Reflections From the Fence

Friday, May 6, 2022

Nannie, or Nancy (nee) Marshall Hedden Ellis, Research Report, the As It Is Series

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 - - Nannie, or Nancy (nee) Marshall Hedden Ellis.

You will note she was married twice, see that smaller box at the bottom, first hubby was Allen Beach Hedden, second husband, is presumed to be John Ellis. No, I have no idea where or when she may have actually married John. Frankly, I cannot trace John except for some census and as the informant on the death certificate for his mother-in-law, Cora.

You will also note, I do not have death information or burial information for Nannie.

Before last week, this was ALL I knew or was told about Nannie:

"Nannie disappeared after boarding a train to visit family." The researchers that shared that tidbit with me were researching the Hedden lines. I figured she disappeared while married to Allen Beach Hedden. I don't believe other researchers have a marriage to one John Ellis noted.

Let's begin, with what I feel reasonably sure about - -

Marshall

in the Indiana, U.S., WPA Birth Index, 1880-1920

Name: Marshall

Father: Chas

Mother: Ellis

County: Washington

Gender: Female

Birth Date: Mar 29, 1895

Reference: Washington County, Indiana Birth Record 1882-1920

Book: H-4

Page: 23

Nancy E Marshall. **Note here her given name is Nancy. I need to update that on my data base.

in the 1900 United States Federal Census

Name: Nancy E Marshall

Age: 5

Birth Date: Mar 1895

Birthplace: Indiana, USA

Home in 1900: Posey, Washington, Indiana

Sheet Number: 5

Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: 88

Family Number: 88

Race: White

Gender: Female

Relation to Head of House: Daughter

Marital Status: Single

Father's Name: Charles Marshall

Father's Birthplace: Indiana, USA

Mother's Name: Cora Marshall

Mother's Birthplace: Indiana, USA

Can Read: Yes

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members Age Relationship

Charles Marshall 28 Head

Cora Marshall 27 Wife

Wilber J Marshall 8 Son

Nancy E Marshall 5 Daughter

James Doan 39 Boarder ** Will become the second husband of Cora Marshall in 1904. Thus Nancy's step-father.

Charles Marshall dies in 1903 and Cora Ellis Marshall marries this James Doan in 1904. The next census, shows this, with some of my notes:

Nancy M Dorne

in the 1910 United States Federal Census

Name: Nancy M Dorne

[nancy marshall]. ** I find it interesting that a researcher at Ancestry dot com added this name here.

[Marshall]

Age in 1910: 15

Birth Date: 1895

[1895]

Birthplace: Indiana

Home in 1910: Township 157, Pierce, North Dakota, USA

Race: White

Gender: Female

Relation to Head of House: Daughter

Marital Status: Single

Father's Name: Janna Dorne. **This is James, not Janna, bad transcription.

Father's Birthplace: Indiana

Mother's Name: Care Dorne. ** Cora, of course. SIGH

Mother's Birthplace: Indiana

Native Tongue: English

Attended School: No

Able to read: Yes

Able to Write: Yes

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members Age Relationship

Janna Dorne 52 Head * Actually James

Care Dorne 35 Wife

Wilbur M Dorne 18 Son ** Wilbur Marshall

Nancy M Dorne 15 Daughter ** Nancy Marshall

Elizabeth M Dorne 9 Daughter ** Elizabeth Marshall

Next we find Nannie marrying Allen Beach Hedden. Let me tell you, the name of her "father" took me on a royal mixed up ride/research dive. My befuddled conclusion is that for some reason only known to the parties, they used both the surnames of her blood father and step-father and made one fun name.

Nannie Marshall

in the Montana, U.S., County Marriages, 1865-1987

Name: Nannie Marshall

Gender: Female

Race: White

Age: 19

Birth Date: abt 1892

Birth Place: Rego, Indiana (Orange County)

Marriage Date: 4 Oct 1911

Marriage Place: Poplar, Valley, Montana, USA

Father: Doan Marshall

Mother: Cora Marshall

Spouse: Allen Hedden

Certificate Number: 901

Nannie Hedden

in the 1920 United States Federal Census

Name: Nannie Hedden

[Nannie Hadden]

Age: 26

Birth Year: abt 1894

Birthplace: Indiana

Home in 1920: Freedom, Corson, South Dakota

Residence Date: 1920

Race: White

Gender: Female

Relation to Head of House: Wife

Marital Status: Married

Spouse's Name: Allen B Hedden

Father's Birthplace: Indiana

Mother's Birthplace: Indiana

Able to read: Yes

Able to Write: Yes

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members Age Relationship

Allen B Hedden 26 Head

Nannie Hedden 26 Wife

Nanna A Hedden

in the South Dakota, U.S., State Census, 1925

Name: Nanna A Hedden

Age: 30

Gender: Female

Race: White

Birth Year: 1895

Birth Place: Indiana

Marital Status: Married

Marriage Date: 1911

Father Birth Place: Indiana

Mother Birth Place: Indiana

FHL Film Number: 2368518

Sheet Number: 8

Here is where the story of Nanna, Nancy, Nannie Marshall Hedden goes cold. Stops. Nothing more. Allen Beach Hedden remarries in November of 1930.

