The Proeger Family · Generation 4 — Earl's great-grandparents

Lydia Mae Bowles

1883–1972

Lydia Mae Bowles

ArkansasConfirmed

1883–1972

Born
30 July 1883, Franklin County, Arkansas
Died
29 October 1972, Abilene, Taylor County, Texas
Children
Willie Hollis Windham
Sources
9

Life in the order the records give it

Birth1883
Born 30 July 1883, Franklin County, Arkansas S16
Death1972
Died 29 October 1972, Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, aged 89; buried Dudley Cemetery S16
Military1920
🆕 Her sons-in-law: Willie Hollis Windham, husband of Ila Belle, born 3 March 1920 at Dudley, a veteran living at 408 Peach St., Abilene S541; and Hayden R. Nesmith, husband of Lydia Frances, a telegraph operator in Lubbock in 1955, where she taught at the Senior High School S553. added 25 September 2026.
Census1940
🆕 In 1940 Hayden Nesmith, who later married her daughter Lydia Frances, was 26, single and farming with his parents, I. Shirel Nesmith and Maud, and his brothers Carlton and C. W., in Precinct 1 of Taylor County S565. added 25 September 2026.
Census1920
🆕 Willie Hollis Windham's father was probably Tom J. Windham Probable confirm or correct →: the 1920 census of Justice Precinct 4, Callahan County, Texas, read from the image, lists Willie H., son, under a year old, in the household of Tom J. Windham, 36, a farmer born in Texas, and his wife Mary C., 32, born Mississippi, with Myrtle O., Dorace O., Era C., Ada L. and Cecil C. S878. Dorace is the sister he named on his 1946 draft card S541, and his Social Security record, read from the FamilySearch index, names his parents as Tom Windham and Callie Crenshaw S879. What is weak: the Social Security record has not been read on the image, and Tom's middle name, given in family trees as Jefferson, and his birth day and death date are on no document read. Accepted by Earl on 28 September 2026 pending more evidence. added 28 September 2026.
Death
Her transcribed obituary names surviving sons James, Robert, David, Jesse and Horace Coffman, and daughters Lydia Frances Nesmith and Ila Belle Windham; services at Elliott's Chapel of Memories, officiated by Bill Proctor, minister of the Dudley Church of Christ S16
The named son "Robert Coffman" is Earl's grandfather. This obituary is the document that welds Generation 3 to Generation 4 on the maternal side — and the same list is what exposed the brother-in-law error. James and Robert are consecutive entries on it.

Family parents, marriages, children, siblings

Siblings1920
🆕 Hayden Nesmith's boyhood: in 1920, in Precinct 7 of Taylor County, Haden, 5, was at home with Shirel I. and Maud Nesmith and his brothers Lewey, 7, and Carlton, 4 S746; in 1930 Hayden, 15, was at school, living with Isaac S. and Maude and his brothers Dewey and Carlton on R.F.D. 2 Abilene S747. added 26 September 2026.

Open questions what is probable, weak or missing — confirm or correct it

Open question
⚠️ Her son — not, as this page first said, her brother-in-law
was Dr. James Burton Coffman (1905–2006), the Church of Christ Bible commentator. Her memorial lists her six children in order: Obera (1902–1904), James Burton (1905–2006), Robert William (1906–1990), David Emily (1909–2005), Jesse Jerome (1912–1992), Horace Glen (1915–2006) S16S30

In the record Generation 4 — Earl's great-grandparents

Lydia Mae Bowles · Sources

Citations

Sources cited on this card

9 of the record's sources are cited here. The numbering is the record's own; the full list, with where else each is cited, is at Sources.

  1. S16FindAGrave memorial 53116850, Lydia Mae Bowles Coffman (1883–1972), Dudley Cemetery — includes the transcribed obituary naming son Robert Coffman — findagrave.com/memorial/53116850.
  2. S30FamilySearch Tree — Coffman, Timberman and Martin persons: Louise Martin Timberman LYBS-P4G, Robert William Coffman LDS1-NHV, James Harris Timberman Jr 9W7S-C6X, Nancy Louise Martin KHK5-FCL, Joseph Daniel Martin KG8Y-MV3, Nannie Chenault KZZ7-P9F. Community-curated, not a record — the counterpart of S12 on the maternal side. Event lists and dates drawn from it are tagged Probable throughout. Cited here for Robert William Coffman's sibling list, which independently matches S16.
  3. S541U.S., WWII Draft Registration Cards: Willie Hollis Windham. Ancestry record 19436438. Image examined, read 25 September 2026. Confirmed Willie Hollis Windham, 26, of 408 Peach St., Abilene; born 3 March 1920 at Dudley, Texas; “Unemployed – Veteran”; contact his sister Mrs. Dorace Rose, same address.
  4. S553U.S., City Directories — Lubbock, Texas, 1955, p. 411. Ancestry record 393120040. Image examined, read 25 September 2026. Confirmed Hayden R. Nesmith (Frances C.), telegraph operator; Mrs. Frances C. Nesmith, teacher at Senior High School; 2108 27th St.
  5. S5651940 U.S. census — Precinct 1, Taylor County, Texas, ED 221-22, sheet 18B. Ancestry record 157945899. Image examined, read 25 September 2026. Confirmed I. Shirel Nesmith, 48, farmer, and his wife Maud, 47; sons Hayden, 26, single, farmer, Carlton, 24, and C. W.; all born in Texas, in the same house in 1935. The head's initial could be read as I. or J.
  6. S7461920 U.S. census, Justice Precinct 7, Taylor County, Texas, ED 272, sheet 4A. Ancestry record 13174778. Image examined, read 26 September 2026. Confirmed Shirel I. Nesmith, 28, farmer, and Maud, 26, with Lewey, 7, Haden, 5, and Carlton, 4, all born in Texas. Next door: William Nesmith, 37, and his family.
  7. S7471930 U.S. census, Precinct 7, Taylor County, Texas, ED 221-31, sheet 5B. Ancestry record 60799394. Image examined, read 26 September 2026. Confirmed Isaac S. Nessmith, 38, farmer, owner, and Maude, 36, with Dewey, 18, Hayden, 15, at school, and Carlton, 14; R.F.D. 2 Abilene. The index reads Carlton as “Earlton”.
  8. S8781920 U.S. Federal Census — Tom J. Windham household, Justice Precinct 4, Callahan County, Texas (ED 35, sheet 7B, dwelling/family 131, lines 87–94). Ancestry record 22179205 (image 4391478_00736). Image examined, read 28 September 2026. Confirmed Tom J. Windham, head, 36, born Texas, farmer; Mary C., wife, 32, born Mississippi; Myrtle O., daughter, 14; Dorace O., daughter, 11; Era C., son, 10; Ada L., daughter, 4 9/12; Cecil C., son, 2; Willie H., son, under 1 year. Enumerated 16 March 1920.
  9. S879U.S. Social Security Numerical Identification Files (Numident) — Willie Hollis Windham. FamilySearch index 6K7L-65KK. Read from the index, read 28 September 2026. Probable Willie Hollis Windham, born 3 March 1920, Dudley, Callahan County, Texas; died 23 October 1993; father Tom Windham; mother Callie Crenshaw. Image not read.

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Compiled for the Proeger family

Living adults appear by name and relationship, with the year only: no full date of birth and no home town on any page that search engines index, and a living person’s own page is kept out of search engines. Minors appear by name only — no date of birth, no birth year, no age, no school, no place, no address, no other identifying detail. A minor may be named and may appear in a family photograph; nothing further about them is published. Where it is not established whether someone is an adult or a minor, the minor rule applies.

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