Mariah Belle (Ross) DeBertz (abt. 1865 - 1942)

Born about 11 Jan 1865 in Quincy, Adams, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Daughter of Richard William Ross and Susan Mariah (Lease) Ross

Wife of Robert W Ross — married 28 Dec 1886 in Severy, Greenwood, Kansas, United States

Wife of William Titus Crofoot — married 24 Dec 1909 in Harvey, Kansas, United States

Descendants

Died 23 Oct 1942 at about age 77 in Erie, Neosho, Kansas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Karen Freeman-Smith [send private message]

Chosen 06 Jan 2022

Biography

Mariah Belle was a Kansan

Early Life

Mariah was born on 11 Jan 1865 in Quincy, Illinois. She was the 7th of 9 children born to Richard Ross and Susan Lease^[1][2] Her family lived in Ohio until the 1860s, where her six older siblings were born. They moved again to Kansas before her two younger brothers were born. She would have been less than 3 years-old at the time, so not likely to remember any home outside of Kansas.

First Marriage

Belle married Robert W Ross (abt.1865-abt.1943) 28 Dec 1886 in Greenwood County, Kansas^[3] While they both had the same last name before they married, the family tradition has claimed they were not related because Robert was from Ohio and Belle was from Illinois. Very little information about Robert's family was passed down, none of it about his mother.

Recent research has uncovered Robert's mother was Belle's aunt, Phebe Lease. Robert was born after Belle's family left Ohio, and they may not have known at the time they were married, or even realized in their lifetime that they were first cousins.

Ross Family About 1900

Children

They had 4 children: ^[4]

1. Susan A (Ross) Smith (1887-1916)
2. Elizabeth E (Ross) Dawson (1892-1990)
3. Edward Everett Ross (1894-)
4. Evangeline E Ross (abt.1897-abt.1919)

Crofoot Marriage

She married William T. Crofoot (1842-1927) in 1908.^[5]

Just 2 years later, in 1910, she was listed as Marie B. Crofoot on the census as the widowed mother of her 3 younger children: Bessie, Everett, and Goldie.^[6] In the meantime, her husband, William Crofoot was living just across town still claiming to be married.^[7]

Mariah Belle Ross and Unknown Husband

Armstrong Marriage

In 1915 she was renting a home in Wichita with her daughters Bessie (22) and Eva (18). She was listed on the Kansas State Census as Marie Armstrong.^[8] Implying there was a Mr. Armstrong sometime between 1910 and 1915.

Family Tragedies

The next decade brought several tragedies to Marie's life. She lost her first grandchild in a house fire a few years before her oldest daughter, along with her husband and two remaining children were drowned in the Truckee River in 1916. Her youngest daughter, Goldie, died from "complications of the WWI influenza" in 1919.^[9] Her remaining daughter found herself with two small children and no husband by 1920. There is no sign of either Marie or Bessie and her children on the 1920 census.

Spicer Marriage

In 1925, she was living with her son, Edward, and his family. She was listed on the Kansas State Census as the widow, Marie Spicer, aged 60.^[10] Implying that there was a Mr. Spicer at some point between 1915 and 1925.

Mariah Belle Ross and Unknown Husband

DeBertz Marriage

In 1930, Marie had a new husband, Lewis W DeBertz (1859-abt.1935), who she was living with in Wichita, Kansas. She was listed as Marie Dabertz in the 1930 census.^[11]

1940 listed as Marie DeBertz, widowed^[12]

Death & Burial

She passed away at the home of Mrs. Harry Sours, just east of Erie, Neosho County, Kansas on 23 Oct 1942.^[13]

Research Notes

• William Crofoot found on 1910 Census, also living in Wichita, but in a different ward.
• Last name used was Mrs. Belle Marie DeBertz

Sources

1. ↑ Both maternal and paternal relationships are confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between Freeman and his 3rd cousin. Their most-recent common ancestors are Richard Ross Susan Lease, the 2nd great-grandparents of both. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2nd-3rd cousins, based on sharing 116 cM across 5 segments.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch FamilySearch Record: MF5C-BP1, Maria B. Ross in household of Richard W. Ross, Richland Township, Miami, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
3. ↑ Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911, database with images, FamilySearch FamilySearch Record: Q293-JFYQ, Robert Ross and Belle Ross, 28 Dec 1886; citing Marriage, Greenwood, Kansas, United States, district clerk, court clerk, county clerk and register offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 1,783,791.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch FamilySearch Record: MMT8-6JY, Belle Ross in household of Robt W Ross, Winfield city Ward 2, Cowley, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 68, sheet , family , NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm .
5. ↑ Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911, database with images, FamilySearch FamilySearch Record: Q293-PQP8, Wm Crofoot and Marie Ross, 24 Dec 1908; citing Marriage, Harvey, Kansas, United States, district clerk, court clerk, county clerk and register offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 2,363,339.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch FamilySearch Record: M2ZD-42R, Marie B Crofoot, Wichita Ward 1, Sedgwick, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 102, sheet 7B, family 191, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 456; FHL microfilm 1,374,469.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch FamilySearch Record: M2Z6-CSN, W M Crowfoot in household of Elmer Brown, Wichita Ward 6, Sedgwick, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 143, sheet 7B, family 150, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 456; FHL microfilm 1,374,469.
8. ↑ "Kansas State Census, 1915," database with images, FamilySearch FamilySearch Record: QGPN-RFV3, Marie Armstrong, Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas, United States; citing Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas, United States, , 13, Kansas Historical Society, Topeka.
9. ↑ Oral family tradition, passed down by her grand-daughter, [[Elethea (White) Freeman]]
10. ↑ "Kansas State Census, 1925", database, FamilySearch FamilySearch Record: QLB6-477X, Marie Spicer in entry for Edward E Ross.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch FamilySearch Record: X776-S3D, Marie Dabertz in household of Lewis W Dabertz, Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 78, sheet 15B, line 91, family 399, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 721; FHL microfilm 2,340,456.
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch FamilySearch Record: VR2R-YKC, Marie De Bertz in household of Jeannett Coyne, Ward 1, Wichita, Wichita City, Sedgwick, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 107-7, sheet 8A, line 25, family 192, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1271.
13. ↑ Obituary in The Parsons Sun (Parsons, Kansas) 24 Oct 1942 accessed on Newspapers.com 18 Jan 2022