Strother Struggle

Question

I'm just now looking at part of my great grandmothers side of the tree and am looking into Elizabeth Mary Johnson (b. Nov 1875) from the same area "Calcasieu, Rapides, Louisiana" as another Elizabeth Mary Johnson  [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Johnson-23683 | Johnson]  but who married a Azariah Columbus Strother Sr (1 May 1891) . The Elizabeth Mary Johnson I have that married Joseph Strother (31 Mar 1889) is the mother of Hersie Elizabeth Strother who married Issac Gassiott is it possible there are two Elizabeth Mary Johnson's in the same place who both married a "Strother" or did the same woman marry two different Strothers?

Answer 1

The 31 Mar 1889 marriage was to John G Strother:

"Louisiana, Parish Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1T-BCC9 : 15 May 2018), John G Strother and Elizabeth Johnson, 31 Mar 1889; citing Rapides, Rapides, Louisiana, United States, various parish courthouses, Louisiana; FHL microfilm 1,316,048.

Yep, two different Strothers, probably two different Elizabeths.

John, s/o William and Winnie (per FaG), in 1880:

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDX8-Q52 : 15 August 2017), John Strother in household of William Strother, Calcasieu, Rapides, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district ED 38, sheet 569C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0466; FHL microfilm 1,254,466.

Azariah death record:

"Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875, 1894-1960," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3Q4-ZSM : 10 March 2018), Azarriah Columbus Strother, 02 Jan 1933; citing Canaan, Allen, Louisiana, certificate number 34, State Archives, Baton Rouge; FHL microfilm 2,392,646. 

Parents John Strother and Ardie Missie.

AC married Ellen Willis in 1906:

"Louisiana, Parish Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1T-PS2J : 15 May 2018), Azariah Strother and Ellen Willis, 29 Mar 1906; citing Rapides, Rapides, Louisiana, United States, various parish courthouses, Louisiana; FHL microfilm 1,316,163.

If it's the same Elizabeth both times, maybe she divorced John G then married his cousin?

Nope!

John G and Elizabeth, with kids including Hersi, living with John's dad in 1910:

"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPYB-PW9 : accessed 19 July 2018), John G Strauther, Spring Hill, Rapides, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 88, sheet 5A, family 60, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 527; FHL microfilm 1,374,540.

Azariah's Elizabeth died in 1904, according to FaG.

Here's 'Joseph' and Elizabeth, with their unusually named children in 1900:

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSRM-F2L : accessed 19 July 2018), Elizabeth Strother in household of Joseph Strother, Ward 6 Calcasieu, Rapides, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 131, sheet 5A, family 74, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,578.

On the image, his first name is scribbled over, and could easily have been John.

Here's Elizabeth and Azariah in 1900, too:

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSRM-9NX : accessed 19 July 2018), Elizabeth Strother in household of Asariah Strother, Ward 6 Calcasieu, Rapides, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 131, sheet 3B, family 54, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,578.

That is too awesomely weird! 

Comments

Excellent work, Herbert!

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Awesomely weird indeed. It makes for a lot of head ache with the number of Strothers in Louisiana. trying to get through to find the correct family. It shows up in multiple public trees that John Strothers wife  Elizabeth Mary Strother (Johnson)  LNAB is Laird or another one shows up less is Eliza Self. All of which is just confusion from all the Strothers.

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Thanks, fellas!  I was hunting and typing while Edward was telling about the Laird connection.  I'm looking for John Laird and Olive Willis now.

Answer 2

Oh, this get even betterer.  The key was sitting right there in her profile.

Elizabeth (Mrs John G) Strother's real name was Laird.

She died in 1945:

"Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875, 1894-1960," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSB6-XY6 : 10 March 2018), Mary Elizabeth Strother, 09 Nov 1945; citing Oakdale, Allen, Louisiana, certificate number 220, State Archives, Baton Rouge; FHL microfilm 1,221,059.

Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 19 July 2018), memorial page for Elizabeth Laird Strother (Oct 1875–Nov 1945), Find A Grave Memorial no. 7261643, citing Oak Hill Cemetery, Oakdale, Allen Parish, Louisiana, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave (contributor 8) .

Son Nick's death (his headstone at FaG says GN 'Nick' Strother - he's George on the 1900 Census and Nicholas in 1910):

"Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875, 1894-1960," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNRY-5M9 : 11 March 2018), Elizabeth Laird in entry for Nichlos Strather, 27 May 1957; citing Oakdale, Allen, Louisiana, certificate number 5977, State Archives, Baton Rouge; FHL microfilm 4,364,551.

What if 14 year-old Mary Elizabeth ran off to marry John G, under the alias 'Johnson?'