By researching her mother and siblings, I finally went in 20 back doors to discover:

Annie Ellis

in the 1940 United States Federal Census

Name: Annie Ellis

Age: 40

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1900

Gender: Female

Race: White

Birthplace: Indiana

Marital Status: Married

Relation to Head of House: Wife

Home in 1940: Dixon, Sanders, Montana

Map of Home in 1940: Dixon, Sanders, Montana

Farm: Yes

Inferred Residence in 1935: Rural, Lake, Montana

Residence in 1935: Rural, Lake, Montana

Resident on farm in 1935: Yes

Sheet Number: 9B

Attended School or College: No

Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 6th grade

Weeks Worked in 1939: 0

Income: 0

Income Other Sources: No

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members Age Relationship

John Ellis 53 Head

Annie Ellis 40 Wife

1950 Census, summary - - Cora Doan, age 74, widow, born Indiana, living with John Ellis, age 65, born Indiana and his wife Nannie Ellis, age 55, born Indiana. Cora is stated to be the mother-in-law of John Ellis. Living at Sanders County, Montana, ED 45-10

Her mother, Cora Doan, dies in May of 1955 and mentions "since 1948 had resided with a daughter, Mrs. John Ellis." Also, as noted above, the informant on Cora's death certificate is John Ellis.

My research has found that Nannie had two siblings, Elizabeth Mary or Mary Elizabeth Marshall AND Wilbur "Webb" Marshall.

When Mary Elizabeth died in July 1955 her obituary gives survivors, among which are: "a sister, Nancy Ellis of Dixon, Mont., and a brother, Webb Marshall of Wolf Point, Mont."

When Wilbur dies in September of 1981, no siblings are mentioned in his obituary.

The trail ends in July of 1955 with the death of her sister. I can find no other references to Nannie/Nancy or Annie Ellis. Nothing on John Ellis either. No Find A Grave memorials. No obituaries. Trail turns cold.

* 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.

**** I hope the usual happens, within hours, sometimes minutes, I do another search and something shows up. Well, I can hope.

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Bernard "Bernie" Sisco Fenton, Research Report, the As It Is Series

Let's begin.

Meet - - Bernard "Bernie" Sisco Fenton.

Born as Bernie Sisco, on May 8, 1911, record courtesy of the Nova Scotia Archives:

We find him enumerated at one month old with his parents Alvin and Edna May (nee) Fenton Sisco.

Bernard Siscoe

in the 1911 Census of Canada

Name: Bernard Siscoe

Gender: Male

Marital status: Single

Race or Tribe: Negro (Black)

Nationality: Canadian

Age: 1/12

Birth Date: May 1911

Birth Place: Nova Scotia

Census Year: 1911

Relation to Head of House: Son

Province: Nova Scotia

District: Yarmouth

District Number: 53

Sub-District: 22 - Yarmouth

Sub-District Number: 22

Place of Habitation: Clements Ave

Religion: Baptist

Other Occupation: NG

Language: E

Family Number: 314

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members:

Name Age

Alvin Siscoe 23

Edna Siscoe 21

Muriel Siscoe 2

Alice Siscoe 1

Bernard Siscoe 1/12

David Siscoe 18

Arthur Siscoe 17

By the time the 1921 census rolls around, Bernard, is living with his mother's father, William, and William's second wife. The census indicates he is adopted. We note: That Dolly Sisco, is the mother of Harold Sisco, also indicated as adopted.

By 1921 Bernie's father Alvin had passed and we have no clue as to where his mother, Edna may be. She is missing in action between the date of Alvin's death in 1913 and the date she marries her second husband, near Detroit, Michigan in 1918.

Barnage Sisco **Image reads Bernard, granted it is very hard to read.

in the 1921 Census of Canada

Name: Barnage Sisco

Gender: Male

Racial or Tribal Origin: English

Nationality: Canada

Marital Status: Single

Age: 9

Birth Year: abt 1912

Birth Place: Nova Scotia

Residence Date: 1 Jun 1921

House Number: 185

Residence Street or Township: Main St

Residence City, Town or Village: Town of Yarmouth

Residence District: Yarmouth and Yale

Residence Province or Territory: Nova Scotia

Residence Country: Canada

Relation to Head of House: Adopted Son

Father Birth Place: Nova Scotia

Mother Birth Place: Nova Scotia

Can Speak English?: Yes

Can Speak French?: No

Religion: Baptist

Can Read?: Yes

Can Write?: Yes

Months at School: 7

Municipality: Yarmouth & Clare

Enumeration District: 64

Sub-District: Yarmouth (Town)

Sub-District Number: 50

Enumerator: R B Horton

Neighbors: View others on page

Line Number: 35

Family Number: 193

Household Members Age Relationship

William Fenton 56 Head

Ida May Fenton 45 Wife

Barnage Sisco 9 Adopted Son

Harold Sisco 5 Adopted Son

Dolly Sisco 25 Daughter

Percy Fenton 21 Son

William Henry Fenton 19 Son

Bernard dies August 2, 1934, as Bernard Fenton:

His parents are stated to be William Fenton and Ida Jarvis Fenton. Also note, the informant, is William Fenton, "Grandfather".

Now, as a researcher of this Fenton line, I know there are a number of William Fentons.

1. William Franklin Fenton, the patriarch, 1833-1922

2. William Franklin Fenton, son of the patriarch, 1861-1931

3. William Henry Fenton, son of # 2 above, 1901-1982

4. William Andrew Fenton, son of William Henry, 1925-2001.

We note that # 1 has passed by the time Bernard passes. So, he was not the informant. William Henry and William Andrew are too young, and are not the grandfather/informant.

That leaves, William Franklin Fenton # 2, son of the patriarch, alive and well at the time of Bernard's death, and indeed, Bernard's grandfather.

So, why he is recorded as the father? Possibly because he "adopted" and raised Bernard? Or, due to stress at the time of Bernard's death, just misunderstood the questions.

We probably shall never know.

I have not found an obituary for Bernard, there may be one, yet to be discovered. Bernard is not memorialized on Find A Grave.

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