52 Ancestors - In The Census

This week the scheduled prompt is In the Census. I want to take this opportunity to demonstrate how there is a lot you can do in your research without necessarily having to pay for subscriptions. Most all of the information I will be giving you, will come from FamilySearch, a free site that just requires you to register.

During our Christmas dinner at my Dad's, I took several pages of research and copies of records over to my Step-mom. We went through them and she asked a few questions that I didn't have answers to and at the time I had let my subscription expire with Ancestry. All of that led me to find a new to me record data base on FamilySearch; the Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936. 

The topic person of this post will be her grandmother, Leta Grace Moore Sloan and her siblings.

Leta Grace was the fourth child born to James Walter Moore and Mattie Dillahunty. She was born in Greenwood, Sebastian County, AR about 1914.

Other children in birth order were:

• Alta
• Alma
• unknown baby (born and died before 1910)
• Adolphus
• Leon Thomas
• Hershel (died at age two)
• Clyde

Sometime between 1918 and 1920 the Moore family moved from Sebastian County to Vann, Muskogee County, OK.

They first show up in the scholastic census report in 1921 and only the four oldest are of school age.

The next year, 1922, pay attention to how much their birth dates and months change. Who was giving this information, anyway? Also notice Alta's last name is no longer Moore. She married James Cowan in Sept of the previous year.

In 1922, you will notice they're now in District 3. I don't believe they moved, as much as there was a restructuring or labeling of the districts.



In 1923 they are still in District 3. Alma's last name has changed to Pettie becuse she married Luther Petty in Oct of 1922. Once again, their birth months and years are all over the place. I also included the instruction page that lays out the procedures and guidelines for the enumerator.

Try as I might, I cannot find this family at all in 1924 and by 1925 the two older sisters are no longer there but baby Leon has finally joined the ranks. This time they're in District 77.

The next census year I can find is 1927. Earnest Beavers was the census taker. The birth dates are becoming more and more regular now. Leta is listed as being born in July in almost all of them, though its still a toss up as to whether the year was 1913 or 1914 and the days.... well they're still random.

1928: This year James F. Beavers is the enumerator. He was the Notary Public in the previous year.

The 1929 census is very sloppy and inaccurate. The children aren't even listed in the correct order. And Leta's name is spelled horrifically. It looks like the enumerator's name is F J Vann.

December 17, 1929 Leta Grace marries Charley Sloan in Sequoya County, OK . You can see the Sloan and Moore families side by side in the 1930 census. This census was taken 03 April 1930 by Pearl Martin. If she had waited just a few weeks more, baby Dorothy would've made an appearance in this census, as she was born 25 April that same year.

Also of note -- living with the Sloan family are George Sloan's step-daughters with the same last name as his deceased wife. George was first married to Florence David. Her brother was Isaac David who was married to Mollie Wasson. Florence died in 1915; Isaac in 1913. Widows George and Mollie then married one another in 1916.




Around the year 1930 some really big changes and unbearable heartbreak begin to happen. During the next six years this family would see tremendous loss. I don't know how poor Mattie endured it.

 First, notice how James Walter is no longer listed as the parent in the next scholastic census; 1930.  There is no specific death date that I have been able to find for Walter, but he is said to have died around this time. He is buried in Vaught Cemetery, in Webber Falls, OK. 

I can't tell you anything about Walter's death, and believe me I have searched and searched and searched for answers. I don't know how he died or even where. Again, he is said to be buried in Vaught Cemetery where his baby boy, Hershel is buried.

 An outbreak of tuberculosis was about to hit this family hard claiming the life of our young, new mother, in 1933. She was only 20 years old and baby Dorothy was only three. She is also buried in Vaught cemetery. Maybe that is how Walter died as well?



What Leta was doing in Latimer County, I'm not sure but The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture states:

In 1920–21 the legislature created Eastern State Sanatorium, a treatment facility for tuberculosis patients; now operated as an Oklahoma Veterans Center, it is located two miles northwest of Talihina. Nearby, the Choctaw-Chickasaw Sanatorium for Indian tuberculosis patients was opened in 1917.

She may have been there.


