Who are the correct parents of Rosa (Simpson) Alexander

Question

According to https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14492087/rosa-elizabeth-alexander, Rosa's parents are Thomas E. Simpson and Josephine Mudd. The unproven LDS pedigree (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:M1D9-FZM) lists them as Theodore Simpson and Josephine Taylor.

Answer 1

David,

I found a family on the 1910 US census at

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RV8-9STZ?cc=1727033&wc=QZZW-CLH%3A133642401%2C133636902%2C134585701%2C1589088858 with a David F. Alexander, age 47 (born in Indiana), his wife Rosie Alexander, age 27, born about 1883 in Illinois (+/- 1 year), four children born in Arkansas, and David's brother and grandmother (surname Taylor).  I assume she is David's grandmother, since usually the relationship is with the "head" of family.  The LDS pedigree you mentioned has Mary (Pendleton) Taylor as Rosa's grandmother,. It's hard to say whether the census taker got the info right.  They have a different birth date (on the LDS family tree) for Rosa also.  (But see my comment about the   1890 US census (Illinois), below) after the 1910 info

"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RV8-9STZ?cc=1727033&wc=QZZW-CLH%3A133642401%2C133636902%2C134585701%2C1589088858 : 24 June 2017), Arkansas > Washington > Reed > ED 132 > image 10 of 16; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

David F Alexander Male 47 Married White Head 1863 Indiana B 15

Rosie Alexander Female 27 Married White Wife 1883 Illinois Illinois Illinois B 15

Lydia Alexander Female 9 Single White Daughter 1901 Arkansas Indiana Illinois B 15

Rosie Alexander Female 7 Single White Daughter 1903 Arkansas Indiana Illinois B 15

Nancy Alexander Female 5 Single White Daughter 1905 Arkansas Indiana Illinois B 15

Franklin Alexander Male 2 Single White Son 1908 Arkansas Indiana Illinois B 15

Mary Taylor Female 79 Widowed White Grandmother 1831 Kentucky Virginia Virginia B 15

Charley Alexander Male 50 Single White Brother 1860 Indiana B 15

Going back farther in time (and I'm not positive this is the correct family), this Thomas and Josephine Simpson have a daughter named Rosa, age 1, estimated to have been born in 1879.  It could be a child was born, was named Rosa, then died, and another child was named Rosa later -- or it could be your birth date for her is wrong... or it could be I have located the wrong information.  

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBD-JXV?cc=1417683&wc=QZ2W-4JH%3A1589399935%2C1589394980%2C1589402089%2C1589395457 : 24 December 2015), Illinois > Randolph > Red Bud > ED 93 > image 53 of 54; citing NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Thomas Simpson Male 30 Married White Laborer Self 1850 Illinois, United States Kentucky, United States Kentucky, United States C 345 0 1

Josephine Simpson Female 25 Married White Keeping House Wife 1855 Illinois, United States Illinois, United States Illinois, United States C 345 1 1

Rosa Simpson Female 1 Single White Daughter 1879 Illinois, United States Illinois, United States Illinois, United States C 345 2 1

****

Unfortunately, i need to head for bed now, so I'll leave this for you to mull over....

Reba

Comments

The information I have is as follows:

1.  On the 1880 US Census for Precinct 1, Ellis, Texas, Roll 1301; Family history Film 1255301; page 379D, Enumeration District 045, it has James H. Taylor, his wife Mary E. Taylor, and their daughter, Josephine Taylor.  Also listed was Theodore Simpson, farm hand, born in Illinois.  This would correspond with the grandmother, Mary Taylor, on the US census of 1910 in Arkansas, living with David Franklin and Rosa Elizabeth Simpson Alexander.  

Josephine Taylor (whose mother was Mary E. Taylor) and Theodore Simpson were married on 12 August 1880 in Ellis County, Texas. per the Texas Select County Marriage Index.  

On the 1860 (Year: 1860; Census Place: Township 3 S Range 8 E, White, Illinois; Roll: M653_236; Page: 592; Family History Library Film: 803236) and 1870 censuses, Theodore Simpson was living in White County, Illinois (Year: 1870; Census Place: Burnt Prairie, White, Illinois; Roll: M593_289; Page: 271A; Family History Library Film: 545788).

On the 1870 census, Josephine Taylor was also living with her parents in White County, Illinois. Year: 1870; Census Place: Burnt Prairie, White, Illinois; Roll: M593_289; Page: 272B; Family History Library Film: 545788.

2.  Family stories told to one of the great granddaughters, stated that Theodore and Josephine, as well as one of their other children, died of typhoid in 1886.  Rosa Elizabeth Simpson was sent to Arkansas to live with her grandparents (James Henry and Mary E. Taylor), who were living in Arkansas at that time.  James Henry Taylor, died in 1891, and is buried in Arkansas.  

3.  I was recently able to get a copy of "Simpson Connections" by Robert H. and Twilah M. (Seefeld) McFarland.  On page 41, it states that Theodore William Simpson was born in 1859 near Burnt Prairie, White County, Illinois (which corresponds with the censuses), and married Josephine Taylor in Waxahachie, Texas (Ellis County), and died 26 July 1886 near Burnt Prairie, Illinois, probably of tuberculosis.  It states they had two sons, one born 23 May 1881, and the other born in April 1886, and both died in 1886, in White County, Illinois.  They had one daughter, Rosa Elizabeth Simpson, born 26 August 1882, Liberty, White County, Illinois.  

Also it states "Theodore and Josephine Simpson appear to have resided most of their lives in Illinois except for a brief period when they went with Josephine's parents to Texas where they were married.  After the death of her parents, Rosa Simpson lived with her maternal grandparents who went to Dump, Arkansas, where they homesteaded 140 acres.  Rosa and her husband, David Franklin Alexander, bought the 140 acres for $15 in January 1900."  I would be happy to scan the page upon request.