Cleofus Dugosh & Family

The surname Długosz makes me think of Jan Długosz who lived about 600 years ago. Jan was a priest and the first Polish historian. He wrote the early history of the Kingdom of Poland.

I am going to write about quite a different man, though. The original spelling of his surname "Długosz" was changed in Texas to "Dugosh".

Cleofus Matthew Dugosh was the son of John Jacob Dugosh and Franciszka Kalka. He was born in Bandera, on 21 September 1896 (1). Cleofus and his siblings were the second generation born to the family of Johann Długosz and Franciszka Kasperczyk, who came to Texas from Polish Silesia.
Cleofus had 9 siblings, two of them died before 1910.

 

🏠 In that year, the family of John (age 54) and Frances Dugosh (age 50) were registered during the census. John owned a farm in Justice Precinct #1, Bandera County. Four of John and Frances' elder children had already left the family home. Annie (age 16), Cleofus (age 12), Florence (age 10), and Christina (age 8) still lived with their parents (2).

👉 In 1918, Cleofus was drafted into the Army. Interestingly, in the registration draft, the man stated that he was born on 20 September, not on 21st as it was given in the later records. The draft card also reads that Cleofus' eyes were blue and his hair was light (3).

He was enlisted on 4 September 1918 and served as Private with the 29th Company 165th Department Brigade until he was honorably discharged on 18 December 1918 (4, 5). Luckily, the man was enlisted late in the WW1 and he was not sent overseas. The soldier's name appears on the WW1 Rosters of Enlisted Men (St. Louis Military Records), his serial number was 3983993 (6).

 

 

On ⚭ 21 June 1922 (7), 25-year-old Cleofus married 18-year-old Miss Mary Ellsworth (born on 31 December 1903, in Bexar County), the daughter of Clarence Lamar Elsworth and his wife Marinda Pue.

On ♦ 17 July 1923, Charlie Le Roy was born in Bandera to Cleofus and Mary (8). About a year later, on 22 August 1924, their second son John Clarence came to this world (9).

👉 1930 - Cleofus, his wife, and sons lived in Justice Precinct #1, Bandera, TX. The man was a construction laborer (10). By 1940, he had rendered a farm/become a farmer (11).

 

 

👉 In 1942, Cleofus and his 18-year-old son Charlie went to Chicago where the boy was drafted into the Army. The two men were staying at 9824 S Peorias St. in Chicago. Their telephone number given in the draft was Cedar Crest 1385 (12).

Charlie was enlisted into the Air Corps in San Antonio, on 10 November 1942 (13). He was trained and became a technical sergeant. On 1 April 1944 Charlie's plane crashed over Arrace, France, and the man was taken to a POW camp in Austria (Stalag XVII-B). The soldier was liberated at the end of WW2 (14, 15). More about his WWII service here.

John Clarence, the younger son of Cleofus and Mary was a high student at the time of the WW@ drafting. He was recorded by the Army as well (16).

After the war, in ⚭ 1948 (17), 25-year-old Charlie married 8-year younger Miss Barbara Jean Stoughton (born on 12 October 1931), the daughter of Kenneth Allen Stoughton and Mary Alice Brandenburg. The young family settled in Kerrville.

Charlie became a mechanic and worked at the Kerrville airport. He served as the manager of the Kerrville Flying Service Inc. and later, the Louis Schreiner Field Airport.

In 1965, the man leased 4.1 acres at the S E of the airport and built a hangar there for the airport repair shop and a store (18).

Clippings source: Dietel, Norman J. The Harper Herald (Harper, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 32, Ed. 1 Friday, August 8, 1969, newspaper, August 8, 1969; Harper, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1057779/: accessed October 31, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Harper Library.

I have not found much information, regarding John Clarence.
👉 In 1949, John C. visited San Francisco. He traveled on board the ship USAT General William O Darby from Oahu Hawaii (16 March 1949) and arrived in San Francisco on 21 March (19).

By 10 March 1950, John had been back at the home of his parents. He worked as a gas station attendant then (20). The man was married to Marie Collen I.

--

July 1976 - sad news

Clipping source: The Bandera Bulletin (Bandera, Tex.), Vol. 32, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, July 23, 1976, newspaper, July 23, 1976; Bandera, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1118994/: accessed October 31, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bandera Public Library.

♦ Cleofus Dugosh passed on 21 July 1976 (21).

