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June 23, 2021

The Doores Family

By Peggy Nuckles

Susan Doores called the other day to tell me that she could identify some of the photos in the article

1880s - 1930s Unidentified Persons in Photographs of Photographs found in the Simmons Studio Collection  http://1973whsreunion.blogspot.com/2017/11/1880s-1930s-photographs-of-photographs.html

She recognized her great grandparents Robert Allen and Louisa E. Doores in one photograph and her uncle John James Doores in another.


Robert Allen and Louisa E. Doores with two unidentified youngsters.  

Robert Allen Doores was born 2 July 1835 in Barren County Kentucky.  He was married on 14 October 1853 in Johnson County, Missouri to Louisa E. Ferguson.  Louisa was born in Johnson County on 12 December 1838.  She was related to Moses Ferguson, a Revolutionary War veteran who is buried at Blackwater Cemetery in Johnson County.

Louisa had just turned 21 when she gave birth to John James Doores on 18 January 1858. 

                John James Doores

Two years later her second son, William Horace Doores was born on 22 November 1860. They were listed as still residing in Johnson County in the 1860 census.  Their first daughter Susan E. Doores was born in Missouri on 27 March 1863, but the family apparently left after that to find a safer place to ride out the rest of the Civil War because their second daughter Xemenia Doores, was born in Illinois on 17 Feb 1865.

The family was back in Missouri by February 4, 1867 when Leroy (called Lee) F. Doores was born, but it is not known whether the family returned to Johnson County or not.  Johnson County was, however, the place where young Lee would meet his untimely death.

 Lee (LeRoy) F. Doores was a single man from Bronaugh, Missouri when he died in the train wreck just east of Warrensburg, MO in the morning of 10 October, 1904.  The passengers on that train were bound for the St. Louis World's Fair.  That morning, word reached Bronaugh of the wreck, but details were sparse.  Lee's brother, James, heard of the wreck and left Nevada on the 11:30 passenger train bound for Warrensburg.  James had not yet received word of his brother's death, but soon after James departed, a telegram reached Bronaugh stating that Lee Doores was killed.  Since Lee Doores was one of the victims listed in most of the earliest reports, he had probably already been identified by the time his brother left.

L.F. Doores must have been one of the passengers who was most mangled.  When charges were brought against the engineer of the freight, it was L.F. Doores, whose injuries were described and in whose name the charges were filed.  Case 14418 in Cass County, MO (on change of venue from Johnson County), stated that,

"by reason of such collision, said L.F. Doores was then and there thrown, struck, and mashed against the sides and parts of the cars and engine of said passenger train..., and thereby mortal wounds, fractures, contusions and concussions were then and there inflicted on the head and body of said L.F. Doores who then and there did instantly die."

The liberal Independent newspaper told that Doores was Grand Chief Templar of the State I.O.G.T. Lodge, so many members of the Order from surrounding towns were in attendance when his body arrived along with the other Bronaugh victims.  

He was survived by his parents, Robert Allen and Louisa E. (Ferguson) Doores.  Funeral services for Lee and the other Bronaugh victims were held on Wednesday at the Bronaugh Methodist Church.  He was buried in Worsley Cemetery, Bronaugh, Missouri.  A photograph of Lee is on his grave marker.

Robert Allen Doores died in 31 January 1933 in Bronaugh, Vernon County, Missouri.



Louisa died 6 Jun 1922;






                             Robert lived on for another 11 Years dying 31 January 1933.




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