| Home Surname List Name Index Sources | Eleventh Generation1225. Rev Stiles LESSLY117 was born on 21 October 1901 in near Higbee, Randolph Co., MO.394,411 He was christened in October 1912 in Higbee, MO. He was ordained on 5 March 1933 in ordained as minister in First Congregational Church. Stiles died on 9 September 1980 in North St. Louis County, MO.394 He was in minister. He was in Rev in United Church of Christ. Stiles was born on a farm one mile west of Higbee, Randolph County, MO.
Stiles Lessly was married to L. Mabel Hailey on Sept 24, 1928. They were married in Chicago. On Sept 16, 1929 their son James Alan was born. On March 5, 1933, Stiles was ordained as a Congregational Minister at Osage, Iowa, where he had become Pastor in January 1933. Their daughter Marilyn Jeanne was born on April 9, 1935. The family lived in Osage until September 1945 when Stiles was called to DeKalb, Ill., as Pastor of the First Congregational Church. They were there14 years and then went to Chicago where Stiles was Pastor of Thomas Memorial Congregatonal Church for ten years. He retired in July 1969. On August 6, 1957 James Alan was married to Geraldine Ann Irolla of Forest Hills, NY. They have three sons, Russell, Gregg, and Douglas. Marilyn Jeanne was married to Charles R. Brace on July 1, 1961 in New York City. They have two daughters, Christine and Carole, and one son Daniel Edward, and live near Camden, NJ. Note - these writings were recorded before the birth of Stiles Lessly's last grandchild Jeffrey Brace in 1972. Individual: Lessly, Stiles
Friday, 17 Apr 1914--We printed neat cards this week for the graduating class of the Old Higbee School. Commencement exercises will be held on the 24th at 1:30 p.m. The class contains eight, as follows: Harley Raymond Chesser, Cromer Eugene Griffith, Lena Irvin Hudson, Anna Maude Lessly, Stiles Lessly, Raymond Sigsbee Shaefer and John Edwards Smith. Mrs. Walton Burton is the teacher. Friday, 6 Jan 1922, Vol 35, No 38--Stiles Lessly, who is attending William Jewell College at Liberty, spent the holidays with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jas. E. Lessly. Rev Stiles LESSLY and L. Mabel HAILEY were married on 24 September 1928 in Chicago, Illinois. Thursday, 27 Sep 1928, Vol 42. No. 21, Page 1, Col. 3--LESSLY-HAILEY--Mr. Stiles Lessly and Miss Lola Mabel Hailey were united in marriage Monday, September 24, at 4:30 p.m. in Chicago, Ill. The wedding occurred in the Thorndike Hilton Memorial Chapel and the service was performed by the Rev. Norris L. Tibbetts, pastor of the Hyde Park Baptist Church of Chicago. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Hailey of near Sedalia, Mo., and until recently was a teacher in the Central Missouri State Teachers College, Warrensburg, Mo. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Lessly of this place, and is one of our most reliable and capable young men, and has been a student in the University of Chicago for some time. Mr. and Mrs. Lessly will make their home in Chicago near the University. The NEWS joins other friends in hearty congratulations and best wishes. L. Mabel HAILEY117 was born on 15 April 1903 in near Anthony, Kansas. She died on 13 February 2003 in St. Louis, MO. She was christened in christened in Amsterdam, MO ?. Mabel appears in the 1920 census for Bates Co., MO as a member of her father's household. Her age is listed as 16 and her marital status as single. Her place of birth is listed as Kansas. Both her parent's place of birth is listed as Missouri. The Life of Mabel H. Lessly Mabel H. Lessly was born on a farm near Anthony, KS, on April 15, 1903, daughter of Charles and Leona Hailey. She had one older sister (Fern), then later two more sisters (Willa and Ruth) as well as a brother (Harold). While she was growing up, the family moved several times, residing on farms in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. After attaining high school age, there weren't good opportunities accessible, nor was financial help available from home, so Mabel went out on her own and supported herself by doing odd jobs (like being a waitress) to be able to go to high school. Later she entered Missouri State Teachers College at Warrensburg and supported herself by doing maid service for a banker's family in Excelsior Springs. During this time, she became the director of a choir at the Baptist Church in Liberty, MO. There she met Stiles Lessly, who was a pre-ministerial student at William Jewell College and was getting on-the-job experience by helping the minister at that church. They became engaged, and later Stiles entered the Divinity School at the University of Chicago. Some time later Mabel also went to Chicago and they were married on September 24, 1928, at Thorndike Hilton Memorial Chapel at Chicago Theological Seminary, adjacent to the University of Chicago. The service was conducted by Norris L. Tibbetts, pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Churc in Chicago, and later pastor at Riverside Church in New York City. During the time there, a son, James Alan, was born to them on September 16, 1929. Later, Stiles completed work at the Divinity School, so Stiles and Mabel went out to their first pastorate in 1933 at the First Congregational Church in Osage, IA. A daughter, Marilyn Jeanne, was born to them in Osage on April 9, 1935. While Stiles was pastor, Mabel worked in womens' groups and gave a yearly Easter Breakfast for the youth of the church. Their next call was in September 1945 to the First Congregational Church in DeKalb, IL, where the challenge was to continue a campaign to build a new church building. This campaign was successful and the new church building opened in 1954. Mabel participated in many church ,as well as community activities. Their last full time call was in 1959, to Thomas Memorial Church on the southwest side of Chicago. Again Mabel assisted in many activities of the church during the 10 years they served there. Then it was retirement time. In 1969, Stiles and Mabel moved to the Florissant, MO, area, where Stiles did supply and interim work at several UCC churches until he became Visitation Minister at Salem E & R Church. During that time Stiles experienced failing eyesight and could no longer drive their car. So Mabel took on the task of driving Stiles all over North St. Louis and North St. Louis County as they visited older Salem members who did not live near where Salem Church is currently