Fearless Females Blog Post: March 20: Elusive or Brick Wall Ancestor

I have posted about my paternal great grandmother Sealy Elizabeth AUTREY Sample before.  So far, she just seems to have appeared out of no where and married my great grandfather Joseph H. Sample.  I have put together a timeline (which was an idea I got from a webinar by Marian of Marian's Roots & Rambles) to organize what I have and to plan for a future research trip to Arkansas and Louisiana where I can hopefully either prove or disprove what we believe about her.

9 Mar 1860 is the birthdate listed on her headstone in Lee Cemetery, Saline County, Arkansas. 
     Birthplace is unknown-census records list it as Union Parish, Louisiana.

1860 US Census-Union Parish, Louisiana.  This is the family which we think was Sealy's.  It's the
     household of:
          Jno Autry (born in Alabama) head
          Dianacy  (born in Mississippi) wife
          M. F. -7 daughter
          Jane P. -6 daughter
          Thos. M. -4 son
           E.P. -2 son
           C.E.-3 months daughter

1870 US Census-Union Parish, Louisiana- the household has a 10 year old daughter named Elizabeth.

7 Jul 1878- Lincoln Parish, Louisiana-marriage certificate for Sealy E. Autrey and J.H. Sample

1880 US Census-both are living in 6 Ward, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana.

      Household:

          Joseph H. Sample 31

          Clie E.  20

          Mary E. 5

          Lucinda 4

          Dora C. 7m

          Jesse 23 (servant)

1900 US Census-family now in Benton, Saline County, Arkansas

          J.H Sample 51

          Celia 40

           Katie 21

           Susie 19

           Palvin 15

           Lillian 13

           Minnie 11

           Joe 5

           Paralee 2

15 Jul 1907 Benton, Saline County, Arkansas death date inscribed on headstone.

My plan is to visit Union Parish, Louisiana and Saline County, Arkansas and try to find legal, property or other type records that may shed some light or indicate if this is the right trail.         

Fearless Females: March 10: Religion

Both my grandmothers were very religious.  My grandmother on my mothers side was Catholic and the one on my fathers was Baptist.  I know they were both strong believers, but other than that I don't know much about their church related activities.

Margaret McFadden, my maternal grandmother (Ruth McFadden) had a sister who became a nun.  Among the photographs in my grandmothers collection I found this photo of Margaret, who became Sr. Donata.  After a little searching I found her name among the list of deceased sisters (http://ihmnew.marywood.edu/1.WhoWeAre/DeceasedSisters.html) of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Scranton Pennsylvania. 

I believe Margaret is on the right

She died in 1953 so I never knew her and don't remember her being talked about all that much so I have no idea what her life was like or why she chose such a life.  

Here is another picture of Margaret and others in front of what looks like a church or perhaps where the sisters lived.  Aunt Margaret is in the back row on the right, looking quite a lot like my grandmother.  My next step is to contact either the organization or the diocese of Scranton to see if they have any biographical or other information on her.  I'm hoping it might shed some light on my gr grandfather Dennis McFadden.

Fearless Females: Photo

This is one of the photos I found in my grandmothers 'box o' memories'.  Unfortunately, as with most there was no information about who this person was, where the picture was taken or when.  At first I thought this might have been in Pennsylvania since that is where my grandmother and grew up and lived until she married and moved to Texas.  However, this person could be from my grandfather’s side of the family that lived in Arkansas when he was younger. 

My brother thinks she has a resemblance to my aunt but I'm not sure I see it.