24.  John Ambors Bocook (1889-1947) Age 57
25.  Mahala Jane Henderson (1886-1964) Age 78

John Ambors Bocook was born 30 Apr 1889 in Carter County, Kentucky, a son of Amanda Bryant.  The identity of his father is unknown.  Amanda married Samuel V. Bocook 12 Jun 1895 and John was raised as his son, taking the surname of Bocook.

The 1900 Census shows John Ambors Bocook at age 10 living with his mother, Amanda, and her husband, Samuel V. Bocook, and family in Olive Hill, Carter County, Kentucky.

The 1910 Census shows John Ambors Bocook at age 21 as the stepson of Samuel V. Bocook, with the birthplace of his father listed as Kentucky (whereas Samuel V. had been born in Ohio).  John lists his work as Laborer working at Odd Jobs.  Mahala was a servant enumerated with the Clork [Clark] family three houses down.  They are living in Olive Hill, Carter County, Kentucky.

On 10 Jan 1912, John married Rosa Collins, daughter of Marshall and Minnie "Winnie" (Burton) Collins, in Carter County, Kentucky.  Rosa had previously been married to Orda B. Trower 8 May 1911 in Hamilton County, Ohio.  Rosa died 15 May 1915; her Death Certificate indicates she was divorced.

John married Lillian Marie Owens 26 Oct 1914, daughter of Hiram "Finch" Owens and Martha Stamper.  
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1917 World War I Registration Card for John Bocook.
In 1917, John completed his Registration Card for World War I.  He is described as medium height with a medium build, black hair and blue eyes.

The 1920 Census shows John at age 29 with his wife, Marie, living with Samuel V. Bocook and family in Olive Hill, Carter County, Kentucky.  He reports that he works as a Laborer in the Brickyard.

John and Marie moved to Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio, and he is found at age 40 living with his half brother, Jerome Baldering "Rome" Bocook, and Jerome's wife and family in the 1930 Census.  He lists that he works as a Molder in the Brickyard.
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The back of the photo above lists Blain(e) Hall, O.R. (Orla Elwood) Massie, and John Bocook.

Using the date on the photo of 31 Aug 1932, Blaine Hall (b. 1891) would have been 40, Orla Elwood Massie (b. 1901) would have just turned 31, and John Bocook (born 1889) would have been 43.

The WWI Registration in 1917 describes John Bocook as medium height with a medium build with blue eyes and black hair. 

The WWI Registration in 1917 for Blaine Hall describes Blaine as medium height with a medium build with brown eyes and dark hair.

Going by those descriptions, John Bocook may be the man on the left in the photo.
John's marriage to Lillian Marie ended in divorce, and the Portsmouth Daily Times announced that a Marriage License had been issued to her and James Ephraim Bates in Aug 1934.  Lillian Marie (Owens) Bocook Bates died 16 Jul 1968 in Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio.

John married Maude Marie Montgomery, daughter of Robey and Ida (Vastine) Montgomery 9 Jan 1935 in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio.

The 1940 Census shows John at age 49 living in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio, with his wife, Maude Marie.  He still works as a Brick Molder in the Brickyard.

The Portsmouth Daily Times of 2 Oct 1941 reports that Maude Bocook had filed for Divorce on grounds of neglect and cruelty and was seeking alimony.
In 1942, John completed his Registration Card for World War II.  He lists his address as Oak Hill, Jackson County, Ohio and states that he works for the General Refractories Company in Oak Hill.

John died 7 Mar 1947 in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio, of an Acute Coronary Occlusion due to Endocarditis.  He is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery in Portsmouth, alongside Maud Marie, who died 17 May 1949.
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1900 Census for Olive Hill, Carter County, Kentucky, showing John Ambors Bocook and family starting on Line 36.
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1910 Census for Olive Hill, Carter County, Kentucky, shows John Ambors Bocook and family starting on Line 20.
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1920 Census for Olive Hill, Carter County, Kentucky, showing John Ambors Bocook and family starting on Line 63.
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1930 Census for Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio, showing John Bocook's half-brother and family (with whom he lived) starting on Line 85.
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1940 Census for Portsmouth, Olive Hill, Scioto County, Ohio, showing John Bocook and wife starting on Line 32.
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1942 WWII Registration Card for John A. Bocook
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1942 WWII Registration Card for John A. Bocook - Back
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1947 Certificate of Death for John A. Bocook.

