Elmediann Elizabeth (nee) Simons Darden, Research Report, the As It Is Series

Copyright 2022, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This continues a series of posts, done in a very efficient (make that speedy fast) manner to share some research on the ancestors.  This is NOT intended to be the end all to end all report.  It's a work in progress, to show you what I have found, right or wrong. Kind feedback is welcomed via comments.

Let's begin:

Meet Elmediann Elizabeth Simons Darden:

Let's begin with the disclaimer about her husband Richard D. Darden.  His death date is correct, and frankly, the rest of his bio is filled with "??", and "maybes" and "what ifs."  I need to do some serious Chancery Case reviews to see if I can find some leads on Richard.  No one seems to know where he is buried, but, we suspect it may be at Western Branch Baptist Church Cemetery, where his wife, our subject, is interred, OR, not.  SIGH

Meanwhile, back to "Mittie":

We base the ancestry of Mittie on the work, "Bible Records of Suffolk & Nansemond County, Virginia", by Fillmore Norfleet, 1963, where we find a SIMONS BIBLE record  In this record we find the following entries:

     Annie J. Darden departed this life August 28th, 1917.

     Leonard S. Darden and Lizzie King were married August 2nd, 1917.

     Joshua Simons and Margaret Emeline King were married the 6th day of March 1851.

     Joshua Simons was born the 28th of March 1815.

     Margaret Emeline King, now Simons, was born the 2nd of March, 1829.

     Elmediann Elizabeth Simons, daughter of Joshua Simons and Margaret Emeline his wife was borne the 6th of April 1852.

     [NOTE:  Another transcription of this Bible is found online at the Library of Virginia, this second transcription done a number of years after the 1963 work referenced above.  Additional comments and dates were present in the second transcription.]  For example, compare:

     Elmediann Elizabeth Simons (Aunt Mittie), daughter of Joshua Simons and Margaret Emeline his wife was borne the 6th of April 1852.

     AND:

     Elmediann Elizabeth Darden (Aunt Mittie) died March 29, 1934 (86 years).

M E Darden

in the 1900 United States Federal Census

Name: M E Darden

[M E Lorden]

Age: 48

Birth Date: May 1852

Birthplace: Virginia, USA

Home in 1900: Chuckatuck, Nansemond, Virginia

House Number: 5

Sheet Number: 5

Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: 99

Family Number: 99

Race: White

Gender: Female

Relation to Head of House: Wife

Marital Status: Married

Spouse's Name: R T Darden

Marriage Year: 1880

Years Married: 20

Father's Birthplace: Virginia, USA

Mother's Birthplace: Virginia, USA

Mother: number of living children: 3

Mother: How many children: 3

Attended School: 0

Can Read: Yes

Can Write: Yes

Can Speak English: Yes

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members Age Relationship

R T Darden  56 Head

M E Darden 48 Wife

A J Darden  17 Daughter

O M Darden  14 Daughter

Lenard Darden  12 Son

Vernon Butter  12 Son

Buddie Butter  10 Son

Arvis Butter  8 Son

There is a Mittie Darden found on the 1910 U.S. Census of Chuckatuck, Nansemond County, Virginia:  Mittie Darden, age 58, widowed, 3 children, all of whom survive, born Virginia, both parents born Virginia; farmer; Annie J., daughter, age 34, single, born Virginia, both parents born Virginia; Leonard, son, age 22, single, born Virginia.  Copy in file.

Mettie or Mittie, is enumerated with her daughter Otelia on the 1920 and 1930 census reports.

From the Virginian-Pilot and Norfolk Landmark, Norfolk, Virginia, published on March 30, 1934:

     "SUFFOLK FUNERALS

     MRs. M. A. S. DARDEN

     Suffolk, March 29. - - Mrs. Media Anne Simons Darden, 82, prominent woman of Nansemond County, and widow of Richard Darden, died this afternoon at the home of her daughter Mrs. Mills Godwin, at Chuckatuck, after a long illness.

     She was the daughter of Joshua and Margaret Simons, and was a member of one of the old and notable families of the county.

     For nearly three-quarters of a century she has held membership in Western Branch Baptist Church.

     Surviving her are one son, Leonard S. Darden, of Suffolk; one daughter, Mrs. Mills Godwin, of Chuckatuck; two sisters, Mrs. Paul J. Powell and Mrs Martha J. Ashburn, of Myrtle, and one brother, Samuel Simons, of the county, and four grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.

    Funeral services will be held at Western Branch  Baptist Church Saturday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock, conducted by the Rev. Dr. L. W. Johnson. Burial will be in Western Branch Church Cemetery."

There is a Find A Grave memorial for Elmediann, # 144518551, where her names is given as "Medianne Elizabeth “Mittie” Simons Darden".

* Disclaimers, I use Find A Grave, Ancestry dot com, FamilySearch, several newspaper subscriptions, free sites, such as Virginia Chronicles, Virginia Chancery Cases online at the Library of Virginia and more to research my ancestors.  I pay for subscriptions, full price.

** My judgements may or may not be correct.  Transcriptions may or may not have errors.

*** Links, URL's, for the most part will not be included henceforth on my posts, as so many of them change and then I have to come back and try to re-discover and relink.  Frankly folks, I have no desire to spend my limited time here on this side of the sod with those kinds of do overs.  As researchers, or just members of the internet community, sites such as Find A Grave are easy to find, some are free to use and with the information I am sharing with you, hopefully, you can duplicate the research/findings. That said, I have seen memorials at Find A Grave be removed.  If you have questions, I suggest you leave a nice comment for me. OR find the method I have outlined on my blog for contacting me.

*** This time frame, 1800-1900, give or take a decade is a challenge to research in this Virginia area, as they had a love of initials for given and middle names. 

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