Phebe Ella (Bass) French (1851 - 1937)

Born 16 Aug 1851 in Montgomery County, Illinois

Wife of Samuel Emory French — married 18 Sep 1873 in Terre Haute, Indiana

Descendants

Died 14 Jan 1937 at age 85 in Fort Worth, Texas

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Wayne French [send private message]

Biography

Phebe "Ella" Bass was born Aug. 16, 1851 in Montgomery County, Illinois to John W. Bass from Ohio, and her mother Mary Jane Marsaw from Indiana.

Note: For some reason, Ella is referred to as "Ellen" in most of the documents I've found, but this is the same person.

Ella married Samuel Emory French on Sept. 18, 1873 in Vigo County, Indiana, but they had no children together.

Then sometime between 1876 and 1880, "James Edward" was "adopted" by the French's. So, the adoption of James Edward French is our family's big "mystery" and remains unsolved at this time, as we have no adoption or birth records to confirm this fact.

James was "supposedly" born on June 15, 1876 in Kansas. My grandfather, James Arthur French, Sr., "told" all of us that James original parents name was "Oldacher" (or some variation of that), and that his parents had died about the same time as each other (as the result of some kind of local plague or sickness).

We also don't know if "James Edward" was his original "first and middle name" or not. The only "proof" we have of his adoption, is in the 1880 Census in Elm Township, Allen County, Kansas (Pg. 12, Line 41) where Samuel Emory and Phebe Ella (Bass) French list "James E." as their "ADOPTED SON" at the age of 3.

This census also indicates that his birth place was in "Kansas" (but we don't know that for sure yet either) and both his birth parent's place of birth was also listed as "UNKNOWN".

Ella died on Jan. 14, 1937 and is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Fort Worth, Texas.

Ella is survived by one brother, J. W. Bass of Ft. Worth: a sister, Mrs. W. F. Smith; two half-sisters, Mrs. Nettie Stewart, Mrs. Maggie Anderson, both of Butler, Ill.; two grandchildren, Miss Nadine and J. Arthur French of Ft. Worth. and four great-grandchildren.

Sources

"Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27J5-CPB : accessed 16 September 2015), Samuel French and Ella Bass, 18 Sep 1873; citing , Vigo, Indiana, county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,392,540.

"Texas, Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3HK-424 : accessed 9 September 2015), Ellen French, 14 Jan 1937; citing certificate number , State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,117,126.