located. On September 9, 1980, while Stiles and Mabel were preparing to go out on a visitation run, Stiles suffered a heart attack from which he later died. Mabel always said, "He died with his boots on." Mabel continued to live in their house for a few years, then moved to Sunswept Apartments, living there until mid-1999. In both places she regularly attended Salem Church, where Stiles worked, as well as sometimes attending Bethel Church, which they had joined shortly after moving to Missouri in 1969. Starting in mid-1999 Mabel resided in Village North Apartments, living independently in her own apartment. During that time she set an excellent example for other residents (most of them younger then she) by doing a lot of walking, always without the use of a cane, walker or wheel chair. A lot of the others noticed that. While Mabel had finally given up her car when she moved to Village North, she was always provided with transportation to church whenever she was able to attend, which was most Sundays. She leaves behind two children, seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, all of whom were in her thoughts continually, and whom she was always most happy to see. Mabel, her family, and many friends were looking forward to celebrating her 100th birthday on April 15, 2003; she missed it by only 2 months and 2 days. While she enjoyed this life very much, she has now entered the Church Triumphant. Letters from Mabel Lessly 9/18/95 My Dad's parents weren't much on church attendance. I'm not sure but I think they sometimes attended a Methodist church. Then after my parents were married they went into the Baptist church. They were quite regular in attendance and we kids were brought up in that church. When my sister Ferne married, her husband and his family were Quakers and she went along with that. Your Grandpa Lessly was reared in the Baptist church too but as time went on he and I felt that the Congregational Church stood for our beliefs so we joined a Congregational church. In the course of years the Congregational people merged with the Evangelical and Reformed churches. I've always thought the E & R church was much more like the Lutheran church and never did understand how the joined the Congregational group. The Congregational is quite democratic in its government while the Lutheran and E & R are more hierarchal. My grandfather Hailey lied about his age in order to get into the Army at the time of the Civil War but the war ended before he saw any fighting - so you see that George could and did tell a lie whereas George Washington couldn't - according to the record about the cherry tree. I don't remember of any of my relatives referring to their ancestors as coming from another country...My Grandma Hailey said she was Scotch-Irish but said nothing about any recent connection. It took a lot of effort and determination for me to get an education. I'd have liked to finish college but got only about half way through, however anyone can continue to learn without going to classes or getting credit for it. My Mother (Blanche) was born in 1878 I think. Her birthday was Feb. 24. My Dad's (Charles) birthday was Dec. 22. I'm not sure of the year but think it would have been 1874 or 1875. Both were born in MO., my Mother in Norborne or Carrollton and Dad around Versailles. My maternal grandmother, born in Va. was named Virginia....was her last name Miller? Her last husban'ds name was Miller, but I don't remember about her birth name. She married a man named Rufus Earl Pulliam (note: this is incorrect his name was actually James Rufus), I don't know names of any of his family, but he was from on of the southeastern states - - - Ky. or Tn. maybe? My Mother was their first child. There followed three baby girls each of whom died before a year or were born dead. Then came the only son, my uncle Earl. He was seven years or so younger than my Mother I think. Grandpa Pulliam died from a brain tumor while relatively young, 59 or so. Grandma lived to be 70+ I think. She remarried twice. I don't know when or why he and Grandma went to Mo. or how they met. I think they lived in Norborne, Mo. earlier and in Carrollton later. My Hailey grandparents came to Mo. from Ohio, I don't know what part or how they happened to go to Mo., or where they met. Grandma was born Nancy Smith, daughter of Alfred Smith (note: actually his name was Joseph W. Smith and he had a son named Alfred). She had sisters Mary and Laura and I think a brother, but I'm not sure. Grandpa's name was George, I don't know his parent's names or if he had any siblings. I don't remember ever knowing when or where my parents met but they were married Aug. 24, 1897. I think it was in Carrollton, Mo. (might have been Norborne). Ferne was their first child, born January 3, 1899. I was second, on April 15, 1903; Willa was third on May 29, 1905; Ruth came June 21, 1908. Harold was last, born May 6, 1915. My Dad had an itching foot and never stayed in one place for long. Ferne was born in Mo. Then they went to Kansas, probably my Dad thought more work was available. Anyway, I was born in Ks. When I was ten months old the family moved to Oklahoma. At that time the state had a small population and a "claim" could be had for a given number of acres for a small sum, if I remember right, it was $50 that Dad paid. I don't remember how many acres of land, but probably 80 or 120. Fifty dollars then would have been equivalent to $1000 in today's money. The buyer had to make any improvements, i.e. build a house to live in, dig a well for water, and arrange any other amenitites thought necessary. My first meories are of this home. The house was a two room dug-out, hald above ground half below. There was a kitchen and a living room/bedroom. Snakes were a common problem, sometimes getting inside the house. When I was four years old, I was waking up one morning and heard a noise in a box beside the bed. It was rather dark so I couldn't see well, but happened not to put my hand in the box. I called my Mother from the kitchen. She came in and found a rattle snake in the box. She was terrified by snakes. A rattler is deadly poisonous. If I had put my hand in the box I probably wouldn't have lived to tell about it. The land in that area was sandy, not good for producing crops but did give grass for cows and two horses. Rev Stiles LESSLY and L. Mabel HAILEY had the following children:
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