On 26 September 1884, Broomfield was officially named by the U.S. Post Office. According to the Record of Appointment of Postmasters, Miss Druella Coulson was Broomfield’s first postmistress serving from 26 September 1884 to 10 July 1886. I become curious about Druella when I found her among the Broomfield entries in the 1885 Colorado State Census (Broomfield is not mentioned by name but is located in Boulder County Enumeration District 1, page 6, line 49 thru page 8, line 8) and I decided to do some research on her and her family.
Druella Coulson was born April 1860 in Yellow Creek Township, Linn Co., Missouri. She was the youngest of seven children born to Joseph and Nancy Coulson. Joseph, his father Jeremiah, and brothers Isaac and Jacob migrated to Linn County from Virginia sometime before 1840 as all are listed on the 1840 Census for Linn County.
Joseph Coulson, son of Jeremiah Coulson and Martha McIntyre, was born about 1812 in Virginia and probably died June 1870 in Linn Co., Missouri. Joseph married Nancy (maiden name unknown) about 1838.
The following list of children of Joseph and Nancy Coulson was compiled from 1850, 1860, and 1870 Census records of Linn Co., Missouri: i. Elizabeth, born July 1839, married Jonathan J. Putman; ii. Susan J., born about 1841; iii. Isaac, born about 1844, may have moved to Oregon; iv. Mary L., born about 1849, married Edward J. Cautwell; v. William, born about 1851; vi. John Robert., born about 1856, died 1944; vii. Druella, born April 1860, married Robert S. Ketron.
Druella’s father, Joseph Coulson, died in June, 1870 naming his 10 year old daughter, Druella, in his will. She can be found living with her mother, Nancy, and brother, Robert in the 1870 Census taken 8 July 1870. Druella continued to reside in Linn County, but by the 1880 Census, she was living with her sister, Mary Cautwell, and Mary’s physician husband, Edward J. Cautwell.
Druella came to Colorado between 1880-1884. She was probably drawn to Colorado because her sister, Elizabeth Putman, moved to Denver about 1876. In June of 1880 when the census was taken, Elizabeth, her husband John and children, William, Ida, Mollie, and Sophie, were living at 16 15th Street, Denver.
Twenty five year old Druella was enumerated on the 1885 Census in Broomfield directly after her nephew, William Putman. William’s occupation was brickmoulder and he was living with his wife, Alice Waterhouse, who he had married 5 November 1883 in Denver, and his seven month old son, Arthur. William’s father, Johnathan J. Putman was a broom maker in Denver so perhaps the Putman family had connections to the area because of its broomcorn crop.
Lewis Crain took over as Broomfield’s postmaster in 1886. It was around that time that Druella returned to Missouri. She married Robert J. Ketron about 1887 in Missouri. Robert was a carpenter who was born September 1841 in Missouri. Three of Druella’s children were born in Missouri before she returned to Colorado. The Ketron family settled in Denver about 1893. By 1900, the family was living at 1043 Gaylord St., Denver.
The following list of children of Robert J. Ketron and Druella Coulson was compiled from 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 Census records, WWI Draft Registration Cards, Colorado Marriages 1858-1939 CD ROM, City of Denver Births Index, and the Social Security Death Index:
Druella and Robert Ketron can be found living in Denver during the 1900, 1910, and 1920 Census. They both either died or moved by 1 April 1930 when the 1930 Census was taken.i. Robert Roy, born 5 August 1888 in Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Missouri. He married 1st Katherine Pendleton, 3 May 1922, Denver. He divorced Katherine and married 2nd Ruth Darrow, 10 March 1934. He died January 1966 in Denver.
ii. Myrtle E., born October 1889 in Missouri. She married John Ellis Chambers, 3 May 1928 in Weld Co., Colorado. Myrtle probably died about1928 (her husband is listed in the 1930 Census as a widower). She had one child, John Ellis Chambers, Jr., born December 1928.
iii. Edward E., born 3 June 1891 in Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Missouri. He moved to Detroit, Michigan and worked as a mechanic for the Studebaker Corporation.
iv. Lloyd C., born 23 April 1903 in Denver. He married Elsie (unknown maiden name) and moved to Detroit, Michigan about 1930. Lloyd died 29 July 1974 in Detroit.
I will be posting more information along with documentation about Druella on the
Broomfield GenWeb site at www.rootsweb.com/~cobroomf/. If you have any information about
Druella Coulson Ketron, email me at julie@jpmresearch.com.