Mary Jane Mills 1853 - 1932
Mary Mills Bigelow
Mary Bigelow
Mary Mills Grumley
Mary Grumley
Mary Jane was the daughter of Thomas Mills (1825-1908) and Lucretia Barton Mills (1828-1910). She was born 4 September 1853 in Posey County, Indiana, USA.
She first appears in the census records with her parents in 1860 in Robinson Township, Posey County, Indiana, USA. (census image here) (View neighbors in HTML)
On 1 February 1870 Mary Jane was married to Clinton Bigelow.
The couple had the following children:
Viola Bigelow (1870 - 1944)
Violetta Mills Bigelow (1872 - 1930)
Mary Jane and Clinton (sans the two girls, who haven't been born yet) show up in the 1870 census in Lynn Township in Posey County. (census image here)
Clinton died on the 6th of July 1874 in Posey County at the age of 31. I have been unable to determine where he was buried.
On 18 July 1875 Mary Jane remarried, this time to John William Grumley, in Posey County. They had the following children:
Rozander Grumley (1880-1954)
Minnie Grumley (1881-1900)
Lura Bell Grumley (1882-1969)
Romelia John Grumley (1889-1965)
Apparently John and Mary Jane moved to Gallatin County, Illinois, between the time of their marriage and the next census in 1880, where they showed up in New Market. In addition to Viola, Violetta, and Rozander, a 20 year old named Thomas Sisney was also living with them, he is listed as John's brother (half-brother, perhaps?) (census image here)
By 1900 the family is listed in Ridgway in Gallatin County. They may not have actually moved, but the census designation for the area changed. Viola and Violetta were both gone by now, Viola having married Ike Kirk in 1895, and Violetta having married Joe Martin Downen (who was also her third cousin once removed) in 1893. John and Mary Jane also had a daughter Minnie who was born after the 1880 census and apparently died in 1900 before the census was taken that year; she is buried in Old Cottonwood Cemetery, Cottonwood, Asbury Township, Gallatin County, Illinois, USA. (census image here)
By 1910 Rozander and Lura Bell had moved out. Rozander married Florence Rister and Lura married Robert Rister (Florence and Robert were first cousins). Romelia was still living with his parents, and Mary Jane's brother Virgil was living with the three of them after a divorce from his wife Mittilder. They are listed in the census in Asbury Township in Gallatin County. They appear to have actually moved between the two different censuses as Asbury and Ridgway are separate townships. (census image here)
In 1920 John and Mary Jane were still in Asbury Township, but by now Mary's brother Virgil had moved to Eldorado in Saline County and their son Romelia was gone, having married Bertha Irons in 1914. (census image here)
John died on 13 February 1929 in Omaha in Gallatin County, and was buried next to their daughter Minnie in Old Cottonwood Cemetery.
Mary Jane showed up one more time in the census, in 1930, still living in Asbury Township. A 42 year old woman named Lucy Lacefield was living with her and is listed as a servant, although she may have actually been a caretaker. (census image here)
Mary Jane died on 1 December 1932 in Omaha and shortly thereafter joined her husband, two of her daughters and her parents Thomas and Lucretia in the soil of Old Cottonwood Cemetery.
Other Links
Mary Jane Mills Bigelow Grumley page at Find A Grave
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