Clipping source: The Bandera Bulletin (Bandera, Tex.), Vol. 32, No. 9, Ed. 1 Friday, July 30, 1976, newspaper, July 30, 1976; Bandera, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1118820/: accessed October 31, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bandera Public Library.

Clipping source: The Bandera Bulletin (Bandera, Tex.), Vol. 32, No. 10, Ed. 1 Friday, August 6, 1976, newspaper, August 6, 1976; Bandera, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1119054/: accessed October 31, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bandera Public Library.

♦ John Clarence died on 5 March 1985 in Bay, Florida (22).

♦ Cleofus' wife Mary left this world on 9 August 1990 (23).

♦ Charlie Leroy died on 10 April 2015 (24).

PS

The original Polish spelling of Cleofus name is "Kleofas".

 

 

Sources:
1. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J57M-3M4 : 10 January 2021), Cleofus Dugosh, Jul 1976; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
2. "United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2MR-46Z : Sun Mar 10 17:21:55 UTC 2024), Entry for John J Dugosh and Fannie Dugosh, 1910.
3. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:76VJ-BR6Z : 26 June 2024), Cleofus Mathew Dugosh, 1917-1918.
4. "United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPRC-B5Y4 : Sun Mar 10 14:33:08 UTC 2024), Entry for Cleofus Mathew Dugosh, 18 December 1918.
5. "Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV18-69GG : Sat Mar 09 11:06:34 UTC 2024), Entry for Cleofus Mathew Dugosh, 04 Sep 1918.
6. "United States, Enlisted and Officer Muster Rolls and Rosters, 1916-1939", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4C5S-H4ZM : Fri Jul 05 19:54:42 UTC 2024), Entry for Cleofus M Dugosh, 31 Oct 1918.
7. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLZK-VQP : Sat Jul 20 20:48:07 UTC 2024), Entry for Cleofus Dugosh and Mary Ellsworth, 21 Jun 1922.
8. "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VD9P-C9V : 1 January 2015), Charlie Le Roy Dugosh, 17 Jul 1923; from "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services.
9. "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VD57-GWS : 1 January 2015), John Clarence Dugosh, 22 Aug 1924; from "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services.
10. "United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HPS9-CN2 : Sun Mar 10 19:54:02 UTC 2024), Entry for Cleofus Dugosh and Mary Dugosh, 1930.
11. "United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KWNJ-BJQ : Tue Jul 09 01:16:43 UTC 2024), Entry for C M Dugosh and Mary Dugosh, 1940.
12. "Illinois, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP7W-RZ6S : Sun Mar 10 09:57:28 UTC 2024), Entry for Charlie Leroy Dugosh and Unemployed, 26 June 1942.
13. "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8GD-FTV : 5 December 2014), Charlie L Dugosh, enlisted 10 Nov 1942, San Antonio, Texas, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
14. findagrave.com
15. https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/person/charlie-leroy-dugosh
16. "Texas, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL3X-ZV4N : Sun Mar 31 04:22:05 UTC 2024), Entry for John Clarence Dugosh and C M Dugosh, 11 December 1942.
17. findagrave.com
18. Bethel, Ann; Snodgrass, Clarabelle & Sieker, Robert Edward. Oral History Interview with Robert Edward Sieker, August 3, 2000, Supplement, text, August 3, 2000; Kerrville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1542822/: accessed October 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Kerr County Historical Commission.
19. "California, San Francisco Passenger Lists, 1893-1953", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXHZ-N1Q : Fri Mar 08 19:20:13 UTC 2024), Entry for John C Dugosh, 1949.
20. "United States Census, 1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XP9-2YQX : Tue Mar 19 14:00:19 UTC 2024), Entry for Cleofus Dugosh and Mary Dugosh, 10 April 1950.
21. "Texas Death Index, 1903-2000," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZXG-5RL : 24 May 2014), Cleofus Dugosh, 21 Jul 1976; from "Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2006); citing certificate number , Kerr, Texas, Texas Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Austin.
22. "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VVWH-9PN : 25 December 2014), John Clarence Dugosh, 05 Mar 1985; from "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : 2004); citing vol. , certificate number 23866, Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, Jacksonville.
23. "Texas Death Index, 1964-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JVVD-831 : 5 December 2014), Mary Lucetta Dugosh, Kerr, Texas, United States; citing Department of State Health Services, Austin.
24. "Find a Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK15-J637 : 17 August 2023), Charlie Leroy Dugosh, ; Burial, Kerrville, Kerr, Texas, United States of America, Garden of Memories Cemetery; citing record ID 145191659, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

Photos 14/16 August 2020