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Case File: Lucy Haley (1930)
Pearl Franklin was born in South Carolina according to the 1910 census but he may have been born in Kahoka, Missouri. His parents, Lewis and Sarah, were likely born into slavery and emancipated when still young. By 1906 he had married Lucy Conn, daughter of George Conn and Anna Easter. He was only 17 and she was 22, if not older. The marriage ended when he left to become a respected all around player in the Negro Leagues, and played for several winning teams prior to the formation of the Negro Major Leagues in 1920. Sadly, his life was tragically cut short in France in 1918, but he may not have guessed that his death would cause legal troubles for his loved ones. Although he had never divorced Lucy, he married a second time to Alice Mae Overton just days before his deployment.
Some extra details about the handling of his remains:
- 1918 (Nov 16): dies in hospital at Fleury-sur-Aire, France of influenza
- 1919: body disinterred and reburied at American Cemetery in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France
- 1921 (Jun 20): body disinterred again and prepared for shipment
- 1921 (Sep 6): body arrives in Antwerp
- 1921 (Sep 20): body shipped back to the United States
- 1921 (Oct 3): body arrives in Hoboken, New Jersey
- 1921 (Nov 12): body arrives at Depot Quartermaster in Washington, DC
- 1921 (Nov 14): body received by Asa Irwin, Capt. QMC, sent to Arlington, Virginia
- 1921 (Nov 17): body reburied in the “Colored Section” of the European Section of Arlington National Cemetery, #355
| Vitals & Events | |||||
| Event | Date | Place | Notes | ||
| Born | 1889 | South Carolina | to Lewis and Sarah Webster | ||
| Marriage | c1906 | to Lucy Conn (1884-1930) | |||
| Census | 1910 | Stites, Illinois | laborer in steel work, with wife and two children | ||
| Marriage | 16 Jul 1918 | Manhattan, New York | to Alice Mae Overton (b 1883) – still married to Lucy. | ||
| Died | 16 Nov 1918 | Fleury-sur-Aire, France | In the Army Hospital of Influenza (Spanish Flu) | ||
| Immediate Family Members | |||||
| Relation | Name | Birth Date | Birth Place | Death Date | Death Place |
| Father | Lewis Webster | ||||
| Mother | Sarah | ||||
| Wife (1) | Lucy Conn | 2 Jul 1884 | Knox Co., Missouri | 21 Dec 1930 | Chicago, Illinois (murdered) |
| – son | Lloyd Russell Webster | 8 Jan 1907 | Kahoka, Missouri | 29 Nov 1995 | Chicago, Illinois |
| – daughter | Pearl Webster | Mar 1910 | Missouri | ||
| Wife (2) | Alice Mae Overton | 1883 | St. Louis, Missouri | ||
- 1910 US Federal Census: Stites, St Clair, Illinois – Webster family
Federal Records:
- US Social Security Applications and Claims Index: “Lloyd Russell Webster” (1907-1995)
Military Records:
- Funeral Records: Pearl F. Webster
- WWI Draft Card: “Pearl Franklyn Webster” – 1 Jun 1917 – New York City, NY
Newspaper Articles:
- Brooklyn Daily Eagle:
- 1918, Dec 20: “Colored Ball Player Dies in France”
- Clark County Courier
- 1906, Apr 20 : “Disastrous Runaway”
- Daily Gate City:
- 1919, Aug 18: “War Insurance Case is Probed”
- St. Louis Argus:
- 1915, Sep 17: “St Louis Giants Trim Rube Foster’s Chicago Team”
Ship Manifests:
- 1918: USS Maui, from Hoboken, New Jersey – Pearl F. Webster #3672135
- 1921: USAT Wheaton, from Antwerp, Belgium – body of Pearl F. Webster #3672135
Vital Records:
- Marriages-
- 1918: Pearl F. Webster and Alice M. Overton – Manhattan, New York
- 1918: Pearl F. Webster and Alice M. Overton – Manhattan, New York
