Claud Hamilton Neff
The third son of George
and Mary Neff, Claude Hamilton Neff was born in Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois on February
4, 1863. He traveled west, with his family, first to Colorado and then to Ottawa, Kansas, by 1870.
The family finally
settled in Wichita, Kansas, in 1878. The US Federal Census of 1880 shows Claud living with his mother and father, brother, Sidney
and sister, Lela, and working as a clerk.
The Wichita City Directory of 1883 confirms that he worked as a mail
clerk at the Post Office until he and his brother, Sidney George Neff, went
into partnership in business at the NEFF BROTHERS BOOT AND SHOE SHOP, 526 E. Douglas Avenue,Wichita. The 1886 Directory lists Claud
as working both at the Post Office and the shoe store. In 1888, his occupation was stated as Mail
Agent and in 1890 as a clerk at BOSTON STORE.
Claud H. Neff married Lula B.
Smith on January 24, 1886 in Wichita. Cemetery records show that Claud and Lula lost two infant children during their
marriage. One child was buried in 1887,
while they were residing at 242 N. Emporia Avenue and the other in 1890,
while residing at 727 Pattie, Wichita. The family does not
know if there were any more children of this union between Lula and Claud, but his obituary mentions Claude Robert Neff as
being his first living child.
The US Census of June,
1900, shows Claud living with his parents, once
again, as 37 year old, divorced, traveling salesman. He married Elizabeth S. (?) at sometime
before the year’s end in 1900.
In 1909, Claud was the proprietor of a wholesale shoe house on North
St. Francis, for the Bentley and Olmstead Shoe Company, employing 14
salesmen. He last worked as a traveling
salesman for the Dittman Shoe Company of
St. Louis, Missouri.
It is said that Claud was an artist and painter, as well as a
musician. His obituary states that he
was Wichita’s first bandmaster,
having led the second regiment band in 1880.
According to Cutler’s History of the State of Kansas, Sedgwick County, Part 5, in July 1881, the
Cracker Bank, which was later named the Beacon Cornet Band, was organized by Claud. In November
of 1882, he organized the Independent Cornet Band. During the 1890’s, Claud
served as the leader of Wichita’s 2nd
Regimental Band.
Claud was a member of the
Independent Order of OddFellows, Queen City
Lodge #296 for 35 years,
and a member of the U.C.T. He passed
away on a Thursday, May 31, 1923, in Yates Center, Kansas, in the lobby of a
hotel while on the road working for Dittman Shoe
Company. His funeral was held at the
Gill Funeral Home with the Rev. Walter Scott Priest officiating. He is buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery, Wichita, Kansas.
Claud’s obituary, in the
WICHITA EAGLE, Sunday morning, June 3, 1923, mentions five
children:
Claude Robert Neff of Wichita
Mrs. J.R. Rives of Tulsa, Oklahoma
Mrs. F.I. Ridgeway, 1110
S.
Waco,
Wichita
Edmond Ridgeway, Grandson
Hal Kruegal,
Stepson, Wichita
Written
by Jennifer Seitl with contributions from Beverly Lacy
If you are a direct descendant of Claud
Hamilton Neff, Bev and I would love to hear from
you. Our information has come from a few
family photo’s and great detective work on the part of
cousin Bev. We
would love to learn more about our ancestoral Uncle
and we are hoping that someday, some relative out there will come forward with
new information about Claud’s grandfather, Joel Neff
and his ancestry.
Jaseitl@hotmail.com
Joel Neff George North Neff Robert Alvin Neff
Sidney George Neff Lela Oleva
Neff Miller
Neff Links
View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook
