The surname, Trovillion gets added to our collection of those found on this blog because today is the first time it appears in one of our stories. This surname may just be showing up on this blog now, but it is a name that showed up in America a long time ago. From the evidence I found on Ancestry.com, the Travillion name arrived in Virginia in 1693. I even found a baptism record from the Church of England for one of today’s main character’s ancestors, John Travillion, who was born in 1673.

The grandfather of today’s character, James Yancey Trovillion, had an interesting military record as described in the paragraph pictured here.

Algia Larue Trovillion was born on May 17, 1895, in Brownfield, Illinois, the last of 10 children born to William Newton and India (Slankard) Trovillion. You’ll see several new first and middle names in that family, too. Early on, he went by the name Algia, but eventually settled in to be called Larue, which is the name I will use. We find him in the 1900 census at the age of 5. His father was a farmer in the Washington Township of Pope County, Illinois. That is where Brownfield is located.

The map below shows where the town of Brownfield is located in southern Illinois.

The Trovillion family made a move during the next decade. When the 1910 census was taken, we find them living in Cape Girardeau, where Larue’s father and a few of his brothers were working at a shoe factory.

On June 5, 1917, Larue had his World War I draft registration completed. He had joined his brothers in working at the shoe factory.

Then, about 2 weeks after that form was filled out, Larue got married, so we will turn our attention to the woman who would become his bride. She is the reason that I found this story because she is listed in our German Family Tree, and she is today’s birthday girl. Lydia Ernestine Brandes was born on Aug 11, 1895, the last of 7 daughters born to August and Ernestine (Thauwald) Brandes. A story appeared on this blog about Lydia’s parents titled, Brandes the Builder and His Beauties. All 7 of the Brandes daughters had the middle name of their mother, Ernestine. Lydia qualifies to be called the Youngest of the Brandes Beauties. She was baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. The baptism record from that congregation’s books is displayed below.

Lydia is found in her first census in 1900 at the age of 4. Her father was a house carpenter in the Union Township of Perry County.

Like was the case with the Trovillion family, the Brandes family made a move to Cape Girardeau during the next decade. In the 1910 census, the Brandes’s were living in Cape Girardeau, where Lydia’s father was a carpenter. Lydia was the only remaining daughter living with her parents.

Larue Trovillion married Lydia Brandes on June 23, 1917. This wedding took place at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. A transcription of the church record for this couple is shown here.

The marriage license for this pair can also be viewed.

Larue was called into service during World War I. His military record shown below says he was inducted in September of 1918. This document indicates that he did not get sent overseas.

These relative newlyweds are found in the 1920 census. They would have one child, but that daughter was not born until 1922. Larue was working at the shoe factory.

Below is a photo of the International Shoe Factory in Cape Girardeau. I am told that this factory was located where the casino is now found in that city.

The Trovillion’s made a move in the 1920’s to Perryville. Larue was still working for the International Shoe Company which also had a factory in Perryville. Their daughter, Dorothy, was 7 years old.

The International Shoe Factory in Perryville is shown in the photo below. This building now houses the Gilster-Lee Company.

In the 1940 census, we once again find the 3 Brandes family members. Larue and a boarder by the name of Elmo Lynch were both working at the shoe factory.

In 1942, Larue had his World War II draft card completed.

Both Lydia and Larue were still alive in 1950, but I was not successful at finding them in that year’s census. I did find a 1954 city directory for Las Vegas, Nevada that listed both Larue and Lydia. They each had an occupation listed in this record.

Larue Trovilliion died in 1965 at the age of 70; Lydia Trovillion died in 1971 at the age of 76. These two are buried in the Bunkers Memory Gardens Cemetery in Las Vegas. Since their daughter is also buried in that cemetery, I believe Larue and Lydia moved to Las Vegas to live close to their daughter and her family.

I must admit that I had never heard the surname, Travillion, before, but as this post has documented, that name has been around in several regions of America for a lot of years. For a while, this name was found in both Cape Girardeau and Perry Counties.