Michael Francis Dugan (1880-1966) Age 85
25.  Mahala Jane Henderson (1886-1964) Age 78

While Michael Francis Dugan was not John Bert Dugan's biological father, he raised him as one of his own.  Many of us have or had his family name, so it goes without saying that he is included in our family history.

Michael Francis Dugan was born 26 Sep 1880 in Malden, Kanawha County, West Virginia.  The West Virginia Births Index has his name as Mitchell Dugan (a name he seemed to use from time to time) and his parents as Charles and Catherine Dugan, with the information provided by Charley Dugan.

The names of his parents that had been passed down to me were Jack and Sara Dugan.  Rumor had it that Jack had died somewhere out in Oklahoma and was buried there, and that Sara was buried in the Malden Presbyterian Churchyard in Malden, West Virginia.  No evidence to support either of these statements has been found.

In fact, Mike's parents were John Patrick "Jack Dugan, who was born Jul 1853 in England, and Kathryn "Katie" Heatherman, who was born in 1858 in West Virginia, the daughter of Patrick T. and Mary (Fitzgerald) Heatherman.

Mike's younger brother, Patrick, was born 14 Sep 1886 in Clay County, Indiana.  No Birth Record has been found for him in that county.  Katie appears to have died shortly after Patrick's birth, somewhere between Sep 1886 and 22 Aug 1889 when Jack married Lusetta (Bays) Smith, widow of Henry Smith, in Kanawha County, West Virginia.  At the time of his marriage to Lusetta, he gives his marital status as Widowed.

In addition to the son, Edward Louis Smith (1885-1966), that Lusetta had with Henry Smith, she had at least five more children with Jack Dugan:
-John Lawrence Dugan (1890-1924)
-Lelia W. Dugan (1893-____)
-Katherine Geraldine "Katie (Dugan) Hornbeck Goudy (1896-1942)
-Jerry Dugan (1898-1898)
-Charles Bliss Dugan (1900-aft 1943)

It is unknown when or where Jack Dugan died.  Lusetta indicates that she is Widowed in the 1910 Census.  She died 8 Nov 1940 at the age of 74y 1m 20d in Parkersburg, Wood County, West Virginia and is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery there.  The cemetery has no record of Jack being buried anywhere there.
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1880 WV Birth Record for Mitchell Dugan on Line 12
The photo to the right was provided by Agnes Sundin Dugan and may be of Michael Francis (standing on the right) and his father (seated), and two sons of Mr. Peaches (not a clue about who this is).  It is written to Maggie, and she refers to our Pap and Mike.  The address was very difficult to make out, but Annabelle was a mine in the Four States area in operation from 1911-1932.
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1918 WWI Registration Card for Michael Dugan
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1917 WWI Registration Card for Patrick Dugan
Michael Francis stated on his World War I Registration that his nearest relative was his brother, Patrick.  Michael Francis was in the Merchant Marines and traveled the world.  When he returned home from one of his trips on the ship "Adriatic", he lists his address as 303 Hedge Street in Clarksburg, West Virginia.  This is the address of Patrick H. Dugan, his wife, Irena Jane Ballard, and their children.
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1918 "Adriatic" Passenger List showing Michael Dugan on Line 10.
Michael Francis married Mahala Jane Henderson (still looking for a marriage record) and they had four children:
-Michael Hugh Dugan (1923-1993)
-Rosemary (Dugan) Durr ( 1927-2009)
-Margaret Ellen (Dugan) Wydler Wagner (1930-1973)
-Patrick Dugan (1933-1933)

The 1930 Census for Glen Rogers, Wyoming County, West Virginia, shows Mike at age 49 living with his family on Main Street.  He lists his work as a Miner in the Coal Mine.

The 1940 Census shows Mike at age 59 living with his family in Mullens, Wyoming County, West Virginia.  He works as a Coal Loader in the Coal Mine.

In 1942, Mike completed his Registration Card for WWII.  On it, he states his full name is Michael Francis Dugan and that he works for the Lillybrook Coal Company in Killarney, West Virginia.
Beckley Post-Herald (Beckley, West Virginia) Wednesday, November 13, 1946, Page 7
 
WYOMING COUNTY NEWS
Mullens Man Has Good Record As Miner, Sailor
_____
​
MULLENS, Nov. 12 — Blessed with the luck of the Irish, of which he is typical in more ways than his County Mayo brogue and Irish wit, Michael F. "Mike" Dugan Sr., of Mullens, may well afford to boast of the records he has established in the course of his life's work.
 
