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If you find a Robert E. WASHBURN born 1863-65 in Missouri, I'd be very interested. He is my great grandfather and I have little or no information on his parents. I think I have him 1870 census, Springfield, Campbell twp, Greene County MO, age 5 with mother Louisa WASHBURN age 24 seamstress from MO, in household of Martha KING and her son.

Next record (99.9% sure)is 1885 marriage to Anna MOORMAN / MORMAN in Springfield, MO and then their July 1888 divorce.

Next record: Positive is in St. Louis, MO in 1890 City Directory in Music business. He was a musician, composer and music teacher in St. Louis.

Next record: 1900 census in St. Louis on Dehodiamont St. with wife Mary E. CAVANAUGH and 1st child--my grandfather--Robert E. L. WASHBURN, b 1897 St. Louis.

Next record: 1910 census in St. Louis on Natural Bridge Road with same wife and 2 more children: John L. and Mary E. The father Robert E. stated his father born in Illinois, mother in Missouri.

Death Certificate: Oct. 1910, wife didn't know much about parents, thought they were from England, no name for father, mother said to be Lulu CORN. Thus the Louisa WASHBURN on 1870 census makes some sense. Can't find Louisa in 1880, etc. Robert's wife requested his St. Louis Post obit be contributed also to the Springfield papers----soooo I have looked to see if he still had friends / family in Springfield.

Springfield, MO link is strong, but has lead to nothing so far. Missouri Hist. Society has been a little help---in St. Louis they located 5 pieces of his music, but nothing else.

I feel that because of his profession, he might have had tutoring or encouragement in music by family members. He wasnt' just playing guitar on the porch steps. He billed himself as a contemporary of John Philip Sousa and also called himself the "King of Marches" as did Sousa. He wrote marches, waltzes, folk tune, dances. He played mandolin, piano, violin, etc. taught those instruments, played organ in a church (Catholic I think--family lore) and his wife Mary had a beautiful soprano voice (family lore from my mother) and sang professionally in a Catholic church in St. Louis. Otherwise, Robert E. was not a practicing Catholic---though his wife (Irish background) was likely Catholic by birth.

Any leads welcome to help me identify the parents of Robert E. WASHBURN b about 1864 Missouri -and his family line. I have no male WASHBURNs alive to do DNA. Of Robert E's children, only my grandfather had a child--and that was my mother.

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