I have a large patch of sumac along my west fence line, and I was Googling “sumac”, for a method of killing the pesky weed, then this SUMMONS item jumped up. Intrigued by the JANE DOE WARE, I dropped the sumac, and got into the summons item.
CASA GRANDE DISATCH
CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA
Friday, September 8, 1944
SUMMONS
SUPERIOR COURT, STATE of ARIZONA
In and for the County of Pinal
A. B. Houser and Lettie L. Houser, his wife, Tommy H. Wheelis and Lois E. Wheelis, his wife,
Plaintiff.
vs
JANE DOE WARE, deceased, wife of Jesse T. WARE, and unknown heirs thereof, B. C. Shiflet and Leona Shiflet, his wife, deceased, and unknown heirs thereof, BEULAH JANE WARE, deceased and unknown heirs thereof,
LEILA PAULINE WARE, aka PAULINE WARE deceased, and unknown heirs thereof, HELEN ELIZABETH WARE, deceased, and unknown heirs thereof,
Defendants
The item goes on the explain, to the defendants they have twenty days to answer this summons, if they reside within the state, and thirty days should they reside elsewhere. The summons having been written August 31, 1944.
My inquiring mind needed to know what this could be about, when the plaintiff sues dead people and the heirs thereof. They surely must have a huge bone to pick with the Ware clan.
So, I went to the Casa Grande Newspaper archives and guess what!
JESSE T. WARE, it turns out was a big time real estate broker, in the late thirties. He and Mr. Shiflet are listed as transferring large properties between themselves and others, between 1930 and 1936. However none of the plaintiffs were listed as being involved.
Jesse drops from the radar after the 1936 listing. A trip through the archives’ obit section reveals nothing about any of the people mentioned in this item.
I did find, however, that both Pauline Ware, and Jesse T. Ware had acreage up for public auction, due to back taxes, from 1929-34.
A really interesting piece, but does nothing about my sumac.
RW
An aside note: On the same page with this item, is a bit about twelve Army Nurse Corps officers, each receiving the Bronze Star for heroic action in the Italian Campaign, 1944. Well deserved, I’m sure. Bless ’em.
When was the last time you heard about military nurses being honored with medals of any kind?
