Sarah Bogue

Sarah married Jonathan Ratliff on 16 Feb 1826. Jonathan (son of Richard Ratcliff and Elizabeth Pierson) was born on 8 Feb 1791 in Guilford County, North Carolina; died on 23 Aug 1854 in Henry County, Indiana; was buried in Hopewell Friends Cemetery, Henry County, Indiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Margaret married William N. Carter on 13 Nov 1866 in Henry County, Indiana. William was born on 4 Feb 1839; died on 5 Apr 1893; was buried in Sugar Grove Methodist Cemetery, Henry County, Indiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: John William Allen. John (son of Benjamin Franklin Allen and Sarah Jane Jobe) was born on 23 Oct 1863 in Alamance County, North Carolina; died on 20 Mar 1952 in New Castle, Henry, Indiana; was buried in Sugar Grove Methodist Cemetery, Henry County, Indiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 1894

Notes:

From "Worker Ends Own Life, Bares Mother's Killing", citation details below:

A New Castle factory worker shot himself fatally yesterday and left a note describing how he murdered his mother and buried her in a shallow grave.

The body of Robert Degler, 26 years old, Chrysler employee, was found on the kitchen floor of the family home on the east side.

Authorities followed instructions in the note and dug the body of Degler's mother, Mrs. Virgie Degler, from a two-foot-deep grave in the basement of new home she was building in West New Castle.

She had been shot in the head, police said, but an early examination failed to locate the bullet.

Degler also had been shot in the head. A .32 caliber revolver was lying on his chest and the note was in his hip pocket.

Acting Coroner Robert Coude said Degler apparently killed himself after taking the life of his mother 11 days ago.

The note said:

"I was so worried and loved mother so much. And she was so worried and nervous and everything seemed so hopeless. I was almost out of my mind.

"I shot and killed mother Oct. 20, 1950, and in blind fear buried her in the basement at our country place. I thought about suicide then but was so shocked and scared. Maybe this is best for everybody. May the Lord have mercy. Sincerely."

Chief of police Ross Scott said the woman's face was covered with a towel, and her purse, three oranges and a pair of glasses lay beside her fully clothed body.

Samples of Degler's handwriting were taken by State Police Detective Robert Dillon to be matched with the note. But authorities expressed belief they were the same.

Authorities also said they were attempting to locate another son, Claude Degler, who last was known to be in Boston.

Degler and his mother both worked at the Chrysler plant. Records showed that she had not appeared for work since Oct. 18.

Virgie married Howard Lynville Degler on 18 Feb 1918 in Indiana. Howard (son of John Henry Degler and Laura McCarter) was born on 12 Jun 1895. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

His World War II-era draft card, dated 1 Jul 1941, places him in New Castle, Indiana.

His Fancyclopedia 3 entry is here.

From Pong 19/20, 10 Aug 1981, ed. Dan Steffan and Ted White:

Bob Tucker writes: "Claude Degler is alive and well (?) and living in or near Indianapolis.

"I was attending InConjunction there a couple of weeks ago, when a tall and very thin half-stranger stopped me in the hotel lobby and called me by name. He asked me if I rec­ognized him. I recognized his voice immediately, and it was Claude. He had seen my name on the convention advertising and came down to meet me.

"We talked for perhaps ten minutes and then parted, not to see each other again. I carefully did not give him my address, nor did he mention his but his remarks led me to believe he was living and working nearby in some Indianapolis suburb. He sounded sane and rational, his brown eyes sparkled with an inner fire, and it was Claude all right. The Cosmic Circle was never mentioned.

"This news will plunge all fandom into war."

From Fancyclopedia 3:

Claude Degler died on April 20, 2000, one month short of his 80th birthday, and was likely homeless at the time of his death. He had been using the name John Paul Christman.

In 2023, FamilySearch made the US Social Security NUMIDENT files available, which led to the discovery of a record matching Degler in nearly all details, including his known alias of “John Paul Chris(t)man”:

Name: John Paul Christman

Name note: Name and form dates: Application: JOHN PAUL CHRISTMAN (Nov 1956), Application: JOHN PAUL HARVEY CHRISTMAN (18 Apr 1988), Death: JOHN CHRISTMAN (20 Apr 2000)

Alias: John Paul Harvey Christman

Second Alias: John Christman

Sex: Male

Previous Residence: Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana, United States

Previous Residence Postal Code: 46201-3203

Death Date: 20 Apr 2000

Birth Date: 19 May 1920

Birthplace: Waterbury, Connecticut, United States

Race: White

Father's Name: Howard L Christman

Mother's Name: Vergie V Allen

The differences from corroborated facts, other than Degler's new name, are marked in bold: he gave his birthplace as Waterbury, Connecticut and he gave his father's surname as Christman, to match his own.

The ZIP+4 of his last known mailing address, 46201-3203, corresponds to the east side of a half-block of Eastern Avenue in Indianapolis, which notably includes the Good News Ministries homeless men's shelter.

Claude married Alta Doris Smith on 31 Jul 1944 in Corning, Clay, Arkansas. Alta was born on 9 Jun 1929 in Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana; died on 31 Mar 1995 in Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana; was buried on 6 Apr 1995 in New Crown Cemetery, Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]