Clark Family

The Blakey family originated in Bowling Green, Kentucky with the marriage of Will and Martha Clark. Martha was one of ten children in a large local family. The couple had their first two children, Leon and Gwendolyn, in Bowling Green. When their youngest child was two years old, they relocated to Chicago, Illinois to be closer to Martha’s siblings. They settled into a three-level brownstone where each family occupied a flat. Subsequently, Martha and Will had nine more children: Abner, Raymond, twins Harry and Harriet, Carol, Victor, John, June, and Antionette. Will worked as a janitor while Martha remained at home to care for the children and manage the household.