How do I find more information about a person?

Question

last name CREEL.  I have always known her as "Siddie" but I don't know what formal name would match.  Another relative has her as Tilitha Cumi or Theliza Quoma.  She was born August, 1891 in Village Mills, TX and died Nov, 1927 in Silsbee, TX.  Her married name is SMITH.  All I have is a story and I want to find out more, please.

Comments

Do you know anything more about the family?  Did she have children?  Husband's first name?

Answer 1

Ancestry has her death certificate. (I may have time later to search for more.)

Bureau of Vital Statistics, Texas, death certificate, no. 37073, registered no. 38126 (30 Nov 1927), Talitha Cumi [??] Smith; image copy, ''Ancestry'' ([https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2272/images/33154_B061958-00876 https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2272/images/33154_B061958-00876] : accessed 27 November 2021).

Talitha Cumi Smith was born on 30 August 1891, in Village Mills, Hardin County, to Wesley Creel (born Laura Miss. Jones Co.) and Sarah Ellen Ward (born Silbee Tex, Hardin Co). She was widowed when she died on 30 November 1927, in Silsbee, Hardin County, Texas, of cancer of the uterus. She was buried on 1 December 1927, in Village Mills, Texas. Emma Farqua [??] of Silbee, Texas, was the informant on the death certificate.

Comments

Thank you!  This will help.  I have the basics, but I wanted to fill in her story.  She died months after her husband, leaving three young orphans.  My grandmother was the eldest and married very young to keep the family together.

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Do you have census records for her? Cemetery records and funeral home records (if they're available) might give you some additional information, also.

Newspapers can be an interesting source. I searched for her in Newspapers and GenealogyBank. I didn't find anything searching for 'Talitha Smith' or 'Talitha Creel', but I found a couple of things for 'Siddie Smith'. Is this the right person?

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'Second Day's Sale Liberty Loan Bonds', Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light, Friday 4 October 1918, p.13; image copy, Newspapers (https://www.newspapers.com/image/42589947/ : accessed 28 November 2021).

"Second Day's Sale Liberty Loan Bonds

"Grand Total of Nearly $400,000 Subscribed in Corsicana District in First Two Days Campaign.

"From Wednesday's Daily.

"The workers in the Fourth Liberty Loan campaign continue to get results. Yesterday $5,900 in Liberty Bonds represented the fruit of their labor, making a grand total for the first two days of the campaign of $389,250. It could have been better but it its [sic] a good showing. The figures both for yesterday and in the grand total, include the subscriptions taken by the ladies.

"The workers feel that the operatives at the Cotton Mill deserve special mention for the patriotism reflected by them in the $13,500 worth of bonds for which they subscribed. The workers also have words of praise on the same score for the patriotism shown by the Cotton Mill superintendent and treasurer, Messr. Woodrow and Sheehey.

"The full list of subscribers and the amount subscribed for by each yesterday follows:

...

"Mrs. Siddie Smith ..... 50"

...

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advertisement, Corsicana Daily Sun, Friday, 9 May 1919, p.7, col.1; image copy, Newspapers (https://www.newspapers.com/image/51390571/ : accessed 28 November 2021); also printed on 12 May 1919, p.9, col.1, and 10 May 1919, p.7, col.1.

"FOR SALE--Tribert Clairnet [sic], 15 keys and 4 rings; cost $35; will sell cheap. Apply Mrs. Sidde F. Smith, 304 East 11th Ave., Corsicana, Texas.

"FOR SALE--Edison Phonograph in good condition, 2 attachments, 130 Records; at a bargain. Apply Mrs. Sidde F. Smith, 304 East 11th Ave., Corsicana, Texas.'

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Of course, cousins (even distant cousins from other branches of the family) might give you interesting stories. Definitely contacting them is a good idea, if you haven't. And contacting people who are working on her might be useful. FamilySearch's Family tree has a profile for her. Contacting the people who've worked on it might be useful. 47 trees on Ancestry include her, also.

I'd also recommend publicizing your interest in her by creating a profile on any sites you can--I've been contacted by people who were able to give me stories I wouldn't have otherwise because they saw I was interested in someone. FWIW, I've found that giving information freely makes other people willing to share. I know that some people don't like doing that--think about all the "private" trees on Ancestry, for example--but my experience suggests that being open is useful as well as nice.

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Hi!  I will follow up on the article.  It would be odd to have two in the same area around the same time but I'm not sure where she would have gotten $50.  My understanding is they were pretty poor

Answer 2

Her name was Talitha Cumi Creel b-30 Aug 1891 d-30 Nov 1927

m-Thomas Elmer Smith

findagrave ID 7036369

Answer 3

Here is a link to the Texas death certificate for Talitha Cumi Smith (image on FamilySearch)

"Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K37H-B64 : 20 February 2021), Talitha Cumi Smith, 30 Nov 1927; citing certificate number 37073, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,114,435.

Parents listed as Wesley Creel and Sarah Ellen Ward

Comments

pretty sure this is her in the 1920 census, living in Louisiana:

"United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVQH-B6B : 1 February 2021), Saddie Smith in entry for Tom Smith, 1920.

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Yes, that's her!  My grandmother is the oldest child, Leone (actually Leona).  Thank you so much!

Answer 4

Her Father

Wesley Creel findagrave ID 41228671