In 1935, her sister, Alma Moore Petty, dies all the way in Tulare County, CA. I don't know the exact cause. Or why she was in Tulare CA. In 1940 her remarried husband and children are in the Exeter, Tulare, California census.

Tulare Advance Register 26 Nov 1935

In April 1936, not even 5 months later, sister Alta Moore Cowan dies from pulmonary tuberculosis in Willcox, Cochise, AZ. She is buried in Sunset Cemetery there. Again, why was she all the way in AZ? The dry air was said to help TB but I have found no record of a sanatorium in Willcox. In 1940 Alta's husband is also remarried. He and his family are still living in Vann, Muskogee, OK.

In the course of six years this family of eight became a family of four. Mattie buried a husband and three young daughters. In 1940 poor widowed Mattie is living in Tulare, CA with her youngest son Clyde. She is a seamstress. Clyde is 18 and is a form setter for a curb company. As I have stated in other posts, the 1940 census asks residents where they were living in 1935. Mattie and Clyde both answered 'same place'.

I can't seem to find Adolphus in the 1940 census but his WW2 draft registration says he's still living in Vann, OK and gives his mother's address as Tulare, CA.

That leaves brother Leon. He is also living in Tulare County, specifically, Visalia. His occupation is listed as laborer for the WPA. In 1935 he said he was also living in Tulare County.

This tale is not yet over. Mattie eventually remarries to a Mr. Mose Pierce Cravy. I think around 1941, going off of social pieces in the Tulare Advance Register. He passed away three years later in 1955. She would then go on to bury at least one more child before she herself died in 1982. Adolphus (named after his mother's father Adolphus Dillahunty) dies two days after the 40th anniversary of Leta's death on the 7 Aug 1973 in Tulare, CA. Mattie herself finally succumbs to death in 1982.

Leon lives to be 79, passing away in 1995. He also would've endured so much loss and the pain of watching his mother's heart break time after time with the passing of each child. I have not been able to confirm death records for Clyde. I can fill in some pieces of his life using other records. One dated 6 Dec 1963 gives his birth date as 13 Jul 1921. His middle name is Francis (most likely named after his great grandfather Francis Marion Dillahunty) and sates he is a used car salesman for Caravan Chevrolet in Tulare County. By 1964 he was selling cars for Tom & Jay's Auto Sales and his wife was named Velma. Voter registration says he was a Democrat and that he was a Taxi Driver in the 40's. I do not know his death date.

I can't imagine the heart break this mother endured in loosing so many dear loved ones; in total two husbands and at least 6 children. I cannot imagine how she remained sane.

Until next time,
Becky

He Came Across On The Harvest Queen

This week the prompt is King and I immediately thought of the 3rd great grandparents of my Step-Mom. I recently discovered the fascinating obituary full of wonderful detail of John Barnett. It may be a far leap to get from King to Mr. Barnett, but being from America the first thing I think of when I hear King or Queen is England. And as you will see from the obituary of John Barnett, he was born in England, as was his wife, and children, including Dawna's 2nd great grandmother Eliza Barnett wife of Joseph David. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Let's go ahead and start with the obituary I mentioned earlier. And see what information we can gather by dissecting it and using FamilySearch (Free site - Registration is required). Ancestry requires I upgrade before it will give information on records over seas. FamilySearch won't show the actual record but it will give information from the record.

This obituary was found on Newspapers.com from The Democratic Press; 10 July 1879



If we do a search for John Barnett born in Rugby, Warwickshire, England we find the following family in the 1851 Wolston, England, Census. They match up perfectly with the names listed in the obituary above.

Remembering that John didn't come to the US until around 1866 we can find yet another census record from England, the 1861 Bedworth, Warwickshire, Census.

This particular census give us a bit more information on the individuals, including what they did for employment. Below are screenshots of John and his daughter Eliza. He is a Coal Miner and she is a
Ribbon Factory Picker. I'm not including the images for the rest of the family, but Eliza's younger sister Mary is 14 and is listed as a 'silk factory throwster' which is someone who twists silk fibers into thread.

A quick Google search led me to a fascinating article about Silk Ribbon Weaving in Bedworth and surrounding areas, where this family was from.