Well kept and apparently in good health for his 66 years of age, a mark he reached last September 26, Mike began a career of mining at the early age of nine years after convincing a foreman at the Winifred, Kanawha County, mine that he was up-to-doing a man-sized job.
 
In the 57 years that have followed, Mike has spent over 52 years mining the earth's inwards besides finding time to serve two hitches, a period of five years, with the Merchant Marine, a last hitch during World War II, after joining up a second time at the ripe age of 63 to sail with merchant ships through Nazi U-boat infested waters.
 
Small for his age, Mike's first assignment at the Kanawha County mine was a job of trapping.  Not content with this relatively easy chore, Mike yearned for the day when he could join his father in the face of the mine loading coal.
 
A year later at the age of 10, Mike claimed a "half turn" beside his father who was recognized as one of the best loaders at the mine.  By a "half turn," Mike explained, he was allowed to load one-half the number of cars that were allotted he and his father daily.
 
Mining in the 1890's was done the hard way when the coal pick was the more used tool inside the mine.
 
Picking out his daily earnings by the bushel basket full, a method of weighing or measuring coal in the days before scales made their appearance at the mines, Mike followed mining until the start of World War I when the urge to get into battle and see the world accounted for his joining the merchant marine.
 
After making port along the seven seas, Mike returned to the mines in 1919, a married man and settled down to mine more earnestly.
 
All of his time has not been spent mining coal, one soon learns as Mike tells of his experiences in the copper and silver mines of New Mexico, and of life inside the iron mines of Montana and New York.  Long ago he lost count of the number of mines in which he had worked.
 
Came World War II and the urgent need for merchant seamen, Mike decided he wanted to sail again and did so for nearly two years earning the distinction of being one of the oldest men to serve in this branch of service during the emergency.
 
Still held on the inactive list of merchant seamen, Mike again returned to mining last year, since employed laying track at the Perry Coal Company, Mullens.
 
While men have suffered and died in near reach, Mike with his luck, has suffered no more than a mashed finger to blemish his mining and seaman careers.
 
For his services rendered with the merchant marine during World War II, he has been awarded the following citations:  North Atlantic War Zone bar; Mediterranean-Middle East bar; Direct enemy action combat ribbon.
Mike died in Jan 1966 while living with his daughter, Margaret, in Woodbridge, Prince William County, Virginia.
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Newspaper obituary for Mike Dugan.
While his name is listed on the marker along with Mahala in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Cemetery in Manassas, Prince William County, Virginia, it does not include his date of death.  His burial there has been confirmed and is listed on his Death Certificate.
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Grave Marker for Michael F. and Mahala J. Dugan in Sacred Heart Catholic Church Cemetery, Manassas, Prince William County, Virginia
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Mahala Jane and Michael Francis Dugan
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Photo from Agnes Sundin Dugan, possibly of Michael Francis Dugan and his father.
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Writing on the back side of postcard photo appears to be: "Maggie Here is a picture of our Pap and Mike with the x on them and Mr Peachs two sons" Addressed to: "____ of x Tri____ first on Callas & ___ 148 W 3_ W 4 States W Va Annabelle"
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1930 Census for Glen Rogers, Wyoming County, West Virginia, showing Mike Dugan and family starting on Line 3.
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1940 Census for Mullens, Wyoming County, West Virginia, showing Mike Dugan and family starting on Line 33.
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1942 WWII Registration Card for Mike Dugan
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1942 WWII Registration Card for Mike Dugan - Back
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Young American Patriots, pg. 1329, showing Michael Francis Dugan and his son, Michael Hugh Dugan. Both served during WWII.
To open the links to the actual newspaper articles, right-click on the image and select <Open link in new tab> or <Open link in new window> if you do not want to lose your place on this page.
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The Dugan Clan with Mike Dugan (b. 1923) holding the little one on the left and Mike Dugan (b. 1880) on the right.
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Death Certificate for Michael Francis Dugan. Informant was his daughter, Margaret. Year of birth provided was 1872, but should have been 1880. Image from Ancestry.com.
Patrick H. Dugan, brother of Michael Francis Dugan, moved to Washington, Washington County, Pennsylvania, where he died 24 Aug 1971 at the age of 84y 11m.  He, his wife Irene, and daughter Elizabeth Irene (Dugan) Hoover, are all buried in Forest Lawn Gardens in McMurray, Washington County, Pennsylvania.

His son John Nelson Dugan died 6 Dec 1996 in Washington, Washington County, Pennsylvania, but it is unknown where he is buried.  He was the father of three known children.