"What I do know is Elza's parents had gone out west for quite awhile(t o visit relatives) and Omar was conceived around the time they wereout t here. I also know Elza had significant problems withdepression, sever e enough to be hospitalized for it, so he likely wasa tad hard to live w ith, and I rather doubt if Leo was much better.The divorce record rea ds that she abandoned him. Interestingly nomention is made of Omar at a ll, but mama, whether rightly or wrongly,said that wasn't unusual at t he time as children always went with themother. She never showed for t he divorce hearing either. Having achild out of wedlock in those days w as a major stigma so I'm sure itwas to legitimize the child, but, for o ne reason or another, itdidn't last long. (My grandma's version was t hey got divorced beforeOmar was born, but that obviously wasn't true a s he was 3 at the timeof the divorce.) I've heard every version from t he Hammonds, mygrandma (Omars wife), and his children, and would love t o hear itfrom the Powells. As I've said, his half-sibling certainly k new hewas her 1/2 brother. The Hammond, (an in-law who knew him) took o nelook at me and said immediately that we definitely were Hammond's, even more so when she saw pictures of my nephews, so I've no reason tod oubt it. Elza wouldn't acknowledge the relationship. His siblingsclai med he had an illegitamite (sp) son that he never claimed, butwere nev er sure about it. His dad signed for the marriage."
The 1900 census says he was only 20 years old, born 10/1890, but thene xt older sister was born in 1878 so 1880 is most likely the correctdat e.
