Tombstone Tuesday: Martha Jane Smith Blacketer

Martha "Mattie" Jane (Smith) Blacketer

Is it just me, or did her name not get exciting until she married a Blacketer?  To top it off, her mom was a Davis.  See, this is what I get for complaining about all my Mary's.

Ah. Harrison and Mattie.  What kind of relationship did they have?  According to the 1880 census, Harrison [36yo] was married to Mattie's mother, Estella C. Smith [29yo], and Mattie J. Smith is listed as Harrison's step-daughter.  Now, this is the census where they asked the question about illnesses, which is a cool question if your ancestor had the misfortune of being ill.  And according to this census, Estella had been sick.  She's listed as having heart disease and pneumonia [poor thing!].  I would imagine being 10yo, little Mattie had to do a lot, if not all, the housework.

While looking for a marriage record for Harrison and Estella, I came across a marriage record for Harrison and Mattie.  No she wasn't 10yo, but 28yo, and Harrison was 53yo.  Now this wouldn't be so strange to me if maybe I could find another marriage for Harrison to someone. Anyone.  As mentioned in last weeks post, Harrison had been in the Civil War.  So maybe he hadn't dealt with that very well, and just never married.  Maybe Estella had been widowed and was ill with little Mattie, and Harrison took them in.  Maybe Harrison even married Estella, and I can't find their marriage record.  Maybe he never married her, but just said he did.

But what makes this stranger, is that Estella did not pass away before Harrison and Mattie got married.  [You were assuming that, weren't you?]  In the 1900 census, Harrison, Mattie, and their son [my grandfather] are listed together.  And guess who else is listed as being in their household.  Right.  Estella.  And she's listed as Harrison's mother-in-law.

So what was going on in this household?  That definitely is the question.  My plan is to search further for a marriage record for Harrison and Estella.  Or Harrison and another woman.  I understand that Mattie had been probably running that household for a while, but I find it a little strange that a man who had at least raised a child from the age of 10, marries her 18 years later.  But what do I know?  I wasn't there.  Maybe they fell in love.  [Or something else.]  Maybe after being a bachelor for 53 years [if he didn't marry previously], Harrison thought, "It's time to get hitched.  And why not Mattie?  She's been running my household for so long anyways?"

Well, I hope it wasn't like that.  [I'm just having a little fun.]  Maybe they did fall in love after so many years together.  They did have a total of 3 children: James Wesley, Maude, and Maurice.

Makes me wonder what my descendants will think about me and my decisions.  I guess I'd better hurry and get everything written down.  Well, at least what I want them to know.  You know, my version.  The rest they can figure out.  They can wonder, "What the heck was she thinkin'?"  [I'm assuming, of course, they'll have my Texas accent.]

Below is Harrison's and Mattie's tombstone, which is located in Graceland Memorial Cemetery in Cameron, Clinton Co, MO.  It was real sunny that day so I took some close-ups too.

 

Tombstone Tuesday - Harrison Blacketer

My Great-Grandfather

On the way to my husband's family reunion in Iowa last week, I suggested to my husband that we make a pit stop.  At a cemetery.  What convinced him to stop, I think, was the fact that it was "just" off the freeway.  And it was.  But there are 3 exits for the town of Cameron located in Clinton County, MO.  And it wasn't until the 3rd exit that we found the cemetery.  [Backtracking, of course.]  But found it we did.  With my husband, 2 kids, and I canvassing the small-ish Graceland Memorial Cemetery, it didn't take long to find my Blacketer's.  My mother's father's family.  Our family that we knew nothing about thanks to a tight-lipped grandfather with secrets.  [I know I don't have the corner on grandfather's with secrets.  But, seriously?  Both of mine?  Oh well.  It makes the research much more interesting.]


Anywho, my son was the one to find them.  Beckoned with a "Mom. I found them." [Words a genealogist loves to hear, yes?], I hurried to see my great-grandfather's tombstone along with my great-grandmother's and a great-uncle and his family.  [Sigh.]  The tombstone featured below is my great-grandfather's Civil War tombstone, which is located near the tombstone he shares with his wife, which I'll share next week.  [No sense in sharing everything all at once.  There are many more Tombstone Tuesday's to go.  You know?]  Harrison Blacketer served for the Union side in Company H and was a part of the 12th Mounted Cavalry for the state of Missouri along with his brother, Samuel Blacketer, who also served in the 12th Mounted Cavalry.  Their father, Howell Blacketer (my 2nd great grandfather), also served in the Civil War for the Union side for the state of Missouri.  I have no idea where Samuel is buried, but I do know that my 2nd great-grandfather, Howell, is buried a couple of counties over and a little further north in Missouri.  However, it's not "just" off the freeway, and I didn't want to push my luck.  I had a ton of cemeteries to drag my family through to visit with my family in Iowa. [Wink.]


I don't know much about Harrison except that in one census he was married to an Estella Cordelia (Davis) Smith.  Then the next census he was married to her daughter, Martha Jane Smith, who is my great-grandmother.  I've found his marriage record to Martha, but not to Estella.  But Martha Jane was only about 10yo in the census he is listed as being married to her mother.  There's a story there.  Probably a really good one.  Oh, and seriously?  Martha? Jane?  Smith?  Davis?  [Sigh.]  I guess I shouldn't complain.  At least there's not a Mary in there.  [Snort.]