I am doing a Family Tree and have run into a couple of bumps.. One is that I can not find any information on my great-grandfather. I know his name was Clarence Justus and he had 3 children with my great-grandmother (Zona Mann) I have been told that he was born in the early 1900's and died around 1930. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it... Thanks, Jessica

I was just reading Zona's obit, did she really outlive four husbands?

There are two Justus boys in her obit, Aubrey (alive at the time of her death) and Fred (deceased). The third must have been a daughter and there are four married daughters listed.

Could this be him?


1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Clarence Justus
Age in 1910: 7
Estimated Birth Year: 1903
Birthplace: Arkansas
Relation to Head of House: Nephew
Father's Birth Place: Arkansas
Mother's Birth Place: Arkansas
Home in 1910: Spring River, Lawrence, Arkansas
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
James P Justus 38
[39]
Ellen Justus 28
Clyde Justus 2
[3]
Lielis Justus 6/12
[0]
Barney Justus 12 Nephew
Clarence Justus 7 Nephew

Perhaps the Barney on the above census.


1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Barney A Justus
Home in 1900: Lebanon, Sharp, Arkansas
Age: 2
Birth Date: Feb 1898
Birthplace: Arkansas
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relationship to head-of-house: Son
Father's name: John M Justus
Father's Birthplace: Arkansas
Mother's name: Emma J Justus
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Marital Status: Single
Household Members: Name Age
John M Justus 25
Emma J Justus 29
Oscar A Justus 5
Barney A Justus 2
Bessie Justus 1/12

I'm just posting these as additional info that may help locate Clarence:

Deceased Name: Aubrey Lee Justus
Aubrey Lee Justus, 83, died Oct. 17, 2007, at Hutchinson Hospital.

He was born May 16, 1924, in Sitka, Ark., the son of Clarence and Zona Mann Justus. A longtime resident of Michigan, moving to Hutchinson in 1990, he retired from Michigan Gas and Electric Co., after 33 years, in 1986.

He attended The Corner Stone Baptist Church, Hutchinson. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

On Sept. 17, 1948, he married Elsie Mae Kincaid in Lake City, Ark. She survives.

Other survivors include: two sons, Billy Ray and wife, Linda, Hutchinson, and Jimmy Wayne and wife Bonnie, Dowagiac, Mich.; five daughters, Cathleen Finley and husband, Ben, Arkansas, Clara Mae Granger, Dowagiac, Mich., Wanda Lee Nielson and husband, Don, Decatur, Mich., Shirley Lorene Stroud, Stevensville, Mich., and Carolyn Jean Hughey, Alabama; two sisters, Eula Mae Wilson and husband Hubert, Dowagiac, Mich., and Mary Lee Finn and husband, Jack, Centerville, Wash.; 19 grandchildren; and 31 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two sons, Johnny Lee and Aubrey Glenn Justus; three brothers; two sisters; a son-in-law, Michael Allan Granger; and a grandson.

Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at McLauchin Funeral Home, Dowagiac, Mich. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Elliott Mortuary, Hutchinson, with the family present from 2 to 4 p.m. Burial will be in Mission Hills Memorial Gardens, Niles, Mich.

Memorials may be sent to The Corner Stone Baptist Church, in care of the funeral home.

Personal condolences may be sent to www.elliottmortuary.com

I am pretty sure she did! I have never been told that she was ever divorced, but I am not 100% positive? I know she lived to her 90's? It shocked me as well when I first saw her obituary:) I guess I need more information on my great-grandmother also...

Arkansas County Marriages, 1837-1957 for Clarence Justus

Groom: Clarence Justus
Groom's Age: 21
Groom's Estimated Birth Year: 1902
Groom's Residence: Center, Sharp, Arkansas
Bride: Zona Mann
Bride's Age: 18
Bride's Estimated Birth Year: 1905
Bride's Residence: Center, Sharp, Arkansas
Marriage Date: 28 Apr 1923
Marriage License Date: 28 Apr 1923
Marriage Place: , Sharp, Arkansas, United States
Film Number: 2210901
Digital Folder Number: 4309486
Image Number: 00105
Page Number: 108
Source: Arkansas County Marriage Records, 1837-1957

Zona Chaffin, 92, of Ash Flat died April 21, 2001, at Ash Flat Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Born July 8, 1909, in Sharp County, she was the daughter of John and Edith Furnace Mann. She was a homemaker and a Christian.

Survivors include a son, Aubrey Justus of Hutchinson, Kan.; four daughters ­ Eula Mae Wilson of Dowagiac, Mich., Mary Lee Fin of Washington, Dorothy Friend of California, and Sharon Murron? of Hardy; a sister, Ruby Wilson of Dowagiac; 24 grandchildren; 40 great-great grandchildren; and 12 great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, Tom Chaffin, Clarence Justus, Harold Ratliff and Bill Palmer; three sons, James Ratliff, Shelby Ratliff and Fred Justus; three brothers and four sisters.

The funeral was April 23 at Higginbotham Chapel in Hardy with Floyd Rikard officiating. Burial followed at Buchanan cemetery in Center.

Thank-you so much, That is my uncle/great uncle Aubrey's obituary. He was a great man! I loved visiting with him:) I know that Zona Mann and Clarence Justus had three children, My grandma Eula Mae, Fred, and Aubrey, before Clarence passed. Then Zona re-married and had more children... I have searched records in many places and come up short after 1910 with Clarence. I have seen posts on other sites that had a lot of there information wrong. It is so confusing because of all the husbands and you would not thing this, but for the time period there were a lot of people named Zona and Clarence! Every bit helps... Thanks again, Jessica

She married Harold in 1931, so Clarence had for sure died by then.

Arkansas County Marriages, 1837-1957
Groom: Harold Ratliff
Groom's Age: 21
Groom's Estimated Birth Year: 1910
Groom's Residence: Hardy, Sharp, Arkansas
Bride: Zonia Justice
Bride's Age: 22
Bride's Estimated Birth Year: 1909
Bride's Residence: Sitka, Sharp, Arkansas
Marriage Date: 03 Apr 1931
Marriage License Date: 03 Apr 1931
Marriage Place: , Sharp, Arkansas, United States
Film Number: 2210898
Digital Folder Number: 4309483
Image Number: 00525
Page Number: 16
Source: Arkansas County Marriage Records, 1837-1957