(ROBERTS) James Robert Laws

{This is one of four posts about my children's ancestors named James--one James from each grandparent's ancestral line.}


James Robert Laws was born July 12, 1868 in Joliet, Illinois to James Laws and Mary Ann Lowe. In the 1870s, James's family moved to Kansas. 

Location of Kansas in the United States, from wikipedia 

James married Sarah Elizabeth White on November 2, 1887. 

Sarah Elizabeth White Laws in her later years

They had 9 children. 

7 of the 9 Laws children
Kline, Eva, Silas, Nina, Homer, Anna, Charles
Not pictured: Maude, Curtis

James settled his family in Coffey County. 

Location of Coffey County in Kansas, from wikipedia 

Around 1900, he purchased land in Pleasant Township, an area of 68 square miles, populated, in 1900, by 1200 people. (The population has since consistently declined; it is now about 250.) 

Location of Pleasant Township in Coffey County,
from kansasmemory.org 

James appears to have owned 80 acres, located in Township 21 S, Range 14 E, Section 7. 

Location of Section 7 in 1901 plat map. James's
land is in the center labeled J R Laws
from kansasmemory.org

Location of Section 7 in 1919 plat map. James's
land is in the center labeled J R Laws
from kansasmemory.org 

James continued on this farm until his death in September 1945. 

James's death certificate 

James's obituary
from the Emporia Gazette, Sep 10, 1945

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Line of descent:
James Robert Laws, born 1868
Eva Irene Laws, born 1892
Dolores Mae Peters, born 1927


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Sources:

1 -http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasant_Township,_Coffey_County,_Kansas
2 -http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffey_County,_Kansas
3 -http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/209376/page/16
4 -http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/223987/page/23