Comments

This is what I first saw when i started with this ancestor but its hear-say without some thing to back it up. I would love it if it were that simple. My thought is that this is a different NIcholas than the brother of Hersie Elizabeth Strother whose Death cert shows Mother as Elizabeth Johnson.

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I forgot to mention above that her Louisiana Death Record gives her parents as John Laird and Olive Wills.  Her FaG memorial probably got the LNAB Laird from the same place.  But her son's death record saying her name was Laird adds some meat to it, I think.  I looked for similar among her other children, but no luck there.

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I like that record im just a little hesitant to say its the same Elizabeth since it doesn't reference her spouses name & Ive been fooled by the multitude of Strothers in Louisiana.

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Pretty sure it's the same Nicholas.  Louisiana Secretary of State database has

Strother, Nichlos Jorge, age 62, died 27 May 1957, Allen Parish.

https://www.sos.la.gov/HistoricalResources/ResearchHistoricalRecords/LocateHistoricalRecords/Pages/LouisianaDeathRecords.aspx

$10 for a certified copy, $5 for an uncertified one.

Also, FamilySearch says you can see images at a family history center.

Mom was telling different stories to different people at different times.

Another possibility is that John G did marry an older ME Johnson in 1889, and later married ME Laird.  That would eliminate the awkwardness of those very early childbirths.

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Enticed by the lure of Images, I visited my local family history center today. 

Here's the marriage index that shows Elizabeth Johnson and John G Strother, followed by Mary E Johnson and AC Strother.  Also two more Strother records.  What's with the vertical hash on the 'S?'  Just an index, so not much new info.

Here's the marriage license for Azariah Strother and Ellen Willis.  Three witnesses:  OS Willis, Polk Willis, and WB Willis, and the JP was Samuel S Willis.

I don't know the copyright status of these images.

I also looked up the three death certificates discussed above.  Although I could look at the images at the family history center, I could not download or print them.  Louisiana really wants that $5.

Azariah died 2 Jan 1933 of 'flu pheumonia.'  The informant was JW Strother, and the place of burial was Oakdale, Louisiana.  Note FindaGrave has numerous Strothers in the Oak Hill cemetery in Oakdale.  The place of death was transcribed as Canaan, but I don't think there is such a place.  The handwriting is awful, but it could have been Grant, Gardner, or maybe Calcasieu.

Mary Elizabeth Strother died a widow 9 Nov 1945, of coronary thrombosis, in the home of her son.  Born 22 Oct 1875 in Rapides Parish (mistranscribed as Rapides Park).  Place of burial Oak Hill.  The informant was Roy W Strother.  Father John Laird, mother (illegible) Willis.  Maybe it says Olive, could just as well be Alice or something else.

Nicholas's certificate is the most interesting of all.  The entire top portion, containing all of the decedent's personal info, looks like it has been erased.  The writing is extremely faint, and surrounded by ovals a different shade of gray than the overall background.  The lower part, with the doctor's signature, etc. is quite clear.

As best I could read it, it does say Strother, Nichlos Jorge.  Born 26 Sep 1894, Glenmora, LA; died 27 Mar 1957.  Wife Larcena (what were her parents thinking?), age 57.  Father John? Strother.  The certificate does have a first name, which looks more like John than anything else.  I played with the brightness and contrast and reverse image, but a guess is the best I could do.  Mother Elizabeth Laird.  Both from Glenmora.  The informant was a Strother with an illegible first name.  He died in his sleep in a diabetic coma, suffering from sever hypertensive atherosclerosis and heart disease.  

Strolling virtually through the Oak Hill Cemetery in Oakdale, I found the grave of a John Laird 27 Feb 1851 - 26 Jun 1919.  The memorialist supplied a middle name Lepeet, which is not carved on the stone.  Intriguingly, the surname Johnson occurs among his children, but the spouse shown was Magdalena Modlin Cloud Laird.  No Willises in sight (although Oak Hill has tons of them).  Likely no significance, just a John Laird about the right age in the right place.

http://Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 20 July 2018), memorial page for John Lepeet Laird (27 Feb 1851–26 Jun 1919), Find A Grave Memorial no. 7271697, citing Oak Hill Cemetery, Oakdale, Allen Parish, Louisiana, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave (contributor 8) .

Answer 3

My great-grandfather, Walter T. Kelly, married Sarah Pamela Strother, Sarah was the daughter of Azariah C. Strother and Mary Elizabeth Johnson. I have very little on the Strother/Johnson line, as it was hard to follow and document correctly. If you go to her Find-a-Grave memorial and click on her father's link, it will provide some good information. Judy Greer is also a descendant (through the 2nd wife, Willis, of Azariah C. Strother, if I remember right). Some in the family say that Gadi's 1st wife, Susan, was Indian or of Indian descent, so that is why she is hard to find/follow. I haven't been able to document that rumor.