Otley Armond Monroe was born in Cottage Home, Grassy Township, on November 1, 1890 to William S. Monroe and Rachel Gentry. When the 1900 federal census was taken the parental farming family were located in Grassy Township. Father, William S. was 38 years old while the mother, Rachel was 42. Rachel recorded that she had birthed 6 children and that all 6 were still living. The children in the home at that time were Martin G. 15 and Charles 12, both farm laborers, Otley 7, Ralph 5, Clara 4 and Earl 1. The family owned the farm they lived on mortgage free.
By the 1910 census, the Monroe family had moved into Marion and were living at 505 S. Hill Street in a home they owned, mortgage free. In the home were William 47 working as a coal miner, Rachel 42, Martin 23 working as a retail clerk in a grocery, Charles 21 working as a tailor, Ralph 17 working as a dry goods clerk, Otley 19, Clara 14 and Earl 11.
In 1912, Otley joined his older brother, Charles Monroe, in business who had already started a tailor business called the West Side Tailor Shop located at 107 W. Main Street in Marion. A business that produced tailor made men’s clothing. In 1914, Charles sold the tailor shop to Otley so he could enter the military. Otley became general manager of the business on June 2, 1916
On July 25, 1916, Otley had a rather public wedding when he married Miss Kitty Linder at the Marion Opera House located on N. Market St. next door to the Christian Church. They were married after a production of “The Wolf” which was put on by the Marion Amateur Dramatic Company. Kitty Linder’s parents had been dead for a number of years and was raised by Mr. & Mrs. Harry Winters. Kitty was 16 at the time and Otley was 23.
In 1919-1921, Otley served as city commissioner and again in 1921-1923, both terms under Mayor Elijah Lewis. In 1923, Otley was on the slate of elections to become Mayor but lost to James H. Clarida.
In the 1920 census, Otley 29 and Kitty 21 were living in a rental at 918 S. Vicksburg with Otley working as a tailor.
In 1921, while serving as commissioner there was big flap in Marion about the council allowing gambling in the city limits of Marion but appears to have blown over. In August of the same year, 1921, his brother Charles returned to resume the position of general manager of the tailor shop.
In May of 1923, Otley sold the tailor shop to Henderson & Hughes of Herrin, however in February of 1924, Charles repurchased the tailor shop back from Henderson & Hughes. It was noted at the time that Charles had founded it 16 years ago, sold it to Otley 10 years ago and Otley had sold it the previous year.
In early 1924, an article appeared in the Marion Daily Republican stating that a divorce had been granted between Kitty and Otley in Chicago and that Otley did not contest the divorce. Kitty would go on to die in November 1926 of tuberculosis. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery in Marion.
Later in the year of 1924, after divorcing Kitty, Otley got married again on November 20, 1924 to Miss Dorothy Batson, daughter of Ed Alexander Batson and Martha Jane Howell, who went by Janie Batson. It was stated in the paper that the couple would make their home in Chicago where Otley had a job working as district manager for the Real Silk Hosiery Company.
The move to Chicago apparently didn’t last long because in August 1925 an article in the paper stated that the couple had given birth to their first child, a baby boy named Armand Dean at the home of Dorothy’s mother, Janie Batson on S. Future Street. Another article in October 1927 indicated that the couple had had their second child, a boy named Joseph Hartwell Monroe.
A 1928 Marion street directory places Otley and Dorothy as living at 300 S. Court Street in Marion with Otley working as a salesman. When the 1930 census was taken, Otley 39 and Dorothy 26 were living in a rental home at 310 S. Vicksburg Street. Otley was working as an insurance salesman and Dorothy was working as a saleslady in a novelty store. Those living with them in the home were sons Armand 4 and Joseph H. aged 2. Also, in the home was Dorothy’s mother, widowed Janie Batson aged 62.
In January of 1931, the couple observed the birth of their third son Robert Lee Monroe and the couple were picked up again in a 1937 street directory listing them as living at 109 S. Gray Street with Otley still working as a salesman.
At some undefined point after 1937, the couple divorced, only to have their young son Armand die at St. Luke’s Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri on February 10, 1939 at the age of 13 ½.
The divorce was reflected in the 1940 census which located Dorothy, a divorced 36 year old, living with her two remaining sons, Joe H. 12 and Robert Lee aged 9. Dorothy was employed and supporting her children as a school matron. Otley could not be found in this census or street directories and I suspect he was traveling on the road as a salesman at that time.
Oddly enough, the couple reconciled and got remarried to each other again on November 21, 1941 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. During the brief period of time they were remarried the second time, Otley filled out his WWII draft record at the age of 51. They were then living at 1006 N. Garfield Street in Marion. Otley reported to be working as a salesman for the Union Life Insurance out of Chicago, Illinois. He was physically described as 5’ 5 ½” tall, 190 lbs., with grey eyes, brown hair and a dark complexion.
According to divorce proceedings filed in 1948, Dorothy complained that Otley had left their marriage in April 1942 and had failed to support her or their two remaining sons. Care and custody of their two living sons remained with Dorothy along with all personal property then in her possession was granted along with a divorce on January 20th, 1949.
Dorothy was found listed in a 1947 street directory as living at706 N. Logan and working as an Avon saleslady. Otley was not found in the Marion directory during that period.
By the 1950 census, Dorothy had gotten remarried to a Corbett Edwards and the couple were living at 807 W. Chestnut Street in Marion along with Dorothy’s sons from her marriage with Otley, Robert and Joe. Also in the home was Dorothy’s widowed mother, Janie Batson then 82 years old.
Otley Monroe passed away at his home located at 300 W. Union Street on February 18, 1950 at the age of 59. He attended public schools and went to Valparaiso University in Indiana. Later in life he was in the home insulation business and recently had been Marion distributor for the St. Louis Star-Times. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, the Marion Elks, Masons and Shriners club.
He was survived by two sons, Robert and Joe Monroe of Marion. Three brothers, M.G. of Benton, Charles R. Monroe of Marion and Earl Monroe of California. One sister, Mrs. Owen Berry, Nashville. Burial was in New Rose Hill Cemetery.
Otley’s ex-wife, Dorothy, had gone on to marry Corbett Edwards. She was born January 26, 1904 in Carbondale, both Otley and Corbett preceded her in death. She died March 5, 1984 at her home in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
Notes on Children:
Armand Dean Monroe, born in Marion August 28, 1925, died at 13.5 years old at St. Luke’s Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. on February 10, 1939.
Joseph Hartwell Monroe, born October 18, 1927 in Marion, married a Betty L., died in Chattanooga, Tn on November 18, 1993. Served in U.S. Army from 1946 to 1947.
Robert Lee Monroe, born January 5, 1931, lived in Westminster, Calif where he died December 7, 1996.
(Sources: Federal Census records, Marion Street Directories, Marion City Cemetery records, Southern Illinoisan, Marion Daily Republican, Marion Evening Post, WWI and WWII Draft records, Missouri marriage and death records, FindaGrave.com, Events in Egypt, Williamson County marriage records. Compiled by Sam Lattuca on 5/15/2024)