or 1895. Not surprisingly he doesn't appear on any census and no one knows who he is. There may not be anyone buried there. Did the "reading" of the cemetery mention if it was something like a memorial plaque placed near Alzada rather than a real grave? Does anyone know when it was placed? What company made it and who ordered and paid for it? Of course there's no death certificate is there or probate record.


Here is another example of people copying off someone else's file who didn't have a clue. If someone doesn't know that places are to be written

"Town, County, State and not Town, State "

then you're in trouble if you copy off of them. They are also the people who find someone with the same name of the person they're looking for and decide that's the guy they want and put him in the tree with no documentation that works. Sometimes as many as four DIFFERENT people with the same name will be smooshed onto one page. A different person for each census in a different state, different wife, and different kids.

No wonder there isn't one single tree on Ancestry that is correct for this family as of 6 March 2012 (update to 5 Jun 2012). Everyone copied something from someone else who had copied from Person Zero.

See previous censuses on Gordon's page.

CENSUS:
1870 U.S. Census, Auglaize Twp., Camden Co., Missouri, Proctor P.O., 17 Aug 1870.
Jackson M, 49, keeping house, VA
--- Tennessee, 18, -, TN
--- Jefferson D , 9, -, Missouri
--- James, 22, farm laborer, TN
living next door to married daughter Missouri King.

CENSUS:
(see marriage record to Mr. Ellsworth on Emily's page)
1880 U.S. Census, Mulberry Grove Precinct, Bond Co.,IL, 12 Jun 1880.
Elsworth Emily, 59, head, widow, keeping house, VA, VA, VA
Devore Jefferson , 18, son, single, works on farm, MO, TN, VA

MARRIAGE-RECORD:
From familysearch.org, Marriage records, 1849-1916, Laclede Co., Missouri, Recorder of Deeds (Batch no. M515291).
MARRIAGE: JEFFERSON DEVORE + ALSADIE BERRY 3 DEC 1883 Laclede, Missouri
Marriage records, 1849-1916 Laclede County, Missouri. Recorder of Deeds

-----------------------------------------------

His first son appears to have been named after her father and his father: John Chastain and Gordon Devore = John Gordon Devore.
Does anyone actually have ANYTHING official that shows "Cole" as middle name? We know who first published that name on the internet.
Is that a G or a C on his headstone? Look carefully. Compare it to other headstones. Are most of the G's crossed or even have a heavy foot?

http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/birthdeath/births.asp?id=21560
BIRTH-RECORD:
From Ancestry.com, Missouri Birth Records, 1851-1910
Name: Jno ((John)) Gordon Devore
Birth Date: 7 Jun 1885
Birth County: Laclede
Birth Location: Laclede Co, MO
Race/Ethnicity: White
Gender: M (Male) - sixth child of this mother
Mother's Name: Alzada Devore
Maiden Name of Mother: Chasteen
Place of birth: IN
Mother's age: 37 ((1848))
Father's Name: T J Devore
Place of birth: MO
Father's Age: 23 <1862>
Occupation: Farmer

================================

HOMESTEAD AFFIDAVIT copied at NARA, Feb 2012. See images at Ancestry if you have it: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/35326675/person/18783142895

"I, Thomas J. Devore, of Dallas Co Mo having filed my application No 21136, for an entry under . . .
signed Thomass J. Devore, Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18th day of March, 1894 . . ."

It appears Thomas Devore was residing at McGrath, Laclede County when he applied. McGrath is listed as in unincorporated town a little south east of Lebanon [(which is in Laclede County, not Copper County]]. It appears as if the signature at the bottom is his because it isn't the writing of the man who filled out the form.

================================

5 July 1899

Inventory of his personal property reported to County of Dallas by appaisers, J J Carvel and John W. Dame. Value of estate $80 not including the land.

(Note: That's the date of the inventory. Not his death date.)



================================
NOTE: THE LAND OFFICE IS IN SPRINGFIELD (Greene County). The property is in Dallas County, not Greene County.

LEGAL-PROCEEDING:
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=MO6110__.355&docClass=STA&sid=iiy0rdmj.4pq
You might have to search if the link doesn't stick. They keep revising and removing and reinstalling the BLM website.
Don't forget to click on the Patent image
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)/General Land Office Records.
Land Patent Details.
Names: patentees - Alzada Devore, widow of Thomas J Devore.
Tittle Transfer: issue date - 23 Oct 1901, land office - Springfield ((MO)).
Survey: state - MO, acres - 80, metes/bounds - no.
Document Numbers: document no. - 13109, misc. doc. no. - 21136, accession/serial no. - MO6116 __355, BLM serial no. - MO NO S/N.
Legal Land Description.
((Read: Aliquot Parts, Section/Block, Township, Range, Fractional Section, Meridian, State, Counties, survey number.))
NE1/4SE1/4, 1, 34-N, 18-W, No, 5th PM, MO, Dallas.
E1/2NE1/4, Lot tract 1, 1, 34-N, 18-W, No, 5th PM, MO, Dallas.



