Bevenue, Ardenia Mae Radford

Ardenia M. Radford was born in Earlington, KY, the daughter of Thomas and Millie Jackson Radford. Ardenia's family had moved to St. Louis, MO shortly after she was born. She was enumerated in the 1900 U.S. Census along with her grandmother Julia Bradley (head of the household), her mother, and a boarder. In the 1910 U.S. Census, Ardenia was in Earlington with her grandmother Julia Bradley, who was managing a boarding house.

In the 1920 U.S. Census, Ardenia was the wife of Clinton B. Bevenue from Missouri. All of their children were born in Missouri, where the family lived in St. Louis. Ardenia's grandmother Julia Bradley lived with the family. At some point in the 1920s, the family left Missouri. Ardenia, her husband, and four children are enumerated in the 1925 Kansas State Census as living in Kansas City; in addition, Ardenia's mother and stepfather Millie and Richard Black were living in Kansas, at a separate address; as was her grandmother Julia Bradley, also at a different address.

The entire family had remained in Kansas City  when they were enumerated in the 1930 and 1940 U.S. Censuses. Ardenia Bevenue was employed as a chamber maid and a janitor. In the 1930 census, four generations were recorded in the household: Ardenia and her husband, their children, and Ardenia's people from Kentucky: her mother and stepfather, Richard and Millie Black and her grandmother Julia Bradley.

Ardenia and Clinton Bevenue were listed in the 1940 Kansas City directory. In the 1940 U.S. Census, their household included their two daughters, a grandson, and Clinton's mother, Ida Bevenue. In August 1943, Ardenia enlisted in the Army in Kansas City, according to her record at the U.S. Veterans Affairs and her record in the National Archives, Access to Archival Databases. She was just a couple months shy of being 45 years old. 

After her military service, Ardenia Bevenue returned to Kansas City. In 1949 she served as the historian of Argonne Post No. 217 of the American Legion there. In 1952 Ardenia and her husband moved to Los Angeles, CA. They are listed in the 1960 California Voter Registrations, Index to Register of Voters: Los Angeles County, California (Ancestry). Six years later, they returned to Kansas City.

In 1975, Ardenia and Clinton's oldest child, Dr. Vincent C. Bevenue, Sr., died in Milwaukee, WI. Two years later, Ardenia and Clinton Bevenue moved back to Los Angeles. Clinton B. Bevenue died a few months later at the age of 81. He was survived by his wife Ardenia, their three daughters, and his mother, Ida Bevenue. 

Ardenia M. Radford Bevenue died in 1999. She and her husband are buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

Sources: Kansas State Census in Ancestry; Social Security Applications and Claims Index (Ancestry); "Deaths: Clinton B. Bevenue," The Kansas City Star, 9/17/1977, p. 1C; Ardenia Mae Bevenue at Find A Grave; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File (Ancestry); Polk's Kansas City (Wyandotte County, Kansas) City Directory 1940, p. 50; Ardenia Bevenue in "Post elects Ray Waugh," The Kansas City Star, 8/7/1949, p. 12A; and "Deaths: Dr. Vincent C. Bevenue, Sr.," Kansas City Times, 5/7/1975, p. 2B.