Bessie Irene Lovan

1905 - 1932  (26 years)

• Name	Bessie Irene Lovan  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
  Birth	7 Sep 1905	Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri, USA   [2, 3, 4, 6, 7]
  Gender	Female
  Census	1910	Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri, USA   [7]
  	"Bessie Oscar"; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Daughter
  Census	1920	Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri, USA   [3]
  	Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Daughter
  Census	1930	Jonesboro, Craighead, Arkansas, USA   [6]
  	Bessie L Melton; Relation to Head: Head; Marital Status: Divorced from Francis Melton
  Death	8 Jun 1932	Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri, USA   [1, 2]
  	Cause: Suicide by poisoning
  	Drinking Lysol
  		Vital_Death-FINFLEY Bessie Lovan Missouri Death Certificate for Bessie Irene Lovan Findley - Suicide by drinking Lysol
  Burial	Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri, USA   [2]
  Person ID	I24176	A Tree Called Smith
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2025

  
  

  Father	Oscar Green Lovan,   b. 25 Oct 1883, Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri, USA d. 1 Oct 1952, West Plains, Howell, Missouri, USA (Age 68 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Sephrona Emily Jones,   b. 27 Mar 1885, Howell, Howell, Missouri, USA d. 11 Sep 1953, West Plains, Howell, Missouri, USA (Age 68 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	27 Feb 1904	Howell County, Missouri, USA   [8]
  Family ID	F11428	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Francis Graham Melton,   b. 24 Mar 1905, Phelps County, Missouri, USA d. 18 Aug 1994, Brownsville, Cameron, Texas, USA (Age 89 years)
  Marriage	13 Oct 1923	Howell County, Missouri, USA   [2, 4]
  Children	1. Robert Melton,   b. 16 Apr 1919   d. 18 Sep 1995, Sikeston, Scott, Missouri, USA (Age 76 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Frances I Melton,   b. 28 Oct 1924, Kansas City, Clay, Missouri, USA d. 16 Jan 2006 (Age 81 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F9941	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2025

  
  

  Family 2	Rudy Folk Findley,   b. 18 Dec 1904, Howell County, Missouri, USA d. 3 Aug 1977, Jefferson City, Cole, Missouri, USA (Age 72 years)
  Marriage	20 Jun 1931	Howell County, Missouri, USA   [2]
  Family ID	F10019	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2025

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 7 Sep 1905 - Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri, USA Census - "Bessie Oscar"; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Daughter - 1910 - Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri, USA Census - Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Daughter - 1920 - Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri, USA Marriage - 13 Oct 1923 - Howell County, Missouri, USA Census - Bessie L Melton; Relation to Head: Head; Marital Status: Divorced from Francis Melton - 1930 - Jonesboro, Craighead, Arkansas, USA Marriage - 20 Jun 1931 - Howell County, Missouri, USA Death - Cause: Suicide by poisoning - 8 Jun 1932 - Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri, USA Burial - - Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri, USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Vital & Legal Records

  Vital_Death-FINFLEY Bessie Lovan Missouri Death Certificate for Bessie Irene Lovan Findley - Suicide by drinking Lysol

  
  

• Sources

  [S236] Ancestry.com, Web: Missouri, Death Certificates, 1910-1962, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT ; Date: 2015;). Web: Missouri, Death Certificates, 1910-1962 [S8527] Find a Grave: LOVAN Bessie Findley 1905-1932, Bessie Irene Lovan Findley. Bessie was the daughter of Oscor Lovan and Sephrona E Jones, and the wife of Rudy F Findley. Cause of death was suicide by drinking Lysol. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29236845/bessie_irene_findley [S10231] Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), Year: 1920; Census Place: Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri; Roll: T625_920; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 104; Image: 871. 1920 United States Federal Census Year: 1920; Census Place: Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri; Roll: T625_920; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 104; Image: 871 [S10] Ancestry.com, Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT ; Date: 2007;). Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 [S8] Ancestry.com, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT ; Date: 2015;). [S9776] Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2002;), Year: 1930; Census Place: Jonesboro, Craighead, Arkansas; Page: 17B; Enumeration District: 0016; FHL microfilm: 2339805. 1930 United States Federal Census Year: 1930; Census Place: Jonesboro, Craighead, Arkansas; Page: 17B; Enumeration District: 0016; FHL microfilm: 2339805 [S11466] Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2006;), Year: 1910; Census Place: Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri; Roll: T624_784; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0094; FHL microfilm: 1374797. 1910 United States Federal Census Year: 1910; Census Place: Willow Springs, Howell, Missouri; Roll: T624_784; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0094; FHL microfilm: 1374797 [S10] Ancestry.com, Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT ; Date: 2007;). Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002