Alzada's brother, Jacob C Chastain, bought a lot in the NW1/4 of section 1 in 1904.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SEE ALZADA'S PAGE FOR THE 1900 census where she is listed as a widow. (note--for newbies that means Thomas Jefferson Devore didn't die in 1901 or 1925).

See the birth record for John Gordon Devore also on his page. http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/birthdeath/births.asp?id=21560 The father is listed as age 23 which works with his 1870 census in Camden and the 1880 census in Bond, Illinois.

But see notes on some of his children in this database. I'm not one to try to fill in all the boxes on all the pages so I'm not even going after the last two boys (except someone needs to check their WWI draft registrations to see where and when they think they were really born--and see if you think there was a little girl who was born and died in Oklahoma in that same year).

------------------------------------------

From he tree abandoned since 2001 and other sources from the same folks. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME we see

--Middle name Cole for John.

--Thomas Jefferson Devore born abt 1845. Notice the ABOUT in the record because they were making him just a little older than his wife. Not so much in this case!

--he did not died in "Lebanens, Missouri" (which ISN'T in Copper County)
http://records.ancestry.com/Thomas_Jefferson_DeVore_records.ashx?pid=7634396

--"Alzada Chastin" was born in 1882 and had a son in 1880.

--Death of Alzada 1901 in "Potau, Oklahoma'.

--Eliza Ann Devore born on 16 Jan 1888 in Lebanon, Missouri (the person didn't know to put the county) and she was also listed as born 1882 and Aug 13 1891 which is the exact alternate birthdate for her first husband, John C. Harrison.

--Ruffas (that's how it was spelled in the tree) was born about 1902.

--A bunch of people died in Henyatea, Ok. (that's how it was spelled in the tree)

--This is probably where the mythical son "Arther" came from. He died in "Henritta".

--Be sure to Google the exact spelling of one name as "Helen Labanon's Devore". Don't forget to put the apostrophe!
Dec 2012 UPDATE: Whoops, too late. They took it down. Not even a cache left. But this one is cute:
http://records.ancestry.com/Helen_Labanon_S_Devore_records.ashx?pid=137515444
You can judge the accuracy of it by clicking on her father's name and noting that the birthdate is off by 4 years and he and Willie only had TWO children.


--Check Google for exact spelling "Alzada Chastine Devore". Another mythical person like "Arther".

Don't copy anything from mytrees or Yasni.

http://www.mytrees.com/newanc/Oklahoma/Died-1901/De/Devore-family/Alzada-Devore-gr000041-1305.html
Husband: John Arther Harrison
Birth/Chris: at ...
Death/Burial: at ...
Wife: Alzada Chastine Devore
Birth/Chris: ... 1882 at ...
Death/Burial: ... 1901 at ...

And then there's this one https://pipl.com/directory/name/Harrison/15660/ where John Arther Harrison married Alzaa Chastine Devore
Husband: John Arther Harrison. Born: UNKNOWN at: Ohio Married: UNKNOWN at: Unknown Died: UNKNOWN at: Potau, Oklahoma Father: Mother: Other

• Married: 13 DEC 1883 in Laclede, Missouri ¹

1. "Alzada (the mythical) Chastain" DEVORE b: 1882 in or in 1892. I know how she got invented. See notes. You get more hits on Google if you search for "Alzada Chastine Devore".
2. John Gordon DEVORE b: 7 JUN 1885 in Listed as Alzada's SIXTH child. His father listed as age 23 on his birth record. See http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jwl004&id=I1025
3. "Arther (the mythical) Ray" DEVORE b: 1887
4. Elizabeth Eliza DEVORE b: 16 JAN 1888 in probably Lebanon, Laclede, (Lebanon is NOT in Cooper County) Missouri. If you have Ancestry see http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/35326675/person/18783143268
5. Luther DEVORE b: 8 SEP 1890 in Lebanon, Laclede, Missouri per his WWI reg card
6. Rufus Franklin DEVORE b: 8 JAN 1895 in Lebanon, Laclede, Missouri per his WWI and WWII draft reg card

1. Title: CIVIL WAR PENSION APPLICATION