Martha A (Simmerman) Stewart (1867 - 1924)

Born May 1867 in Missouri

Ancestors

Wife of James Edmond Stewart — married 1 Jul 1905 in Santa Barbara, California, United States

Died 3 Aug 1924 at age 57 in Anaheim, Orange, California, United States

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Biography

Martha was born in 1867 (based on census records). She lived as a young woman in Webster County, Missouri, which is where her father and some family are buried in the White Oak Cemetery in Rogersville, Webster, Missouri. This county is next to Dallas County and Greene County, Missouri, where her future husband J. W. Stroud lived. Her son Lemoyne's social security record says he was born in Rogersville, Webster County. We need to find a marriage record that begins her marriage to J. W. Stroud. J. W. divorced Martha Gregg to marry Martha Simmerman. She went with him to Oklahoma and was the person raising his children in the 1900 census in Stroud, Lincoln County, Oklahoma. That census says she's been married 10 years to J.W. Stroud--about the time her son Lemoyne was born.

Martha Simmerman and J. W. Stroud divorced before he married Ella Fisher. The divorce likely took place about 1902 or so. Finding Martha's family was a result of reading the Stroud newspapers, which would mention visits from her sisters. One of her sisters, Ollie Simmerman Galloway, died in 1901 in Stroud and is buried there in the old cemetery. Another sister, Menephe Simmerman Fleming, was living in East St. Louis, Illinois, in 1910 (census), and is allowing Martha's son Lemoyne to live with them while he's in college there.

Both the Santa Ana Register and the La Habra Star newspaper mention her death because of her $10,000 estate. The article says her widower is J. H. Stewart and her son is LeMoyne Stroud of Oklahoma.

However, a death notice in the LA Times says her husband was James E. Stewart. A 1 Jul 1905 Santa Barbara, CA, marriage record has James Edmond Stewart marrying Mattie Stroud.

She is buried in Ontario, San Bernardino, California, with her inlaws: James Edmond Stewart's parents. Her California death record, California marriage record to James Edmond Stewart, and her California headstone have her birth as 1874. She was more likely born in May 1867 based on Missouri and Oklahoma census records. She may have lied about her age to her husband James Edmond Stewart who was several years younger than she was--he was born in 1874.

Sources

• 1870 Census: Benton, Webster, Missouri
• 1880 Census: Benton, Webster, Missouri
• 1900 Census: Stroud, Lincoln, Oklahoma (Married to J. W. Stroud about 10 years according to census)
• La Habra (California) Star, 20 Aug 1924. Leaves estate valued at $10,000. Says son is LeMoyne Stroud of Oklahoma; mistakenly lists widower as J. H. Stewart. Same story is in Santa Ana Register, 16 Aug 1924.
• Los Angeles Times death notice, 5 Aug 1924, p. 16. Wife of James E. Stewart.
• California death records confirm 3 Aug 1924 death in Orange County, California
• Marriage record to James Edmond Stewart, Santa Barbara, 1 July 1905, Mattie Stroud