Lees family in Howard, Kansas

[Sheila]

I am seeking information about the Lees family (my great grand parents) who settled in Howard, Kansas about 1883.  Andrew Lees and Mary Hislop came to Howard, Kansas from Ontario, Canada with several of their children. Among the children who went to Kansas are the following:
Anna Scott Lees, whose obituary has been posted to the Elk County Forum, was their youngest child. 
Jennie Davidson Lees married a Mr. Veatch.
Mary Grace Lees married George King Reid. 
Robert Lees, a son, is also presumed to have married and lived near Howard, Kansas.
Isabel Anderson Lees (unmarried) probably lived with her parents & then with one of her married sisters.

Any information about this family would be appreciated.

[patyrn]

When I was young, the Leroy Veach family attended the Presbyterian Church in Howard.  This would have been in the 1950s.  The mother was Mary Jane Lees Veach, and she and Leroy had two sons, Ross and Ian, who probably were born around 1948 and 1951.  I remember them because we attended Sunday School together and there were very few kids in that church at the time.  I recall that Mary Jane had a nice voice and sang in church services frequently. 

I just checked my old alumni list for Howard High School, and Leroy Veach graduated in 1934 and Mary Jane Lees Veach graduated in 1935, so they probably would have been born about 1916 or 1917..

I have no idea whether these folks are connected to your family, but hopefully these few facts might help you out.  Ironically, my mother (now deceased)  also graduated in that 1934 class.

[Mom70x7]

Well, ya know, I don't know of any connections, but I know a LOT about coincidence.

My maiden name is Lees. My dad, however, was NOT from Howard, or Kansas. He's a native of Oklahoma. The closest I know of my "Lees" in Kansas was my grandfather Harry Paul Lees getting married to Nellie Dunham Adamson of Erie in Independence, KS.

My mom is from Howard - Mary Arlene Wisner, daughter of Leslie and Bertie Wisner of Howard. I don't know of any of our "Lees" being connected to Howard any other way.

My grandfather, Harry Paul Lees, was originally from Boone, Iowa. His family up there were Arthur Lees and John Harold Lees.

[ddurbin]

In the ELK COUNTY HISTORY book, copyright 1979, there is an article on the Lees family:

ANDREW LEES, born Nov. 29, 1826 in Scotland, died at Howard, Ks. on Sept. 19, 1924; married, in Canada, MARY HISLOP, born June 5, 1829 in Scotland, died at Howard on Oct. 24, 1910.  They came to Howard about 1884 and lived on a farm on the Elk River a few miles south of Howard.  After his wife's death, Andrew Lees moved to a house across the road from the cemetery.  Twice a day he met the train when it stopped in Howard, to pick up the incoming mail and take it to the Post Office in the morning and to take the outgoing mail to the train at night.  They had twelve children, all born in Canada.  Four daughters and one son came to Howard about the time their parents came.
1.  Mary Lees married George King Reid in Canada and came with him to Howard in 1883. (Refer to Reid family.
2.  Anna Lees taught in the Howard High School in the early part of the century.
3.  Margaret Lees married an Elk Co. rancher.  Both died young.
4.  Isa Belle Lees never married.  She lived with her parents and later in the home of her sister, Mary (Lees) Reid.
5.  Robert Lees married Carrie Murray and lived south of the Reid resident in Howard, where Waldo Gray now lives.  He was a farmer and had one daughter, Mary Jane, who married LeRoy Veach and lives in Illinois.  Submitted by Margaret Reid

The REID FAMILY article starts as follows:
GEORGE KING REID, born Aug. 7, 1863 at West Barnet, VT. - died at Howard, Ks., son of the Rev. William H. and Julia A. (Harbison) reid; married, at Wroxter, Ontario, Canada in 1881, MARY LEES, born Nov. 5, 1866 at Wroxter - died Nov. 14, 1932 at Howard, Ks., daughter of Andrew and Mary (Hislop) Lees.  They are both buried at Grace Lawn Cemetery, Howard.  They came to Elk Co. about 1883 and spent the rest of their lives in Howard.  They were active supporters of the Presbyterian Church.  George was in the insurance and abstract business and was highly respected in the community....

[patyrn]

After reading the previous research, it appears that Dr. Frank Reid, longtime Howard dentist, was the son of George K. and Mary (Lees) Reid, and Dr. Richard Reid, his son and longtime Howard dentist, was the grandson of George K. and Mary (Lees) Reid.  Both would have been grandson and great grandson of the original Andrew and Mary (Hinslop) Lees who moved to Elk County from Canada.

[Sheila]

Thanks for the info on the Lees fmaily.  Mary Jane Lees Veach & the Reids are in my Lees family line.  Sorry I have no info on the Oklahoma Lees, so cannot confirm whether there is a connection\; however I think not.

Now I wonder if any one can help me with this.
One of the Mary Lees:  Mary Grace (1866-1932), her daughter Mary (1883- ?)  or the daughter of Robert Lees - Mary Jane (1917- ) , appears to have also been called May.  Does any one know which one  this might have been?

[patyrn]

Mary Jane (1917) was always called by both her first and middle name as far as I know.