Sarah Madora Martha Jane (Taylor) Ellis (1879 - 1960)

Born 22 Jan 1879 in Oleander, Marshall, Alabama, USA

Ancestors

Wife of Clifford Herman Ellis — married 14 Feb 1897 in Dryden, Arkansas

Descendants

Died 3 Jun 1960 at age 81 in Ventura, Ventura, California, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: J. Salsbery [send private message]

Biography

aka Dora May

"(A story told to me by my great-aunt Leila Ellis Ewing, daughter of Dora Mae, granddaughter of James W. and Amanda (McFarland) Taylor;Pearson-3638 09:46, 27 December 2014 (EST))"

^[1]"The great-grandfather or great-grandmother side of the family owned property in the Choctaw Indian Territory. The grandfather was Chief of the Choctaw Indians of Alabama.

Dora Mae, Lula and Johnnie were left without father and mother at the ages of 12,10,7 years.

In about 1891, the family started by wagons to Oklahoma. Reason for this...through a land grant or some transaction, whereby their home in Alabama was by government regulations, to be exchanged for property in Oklahoma.

When the trip began, their daughter Dora was 12, Lula was 10, and Johnnie was 7 years old. After approximately three days from their home, the father James W. Taylor and his brother Tom Jefferson Taylor decided to go on ahead by horseback to Oklahoma as the wagons would travel more slowly.

The remaining family to travel by wagon included Aunt Jane and her husband, Amanda Taylor and her three children---Dora, Lula and Johnnie. I believe the wagons contained other people, however I never inquired.

After a few days on the journey, the mother, Amanda Taylor, took ill with chills and fever and Aunt Jane said it was malaria. After an illness of three days, she died in this strange country. She was buried in Alabama.

After the death of Amanda, the trip was abandoned. Aunt Jane and her husband settled in that area and the children, Dora Mae, Lula and Johnnie were scattered. Johnnie stayed with Aunt Jane and her husband. Our mother told us, 'they were very cruel to Johnnie and he only lived two years.'

Aunt Jane told Dora Mae and Lula that no one ever heard from their father, James Taylor. Our mother always believed that he met with foul play and was robbed of the money he carried on him. Money from selling the stock on their farm.

Our mother has always been certain that there is property in Oklahoma which belongs to her and her sister, Lula, as the parents home in Alabama had already been in the land grant---a government transaction.

Our mother was certain that a great sum of money should have gone to the Amanda McFarland heirs because it was her direct grandfather being Chief of the Choctaw Indians in Alabama.

The years from the date of this tragedy---until the girls were able to make their own way, were extremely cruel. However, I shall not relate this on the history report."

Mrs. Lelia Ewing

Gleneden, Oregon

Sources

1. ↑ History of our Mothers and their Parents, Grandparents & Great-Grandparents

• History of our Mothers and their Parents, Grandparents & Great-Grandparents, Recipient: Floy Paige Spencer Ray, Author Address: Gleneden, OR
• 1880 United States Federal Census
• 1900 United States Federal Census
• 1910 United States Federal Census
• 1920 United States Federal Census
• 1930 United States Federal Census
• 1940 United States Federal Census
• Certificate of Death, Dora May Ellis
• California, Death Index, 1940-1997
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=498146&GRid=30545182&
• Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957