I have located what I believe to be the manifest with John and his family on it. I have traced my own lines to various countries over seas but they are all Pre-Revolutionary War. It was really neat to see someone who came much later than that. I can't be certain, especially since a few details (mainly 'Place of Origin'  --  Ireland) are incorrect. But I also know from experience early records are often times incorrect or off by a bit here and there, depending on who took the information. (A good example is John and Eliza Barnett are living right next door to Joseph and Eliza David in the 1870, Ravenna, Census but their last name is written as Barnard.)

Below is the image of the family I believe to be him. The ship, the Harvest Queen, is said to have departed Liverpool, England and arrived in New York, New York on 18 Oct 1866.

The names are correct, only missing Henry who being old enough to be a man himself and most likely already married back in England could have come on his own later or even earlier. I don't know what to make of 22 year old Eliza being referred to as a servant unless that was her station in England and her sister Mary as a wife, unless she was married and her husband was dead or not present or the 8 month old Mary at all unless she was the child of Mary A that did not survive. Never-the-less, I do believe this to be them.

Here is an advertisement out of the New York Daily Herald, from Friday, 16 March 1866. This may shed some light on the whole Ireland misinformation.

Without upgrading subscriptions or subscribing to new genealogy sites all together, my research can be somewhat limited with this family, but with a bit of creativity we can try to piece together information. For instance I was able to find this John and Eliza Barnett family in the 1841 census, but noticed their son Isaac was missing and there was an infant Harriet, that must not have survived long after the census was taken. When I tried finding Isaac for that census year, I found him living with the John Dunn family. From the obituary, we know that Eliza's maiden name was Dunn, and the ages lead me to believe this family is Eliza's parents. *Notice Selina Dunn --- Dawna's great grandmother, the daughter of Joseph and Eliza David was named Frances Selina/Celena David.

I had a little bit of difficulty finding any record for their marriage, and eventually discovered why. Eliza was transcribed as Elija. This record gives us a specific day, 18 Oct 1831




As of now, I have not been able to find Eliza Dunn Barnett anytime after her mention in her husband's obituary. Not even in the 1880 census. This has led me to search out all the children, to see if she is somehow living with one of them. In doing so, I have discovered many trades or skill sets, that I hardly ever find when researching my own ancestors, who are always farmers.

I will list them in the order they are named in the obituary.

Joseph David - In this census his occupation is listed as a laborer, but in 1870, 1860, and 1850 his occupation is listed as glass blower.

*In the 1870 census you will note children Joseph and Harriet. There is a newspaper article that mentions the death of 8 year old Joseph from heart problems. And Harriet never shows up again, either. I assume she died as well. (speaking of inaccurate records; in the birth records from Ravenna, in March of 1870 there is a birth of a daughter her name is taken as Eliza. The father is Joseph David. This is most likely the birth record of Harriet from the above census. 

George Hartopp, his wife Mary and their 12 year old daughter , Harriet, all work in the silk mill. And in the 1881 Paterson directory he is listed as a weaver. Because of the magnitude of the silk industry in Paterson, it earned the nickname 'silk city'.

Henry Barnett, is living in Arkansas, so like much of my ancestors, his occupation is farmer. As you will eventually see (in later blog posts)  Eliza's children end up in Yell County, Arkansas. I had wondered what brought them South, but after closer inspection, now understand they most likely came to their uncle after the death of their father.

Charles and Isaac are still living in England. As you can see, there is no record of their mother Eliza Dunn Barnett living with any of the grown children. I wonder if she died soon after? I have yet to find burial information on John and can find no record for Joseph and Eliza David after the 1880 census other than her headstone in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Yell County, AR where her daughter Florence is also buried.

Joseph David is said have died 4 March 1884 and to buried in Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent, Ohio. I have found no record of that, but I did find this on FamilySearch. I am fairly certain this is him considering his profession.



I can not think of much more I can write, other than, out of curiosity, I wondered what the Mr. Alexander Topping, who employed John Barnett at the time of his death, did or owned. The 1870 census gives his occupation as Lawyer, while the 1880 said he was retired. Numerous newspaper articles said he was Justice of the Peace. I wonder if Mr. Barnett was a butler or secretary or gardener?

Until next time,
Becky