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Martha Ellen (Williams) Spears (1865 - 1943)

Martha Ellen Spears formerly Williams aka Pickerill
Born in Grayson County, Kentucky, USAmap
Ancestors ancestors
Wife of — married 26 Nov 1901 in Marion County, Kentuckymap
Wife of — married before 1930 [location unknown]
Died at age 77 in Hillsboro, Montgomery County, Illinois, USAmap
Problems/Questions
Profile last modified | Created 6 Feb 2017
This page has been accessed 211 times.

Contents

Biography

From the census data, it looks like Martha Ellen is James' second wife. It appears that his first wife was also named Martha (don't know her maiden name). I haven't had the chance to really investigate further, but I saw some other censuses that might be him and his first wife with children.

The pre-1930 Martha was older and born in Illinois. The post-1930 Martha was younger and born in Kentucky - so a different person. These Census' are notoriously incorrect by the handwriting from the Census Taker and the transcriber that typed these microfiche records. This possibility of 2 Martha's as wives may be a poor conclusion unless another marriage is found. The 1920 Census states that she could read and write.

In 1900 it was stated that she had 5 children with only 2 left alive.

1900 Census

James R Spears, Husband, Male, White, Age 40, born Illinois, parents born Tenn
Martha Spears, Wife, Female, White, Age 43, born Illinois, parents born Illinois
Roxy May Spears, Daughter, Female, White, Age 15, born Illinois
Lucy L Spears, Son, Male, White, Age 9, born Illinois
Montgomery County, Illinois

1910 Census

James R Spears, Husband, Male, White, Age 49, born Illinois, parents born Tenn
Martha Spears, Wife, Female, White, Age 51, born Illinois, parents born Illinois
Luey L Spears, Son, Male, White, Age 19, born Illinois, parents born Illinois
Montgomery County, Illinois

1920 Census

James R Spears, Husband, Male, White, Age 59, born Illinois, parents born Tenn.
Martha Spears, Wife, Female, White, Age 63, born Illinois, parents born Illinois
Montgomery County, Illinois

1930 Census

James R Spears, Husband, Male, White, Age 69, born Illinois
Martha E Spears, Wife, Female, White, Age 54, born Kentucky
Zylpha Pickerill Stepdaughter, Female, White, Age 30, born Kentucky
Montgomery County, Illinois

1940 Census

James R Spears, Husband, Male, White, Age 79, born Illinois
Martha Spears Wife, Wife, Female, White, Age 74, born Kentucky
Montgomery County, Illinois

Sources

  • "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXWQ-8T9 : 17 October 2014), Miles Williams in household of John D Williams, Kentucky, United States; citing p. 30, family 213, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,964.


  • "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch

Affiliate Name The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS4P-SJ8 : accessed 11 February 2017), James R Spears, Fillmore Township Election District 1 Fillmore village, Montgomery, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 78, Digital Folder 4113790, Image 167, sheet 15A, family 308, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,331.

  • "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch

Affiliate Name The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK6R-QDS : accessed 11 February 2017), Fillmore, Montgomery, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 86, Digital Folder 4971170, Image 1134, sheet 7A, family 175, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 312; FHL microfilm 1,374,325.

  • "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJHG-CBF : accessed 11 February 2017), Martha Pickerill, Irving, Montgomery, Illinois, United States; citing ED 97, sheet 3A, line 36, family 56, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 394; FHL microfilm 1,820,394.
  • "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XS16-WRG : accessed 11 February 2017), Martha E Spears in household of James R Spears, Fillmore, Montgomery, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 11, sheet 4A, line 49, family 86, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 544; FHL microfilm 2,340,279.
  • "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KWC2-WB1 : accessed 11 February 2017), Martha Spears in household of James R Spears, Fillmore Township, Montgomery, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 68-11, sheet 2A, line 8, family , 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 860.
  • "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3CG-L7G : 27 December 2014), John Williams in entry for Martha Ellen Spears, 22 Mar 1943; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,983,450.




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Martha by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Martha:

Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.



Comments: 1

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In the 1920 census , Martha (Williams) Pickerill is widowed and living with her two children, Zylpha and Burrel. She is not yet married to James R. Spears. In the 1930 census, she is married to James R. Spears. In the 1930 and 1940 censuses, she is seen as younger than James and from Kentucky.

In the 1920 census, James R. Spears is married to a Martha, but she is a different Martha. That Martha was born in Illinois and is older than James. She possibly died after the 1920 census was taken (unless she divorced) and then James went on to marry Martha Ellen (Williams) Pickerill sometime between 1920 and 1930.

posted by Laurie (Higdon) Segers

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