Elbert Ray Scobey who went by “Bert” was born January 3, 1879 in Crab Orchard Township. An article found later in life described his trip to the Plumville area as visiting his place of birth which would place him north of Crab Orchard. His parents were John Scobey and Amanda Caroline Pulley and were a farming family.
In the 1880 census the family was still located in Crab Orchard Township farming. His parents, John and Amanda were 49 and 41 years of age. Elbert was the youngest of three children still in the home at the age of 1. He attended the local schools in his youth and later attended Crab Orchard Academy. From 1897 to 1900 he taught in local public schools.
On March 29, 1899 Bert married 19-year-old Lula Burnett in Williamson County, the daughter of Milo Burnett and Martha Evaline Willeford. In the 1900 census, Bert and his young wife Lula were found living in the home of his parents in Crab Orchard Township. His father was then 67 and still working as a farmer. Elbert was listed as working as a teacher.
After the 1900 census was taken, things appeared to go south with his first marriage, because in 1904 Bert remarried to Maude F. Hixon in Henry County, Illinois. She was the daughter of Eugene Hixon and Hattie Miller. For some reason, no alimony, death records or dissolution of his first marriage was found.
A 1907 Marion street directory listed Bert and Maude as living at 904 N. State Street and working as a mine weigher. In the 1910 federal census, the couple had purchased a home free of mortgage at 714 N. Harper Street in Marion. Both 31-year-old Bert and 27-year-old Maude were working as attendants in a hospital.
In 1911, Bert ran for and won the position of Marion city alderman under Mayor John H. Burnett. It was around this period of time that Bert got into the undertaking business. By 1917, when he filled out his WWI Draft card that he listed himself as an undertaker working for the Co-Operative Undertaking Company located at 206 N. Market Street. He was described as tall, medium build, grey eyes and dark hair.
After WWI, Elbert served in a different kind of way. He was employed by the National War Work Council of the Y.M.C.A. that served to support the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe. In November of 1918 he applied for a passport showing his work address as 206 N. Market. He was described as 6’ 1 ½” tall, grey eyes, medium nose, brown hair, and fair complexion. He had a wife but no children.
The 1920 federal census found Bert & Maude living in a rented home at 215 W. Main Street and he was listed as a self-employed undertaker. A 1922 city directory listed Bert & Maude also as living at 215 W. Main Street and working for the Hudgens & Scobey Funeral Home.
An article appearing in the Marion Daily Republican in December of 1920 indicated that a deal was made for Bert to retire from the undertaking business and become a traveling salesman for the Aurora Casket Company. Scobey disposed of his local business to the Co-Operative Undertaking Company and to Frick & Hudgens Undertakers.
It should be noted that Bert’s brother Edward H. Scobey served as Count Clerk from 1914-1922.
An article appeared in the local paper in July of 1922 indicating that Bert Scobey was now part of the Hudgens-Scobey Undertaking establishment so clearly the decision to become a traveling salesman didn’t work out.
Things appeared to go south a second time with Bert’s married life because on September 1, 1923, 44-year-old Bert remarried to his third wife Hazel L. Van Ornam in Murphysboro, Illinois. Hazel was the owner of a shop in Marion called the Bonnet Art Shop and was a popular girl in Murphysboro growing up. She was the daughter of Dr. James C. and Mariah Maude Van Ornam. Her father was the Murphysboro band director for 25 years and a prominent citizen of the town. As with the first marriage’s dissolution, no divorce records or death records were found for this one either.
It is clear that Bert enjoyed being in his occupation by his involvement in the trade. Articles appearing across the years 1925 and 1926 showed that he had been attending local, state and national events related to the undertaking profession. An ad in the local paper dated February 1925 showed his business at 215 W. Main Street and that a lady attendant was on hand.
Bert was also instrumental in acting as a medical examiner in the case of murders and suicides. He participated heavily in the trials and examination of bodies during the klan years and was active in the investigation of the W.O Potter murder/suicide that occurred in October 1926 in Marion on N. Market Street.
An article appearing in December 1926 reported that Bert Scobey had sold his interest in the Scobey & Ozment Funeral Home on December 1 to Charles D. Ozment and purchased an interest in the Elza Cash Company. The article noted that Bert had been in Marion since 1903 and that Cash and Scobey were the two oldest licensed embalmers in Marion, both highly respected in their profession.
A 1927 Marion street directory showed Bert working for the Elza Cash Company and Cash Funeral Home. A murder case in 1927 involving the murder of Lyle Worsham by Charlie Birger gang members Harvey Dungey, Fred Thomason and Joe Booker hinged around the identification of a charred body that was supposed to be that of Lyle. Bert, however, contended in the trial that the body found was that of a female and not a male even though an expert witness for the state indicated the body was male. The gangsters were acquitted, due to the fact that the body’s sex could not be conclusively identified.
A directory from the next year, 1928, confirmed that Bert was working for the Cash Funeral Home and living at 714 N. Harper St. with his wife Hazel. That same year, Bert made a run in the county elections to become the County Coroner but lost to Walter Clayton.
In January 1929, Scobey left the Elza Cash Company and went into business for himself. He opened a business in the NW corner of the square just one door north of the entrance to the Williamson County Loan and Improvement Association building.
When the 1930 federal census was taken, Bert 51 and Hazel 35, were living in their home at 714 N. Harper Street which was free of mortgage and valued at $2,000. They did not own a radio.
Advertisements in the local papers from 1933 indicate his business location was at 415 E. Main Street.
In 1939, Bert ran for city commissioner under Mayor Harry L. Crisp and won, he served as Public Property commissioner. Bert was re-elected again in 1942 and from that point, Bert would act as fire commissioner up to his death in 1945.
In the 1940 census, Bert 61 and Hazel 45 were living at his place of business at 415 E. Main Street which they valued at $6,000. Bert was listed as a mortician and indicated that his education level was completion of high school. In December of 1940, Ed Barnett & Thornton Lee of the Rotterman Funeral Home in Golconda bought the Scobey Funeral Home off of Bert. Thornton Lee became in charge of the Marion establishment and Bert retired in 1941.
When Bert filled out his WWII draft card in 1942, he was 63 and still living at 415 E. Main St. He was described as Hazel eyes, brown hair and light complexion.
Scobey died suddenly in his home at 818 E. Main Street on November 7, 1945. He had suffered from heart disease for several years. He was survived only by his wife, there being no children from any of his marriages. He was a member of the First Christian Church in Marion. Upon his death, Mayor Harry Crisp ordered the closing of city hall during his funeral. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery. It was noted in the newspaper that Scobey was responsible for the establishment of the ball field at Marion park and was influential in the development of recreational sports in the town.
Hazel Scobey passed away at Marion Memorial Hospital on December 27, 1969 while living at 811 E. Main Street. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Notes on Children:
There were no children during any of the three marriages.
(Sources: Federal census records, Marion Evening Post, Daily Republican-Register, Marion Weekly Leader, Marion Semi-Weekly Leader, Marion Evening Post, Marion Street directories, Marion City Cemetery, Bits of News, Williamson County Marriage Records, WWI and WWII draft cards, Findagrave.com. Compiled by Sam Lattuca on 3/22/2024)