Robert Wilson Boatright was born in Harco, Illinois in Saline County, January 19, 1889, the son of Alexander Scott Boatright (1862-1906) and Lucy Emeline Carr (1863-1940).
In the 1900 census, Robert was 11 and living with his parental family on a farm in Brushy Township in Saline County. Robert had three siblings, Clyde 15, Maude 14 and Roma aged 1.
When Robert’s father, Scott, died in 1906 the family moved to Marion where they were found in the 1910 federal census. Robert’s widowed mother, Lucy, was 46 years old. They lived in a house that was mortgaged at 510 E. Main Street. Robert, now age 21, was working for Howard and Casey as a traveling salesman. His older brother Clyde, 26, had started working in the coal mines to help supplement the family income. His sister Roma, 11, was attending Marion school.
During high school in Marion he continued to work for the Howard and Casey wholesale grocers as a traveling salesman and continued with them until around 1929, according to his obituary.
He was married in Pinckneyville, September 25, 1915 to Miss Clara L. Strautz.
In 1917, when Robert registered for the WWI draft he was described as having grey eyes and brown hair. He was married with one child.
Around 1917, Robert used his experience from the previous ten years of traveling around for Howard and Casey to incorporate new ideas into a business he created called the B & B Confectionary. Located at 904 Public Square, the two story business offered the usual confectionary items in addition to catering to the wants in every kind of refreshments found in the up to date confectionery including a large selection of cigars. The second floor was retained as a ball room, where the elite of the city gather every few evenings for dancing.
The 1920 federal census found Robert and Clara living in the home of his mother at 510 E. Main Street. He appears to have been paying his mother rent to live there. Brother Clyde was managing a coal mine and sister Roma was a stenographer at a railway office. His mother had paid off the home and is mortgage free. Robert was listed as employed as a traveling salesman for a wholesale grocer and Clara listed none as occupation.
The B&B Confectionary business was closed in 1922, when Thomas A. Cox and his son Harry Cox who owned Cox Hardware in the adjoining business to the east purchased the building from Arthur Aikman to expand their business space.
It appears that Robert kept his job with Howard and Casey throughout this business venture. I am led to believe that since the business was called B & B that it may have been a joint venture with his wife, Clara being the second “B” and explains how he continued to work as a traveling salesman until 1929.
In the 1930 census, at the start of the depression, the Boatright’s were living in a rental home at 714 S. Virginia Street where they pay $37.50 a month in rent. Robert was age 41 and Clara was 32. Robert indicated that he was a traveling salesman for oil products so this may have been an odd job he picked up after leaving Howard and Casey. Clara was then working as a teacher at Brown’s Business College, located on N. Market Street. They now have two daughters, Katherine, aged 9 and Dorcas aged 7. They have an 18 year old domestic servant named Lillian Newman living with them.
After leaving his job with Howard and Casey around 1929, Robert then began working for the Ralston Purina Company as a traveling salesman.
By the 1940 census, the Boatright’s had purchased a permanent home at 718 S. Virginia Street. They valued the home at $4,000. Robert was listed as a salesman (Ralston Purina) and indicated that he has worked 52 weeks out of the previous year. In 1939 he made $5,500 in income. Robert, then 51, and Clara, then 42, had their two daughters in the home, Katherine, 20 and Dorcas 18. In this same year, Robert lost his mother, Lucy.
Robert continued working for Ralston Purina until his retirement in 1951. After his retirement from Ralston, he entered into a real estate business called Boatright’s Real Estate Agency in Marion which he operated until his death.
Robert’s real estate office was located in the lower floor of the Bank of Marion and was accessible from N. Market Street only.
Boatright was a member of the National Real Estate Brokers Association and served as chairman of the local chapter at his death. He was also a member of the Marion Elks Lodge No. 800 and the Marion Rotary Club.
Robert W. Boatright, 73, 718 S. Virginia Street, owner of Boatright’s Real Estate Agency, was found dead in his bed by his wife at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 1, 1962. He had been a patient in Marion Memorial Hospital for treatment of lung congestion.
Surviving him was his wife, Clara Boatright, with two daughters, Mrs. J.A. (Kathryn) Joice, Evanston and Mrs. D.J. (Dorcas) Braun, Monmouth. He had five grandsons, one granddaughter, two nieces, Mrs. Paul Allen, Azusa, California; and Mrs. Bill Harwell, Herrin. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and a brother.
Funeral services were Friday, May 3rd, at 1 p.m. at Wilson Memorial Chapel. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery. The graveside ritual was given by the Elks Lodge of Marion.
For more information on Clara, see the post Clara Boatright.
For more information on B & B Confectionary, see the post B & B Confectionary.
(Data extracted from Marion Daily Republican obit dated May 4, 1962; Williamson County in the World War, 1919; Federal Census Records; Marion City Directories; Marion City Cemetery Records; 1989 Sesquicentennial History; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 09/13/2013)